Has anyone had MAJOR fiberglass & gel cracking?

I have a 2005 MasterCraft X-30. I went through another boat's double up (empty ballast & 3 people total in the boat at tow speed) & as a result have 110 (yes 110) 10-12" cracks down the side of the boat. BEWARE! MC won't stand behind their product. Our tower also cracked on a weld too!

Check my website for pics and more info. http://mastercraft-sucks.com

Please let me know if anyone else has had similar issues with the mighty.....MasterCraft.

I think there could be another side to this story....


cracks look like gelcoat cracks and nothing structural.... not sure why it would happen...

As for the double up... hmmm sure something else must of been the cause as you have stress cracks in the gelcoat even on the top deck.


btw welds can crack... Wakeboarding puts a huge load on the tower torsionally... I'd take it too a metal shop and get it TIG welded for $60.00

I am sure your domain registration and Website fees cost you more...

Warranty period is over for your boat. deal with it...

WOW
I was going to buy a 08 X15. I was turned off by
the sales tactics used on me in the sales office.
After being thoroughly Pi$$ed off and insulted.
I made an appointment to test drive a Nautique
After that I had no interest in MC. The Nautique
dealer outperformed,out priced and out serviced MC dealer. And IMO the Nautique is better engineered and customer service [ 8 years JD Powers award]is not just a slogan on the brochure.I knew they were hard to deal with but I didnt know they don't stand behind their products. Just another reason to to know I made
the right decision in buying my Nautique.

Greg Bodor (gti2lo) - Warrenty is NOT over. It is supposed to have a "lifetime" hull warrenty. There isn't more to the story. We went through a wake, boat cracked....that's it. I would suck it up if my insurance company didn't say that it was a manufacturer defect AND the total damage was in excess of $25,000! Insurance says they won't cover it BECAUSE it's a factory defect. See my issue now wise guy?

There is an independant lab report that states that the boat was UNDER glassed.

that sucks, i know a guy who had this happen to his nautique and they bought the boat back and he was able to bye another.

I guess Mastercraft just sucks.... JK

cracks in the top decks are not uncommon or positively from abuse. I have a friend that had some in the top deck of his o5 x30 and it was called by improperly drilled screws in the rubrail. he has six or so and they were repaired under warranty. The rub rail was also redrilled. However his side dash panels are currently held on by zip ties because the original bolts were drilled wrong. MC wouldn't fix that. I think every manufacturer is gonna have an issue from time to time no one has a perfect process. Good luck

I have a buddy that has had gone through two nautiques with the same kind of issues. But they did finally give him a new boat after a website similar to this..

My 206 Malibu had stress cracks in the fiberglass around the tower but I beat on my poor boat and Malibu fixed it no questions asked! I must say even though I'm on my 3rd motor, first motor blew at 120 hours, replacement motor never ran right and they promptly replaced, and second tower, cracked from the stress of me a big 350 pounder airing it out they have been awesome to deal with! I have 800 hours on my boat now and would never think of buying a different brand just based on how well they have treated me. They even pulled a tower off a boat that was on the showroom floor to get me back on the water the next day!

Really sucks to hear your story! If more boat companies would just stand behind there products through the good and BAD it would be nice! I know other boats may perform better or look cooler but I well remain loyal to Malibu just because of there customer service! Wish you luck with all your problems.

Its all about customer service. Gene shouldn't have to air this out to the public. It looks like MC has given him no choice. MC spends millions on advertising yet they refuse to negotiate a solution to this problem. I wonder if this in not a one time problem? Sounds like CYA to me. How many potential MC buyers will be turned off by this?
Gene maybe check with the other dealers and see if you can park it on their show room floor that would be quite a sales tool.
MC clean up your act! It will cost far less in dollars and public opinion to get this handled
than to continue to stone wall.
Gene good luck with your fight thanks for bringing this to our attention.

from time to time these issues pop up. every company puts out a couple of lemons. i hope MC steps up & takes care of u assuming it is a manufacturing defect. i will say these threads make me happy i'm a skiers choice customer. they seem to step up & go out of their way to make the customer happy. hell, mr. tinker would've already been on this thread & had this taken care of! good luck!

Every boat manufacture has a lemon or bad boat from time to time, however I am really surprised that MasterCraft did not step up to the plate and replace the boat and stand behind what they built.

I would hire a lawyer and sue the boat company, dealer, distributor until I get a full refund or a brand new boat.

What happened to good customer service in this country?? It sucks from the lowest levels of just about every company to the highest??

Just my .02 cents.

