Business Profile

Gasoline Engines

Briggs & Stratton

Headquarters

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Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Briggs & Stratton's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see

Customer Complaints Summary

119 total complaints in the last 3 years.
29 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

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Submit a Complaint

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

Initial Complaint
Date:04/13/2023
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
Briggs and Stratton refused to honor a two year warranty issues because it was a Craftman mower.
Business Response
Date: 04/14/2023
At this time Briggs and Stratton will not exchange the customer unit for a new one. The customer was informed that he would need to take his unit to an authorize Briggs and Stratton dealer for any type of warranty consideration.
Customer Answer
Date: 04/14/2023
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

[Please I type your response here.] I have previously contacted one of *****'s authorized repair shops and they refused to honor the warrantee since it is actually a *********'s mower. However, the motor is B&S which according to their web site which has a two year warranty. The mower was purchased in May,2021.
Regards,

*******************
Business Response
Date: 04/17/2023
The customer took the unit to ************* center. Altaquip will than complete the inspection and make the determination if the warranty repair would be covered.
Customer Answer
Date: 04/18/2023
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

[Please type your response here.]

Regards,

*******************
Customer Answer
Date: 04/19/2023
The issue is still not resolved. The mower was sent to a repair shop for an evaluation. The main cause to this was a broken cable there it connects to the carb. This something that is internal within the mower housing. It is my understand that this is part of the mower engine and s/b covered by the 2 year warranty that B&S claims on their web site. I have offered a reasonable resolution to B&S to cover the $162.45 expense to resolve this issue. Pending a response.
Business Response
Date: 04/20/2023
The customer was asked to reply back to the email with more information. Briggs and Strattons will not agree to a repair cost without having the paperwork from the dealer that states what the issue is. The customer needs to inform ********************** & ********************** who the dealer is, if the issue was and is a manufactures defect. Until the customer provides that information his request is denied.
Initial Complaint
Date:04/07/2023
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
I purchased a DR ********************** Pro 26 Field Mower with a **** Briggs and Stratton Engine. The brush mower was delivered on 12/04/2022. Before starting the mower, I read the DR ********************** and Briggs and Stratton user manuals. I purchased oil and filled the engine based on the chart in the Briggs and Stratton manual. I have lived on a farm my entire life working with small engines and have completed a small engine repair class. At the end of February, the brush mower started running extremely fast. I shut off the mower and did not run it again.I took it to ****** ********************** Supply, a Briggs-authorized service center at the beginning of March. On 04/06/23, the service center manager said that Briggs denied the claim because they were alleging I ran it without oil. This is absolutely not true. The service manager said he tried to dispute it with Briggs. The manager continued by saying that he believed the oil flapper inside the engine broke or malfunctioned, which would also result in the engine burning out. Continuing, he advised that to appeal the warranty denial, Briggs would require that I ship the engine back to them for inspection.This would require me, the consumer, to separate the engine from the mower chassis, figure out how to safely package it, and then pay for shipping. I believe this is in violation of the ************************* Warranty Act. The Briggs website and user manual state that the engine must be taken to an authorized service dealer. The user manual, it states that warranty repairs will be completed within 30 days, and for questions about the warranty go to the Briggs and Stratton Website or call their 800 number. The website refers you back to taking it to a service center, as does the 800 number. No matter what I did, I could not get a hold of a real person.
Customer Answer
Date: 04/14/2023
[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
I heard from the repair shop today that by chance a Briggs and Stratton rep came into the shop. After the rep looked at my engine, they made the decision to cover my engine under warranty.

