I got towed by an '09 LSV Malibu today

[jonyb]

Rode on my friends 04 X-Star this weekend and it made me feel pretty good about my boat. PP was set on 20 mph. When I drove and he was riding, the boat would go to 25, then drop down to 15, then back to 25. He couldn't understand that I wasn't the one doing it. His boat has had it's fair share of issues as well, but I think has have been a lot more major than mine.

[Fman]

Rode on my friends 04 X-Star this weekend and it made me feel pretty good about my boat. PP was set on 20 mph. When I drove and he was riding, the boat would go to 25, then drop down to 15, then back to 25. He couldn't understand that I wasn't the one doing it. His boat has had it's fair share of issues as well, but I think has have been a lot more major than mine.

Hmm... you mean Mastercraft boats have problems?! thats just not possible .... now the question will be, how soon will his dealer take care of this problem for and how much $$$ will it cost him.

[jonyb]

wellllll, being an 04, the only thing the dealer will cover is the front seating that's warped.






He bought the boat as a repo for pretty cheap, but all the money he's saved has been put back into it with repairs to the transmission, ballast system, then the new stereo that was installed. It has the Jabsco reversible pumps that wouldn't work, then changed impellers, then wouldn't work again, the repaired, and on and on.... Honestly, I hate this boat too After the last time it was repaired the mechanic didn't tighten down a hose in the bilge good enough, so he got a good distance from the ramp before the bilge was full. The possibility of having a leak in the bilge (because water was pumping out by the bilge) was wrote off because he thought there was water in the boat from a storm we just had, or leaking ballast, or something. I was on my own boat, so I have no idea what he was thinking. All I know is, my mirror arm had just broken off, and it wasn't even noon.....

[Fman]

Wow, those seats look pretty bad, did he store this boat outside? I know keeping them inside makes a HUGE difference in upholstry longevity and things starting to fade and not fit right. What did the dealer say caused the seats to warp?

[jonyb]

OEM defect I believe. He just bought the boat back in the winter. It's not in the best shape, because after all it is a wakeboat. People don't take care of these boats at all. I'm not sure if he's dealing with a dealer or the manufacturer on this, but they're sending new seat frames. He'll use the existing upholestry and the work will have to be done at an upholestry shop. He didn't even notice this until I emailed him those pics.

[WadsworthSunsport22V]

I just wanted to add that my tower is almost the worst one I've stood under on any wakeboat so far. I wear my kill-switch in fear of it collapsing in rough water. It flexes at least 1" next to my head. In the driver's seat, the tower and window block my vision to the side of the boat. That's where it flexes 1", so imagine how much it flexes up top.....

I don't think my tower is doing that because it's defective. It's just a cheap boat.

To start, sorry about the typos, I am tired, and have a serious head ache, last week I did my first trick (I am new to wake-boarding and I am 41). As the day went on, I got more more courageous with my ability to jump my wake. I ended the run with a face plant and ruptured my ear! I can't sleep tonight, so I thought I share my thoughts.


Jonyb, I feel for you. As you know, I have my share of problems too, but mainly because Chicago Sea Ray is such SH#$ty dealer. I am by no means any expert at boating or boarding, but have had some pros get a tow from me. I am yet to hear any flex from my tower it seems to be rock solid.

My sister has a Malibu 08 23 Sunscape LSV. Her boat has had a fair number of problems too, several problems similar to yours. Her vinly is separating from the stitching. The boat’s fly by wire cable goes from 0 throttle to 100% and no in between. This is a nice feature in a no wake zone and when docking! The pop up red/green nav light popped up and out after the second use. A cleat failed causing the bow of the boat to float away from the dock. Fortunately, the aft cleat held just fine. Her check engine light came on after about 2 hours of use. It turned out that the shaft was not aligned. Luckily, her dealer is helping out, unlike your dealer. BTW, was your dealer Chicago Sea Ray? The only way I was able to get support was to move 1000 miles away and find a great dealer. He only sells four or five new boats a year, so he is forced to have an awesome service shop. I still have a problem with my Stereo - but it was not factory installed so I cannot blame Skiers Choice.