(Message edited by scwellman on March 21, 2009)

i have an x-star. i have had some dealings w MC corporate. they want to be the BMW of the wakeboard industry but when there is a problem they dont act like BMW. ive been driving BMWs since 1980. i am not sure i will be with MC that long. i will be in the market for a new boat next year and will be watching them closely...

will have to agree with wellman. i had a 05 supra ssv that devoloped cracks where the tower mounts were on the deck and a bunch under the seats in the playpen area. skier's choice took care of them under warranty.

i have a 07 mc x2 with over 150 hrs on it. been thru many double ups along with just heavy boat traffic and everything looks great.

Thanks. Again, the only real issue is that our boat has a "lifetime" hull warrenty AND we have Insurance.... Insurance is pointing the finger at MasterCraft (with proof) And MasterCraft still won't step up. This is our 2nd MasterCraft & certainly our last. I went so far as to contact CorrectCraft AND Malibu. Both manufacturers were disgusted with the way I've been treated. Malibu actually has the pics of my boat on the fridge in their breakroom.

I've also been through many double ups as well.... But everytime I have the ballasts full and anywhere between 6-10 people on the boat. When this incident occured, I had 3 people (including me) and ballasts empty. We were on a small lake (3.5 miles total) and there were 3 boats (including us) on the water.

man, that boat looks bad, looks like someone destroyed it.
FYI: your not supposed to pull tubers on the tower... JK
AGain like someone stated above your warranty is over, it sucks but can a manufacture warranty something forever?? How would they ever make any money? Did this all just happen at the same time, I do not understand why people can have 10+ issues with a not in warranty boat and expect it to be warrantied 5-10yrs later
Man you got to take care of things when they happen, not go destroy your boat hoping to get a new one...

rG The boat is under warranty for the problem he stated. Furthermore would anybody on here feel comfortable buying a boat for 50k plus that lasted less then 5 years. I know in my business I'll often warranty stuff that is out of the warranty period just to keep customer loyalty. Treat someone well and they may tell one or two people, treat someone like crap and they'll tell everyone! If Mastercraft can't warranty there lifetime hull guarantee maybe they shouldn't offer it! I think the reason everyone is so vocal against Mastercraft is the do offer a lifetime hull warranty there just not honoring it! Shame on Mastercraft!

Like most things in life the devil is in the detail
What does MasterCraft's Limited lift time warranty say? What actually happened to the boat. Where are the letters that where sent to MasterCraft. Why did MasterCraft decline the warranty.

I am surprised that MasterCrraft did not take care of this lie most things it would be good to hear both sides of this

This makes me have a second thought to the 06 Xstar sitting in my drive way. No problems yet but, if this is how they treat people over there? Malibu or CC might be worth looking at. This is my second MasterCraft boat so far????

If you guys check my web site you can see some of the correspondance between MasterCraft & myself. http://mastercraft-sucks.com

Also, the boat is a 2005 bought brand new at the end of the season in 2005. It has 150 hours (which is nothing). There is no damage to the hull, running gear... even the stickers or rub rail.

I think that there were 2 small problems (thin glass content AND bad weld) that together caused a BIG problem. MasterCraft says they won't cover it because it must have been an "accident". Our local dealer says "you must have hit a wave wrong" Are you kidding? Hit a wave wrong?
Again, only 3 boats on a micro lake.

http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=1141

It wasn't like we were out on the ocean or Tahoe during a storm with 6 foot swells.

Correct me if all of my years of boating escape me, aren't you supposed to go through another boats wake at a "T" ideally?

Really looks like mastercraft not stepping up to the plate. They should just replace the boat and get on with it.

My main reason for this post is so that all of you boaters out there know that MasterCraft (or any other dishonest boat manufacturer) can deny you warrenty AND your insurance can (who actually investigated by drilling core samples and having the glass content analyzed) can say that it's a defect AND YOU the boat owner can be left holding the bag for $25k worth of repairs.

Yes, Warrenty AND insurance and I have been making boat payments for the last 8 months with a busted MasterCraft!

Attorney.... Talked to them If I "sue" I am not eligible to get my attorney fees back in the suit. I've been advised to hit them under the boat lemon law & willful denial of a warrenty claim.

I'm just frustrated that they won't back their product. I like the comparison that they think they're BMW.....without the service or respect you deserve after paying top $$$ for their product.

That's what I'm saying. Don't get me wrong. I do (used to) love my boat. Exceptional care and kept detailed at all times. If my boat weren't cracked & busted I'd still be singing praises!

Other issue I forgot to mention was that there were cracks in the transom from the dealer on the day we picked up the boat. (should have been a sign.... but I wanted my new boat!) It took MasterCraft over 2 years to finally get that fixed.....and it was there on delivery.

Gel Cracks are not considered structural or hull defects under the lifetime warrenty by any of the manufactures.

I had a previous boat that had gel cracks under the seats and around the interior of the front. The dealer repaired in year 1, returned to the factory after summer 2, and then refused any additional repairs after summer 3. They said it was due to overweighting the boat and owner neglect. I chose not to pursue with legal claims or calling them out on this or other websites. Cost me significantly on resell.