Regards,

*******************
Initial Complaint
Date:03/29/2023
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
Briggs and Stratton Is the maker of the "Guaranteed to Start" lawn mower engine and was originally under warranty in complaint #******. They are also responsible.
Business Response
Date: 03/30/2023
Customer has been made a aware that we are not refunding him back for his purchase of the Tor Mower. The customer issue is fuel related which is not covered by his 2 year manufacturer's warranty. As a goodwill gesture Briggs and Stratton has agreed to send him a replacement carburetor but it is his responsibility to have it installed. The customer has agreed to this offer.
Initial Complaint
Date:03/27/2023
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
I purchased a ****** push lawnmower at ******* November 8, 2018 and also purchased a 3 year warranty with square trade for $39 making my total for mower and warranty $240.40. I was very pleased with the purchase the 3 years and had no problem thru 2021. I live in Georgia and since we have warm weather I always do my last cut for the season late November or 1st week of December. When I put the lawnmower up for winter in 2021 as I mentioned I had no problems. Now this is why I am filing a BBB. I am a 64 year old senior and by spring 2022 I had numerous health issues and not able to cut the grass. So of course I didn't try to start the mower. However, by November 2022 I was able to try to do last cut for season. The engine model is 09P6020096F1. Serial: ****************. 500E sieries. 140 OHV. This was November approximately 11/20/22. I put fresh gas and oil into mower, primed several times, and pulled cord. It never would turn over. I ordered from lowes (see copies) fuel and new filter. I also put in a new spark plug. Again I primed never would start. This went on for a few days getting the oil and gas and trying to start a mower that never was going to run. I called Square trade and they said warranty expired 11/08/2021 and nothing they could do. I bought ****** because I trust their products and had a *********************** before that lasted 12 years. I want a working mower that lasts more than 4 years. I also see on MTD warranty that its 2 years againt defects in material and workmanship. That means if I purchased an additional 3 year warranty thru square trade and have 2 years automatically with the mower, that these 2 warranties should cover thru 5 years thru November 2023. I tried to contact ****** but email returned from ******************* I either want a new mower, reimbursement or send an authorized repair person to my home to repair mower since I have no way of getting mower to repair shop. I appreciate your help in this matter and hope you stand behind your product
Business Response
Date: 03/28/2023
*********************** is 3 years outside of her warranty. If the customer wants any type of out of warranty consideration she must take the unit to an Briggs and Stratton dealer. Briggs and Stratton at this time will not honor the customers request in regards to replacing the unit.
Initial Complaint
Date:03/20/2023
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
In May of last year, I purchased a new Husqvarna YTH24V54 lawnmower from ******. With less than 28 hours on it, the motor came apart and now, ******, Husqvarna, and Briggs and Stratton all point fingers at the other. Briggs and Stratton has no access to answers as to when I might be able to get my lawnmower from the service center. Money well wasted.
Business Response
Date: 03/30/2023
Briggs and Stratton has made 3 attempts to reach the customer as of today. We will consider the case closed if the customer does not return our call by April 6th 2023 to discuss his case.
Initial Complaint
Date:02/22/2023
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
Snowblower was bought brand new at dealer & first time my husband went to use it - it was making awful grinding noises & extremely loud.Dealer was contacted & said he would order parts. The dealer neglected to follow up about the parts to see why it was taking so long for the parts. My husband had been communicating back & forth with the dealer asking about the parts & never given a legit answer. My husband then called Simplicity themselves to find out that they had quit making the parts we needed two mths after the dealer supposedly ordered them & because the dealer never followed up with Simplicity we were left in the dark for several months "waiting". Dealer sold this unit that was clearly faulty right from manufacturer & if he had of did the proper inspection prior to selling it - I would not be in this situation. The dealer refused to take the unit *************** it. My husband was advised by Simplicity to seek another dealer to resolve this issue. It was taken to new dealer for *************** were told that once a brand new unit was available for exchange we could do that because it was clear to see this was the manufacturer's fault for allowing this unit passed quality control. Again, weeks passed & with us making constant follow up phone calls we were told there was no blower available & we had to wait until the following year when the new stock would come in. Simplicity themselves are refusing to reimburse me 100% for this faulty unsafe blower. Both sets of ******************** were all informed of this major issue while under warranty& have refused to ethically resolve this issue. An offering of 75% minus taxes is a slap in the face considering this was bought brand new & the first time my husband goes to use it -it was clear to see there was a major problem with it!! It is not my fault that the ******************** could not exchange our unit for a new exact model after all of this time.This is unethical practice by ******************** Case #*******
Business Response
Date: 02/24/2023
Customer has been offered 75% reimbursement but not a full refund. The customer did not notified that their was an issue was the generator until it has been used for 26 months. The unit is now a year out of warranty. Tech Support is willing to stick with their offer of reimbursement of 75%.
Initial Complaint
Date:02/21/2023
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
I bought my Husqvarna YTH ***** lawn tractor from Lowes and it was delivered on 5/2/22. Lowes assembled and prepared the lawn tractor and delivered it. I checked the oil level when the tractor was delivered. The oil was full and clean. I used it maybe 10 times, for less than an hour per cutting for a total of 10 hours use. On 11/5, 2 minutes after I started it, there was a big bang and the engine started smoking badly. I brought the mower to a Husqvarna/Briggs and Stratton dealer and they said the Briggs and Stratton engine had exploded and threw a rod out the side of the motor now with 2 holes in it. Briggs and Stratton won't cover the warranty. They say the motor had only 8 oz of oil in it (after the explosion and smoke). ***** prepped the mower, I checked the oil level on delivery, it was fine. For some reason, they say it was out of oil. Something happened to all the oil in 10 hours of use. Did the engine consume it in the 10 uses of it? Did it leak out the 2 holes in the engine? It was full of oil on delivery. After only 10 hours of use, the 33S777 motor is now junk and B + S will do nothing, not even sell me an engine at a discount. AND THERE IS NO PHONE NUMBER TO CALL at B+S THAT WILL ANSWER WITH A HUMAN!!! NONE!! The recording refers you to a Briggs and Stratton dealer. So, I am out $1200 on a brand new mower if I buy another B+S engine, or out $2500 if I junk the entire new mower. ********* and ***** wont help me. I will never buy another B+S engine again. They are BS, if you know what I mean!
Business Response
Date: 03/03/2023
Briggs and Stratton is working with the dealer in regards to submitting a warranty claim. The dealer never submitted a claim for the repairs. Once the dealer has successfully submitted the claim the customer will be notified if it was approved or not.
Customer Answer
Date: 03/07/2023
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

