What to do about my boat?

Lets start by saying I've owned a boat for most of my life. Going from a little tin can of a boat to outboards to I/O's. I finally bought my dream boat in the spring. A Malibu VLX. I spared no expense pretty much got everything you could possibly get on a wakeboard boat. I'm on the road for 5-6 months out of the spring summer so I don't have a dealer that I can take the boat to all the time. I figured because I bought a Malibu I would never need to see the dealer. Wow was I wrong.

How such a great looking boat can turn out to be such a poorly made product I'll never know. I've also found out that if you didn't buy your boat at a particular Malibu dealer they don't want anything to do with you. Right out of the factory they mis wired my speedo and tach which I didn't realize until the first 3 hours of break in. I know I sound pretty stupid but the speedo was saying 40 and the tach was reading 2500 rpms. Ends up it was the opposite and the engine was revving to high which damaged the motor.

Now my engine is eating a quart of oil every four hours and Malibu says that's not their fault as I broke the engine in wrong.

I don't know if any other owners have had their wedge break but I'm now on my third one. I've been told that this would be my last wedge under warranty and to stop going over 25 mph when the wedge is deployed. I never go over 25 except when my the perfect pass is being set.

I've talked with other Malibu owners about the amount of water in the bilge area and my boat always has about 6 inches in the bottom of othe boat. My bilge is constantly running which doesn't seem right. Is it possible that my ballast tank is leaking? One of the dealers said that they were unable to fix that and wouldn't be able to even look at it as they would have to take the floor out of the boat? Does that sound right?

So instead of filling my tanks we decided not to fill the tanks to see if it was leaking. We still rode that day and we just put fat sacs and lead in the storage areas. The lead banged up against the fiberglass which scuffed it up. Not a big deal right. Well where the floor meets up with the side of the boat it's starting to separate. I can push down on the floor and fit three fingers in the hole. It's gradually getting worse as well. The dealer noticed the scuff marks and said that Malibu wouldn't do anything for me as I had put lead there. It was only like 200 lbs of lead? I can't believe the floor of the boat is that flimsy?

Since that started happening my windsheild isn't closing properly as well. when we drive through double ups you can see the windshield flex, I'd say about 2 inches. When I talked to a dealer about that they said the only thing they could do is replace the windshield. I said there's nothing wrong with the windshield the boat is the thing flexing. Still no answer.

Since the spring, the port side of the boats seating has moved about an inch. I took it in 2 months ago and had it fixed. A couple of weeks later it was right back to where it was so I took it into another non Malibu dealer and had them look at it. Well the bu dealer took the carpet off the side, must have pushed it back with something and glued it back in place? I had no idea Malibu seats weren't set in the fiberglass? What the non bu dealer ended up doing is taking some heavy duty brackets and screwed them into the floor so the box wouldn't move. I sent Malibu the bill for that, which they said they wouldn't pay for as i didn't have it done at a dealer.

I kind of suspect that my wedge may not be installed properly as my boat lists to one side when I'm moving. When it's not down the boat runs ok but still has a slight list. However this also causes some vibration which in turn causes the engine to be mis alligned. I've had a dealer measure the wedge to make sure it's alligned right and they assure me it is. Does that mean the hull is out? I've had to have my engine re-alligned three times this summer already.

There have been other little normal things that I've had problems with but have been able to fix myself. Ballast pumps, belts, starter ect that haven't been a big deal but kind of an anoyance.

I just wonder is all this normal when you buy a custom made tournament boat? Are these things I should expect or was i completly duped into thinking Malibu was the best? I've heard everyone talking for years how great Malibu was. I've got to be honest with you. Dealing with Malibu has been a nightmare. It's cost me thousands of dollars out of my own pocket, and been a complete nightmare. My old 12000 dollar glastron was built better and if I had a problem it was fixed properly. Not glued back together.

I've been talking with my attorny about the lemon aid laws. Malibu has already told me that they wouldn't give me a new boat. What's the best thing to do? I'm tempted to sink the boat and collect the insurance money. I certainly will never buy another Malibu again.

sounds like you got a bad one. and that seems very unlike malibu to bend you over like that.

sorry to hear about you're unprecedented bad luck.

Wow! Sounds like you got a real lemon. How many hours do you have on the boat?