So are these Cracks in the boat or gelcoat stress Cracks. Or Impact Cracks. They are Very different things

Help me out here I was looking at your web site at the documentation page it is blank

I see one marked up letter from MasterCraft

Where are your letter to MasterCraft and the rest of the letters from MasterCraft

I don't see a copy of the MasterCraft Limited Life time Warranty

(Message edited by krbaugh on March 21, 2009)

Gene- go talk to a lawyer and get off this board. If you're right- you'll get your day in court. Until then, all you're doing is inflaming a lot of people that have MC's that don't have enough info to give you good advice.

If this goes to court it will cost $50k plus. Don't know about you, but I don't have an extra $50k to throw away. I will be posting more documentation on the website Monday or Tuesday.

Will, that is my point to let everyone know what MasterCraft is doing. My local dealer closed its doors. MasterCraft has laid off over half their work force with no severence pay and I think people should be a little concerned if their manufacturer of choice is denying claims.

The only thing my dealer did was look at it & say..."yup it's cracked". No fact finding at all. A little Peculiar I think... My insurance is the one that actually paid a marine surveyor to come examine take core samples and have them tested.

If it were cracks under the seats....that happens. Or from where a screw was tapped, also...happens. For that many cracks....I'm thinking structural defect in some way shape or form. Obviously, not performing as designed here.

Actually if you sue, AND WIN, you can sue for legal fees. You can also sue for any payments you made during the downtime if you have any, w/o the boat.

Although, that last part might be tough, b/c towers crack... that's not an uncommon problem! I'm not saying it's right.... just that they might not be willing to give you the money for the downtime.

I would also contact your lien holder (if there is one). They will help jump M/C as well, as they don't want you just turning the boat over to them b/c you think it's junked. I've done that b4 when I was younger and needed some help against Ford.

I know of another guy with an X7 that looks just like yours does! I am not sure of the year. It was repaired once and now it looks just like yours again. I can't believe how bad it looks. I know his problem did not come from hitting a big wave. A soon as the lake gets rough they head off for the afternoon.

Gene why dont you post this on teamtalk I bet youd get alot of people that can relate instead of putting on a malibu website...:/

Gene Don't bother with Team Talk they don't allow ANY posts or statements saying anything bad about MC. Your post will be deleted and you will be banned. I didnt know this was a Malibu website
is that true?

Thanks for the information. Best wishes for a speedy conclusion. For the folks that have nothing positive to add. It must mean that you’re one of those mc owners who think their boats are better then the rest of ours. Keep this in mind you and the sales reps are the reason why I went to every dealer but mc’s. So bash me all you want, but CC, Tige, Bu, and supra are at least down to earth with a great product. Given several of my personel interactions with MC folks it’s believable that the team page would act that way.

Every boat mfr has these issues. WE have all herd them over and over on this board of so and so sucks, yadda yadda yadda.

Its kind of like my lexus warranty when its one mile over the warranty its GONE. If there is indeed a recall/defect they take care of it, as im sure MC will.

Dont waste your time listening too a few mastercraft haters winding you up, hire a lawyer, you have a survey that states its indeed a mfr defect, present your case and get a new boat. Good luck man...

(Message edited by canecorso on March 21, 2009)

well it got my attention. the only companies i have heard that these kind of issues are supra and mastercraft. i own a supra and so far it seems fine. the mastercraft issues i have read about tend to still be new ones. is this guy a mastercraft hater hell yeah he is and considering his experience i would be too.

Gene please read this!!!

There are 2 issues.. 1: You are being dumped on by MC; that sucks. However, what your insurance company is doing to you is illegal: it's called "duty to insured". You need to do this through your insurance company...

This is how insurance works simplified.. You have a problem with insured item, you go to your insurance comapny, your insuranc company takes care of the bill, you hand over power of attorney to insurance company, and insurance company sues responsible party if there is one. (maybe there is some out clause in your policy for factory defects, but I do not think so in this situation..

Here is what you need to do: Call and send a certified letter to your insurance company saying that you will be retaining an attorney because there is no "duty to insured" here. The last thing the insurance company wants you to do is retain an attorney because they will no longer be able to talk to you (everything goes through attorney), and it will cost them a lot more than $25,000 to resolve your claim. I would also say that there will be punitive damages if you are not able to enjoy your boat within the next 60 days because wakeboarding is a physical sport, and you are not getting any younger (no amount of money can buy back a season of wakeboarding: far fetched, but it is up to a jury to decide)

Your insurance company is not doing their job, and once they get an attorney on this, MC will just roll over..

Ken

Thnaks Ken,

However, there is a clause under the policy that does NOT cover defects. As mentioned in one of the earlier posts; someone had a similer issue, had it fixed and it is now cracked just as bad as before. (trying to avoid that since I bought a NEW boat for an absurd amount of money that I don't want cracked out by next season.)