[Please type your response here.]
I will call this resolved when I get an answer to why a new engine blew up with only 10 hours of use, and how I am responsible for it.

Regards,

***************************
Business Response
Date: 03/08/2023
********* ********* (dealer) has submitted the rest of the requested pictures on the pre-authorization claim. At this moment the claim is being reviewed.
Customer Answer
Date: 03/09/2023
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

I will call this resolved when I get an answer to why a new engine in a new lawn tractor blew
up with only 10 hours of use when it was full of oil when purchased new from Lowes.
Regards,

***************************
Customer Answer
Date: 03/28/2023
Hello,

I received a phone call last week from Briggs and Stratum over the blown new motor on my new lawn mower with less than 10 hours of use on it and they said that because I had not changed the oil before 5 hours of use, I violated the warranty and they would not do anything, GOODBYE!

HOWEVER, Briggs and Stratum's own web page at the below link says after 5 to 10 hours of use to do the first oil change, which means I did not violate any warranty with less than 10 hours of use as I mentioned. So, I am not satisfy with Briggs and Stratum's reason for denying me and now costing me $1300 to fix a brand new lawn mower engine that was still fully under their warranty.

Until I have a credible explanation from Briggs and Stratum on where all the oil went with less than 10 hours on the mower, according to them the cause of the blown brand new engine, and how I am responsible for it, I am a mechanical engineer and I won't back down. Could the oil have gone out the 2 gaping holes in the motor? Just before the motor blew, there were no strange sounds until the bang. Not changing the oil at 5 hours (as they charge) is not a valid reason to deny me the warranty claim according to Briggs own documentation, and Briggs and Stratum can't find a valid reason to deny me after taking the engine apart. So, WHERE DID 40 OZ OF OIL GO IN LESS THAN 10 HOURS OF USE? WHY DID THE *** BREAK? How did I violate the warranty?

And like usual, there is no service/support number I can call to dispute their errors. The number they called me on (caller ID) does not receive any inbound calls.

Please read the below from Briggs and Stratum's own web site on new engine maintenance.
********************************.com/eu/en_gb/support/faqs/browse/engine-maintenance-schedule.html

Engine Break-In Procedure
Step 2: Change the oil after the first **** hours of use.

_{It is very important to perform the initial break-in}_{oil change.}
After the first **** hours of operation, the oil should be changed to remove asperities that have broken from the bearings of the engine components and cylinder wall. The break-in oil change can be performed using the recommended grades of standard or synthetic oil. To save money, use standard oil for the break-in procedure, and if desired, switch synthetic oil afterwards.

