08 Malibu Recall ??????

I just got a phone call from Modesto Ca. from Malibu saying that all 08 Malibu's except the Ride line has been recalled.

2% of all 08 bu's are having problems with throttle not responding in reverse and forward according to a Malibu staff member.

60 Malibu techs are going to fly or drive to each location of the boat and fix the problem. Letters are going out tomorrow.

Have any of you had problems with your Malibu?

Thats going to be expensive. But, hey, it looks like they are stepping up.

That's what I said.......I was told there are around 3500 08's sold from California.

It sucks that this is happening; although it is great to see a Company own up to their mistakes so fast.

Thats brutal and does not make them bad boats. I think most people don't mind dealing with problems as long as the company steps up to the plate. Sounds like the Bu guys are. Thats awesome.

I got that call yesterday too. Luckily I am going out of town for 2 weeks, I am lust going to drop my boat off at the dealer this morning.

The recall will be official by friday. And all I can say is way to go malibu! step up grab the bull by the horns and fix it before it becomes a headline news story of some one getting hurt.

There will be an official release coming soon (probably today) from Malibu Corporate regarding this issue. Some of the shifter mechanisms have experienced a problem that leaves the boat unable to use the throttle properly. This hasn't affected every boat, few at this point are know to have experienced the issue. Believe me Malibu is on the issue and anyone and everyone is working on this. Another company produces the part and between both of them, a solution will be found. Malibu will take care of the issue as they always have.

Thursday, June 26, 2008
Component Recall: ZF Shifter Control
ZF Marine has discovered the ZF shifter control has the potential to fail creating a loss of shifting
capabilities in the forward or reverse direction in all 2008 model boats excluding the Ride series,
Response and Response LX. While the failure rate has been determined to be less than 2 percent,
Malibu Boats must insist that any boat using the 2008 shift by wire system should not be
used until the unit has been repaired or replaced by a certified Malibu technician. ZF
Marine and Malibu Boats will be utilizing their entire team of technicians for this component
recall and we anticipate a resolution by 4th of July weekend.
We anticipate a resolution to be in place in the next few days. ZF Marine and Malibu Boats will
commit to rectifying all affected models at the location of our owners request.
ZF Marine does 18 billion dollars in annual sales, and has a complete line of electronic shift
controls. We are confident they will employ the full force of their engineering team to resolve this
situation.
ZF is a leading worldwide automotive supplier of driveline and chassis technology. ZF develops
and produces transmissions, steering systems, axles, and chassis components as well as complete
systems for passenger cars, commercial vehicles and off-road machinery. ZF is also an important
transmission specialist for rail and special vehicles, marine craft, and helicopters.
As the world's largest supplier of marine transmissions, ZF operates sophisticated production sites
in Germany, France, Italy and the United States. ZF meets demanding requirements and supplies
transmissions and advanced propulsion systems for a variety of marine applications. For pleasure
crafts like powerboats and luxury yachts, ZF offers integrated systems that deliver smooth,
reliable, quiet rides. Commercial workboat applications, like fast ferries and fishing boats, rely on
ZF's heavy-duty transmissions and propulsion systems to carry them through years of arduous
service.
While the timing is unfortunate, the safety of each and every Malibu passenger is of the utmost
importance to Malibu Boats. We look forward to resolving this issue and getting our Malibu
owners quickly and safely back on the water.
Mike Sanchez
Malibu Boats
Director of Customer Service & Warranty
mikes@malibuboats.com

SO iF I have an 08 but i havent seen a problem with the shifter yet should i mabey go ahead and take it in to get checked out?


another QUESTION has any one out there with the metcraft illusion XS tower seen any problems with shaking or the main screw backing out or internal bushings not being good because I have and it has already been fixed once and is doing the whole screw coming out thing again afer I tighten the SHT out of it,, ir just keeps coming out..

Way to go Mike!! I LOVE THAT MALIBU STEPS UP TO THE PLATE.

Cody try a product called loctight.

YIKES. That is going to be super expensive... One can only assume that this is courtesy of future 2009, 2010, and 2011 owners. hahah...

Just kidding... Yes it is great to see a company step up and do this sort of thing... but honestly... what were their other choices?

Not many...

If there are 3500 affected owners... then that is potential for 3500 lawsuits...

Doing this recall is much cheaper than spending years in court or a class action lawsuit.

And... this is all part of marketing too.

any word on MC and supra. they all use indmar and zf transmissions (i think anyway).

Where I ride with currents pulling me while at the dock, not being able to shift from F/R could cause some serious gelcoat damage.

Malibudude summed it up pretty well. I was told that they had a problem with the throttle on three boats last weekend. There were no accidents or injuries, but they have made it clear that they want to err on the side of caution. ObviousI get the impression that this is so new that they are not 100% positive what the problem is, but right now they are working on that and notifying all the owners.

cody, call Metacraft, there is a kit that will fix that under warranty.

As a loyal malibu owner I have to disagree with all of the love. They are only doing this to prevent a huge lawsuit, period. I had issues with my vinyl in 2000 and the carpeting in the 2005 VLX. Both clearly defects and both times completely blown off by Malibu. The ONLY company I have seen routinely step to the plate is Skiers Choice.