I would sell it.....yeah right in this economy, and that would be just bad karma to off a problem like this onto an unsuspecting victem.

Our Insurance is through Farmers (Foremost is their marine division) so it's not fly by night.

My main reason for this post is for 2 reasons.

1: To see if this is a wide spread rampant screw the customer & not back our product industry.

2: To let everyone know that they might not be as "protected" as they think.

The only way to force a company to stop bad business practices is to make a public spectacle.

I want to also say that I am not a "hater" and would have went about my business and swept the whole thing under the rug if MasterCraft didn't tell me to kick rocks in the hope that I would just "go away". This is my 2nd MasterCraft and my ProStar never had any problems (AND faced huge swells on Tahoe (big enough to actually put our lifejackets on))

So for an X-Series - X-30 not to be able to handle a double-up size wake at tow speed is ludacris! The weld on the tower isn't a big deal. The cracks & the number and spread of them worries me that the fiberglass is compromised.

Thanks everyone for your input. Just be careful!

I would still tell your insurance company that you do not believe there inspection report, and you will be retaining an attorney if it is not fixed because the damage happened during normal opperating use and during an impact. It would still be cheaper for your insurance company to work with you than fight you in court over this, and they now it.. I would just push their buttons a little.

Ken

Mastercraft

I had issues years ago on my 2nd MC, and before that I would tell everyone that MC was the best and that I would never buy another brand. Long story short, insurance did cover a blown motor (bad rear main seal) the motor was 1 month out of warranty ('96 had 2 year warranty) same motor in '97 had a 3 year warranty.... after losing 1/2 a summer's use, insurance paid for the new LT1 (thankfully) but in 2007 when I was ready for a new boat MC did not make the list and I am very happy with my new Malibu.... The real reason I am posting is that I feel your pain. If MC had prorated a new motor or something I would probably still be singing their praises and I would probably be in a new MC instead of a different brand.

rG
Do you really want to buy a boat from a manufacture that you have to retain a lawyer
and start legal action just to get a defect repaired? Before I bought my new boat I looked at used boats to see how that brand held up. I still cant believe MC would let this post to continue. Keep in mind this 70k+ boat is less than 3 years old not a good advertisement for MC. If this post has turned one sale
away from MC the damage has already been done.
I am not in the market now but the way MC is
handling this will stay with me a long time.

Billy Boozer (bboozer)

So let me get this straight
So your out of warranty Indmar engine in your MAsterCraft boat blew a rear main seal. So when you bought a new boat you Purchased a Malibu with and Indmar engine?

(Message edited by krbaugh on March 22, 2009)

every company has its issues, what sets them apart is how they deal with it.

Billy, that is the dumbest thing I have ever heard. That warranty would be handled by Indmar regardless of what brand of boat. Nice Logic. With your logic you should of bought a Nautique, Sanger, Centurion or any other boat that doesn't have an Indmar motor in it.

(Message edited by polarbill on March 22, 2009)

micheal-absolutly not, but no matter who I buy it from if I can state its a mfr defect I wouldnt hesitate to hire one. Again this thread has all the info from a customer, we havent been able to see MC responses? letters or anthing from them? Just a pissed off hater that is overboard. Im in no way trying to defend MC if it is there fault, I just like to see all the facts before I make a decision (i.e. listen to all sides before judging).
If dude would show both sides of his story instead of they just said f-u I'd buy it and prob think again about my warranty... If you want it to do damage show it all...

Well Said RG
That is what I was saying earlier in the tread.
I have owned Centurions for years now but I was a Barefoot promo for MasterCraft for 10 years from My experience I am surprised that MasterCraft did not take care of this. The only thing that I can figure is we don't have all the facts. I can't wait to see all the documentation! If the documentation is not forthcoming then I will have to side with MasterCraft

sweet--I love Billy. Im going to buy a malibu also. lol

Agreeded Kevin (maybe he's in a competitors marketing advertisment program)

(Message edited by canecorso on March 22, 2009)

the tower is a fluke. The stress cracks are a mastercraft thing. I have seen several with them, but they are purely cosmetic. just another reason why they are over priced. mc still can't figure it out.

All correspondence has been via email. Even the "letter" that MasterCraft sent (via email) to rebute the fact that an independant lab foud the glass content to be below average. As I mentioned before, I will post the email (both sides) on my website first part of this next week.

The main reason this thing has dragged out so long is that every time you call or email MasterCraft, they take AT LEAST a week (at best) or two to respond. I dealt with a guy by the name of Greg Clougher. Great guy. Real geniuine. I don't have an issue with him. He's just doing as he's told. Greg (along with most of the MasterCraft workforce) has been let go since. His boss was as unprofessional as could be in my one phone conversation with him.