I DID NOT VIOLATE THEIR WARRANTY!

Thank you,

***************************
36533 *****************,
************, ** 32735
*****************
************
Business Response
Date: 03/28/2023
The customer does have the options to have his engine shipped in for a Quality Dispute. The authorized dealer can pack his engine up and send it in for further evaluation. The quality dispute team will break the engine down and inspect every piece of the engine. The quality team will than make the final decision on the failure of the engine.
Customer Answer
Date: 03/28/2023
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

According to the woman at Briggs that called me last week, the dealer already took the engine apart for inspection at Briggs' direction and the result of that inspection was the call last week from Briggs and the bogus reason for the refusal to honor the warranty. 1st oil change AFTER 10 hours is within Briggs requirements. Using Briggs' own documentation, It appears Briggs does not have a valid reason for denying me.
Since this has gone on since late January, I have already payed for a new motor to be shipped and installed at my expense and also paid the dealer to look inside the motor too.
Since this issue has gone on for over 2 months and I have paid the dealer for a new motor and labor to fix it and want Briggs to pay for it. Sure, Briggs can get the dealer (who has the blown motor) to send the motor back to them to figure out the cause of the motor failure at their expense since I am already out well over $1500 to fix a brand new Husqvarna lawn tractor with less than 10 hours on it (3 months of use).
Briggs, honor your 1 year warranty or give me a credible reason to deny me or I won't be satisfied.

Regards,

***************************

Business Response
Date: 03/28/2023
In the previous notes the customer stated that he checked his oil before using the unit. He stated that he used the mower for 10 hours without changing the oil. According to the engine manual the owner is suppose to change the oil within the first 5 hours of using the mower.
The dealer did tear down the engine apart to submit a pre-authorization claim to see if the warranty would cover a replacement engine. After Power Distributors and Engine Tech Support reviewed the pictures they both declare the engine was run low on oil.
Now the warranty claim has been denied the next step is too send the engine in for a Quality Dispute. Again, The quality dispute team will analyze each part of your engine to determine if Power Distributors & Engine Tech Support is correct with denying the claim. Yes, the cost to ship the engine is on the customer, However if our QD team comes back and says yes this is manufacturers defect the shipping cost will be refunded back to you.
If you do decide to go with shipping the engine in for further evaluation please consult with your authorize dealer.
Customer Answer
Date: 03/28/2023
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
I bought the lawn mower from a Briggs and ******* dealer (Lowes) and they prepped the engine/lawn mower and delivered it to my house. I, as well as the ****** driver, checked the oil level on receipt of the mower. So it was full on delivery. Briggs has yet to tell me how the engine could be out of oil at less than 10 hours of use (3 months). Something was wrong with an engine that lost most of its oil in 3 month of use. As for what Briggs said about the oil change requirement being 5 hours, I produced the requirement from *****'s own web site saying to change the oil after 5 to 10 hours of use. The engine blew before 10 hours of use, so I did not violate that requirement.
Why can't Briggs produce a link to a document showing the requirement of an oil change before 5 hours.
As for me paying to ship the blown engine to Briggs, I have already paid out over $1500 to repair the brand new lawn tractor and refuse to pay for a hefty delivery charge to Briggs unless they can prove I violated any warranty requirements first. The burden of proof is on them, not me. Send my the link! I don't have to prove I did not violate anything.
I won't be satisfied until Briggs does something to prove I violated any warranty requirements, and I proved that I did not. Prove your point or accept mine.

Regards,

***************************
Customer Answer
Date: 04/05/2023
I responded to Briggs' BBB response over a week ago and and I am not satisfied with their BBB response. So I responded back to the BBB complaint last week and Briggs has not responded as of today. Briggs cited that 5 hours as the required time to change the oil on a brand new lawn mower. Since I stated I had less than 10 hours of use on the engine when it blew up, they say I violated the warranty by not changing the oil before the engine blew.   However, using Briggs own documentation (below), I provided a Briggs web link (below) that says AFTER 5 to 10 hours of use to change the oil first time. The engine blew before 10 hours of use. SO I DID NOT VIOLATE THEIR WARRANTY. They have yet to answer my request to give me their link to their documentation showing me their requirement to change the oil BEFORE 5 hours of use. I provided my link to their site proving my point that says "AFTER 5 to 10 HOURS", where is their proof???