Sorry for the rant, but Malibu has a lot of customer service issues imo, and they are not doing this for any other reson than they have to. I love the boats, but If they don't step up more on "non potential lawsuit" items, I will pass. For all of you with 2005 carpeting, I assume you know my frustration.

Good to see them stepping up. I would also be interested to see if this is only a Malibu issue or on other brands as well. Does anyone have any knowledge of that?

adam i havent had time to call but what exactly does the kit do?? my dealership claims I am not the only one with this problem ?? has any1 else had a problem??? I got the call from malibu also this morning they told me not to drive my boat <<haha

cody, A friend of mine had a similar problem on his 23lsv..he called metcraft after gettign hte run around from his dealer, they knew exactly what it was. I'm not sure excatly what the kit does ( I think it was new type of screw/bushing combo???) but it was very easy to install.

This recall is for Malibu only, It is the throttle/shift pod that is defective. If it goes bad, the boat will be stick in gear, the throttle will still function properly

yeah not to sure i would blow all this smoke up their butts either. lets see.
#1 recall boats and try to avoid lawsuits that could put the company out.
#2 sick back say nothing let customers get injured or killed and fight to the death in court.
Its pretty easy to see why they are doing what they are just hoping no one gets injured or killed before they get them all taken care of. it sounds like there is a large chance of failure and they are very worried about some one getting hurt. so even if you dont have the signs of this issue i would take your boat in ASAP its not worth taking a chance.

NOW thats a company that likes to takes care of their customers


WAY TO GO MALIBU!

I agree with the theory they are only doing this to avoid a lawsuit. Since someone can die they are on top of the issue. What about the issue of the failing temp sensors on the EXCAT. Where are you on that BU. I have replaced those thing for the third time now and I have heard nothing from Malibu about a fix. I do give them props for getting people on top of the issue quickly but Kevin is right. Stop blowing smoke up their a$$. These are expensive machines and if they want return customers it is expected that they fix issues like this quickly.

I will be impressed if they do indeed get all these boats fixed before 4th of July. That would be a true testament to the thought and execution of the process.

I'd say there is a 99 percent chance that ZF is footing the bulk of the bill on this one. This is a vendor issue, and the vendor has to assume the responsibility for the repair costs.

I also seriously question the 3500 unit number...08 production was/is down from 07 due to huge 07 carryover at a lot of west and midwest dealers.

Remind me what is so bad about a regular old cable again?

I know trace, the on in my 25 year old nautique is still working smoothly.

Preston -- what is happening with your CAT temp sensors? Trip codes? Start to leak?

They keep failing. Then the computer puts out a code saying that they are either over heated or low voltage. Since I live in TX and not CA Indmar sent two resistors to put inline instead of the sensors. The Computer now does not throw the codes. Apparently Indmar has been having trouble with the sensors that they have purchased and are working to fix the problem. This resistor is a temporary fix

Thx for info. I assume I have the same type sensors on mine, so good to know if they start acting up...

any news anyone?? any technicians been sent out??? is there going to be a whole brand new throttle unit put in???

and if this thing does stop working and your in gear goin like 20 does it stay in gear? i heard it was hapening mainly in reverse.. because if i dont have it fixed by this weekend im going to still have to risk it.. is any1 on here that has had the z shifter has actually break??

My dealer will have all his '08 throttle replacements today. And, installed by the 4th. I have 85 hours on my '08 without any problems.

I've got 54 hours on mine with no problems, but I was very careful with it when using it this past weekend. I made sure the engine was off when anybody was anywhere near the boat, which is pretty much what I do anyway.

My understanding is that the throttle (amount of gas going to the engine) works fine, but the going in and out of gear is where they had a problem. So if your throttle is straight up, the worst case scenario is that it stays in gear at that idle speed. I don't believe there is any way that it can be stuck in gear at anything more than idle as long as the throttle is straight up.

Just got off the phone with Darryl Moore Marine. They told me that the problem is actually in the shifter. They say it will take 5 min to fix (replace with a completely new shift assembly).

Is Malibu sending techs out to individual customers? I got the letter saying not to use the boat, but haven't heard anything since. The letter doesn't even indicate that there is even a fix yet.

i heard it was just a spring in the throttle that breaks so they are putting a better one in.

My new throttle is going to be on my doorstep tomorrow. I volunteered to change it myself if its easy. Good job malibu!

I'll be live for the weekend!

same here im putting in mine by myself im getting it in the morning.. they asked if i needed some1 to come but by... how they described the assembly its a matter of 4 screws and 2 wire harnesses that are connected by just clipping on and thats it soo ill risk it if anybody has already done it any feed back would be nice

Yep...we've had a few units come into our shop and it pretty much is only a few screws and a harness.

Cody....sounds like you pretty much have it nailed.

it's 4 screws that hold the assembly on, then 2 harnesses...plug the 2 harnesses into the new one, and put the 4 screws back in. Done.

no more than a few minutes.

Put mine in today, super easy. Trying it out in the morning! Good work malibu, exactly 1 week of down time in teh height of teh season! not bad!

Picked my boat up today and I am ready for the 4th. Nice job Malibu