My Supra Sunsport 22V is my first boat. I have no idea what to expect in regards to quality, but have come to realize that none of the wake boat manufactures come close to have any sort of Six Sigma program or build enough products to truly minimize defects in engineering, defects in build, and sell enough boats to drive quality from their vendor selection. I do not know anything about Sea Ray or 4winns, but I think they sell significantly more boats that the entire wake boat builder community, and suspect (again, no data to prove) have a better quality management program. Also, our wake boats to take a beating. The are like a sports utility vehicle for the water. I am not sure how my Volvo SUV would actually survive if I took it off road everyday, but I expect a lot of things would break.

I work in the (believe or not) high tech field (yes very high tech) of factory automation. I spend a lot time helping manufactures (food, cars, paper, steel, ect...) design systems to improve productivity and decrease scrap. A boat company that has vision, should strive for six sigma in their manufacturing. A boat company that does this will be a welcome change!

Either in 2011 or 2012 I am going to buy a new (larger) boat. My only loyalty to Supra is my local dealer and wanting to support that dealer. Other than that, I am going to look at MB Sports, EPIC, Nautique, and ?? When I purchased my boat, I did not realize how important the dealer selection plays into the overall ownership experience. If I would have, I would have spent some time researching Chicago Sea Ray before I made my selection.

[jonyb]

Sorry to hear about your problems with the dealer wadsworth. Extreme Water Sports is a Supra dealer a little farther south in Illinois, and I"ve heard a few good things about them.

Don't know what kind of problems you're having, but I'll do what I can to help if you start a new thread or PM me. I remember you're not happy with the Kenwoods, but I don't know of anyone that would be if they heard anything better. The Kenwood speakers they used in these boats were lower than entry level. If a customer walked in my shop wanting the cheapest thing I had (in a car or a boat), I still wouldn't sell those because they're awful. Not to mention, they have a paper cone, and THEIR IN A BOAT! GENIUS!

My dealer wasn't Chicago Sea Ray. They aren't a very big boat dealer and I'm not going to say their name. SC is aware of them and my situation, so that's as far as I'll go with that one.

The Malibu, wow.... Sounds like a Friday-built lemon. The Malibu's I've been in were built very well. I'm not gonna say that's the best boat out there right now, but they all have their fair share of problems. What makes the difference is if the dealer is there to support you and keep it a pleasureable experience. Owning a boat is work. I spend a lot of time just getting mine out of the garage, hanging the speakers, removing and reinstalling the fabric on the Z5, covering it up when we're at the campground, trying to keep the cover clean and everything else on the boat in good shape. We shouldn't have to worry about everything else.....

[WadsworthSunsport22V]

Sorry to hear about your problems with the dealer wadsworth. Extreme Water Sports is a Supra dealer a little farther south in Illinois, and I"ve heard a few good things about them.

Don't know what kind of problems you're having, but I'll do what I can to help if you start a new thread or PM me. I remember you're not happy with the Kenwoods, but I don't know of anyone that would be if they heard anything better. The Kenwood speakers they used in these boats were lower than entry level. If a customer walked in my shop wanting the cheapest thing I had (in a car or a boat), I still wouldn't sell those because they're awful. Not to mention, they have a paper cone, and THEIR IN A BOAT! GENIUS!

My dealer wasn't Chicago Sea Ray. They aren't a very big boat dealer and I'm not going to say their name. SC is aware of them and my situation, so that's as far as I'll go with that one.

The Malibu, wow.... Sounds like a Friday-built lemon. The Malibu's I've been in were built very well. I'm not gonna say that's the best boat out there right now, but they all have their fair share of problems. What makes the difference is if the dealer is there to support you and keep it a pleasureable experience. Owning a boat is work. I spend a lot of time just getting mine out of the garage, hanging the speakers, removing and reinstalling the fabric on the Z5, covering it up when we're at the campground, trying to keep the cover clean and everything else on the boat in good shape. We shouldn't have to worry about everything else.....

Yes, Dealers are key to your boating experience. If I did not move and find a great local dealer, I would have sold my boat and probally would never returned again as a boat owner.