I bought the new lawn mower from Lowes, a Briggs dealer, and the oil was checked on delivery of the lawn tractor.  Where did all the oil go in less than 10 hours of use? With 2 holes in the engine block, the logical deduction is that it leaked out of the engine between the weeks from the engine blowing and being able to get a lawn tractor to a Briggs dealer for investigation. Usually low oil causes an engine to seize. This engine made no unusual noises and was running fine until the bang/explosion and the rod snapped.

All I want is some compensation for the new engine I have already bought and paid for including the labor. I am out so far $1500. If Briggs would reimburse me 1/2 the cost of the engine itself, I would eat 1/2 the engine cost and the labor and shipping charges already paid. Paying another shipping charge to ship the blown engine out to Briggs would add another $200 to my costs. It was a brand new lawn tractor, the engine should not have blown with 3 months of use.

Briggs' own documentation states after 5 to 10 hours the oil needed to be changed.

********************************.com/eu/en_gb/support/faqs/browse/engine-maintenance-schedule.html
From Briggs web site:
****** Break-In Procedure
Breaking in the engine is a good practice for new lawn mowers or outdoor power equipment. For our EXi series engine. which does not require an oil change, please reference your operators manual. For all other engines, the two major points to consider when using an air cooled engine for the first time:
Step 1: Do not operate the engine at full load during the first **** hours of operation.
In the past, the engine break-in period was very important to the overall life and durability or the engine. ****** design improvements, like better piston ring materials and designs, has decreased the break-in period (now **** hours) compared to engines of the past.
You can break-in your mower engine at any speed above idle. The break-in process *** occur faster if the engine is operated at varying loads and speeds. It is recommended that an engine not be operated continuously at full load during the initial hours of operation. This can lead to permanent deformation of the cylinder bore.
Step 2: Change the oil after the first **** hours of use.
_{It is very important to perform the initial break-in oil change.}
After the first **** hours of operation, the oil should be changed to remove asperities that have broken from the bearings of the engine components and cylinder wall. The break-in oil change can be performed using the recommended grades of standard or synthetic oil. To save money, use standard oil for the break-in procedure, and if desired, switch synthetic oil afterwards.

Thanks,

***************************
36533 ********************
************, ** 32735
************
Complaint # ********
Business Response
Date: 04/06/2023
Briggs and Stratton has offer to send the failed engine in at their cost for a quality dispute.
Customer Answer
Date: 04/06/2023
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

I will await the results of the Briggs quality evaluation of the blown engine and decide if this warranty dispute is resolved then.

Regards,

***************************
Customer Answer
Date: 04/21/2023
I received an email from the BBB today on 4/21 saying I have a new message from Briggs to read. I went to the BBB web site and there is no information/message to respond to other than Briggs saying they want more information. There is no mention of what they want. The last message from Briggs on the BBB web site is on 4/6 and says they are paying to send the engine back to investigate.

So this phantom message from Briggs is not complete with any info.

I am still not satisfied with Briggs response. They have no proof I violated any warranty. In fact, I proved them wrong on the oil change interval. With only 10 hours of use, the connecting rod should have not broken.
Business Response
Date: 05/12/2023
Independent engine quality specialist complete the inspection of your engine and here is what they found. The warranty still stands as denial. No warranty.
The engine has been received disassembled. Not included are the cam and 1 tappet. The outside of the engine has some light dirt buildup and the residual oil in the Briggs & Stratton filter is brown. A small amount of gray sludge residue is inside the sump, two holes are broken in the crankcase. Carbon buildup is slightly heavy for 10 hours as listed on the claim and appears used more than that. Connecting rod crankpin bearing is broken, scored and discolored. Aluminum metal transfer is on the crankshaft crankpin. Both thrust faces of the bore are scored. The piston thrust faces are heavily scored. The yellow oil drain leaks but is damaged at the outer seal area. The way the engine was packed and shipped here the drain could have been damaged then. Some type of tracking is found in the head intake valve port. This tracking is also on the valve side of the metal carb manifold / head intake gasket while the carburetor side of the gasket is clean. Carburetor choke valve and intake are clean. No signs of upper abrasive ingestion are found as the bore has visible gross hatch, rings are not worn and the intake valve is not dished. Some rust and corrosion are on the outside of the engine giving the appearance it might have been out side. Oil pump is for filtering oil and pressure lubing the pto bearing only. The oil slinger is in good condition with no marks of any kind. No defects in materials or manufacturing are found.
Failure Cause: Insufficient Lubrication
Customer Answer
Date: 05/17/2023
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