I am passed the point of anger. It's just business right now. All I want is what's fair. Nothing more. I just don't think I should have to get an attorney to achieve that.

MasterCraft's whole thing is that because the tower and the cracks happened in one incident they say it's an "accident" and not covered. As we all know, MasterCraft's towers are less than.....solid. (as can be seen by the new "retro fit" donkey a$$ "after thought" stiffening brackets being offered to band-aid the tower sway issues.

The tower is just collateral damage. A shallow weld between a piece of billit & Alum tube. I had it looked at by Rio (from Boss Towers) AND NorCal MC's guy said the same thing.

Here's the info on where it happened:

http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=1141

A VERY small lake. And only 3 boats were on the lake (including mine) when this happened. My boat was actually the largest wakeboard boat on the lake. Due to the access road, 23' is the biggest boat period that could make it down there.

Well I'm in the market for a new boat. I was setting up a water-test with a Mastercraft but after this I don't really care anymore.

If it gets fixed I may reconsider, but it is unlikely. They can take one potential customer off their list.

stress cracks are one thing. i mean a small crack here or there.but 100andf-ing10 come on. this is a whole boat cracking apart. Gene i feel for you man. Yes all boats can have problems and you would hope a company would step up and stand behind their product. Never been a real big fan of mastercraft i will admit that but the fact that they will not stand behind their product should speak volumes to potential customers. there are to many choices for quality boats with a company that WILL stand behind them. lets face it the boat has 150hrs on it looks to be well taken care of and is FALLING APART!! WTF greg bodor tell Gene to deal with it.Im gona love when karma catches up to your azz and your beloved m/c does the same chit!!we will see what you have to say then.
good luck Gene sorry you had these problems.

I delt with Greg too at MC...as did my attorney. both of us thought he was a really nice guy. we both got the feeling his hands were tied from the higher ups.....

Rg you made my point again. I don't know if Gene
is a MC hater after all he bought two of them.
The fact that this issue is ongoing without ANY
response from MC on this or any forum. The fact that nobody can even make mention of any other brand much less say anything derogatory about MC on ITS own forum.
And most of all the fact that a 3 year old 150 hour boat would even have this problem. This all confuses me. What are they hiding? So what you are saying is Gene may have somehow caused 110 cracks and a broken tower leg? If so how? This sounds just like other stories I have been told about dealing with MC.
Its true we don't have all the facts but MC does.
I will be waiting to see if they even respond.
IMO MC has some explaining to do as to the cause
and repair of these problems to gain back credibility.

After reading up on their warranty in offered in 2005 the gelcoat is not part of the lifetime hull warranty. It has a seperate section referring to the gelcoat and it doesn't say how long it is covered. It kind of says that it is a case by case scenario and that misuse and improper care make the warranty void. Don't know how you or mastercraft proves this either way. I am not good with legal stuff but I will post there warranty guidlines so someone can try and make sense of it.

MasterCraft Limited Warranty Statement
1.Limited Warranty and Term.
MasterCraft warrants to the original retail purchaser that the following components of each new boat shall be free frommaterial defects in materials and workmanship to the extent set forth below, under normal use and when operated and maintainedin accordance with MasterCraft’s instructions, for the period indicated:
(a)Deck, Hull, Liner and Stringers—From the date of the original retail purchase, the deck, hull, liner and stringer system(collectively, “Structural Components”) is warranted for as long as the original purchaser owns the boat.
(b)Gel Coat—All exterior gel coat surfaces are covered against structural defects under the Limited Warranty and as listedunder gel coat manufacturer guidelines. Due to the environmental and customer care effects on gel coat, cosmetic concernsmust be addressed with your Customer Service representative at the dealership prior to communication with the factory.Examples are blisters, scratches, discoloration or fade issues. Stress crazing is not covered but will be reviewed as acustomer good-will item on a case-by-case basis. Any issue determined to be an application/installation item will bereviewed in advance to determine warranty coverage or not. Any gel coat issues will require digital, video or 35mm photosthat clearly show the reported issue.
(c)Engine/Transmission—Three (3) years from the date of the original retail purchase of the boat. The engines used inMasterCraft boats are supplied by Indmar Products Company, Inc., in Millington, Tennessee (“Indmar”). Indmar’s three-year warranty on the engine and transmission is administered at the MasterCraft factory and is subject to the terms andconditions set forth below under “Power Train Warranty.”
(d)Other Component Parts—One (1) year from the date of the original retail purchase of the boat.
(e)Trailer and Trailer Component Parts—One (1) year from the date of the original retail purchase of the boat.
2.Warranty Conditions, Limitations and Exclusions.
MasterCraft boats are manufactured by trained craftspeople from high-qualitymaterials and components. However, conditions outside MasterCraft’s control requirespecific limitations on, and exclusions from, coverage under this warranty. The LimitedWarranty on the Structural Components set forth in Section 1(a) above does not coveror include the gel coat, including any discoloration, blisters, bubbles or cracks of thegel coat, or any other components fastened or applied to the hull or deck. Furthermore,the Limited Warranty set forth in Section 1 (including all sub-sections) above does notcover the following:
(a) damage caused by misuse, negligence, accident, collision or impact with anyobject;
(b) damage caused by any improper alteration or modification to the boat or anyof its component parts or accessories, including damage resulting from alteration,modification, repair or replacement in such a way as to increase the cubic-inch capacityor horsepower output of the engine and boat as originally manufactured;
(c) damage caused by the use of improper or contaminated fuel or fluids;
(d) damage caused by the use of customer-applied chemicals or accidental spills;
(e) damage caused by failure to maintain the boat in accordance with themaintenance provisions in the Owners Manual or improper maintenance of the boat;
(f) damage resulting from the use of the boat for any racing, speed, commercialcompetition or performance demonstration;
2005 MASTERCRAFT OWNERS MANUAL–PAGE 21-2