I have an 05 VLX, and have logged 195 hours in the 7 months that I have owned it, and have not had ANY of the issues you have. Very minor things on mine that would be on any boat. They have been fantastic on service and warranty work for me. I use mine for wakeboarding and wakesurfing, and drive it pretty hard, and it has been "rock-solid". I have been in many boats, and like many of them, but would not trade my Bu for any of them.

Sorry to hear about your deal. I seem to think the dealer may be able to do more, if they feel like it. Malibu HQ should be listening also. I know they usually do.

Best of luck.

Man, that's too bad. Nothing worse than spending big $$$ for a dream boat and have it turn out like that. It's hard to believe that they are not taking better care of you with the type of problems you have encountered. Having to have your engine re-alligned three times due to vibration? What's that about? Sounds to me like you got a bad boat from top to bottom, inside and out. Somebody (Malibu or your dealer) needs to step up to the plate and resolve this for you...

Hope it all works out for you...

I would get rid of it and buy another. Every now and then a lemon slips out the factory. Sometimes it isn't about the boat you like it is the dealer. Find a nearby Correct Craft or Mastercraft dealer that isn't about stealing money out of your pocket and cares to keep their customers.

I got my Mastercraft used and was dealing with some people about an hour of here. Every time I called wanting a custom part or something it was always a hassle for them to get and they didn't really care to talk to me. I tried a differnt rout being I didn't want to switch brands, and I called Orlando's Mastercraft dealer. It was totally differnt and what you would expect working for a company that sells high dollar boats. Everyone on the phone knew what I was talking about when I went to order something, and could put there hands on it because it was in stock! If something ever happened to my boat that I could not fix I would take it to them, even though they are 3 hours away. It's just all about customer service when dealing with these boats.

Bottom line if the dealer or factory will not help you with your problems, contact a good lawyer and consider litigation, usually a letter or 2 from a attorney gets their attention.
sounds like if you go to court or sit in front of a arbitrator with your problems Malibu stands to lose the full purchase price for the boat, any financing charges and any attorney fees

Ditto what Choppy said. If they are treating you like that, I wouldn't even mess around with it. Go straight to court over the matter. The boat is less than a year old, any reasonable person would expect a 50K boat to last a longtime. You should not have to pay ANY money out of pocket on it. I would add up all the expenses you have had, ie starter etc, and sue for that as well as attorney fees.

First off, are you for real?
This could be totally legit, but almost sounds like a lame ploy by other manufacturer putting out lame duck thread.
If not, be patient. As far as engine goes, talk to indmar directly. They are great, will work with you, and if a problem exists will help get it fixed.
As far as boat goes, Squeeky wheel gets the grease. Don't let up, be persistant, call factory direct, keep on it. Nobody wants bad publicity, many of the manufacturers and dealers are checking these threads daily. The problems you've described seem very unlike a malibu, but dealer's have HUGE impact on how things are taken care of and how you look at your boat.Good Luck.

Crazy. I put 760 hours on an LSV and never had a single problem. Not one visit to the dealer except for big services which are mostly ••••••••••••••• luck.

News flash, what you are calling a "flimsy floor" in the back over the ballast tanks is not a floor at all. It's a fairly thin fiberglass carpeted piece laid over the tanks, designed to hold normal stuff (like life jackets) put in the rear storage, not lead plates. It's designed to be removeable in case you need to service the tanks.

I guess you chose to ignore the sticker warning not to put more than 75 lbs there. If you want to put lots of ballast on top you need to add a thicker subfloor of some kind

Although occasionally someone gets a lemon boat, I'm also tempted to call BS on this. It's your first post, your profile is almost bare, everything you mention doesn't jive with everyone else's experience, etc.

It's almost as if you surfed the net, found every issue you've ever seen anyone post about, and put them all together.

If you are for real, try to find a dealer who's willing to help and stick with it. I can't imagine a boat where that much goes wrong, but I guess it's possible.

If you're a troll, go away.

OK, just curious, what does, "I've had to have my engine re-alligned three times this summer already" mean?

Sorry, but that and a few other comments cause me to think your post isn't real.

Hmmmm. First post. One would wonder about the credibility of this tale.

Reving too high?? ...and you couldn't hear that or notice that you're going 40+ MPH??? I don't get it. Aren't there rev limiters on this engine, and why wouldn't you notice a problem like that during the first 5 minutes of running the boat.