I had the lawn tractor delivered on May 2, 2022, and the oil level was checked by the Lowes delivery man and me. I live on a 1/3-acre lot and the house, driveway, and pool take up of that, so I only have to cut 1/6 of an acre each time, less than 1 hour each, every other week. I had a hip replacement on Aug 22, 2022, so the last time it was used was on Aug 20, 2022. I had my neighbor cut my lawn with his own mower once in September and once in October.   Do the math. That looks like 9 uses of this lawn tractor at 1/6 acre each time. So, from delivery on May 2 to the engine blowing the first week of November, the lawn tractor cut only 1.5 to 2 acres total in the 3.5 months of use.
The first week of November, I started the lawn mower and moved it from the back to the front of the house to put on the bagger and fill the gas tank (and check the oil). Within 2 minutes of starting the engine, just as I got to the front of the house, it blew up while making absolutely no abnormal noise until the bang.
I always check the oil on my 2 antique sports cars, 2 daily driver cars, and all my internal combustion engines EVERY time I fill their gas tank. EVERY TIME! How else could I still have the 39 and 31 year old originally owned sports cars, with original un-rebuilt engines with a total of 500K miles on the 2 of them. I am an engineer and check the oil! I know better!
I waited until February to bring in the mower for repair because since I had the hip surgery and could still barely walk, the mower was not needed in the winter and warranty was still good until May. I just finished my last Physical Therapy last Friday. The 3 month delay in addressing this blown engine in February was a health issue and should not be an issue here for Briggs.
The Briggs assessment hit on a possible cause of this missing oil, The yellow oil drain leaks but is damaged at the outer seal area. Something happened to all the oil that was there on delivery and 1.5 acres total of use later, gone. I have been demanding an explanation from Briggs and it appears they apparently found the answer. In my favor!
So again, I am not satisfied with Briggs assessment stating that there were no defects in materials found and I ran the engine out of oil.They did find a defect, the oil drain seal defect that easily could have caused the oil to slowly drip out over the 3 months of inactivity from my hip issue. Also, the oil could have dripped out from the time of the engine explosion to the dealer assessment. The 2 holes in the engine block could also explain the loss of that oil. Something happened to all that oil. I and Lowes checked the oil on delivery, it was full. I was still within their after 10 hours of use requirement to change the oil, so it was not changed yet. I only used 2 to 3 tanks of gas total in 3 months of use, and the oil was last checked when I gassed up on Aug 20th, right before my hip surgery and was the last time the mower was used before the explosion in early November. I cut only 1.5 to 2 acres total of grass in that 3 month time. After 3 months of being idle for my surgery, it exploded within 2 minutes of starting.
I have spent over $1500 to buy another engine for an almost brand new lawn tractor, (at retail cost and labor) and install it on the tractor, all at my cost. All I want is Briggs to split the cost with me and I would go away and be satisfied. I have a warranty on the engine and Briggs cannot prove I did violate it, and Briggs has found a defect that can explain the loss of oil, which is what they said caused the failure. Briggs is accusing both Lowes and me of not checking the oil on delivery, accusing me of not checking the oil over the 3 months of use, but at the same time they found a possible reason for the lost oil. I wont be satisfied until Briggs admits that the oil leak they found most likely caused the lost oil, which would mean I did not violate their warranty.
A new lawn mower with a new engine cutting a total of 1.5 to 2 acres over 9 uses in 3 months should not be blowing engines unless there is a defect in the engine somewhere. And Briggs found the defect.
I am not satisfied with Briggs response. Honor your own warranty!