(g) damage resulting from use of theboat for rental, commercial or industrialpurposes;
(h) damage to hardware and othercomponents fastened or adhered to thehull, deck or liner;
(i) damage caused by fire, theft,freezing, vandalism, explosion,lightning, hail storms, flooding, orother natural disaster;
(j) damage to any component partsand accessories not manufactured byMasterCraft, including but not limitedto the engine, drive train, transmission,propeller, shift and throttle controllevers and cables, pumps, blowers,windshields, canvas, upholstery,towers and accessories, instrumentation and steering systems; however, such items may be warranted by the individualmanufacturer, and if possible, MasterCraft will provide the owner with a copy of the manufacturer’s warranty;
(k) damage to the gel coat due to the owner’s failure to reasonably maintain the gel coat finish, including, withoutlimitation, discoloration of the gel coat, as this condition is caused by improper care and maintenance; however, fading andchalking of the gel coat above the water line will be covered, provided the gel coat has been appropriately maintained;
(l) defects caused by improper, non-MasterCraft trailer;
(m) damage to gel coat caused by improper support of boat on davits, hoist system or boat lift of any kind;
(n) in-water storage without proper barrier coat and bottom paint;
(o) damage to the trailer and its parts or components due to abrasions, rock chips, rust, improper care or maintenance, oruse in salt or brackish water; the finishes of galvanized trailers, which are designed for use in salt or brackish water, arewarranted to be free from damage resulting from use in salt or brackish water for one (1) year;
(p) damage caused by dealer-installed options or accessories;
(q) damage caused by consumer-installed options or accessories;
(r) damage caused by consumer using the tower for any purpose other than that for which it was designed. Suchprohibited actitives include but are not limited to, towing other boats, kites or other objects;
and/or
(s) all warranted coverage will expire after ninety (90) days on boats used for commercial purposes.
3.Disclaimer of Implied Warranties.
THE EXPRESS LIMITED WARRANTY SET FORTH HEREIN IS IN LIEU OF ALL OTHER WARRANTIES ANDREPRESENTATIONS, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AND TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW,MASTERCRAFT DISCLAIMS, AND THE OWNER HEREBY EXPRESSLY WAIVES, ANY AND ALL OTHER WARRANTIESOR REPRESENTATIONS OR ANY KIND OR NATURE, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, IMPLIED WARRANTIES ORMERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THIS LIMITED WARRANTY GIVES YOU SPECIFICLEGAL RIGHTS. YOU MAY HAVE OTHERS, WHICH VARY FROM JURISDICTION TO JURISDICTION.
4.Limitation of Liability.
(a) Consequential Damages. This warranty is for the benefit of the owner and MasterCraft, and shall not create or evidenceany right in any third party. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, in no event shall MasterCraft be liable forany special, incidental, indirect, or consequential damages whatsoever arising out of the use or inability to use the boat orany component part thereof, even if MasterCraft has been advised of the possibility of such damages or such damagescould reasonably have been foreseen by MasterCraft.
(b)Purchase Price Limitation. In any event, MasterCraft’s entire liability under any provision of this Limited Warrantyshall be limited to the repair or replacement of the boat or component part or the refund of the purchase price paid by thecustomer for the boat or component part found to be defective within the applicable warranty period. This shall constitute
2005 MASTERCRAFT OWNERS MANUAL–PAGE 21-3