Hope it all works out for you. If you truly got a lemon, then you need to document it thoroughly and send a nice package to the factory, cc'ing the dealer you bought it from and it should be from your lawyer. Tell them what you are wanting them to do to resolve the problem and be reasonable about it.

Good luck.

He must have an awesome service dept to get his boat in that many times over the peak of summer..

I claim bs post. I would even say mc and nautique lovers feel the same since there not on here tossing logs on the fire. But if not, find a dealer. I've never had one problem with my VLX.

it's a troll, no more responses, kill the thread and kill the troll

Wakester-- Where to begin? I have contacted Malibu directly and without more information, this is very difficult to trace for you. If you could send me your HUll ID, motor ID, Transmission ID or even V-Drive serial Number, I'd be happy to help you out. You can also call Malibu directly at 209-383-7469 and they can assist you.

Some questions to help us out
-Which motor is installed in your boat?
-Where did you place the lead?

Having been a Malibu Owner for many years and knowing countless owners, I have seen them stand behind their product time and time again.

In response to some of your complaints
1) Malibu uses the same connectors for all gauges in the dash. The reason for this is that each gauge will only take the information it requires to display information to the user. Each gauge gets a full set of information. It doesn't matter which plug each gauge is connected to. Each gauge only takers the information it needs, period. If you were reading the gauges wrong, let me help you. The one that says "MPH" is for speed, the one that says "RPM x 100" is for Revolutions Per Minute and is your tachometer.
2) If you have placed lead in the boat and are going through double-ups, the lead will bounce around. Lead vs. Fiberglass=lead wins. Try water ballast, it is much softer and has a neutral buoyancy, making it much safer.
3) It is called a lemon law, not a lemon aid law. Lemon aid you drink, lemon law you declare, but not likely in this case.
4) The rear storage compartments specifically tell you not to exceed 75lbs of weight.
5) Fiberglass flexes...Nature of the beast. Steel boats do not, unless they are submarines, but make lousy wakeboarding boats.
6) If the boat lists to one side without the wedge down, the wedge is not causing the list.
7) You can plainly see the seats are bracketed to the fiberglass floor. The seat bases are a composite material that are covered in carpet and secured to the floor.
8) I am trying to figure out how a list to one side in your boat could cause vibration. Can you elaborate? A list would not cause your engine to come out of alignment. Even a vibration is not likely to cause this to happen.
9) Most, if not all, of Malibu's powerplant lineup only has one belt.

Agreed...this is a troll, but I had to reply anyway. At least do some research on the product you are falsifying claims about first.

Niiiice

Too funny!!!!!

What a jacka$$................

quote:
"I've been talking with my attorny about the lemon aid laws"

Did he mean "attorney" as in lawyer, and "lemonade" laws? Lemonade Laws deal with the sale of a refreshing summertime beverage, which is a highly unregulated industry.}

Classic troll post.

Even put in the water-in-the-bilge issue waiting for someone to bring up HDS, eventhough it's a V-drive.

This sounds like a bogus thread but I can tell you that a friend of Mine bought a fully loaded VLX, PAid about $59K for it and at about 20 Hrs the engine satrted burning oil. At about 40 Hours he was adding a quart everytime he went out. Well the Engine finally Seized at about 50 hours. Now BU did replace the motor but it was a huge fight with them and he had to pay for the Labor from the dealer. All this other stuff this guy is listing sounds like BS.

WOW!!! I love this one... Jeffk and Boomer got this right. Sounds bogus to me. Maybe the boat is listing to one side because he is the only one in the boat and weighs 400 lbs.,and windshield flex??? 2 inches??? Whatever!!!! Storage area - 75lbs max. That doesnt mean sacs and lead. "Lemon aid laws" Oh my, stop the jokes... Too Funny...

If this guy actually OWNS a boat (which I doubt), the last comment says it all: "I've been talking with my attorny about the lemon aid laws. Malibu has already told me that they wouldn't give me a new boat. What's the best thing to do? I'm tempted to sink the boat and collect the insurance money."

Here's a guy that BOUGHT a boat and has now figured out he can't afford to OWN a boat.

I have another theory - this guy could be an angry ex-Malibu employee, either at the dealer or factory level. He put a lot of thought into his story, combining every boat nightmare he's ever heard.

If this story had any traction it could hurt the company. Fortunately for Malibu, Wakester's creative writing skills are limited, and it did not stand up to the scrutiny of the Wakeworld experts.