Regards,

***************************
Business Response
Date: 05/18/2023
The decision has been made final. Briggs and Stratton will not honor any warranty request. It will remain denied.
Customer Answer
Date: 05/18/2023
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
I am not satisfied with Briggs excuse!
Briggs first excuse was I did not change the oil quick enough, they said before 5 hours of use. I then provided their documentation saying AFTER 10 hours the oil needs to be changed, and I was well within that change interval. Briggs then says the brand new engine ran out of oil, but the oil was checked numerous times by Lowes and me in the 3 months and less than 10 hours of use. And then Briggs stated the oil drain plug had a leak, thus explaining where the oil went.
Since Briggs has provided a reason for the low oil, the defective drain plug, Briggs has not addressed any part of the warranty I violated. It
looks like the defective drain plug explains where the missing oil went.   A defective part. As I said on the very first correspondence,
where did all the oil go? Briggs has finally explain where it went and still won't honor their warranty. Because of this, I am not satisfied
with Briggs' final decision. I want this complaint left open to the public so they can all see Briggs does not honor their warranty even
when they have provided no proof the reason.

Regards,

***************************
Initial Complaint
Date:02/20/2023
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
I paid $12k for this outboard motor and it has a Briggs engine. The Briggs engine is only 5 months old and blew up while in use. Motor has a 3 year warranty and Briggs is refusing to warranty it. They looked at a picture and determined I was running it without oil which is complete BS. Please note I have boat shop and serviced this motor 3 times in 5 months. I take care of my stuff. The guy that has to break down the motor to send it to Briggs for warranty said BOTH head gaskets were blown and the motor had plenty of oil in the motor. Head gaskets shouldnt be blowing at 5 months either. I started a forum to see if this is a common problem. I couldnt believe the amount of people this has happen to and Briggs leaves them high and dry. This could be handled very easy. Briggs gives me a new engine as they should. Thats what the warranty is for. Also all this has been documented by an actual dealer and the dealer said this is ridiculous and should be 100% warranty. My boat and motor has and is always maintained. There is a reason this company went bankrupt and looses employees left and right. This is insane that big companies do this on a regular basis and no one holds them accountable.
Business Response
Date: 03/06/2023
Our Briggs and Stratton authorized dealer informed the customer he would need to send his engine in for a quality dispute. The customer claim was denied so the next option that was presented to the customer was for him to send in the engine for a quality dispute. The customer refused to have his engine shipped in for further inspection.
Initial Complaint
Date:02/16/2023
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
I purchased a Model ******* snow blower from **************************** on 9/22/20 at a price of $1,071.68. The unit is a Briggs and Stratton 27" 250cc dual stage snow blower. I used it for 1 and 1/2 seasons until the friction wheel failed and the unit will no longer move. After many calls I was able to find a service provider who stated that the part is not available for months, after the snow season. I was not able to purchase the part on line (it is also backordered). I have attempted to contact Briggs and Stratton via e-mail with no response. The friction wheel is poorly designed and I suspect the part is backordered due to many failures. I'm only asking to be reimbursed for the cost of the part ($90.68). The unit is still under the 3 year warrantee. I sent my complaint to ********************** on 2/1/23. If the part cannot be replaced I quest a new snow blower.
Business Response
Date: 02/20/2023
Customer has been made aware that the unit has to be at an authorized Briggs and Stratton dealer for a warranty consideration. At this time we can not refund the customer back for the part he purchased without the issue being deemed a manufacturer's defect.
The customer was provided with more dealers in his area to take the unit too.
Initial Complaint
Date:02/14/2023
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
I bought a brand new boat from ********** boats 5 months ago. They use the Briggs and Stratton Vanguard 40XD for the power unit of the motor. The Briggs warranty is 3 years. The motor has been serviced 3 times in a 100 hour period with in the 5 months. The motor blew up about 30 days ago. I took it to my dealership and they broke the motor down. They sent Briggs the pictures and Briggs said they will not warranty the motor bc they think it was run without oil. They cant tell that from a picture. The motor has always had oil in it and always been maintained. I work on outboard motors and Im very familiar with engines. 20 years worth. This is a spit in the face. I have invest $12,000 in this motor and it has never been 100% right. The fact a company can even attempt this is absurd. The place I dropped it off at even said its ridiculous and 100% should be taken care of. Their names are ****************. Ask for **** Please do something about this. This entire unit should be replaced. Im not asking for money or a refund. I would like a WORKING MOTOR. What I paid for
Business Response
Date: 02/15/2023
Quality Dispute option was offered to the customer, it has NOT come back yet with a complete report of the engine.

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