MasterCraft’s sole liability and obligation in the event of any claim arising out of its performance or non-performance of anyprovision of this Limited Warranty. Because some states and jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of liability,the above limitations may not apply to you.
5.Transfer of Limited Warranty.
Upon any sale, conveyance or other transfer of the boat or trailer by the original retail purchaser, any remaining unexploredLimited Warranty coverage shall be transferred to the second owner and shall remain in effect for the remainder of the applicablewarranty period(s) set forth in Sections 1(b), (c), (d) and (e) above (which warranty periods begin to run from the date of theoriginal retail purchase of the boat or trailer, as applicable, by the original retail purchaser), upon delivery of the warranty transfercard and payment of the applicable warranty transfer fee to MasterCraft. With respect to the Lifetime Limited Warranty (grantedto the original retail purchaser) on the Structural Components set forth in Section 1(a) above, if the sale, conveyance or othertransfer of the boat by the original retail purchase of the boat by the original retail purchaser, then the warranty on the StructuralComponents shall be transferred to the second owner and shall continue in effect for a period of ten (10) years from the dateof the original retail purchase of the boat by the original retail purchaser. If the sale, transfer or conveyance of the boat by theoriginal retail purchaser occurs more than three (3) years after the date of the original retail purchase of the boat, then theLimited Warranty on Structural Components (as well as all other warranties) shall be void and shall not be transferable to thesecond owner.
Only one (1) transfer under the provisions of this Section5 (from the original retail purchaser to the second owner),within the applicable time period, may be made. In the eventof a sale or transfer to a subsequent purchaser, all coverageunder this Limited warranty shall immediately be terminatedand the Limited Warranty shall become null and void. Notransfer of this Limited Warranty will operate to extend thewarranty periods set forth in Section 2 above. In order toeffectuate the transfer of the Limited Warranty, the originalretail purchaser and the new owner must properly fill outthe warranty transfer card found in the back of the Owner’sManual and deliver the completed card, together with acheck made payable to “MasterCraft Boat Company, Inc.”in the amount of the warranty transfer fee, via U.S. mail,postage prepaid, to MasterCraft at the address shown onthe warranty transfer card. The card and check for thewarranty transfer fee must be post-marked within the timeperiod specified above in Section 5 in order for the warrantytransfer from the original retail purchaser to the secondowner to be effective.
6.Warranty Claims.
Subject to the terms of this Limited Warranty, any covered boat or component part with a material defect in materials orworkmanship which is returned to an authorized MasterCraft repair facility or MasterCraft’s factory during the appropriatewarranty period will be repaired or replaced, at MasterCraft’s sole option, without charge to the owner. This provision is subjectto the following terms and conditions:
(a)MasterCraft shall be obligated only to repair or replace those items that prove defective, in MasterCraft’s sole discretion,upon examination by MasterCraft’s authorized personnel.
(b)MasterCraft warrants its repairs or replacements only for the remainder of the applicable warranty period.
(c)MasterCraft shall, in its sole discretion, fulfill its obligation to repair or replace any defective item at its factory orauthorized repair facility.
(d)The owner shall be responsible for all costs associated with the transportation of the boat, towing bills, trailer or part(s)to the authorized MasterCraft facility and for any return transportation.
7.No Modification of Warranty.
No oral or written information, advice or communication of any nature by or from MasterCraft or its representatives, employees,dealers, agents, distributors or suppliers shall create a warranty or in any manner increase or modify the scope of this LimitedWarranty.
Power Train Warranty
Indmar Products Company, Inc., administers the Indmar engine warranty on marine propulsion engines sold by it (the“product”):
A.For a period of thirty-six (36) months commencing from the date of purchase or the date of commencement of theproduct use, whichever occurs sooner, in the case of non-commercial use.
B.For a period of three (3) months commencing from the date of purchase or the date of commencement of the productuse, whichever occurs sooner, in the case of commercial use.
These are warranted only in the United States—excluding its territories.
A. Persons Applicable
This warranty is extended only to the original retail purchaser, except in instances of a transfer to the second owner only fora fee. Warranties of any nature to any other person are hereby specifically excluded.
B. Implied Warranties
All implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for the particular purpose are specifically limited in duration to theforegoing periods of this limited warranty. Some states do not allow limitations on how long an implied warranty lasts, so theabove limitation may not apply to you.
C. Coverage
The product is warranted to be free from defects in material and workmanship under normal use and service during the periodof this Limited Warranty. If the product or defective part thereof is, upon examination, determined to be thus defective, MasterCraft(Indmar) shall repair or, at its option, provide a replacement of equivalent quality (new or rebuilt, at its option).
D. Procedure
For warranty claims to be asserted hereunder, the product or defective part thereof, together with a written notice of itemizeddefects must be returned to the retailer from whom theproduct was purchased or to any other convenient Indmardealer.
To obtain the location of an authorized dealer or servicecenter in your area, write to Indmar requesting suchinformation.
In the event that the local Indmar dealer is unable toremedy a warranty defect in the product, the product ordefective part therof, together with a written notice ofitemized defects, must be returned to Indmar with freightand insurance charges pre-paid.
All insurance and freight charges for return by Indmar of the product (or its substitute) to the original retail purchaser shall bepaid by the original retail purchaser.
Expenses for labor incurred by Indmar in the repair of any warranted products shall be paid by the original retail purchaser tothe extent that such expenses for labor exceed the specified service rates of Indmar in effect at the date of receipt of the productby Indmar. A schedule of service rates of Indmar may be obtained from any authorized Indmar dealer.
E. Consequential Damages
This warranty shall not extend to consequential or incidental damages or costs incurred by the original retail purchaser. Somestates do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitation or exclusion maynot apply to you.
F. Trade Accessories
No warranty of any character is made with respect to trade accessories not manufactured by Indmar.
G. Voiding Warranty
This warranty is specifically voided and shall NOT apply under the following conditions:
I.When the product or any part thereof is subjected to accident, alteration, abuse, misuse, neglect or impropermaintenance.
II.When the product is serviced by unauthorized persons.
III.When damage to the product results from causes not arising out of defects in material or workmanship.
Indmar does not authorize any person, firm or corporation to alter this Limited Warranty or create any other obligation relatingto the product. This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights which vary from state to state.