Some of this may be bogus and I agree it sounds like he's caused some of this himself. BUT, I have a long-time friend (he can ID himself if he wants) that has had his 03 VLX in the shop more hours than it has on the hour meter.

-Tranny replaced 3 times.
-Swim Step replaced 3 times.
-Floor panel replaced 2 times.
-Ignition problems servided 3 times. Ultimately, boat was shipped to Merced and torn apart to fix.
-Balast leak.
-Mis-aligned engine.
-Oil leak 4 times.
-Low oil pressure (4lbs @ idle) on gauge with warning light alarm 3 times and still not fixed.

Dealer now won't even work to diagnose the boat more than an hour because they only get paid by 'bu for an hour of diagnostic. He's been in contact with everyone you could talk to at 'bu and still gets the run around. He's handled it way better than I would.

Jeff (Jeffk1) If you think you could help I would be glad to get him and you together. E-mail me if you want to get involved.

the more i read this thread it looks like bullcrap. too many discrepancies. having been a malibu owner and studied the boats themselves and the dealer/mfg practices extensively, this sounds like bs. our boat has 183 hours and there has never been anything wrong with it. NEVER.

i understand about the occasional crappy boat that slips through the inspections, but this seems a little over the top.

No BS. I know alot of boat owners. Some have never had a problem. Some minor ones and a couple with things like this (not just with 'Bus). Not bashing any MFG. Just staing facts. My buddies could be one that was made on a bad day. But I'm definitely not BS-ing.

If Jeff thinks he can help, I'll get him info. This shouldn't happen to my friend and only want to help him if I can.

No BS. I know several people with boats from differant MFGs and would never bash any of them. Not bashing her either. Some boats have no problems and some do. My friends problems are the worst I've ever heard and am just chiming in to see if Jeff can help.

noti, i believe you much more than the original poster. his story seems a bit sketchy. who has their powertrain re-aligned 3 times? who has 3 wedges break? hell we hit something with our wedge at 22mph and all it did was bend the foil. who doesn't think it's interesting when the engine sounds really loud at 2500 rpms? not someone who "owned a boat for most of [his] life" that's for sure.

(Message edited by madchild1 on August 31, 2005)

I second Rich G’s “Disgruntled Ex-Employee Theory.” If he responds to Jeff’s Boat ID request, then maybe but until I see that and have it verified…I’m thinking Tool.

At first, I really believed the guy, but now I am not so sure. I too have had a brand new boat that turned into an absolute nightmare after 20 hours (engine, electrical, gagues, fiberglass...) Needless to say, I could somewhat relate to his story. Now that he his being called on it and not responding, it is making me wonder...

Friends 02 VLX is on his third wedge (screws snapping) and the main engine control module went out just out of warranty, cost him a grand. The front MLS bag has always had a problem filling and still leaks around the pump after a few times back to the dealer. Perfect Pass problems at first due to a poor dealer install. Other than those issues it's been a good boat.

What kind of a jackass comes on here, signs up, and posts one bogus thread in hopes of smearing another boat manufacturer??

My 04 VLX has been in the shop for 2.5 weeks with a leaky Walters V-Drive. I finally get it back today. Thats not a Malibu problem though. I'm sure some people would blame Malibu.

Pretty creative writing just to bash Malibu...too bad your story sucks so much wind.

Die thread Die

My Malibu has been a very very very good boat overall. Honestly, a good deal better than most other brands I have been on; including those that cost $20,000 more. Yes there have been little things "not right" but my dealer has worked hard to get them fixed, even if it means taking it back more than I wanted too. My boat is only 18 months old and 330 hours; if I had more time to play I would have 700 hours on it. During this last year I have riden EVERY major wakeboard boat out there-usually for a full day at a time! Malibu is first on my list for my second boat!

If, and it is a big IF, everything this person says is true, I would seek legal help. But, like many here, this post has an air of BS to it. I am curious as to why this person has not replied to the post in over 6 days. The moderators should pull this post ASAP. BTW, I am a MC owner.

Doesnt malibu water test there boats before they ship it too you? This guys so full of •••••••••••• not even funny. Go look at some porn or something dont waste our time with this crap. But if your story is true you have my up most apologizes.

I owned my 97 Malibu for over 7 years. Never one problem, besides one oil gauge gone bad, and a loose alternater wire. Even though I do not own a Malibu now, I would not hesitate to buy another.