2005 MASTERCRAFT OWNERS MANUAL–PAGE 21-5

"Stress crazing is not covered but will be reviewed as acustomer good-will item on a case-by-case basis. Any issue determined to be an application/installation item will bereviewed in advance to determine warranty coverage or not."

I guess that line tells that they are not liable for any stress cracks no matter what the cause.

Just going off what your story is and giving you the benefit of the doubt it sounds like the stress cracks have nothing to do with misuse or improper care of your boat. In this case the stress cracks are the result of some defect. Even though their warranty doesn't cover this as a manufacturer of something I would think they would cover something like this because it is a defect in the product(whether covered or not).

Now on the other side I would guess that the cracks could be the result of putting undo stress on the tower causing the hull to flex thus causing the cracks. You say that the cracks all happened at once, but I am not sure how you prove that. For that matter I don't know how they prove something like you towed tubes or other boats with the tower.

Either way it looks like they don't have to fix the problem if they don't feel like it. They are just going to get a lot of bad press about it. Even if they fix it now a lot of people might see that as a result of you bringing this case to the public and if you hadn't done that they wouldn't have fixed the problem. Either way it sounds like some people will be soured to MasterCraft for the way they have handled this situation.

If the cracks aren't from misuse, good luck to you. If they are then I guess karma will get you eventually.

(Message edited by polarbill on March 22, 2009)

Guys.... I agree and have read it myself. I think this true if you have 6 stress cracks, or a few cracks that start at a speaker screw or if someone has blatently not taken care of their boat. BUT, 110 cracks all at one time......I think there may be a problem & I have documents stating that fiberglass layers are missing. MC still told me to kick rocks. Give me some feedback. Any info will help!

here you go, take your boat to the lake, pull the drain plug and call it in stolen. There problem solved, check will be in the mail. lol JK dont do that..

Not that you want to probably here this, but at our company if a customer goes on the net and starts bashing us we refuse to work with them anymore. Hopefully MC isnt like us for your sake.

If my memory serves me correct their was a person that had a moomba a couple years back and they did something like your doing (since they werent being taken care of) and if memory serves me right they did not get taken care of due to the damage they spread on the net.



(Message edited by canecorso on March 22, 2009)

Gene, I wasn't really taking a side although I would tend to be on your side more by looking at all the cracks all over the side of the hull. I am sure part of the reason of Norcal MC not being really eager to help you is because you bought the boat from Cope and McPhetres and that you made a website to bash MasterCraft possibly taking away some sales from them. I am sure there are some people on wakeworld who have close relationships with Norcal Mastercraft. Maybe they can help?

ok RG the mastercraft-sucks might be harsh but also true in this case. but i dont really see it as bashing.i think the man has handled himself well. He has proof of his issues pics and documentation.If M/C has some leg to stand on lets hear it. If this guy is total BS (i dont think he is)lets hear what they have to say. THE BOTTOM LINE M/C BUILT A JUNK BOAT IMPO not all M/C but this boat is junk and they know it.And to sit back and do nothing is total BS. I hope as many people as possible read this and look at other brands. If you read this and would even consider a M/C your crazy impo.I would really hate to take it out on the dealer unless he has been a total jerk but I would park that thing in front of where i bought it and let everyone see what they could be in for and tell them your story. If the dealer has treated you fare tell them that as well.I dont blame the dealer but maybe he could put pressure on M/C to step and do the right thing without all the BS.
For god sake they got a chit load of them sitting at the factory they cant sell. trade him out write it off. make a customer happy do the RIGHT thing.

(Message edited by kko13 on March 22, 2009)

(Message edited by kko13 on March 22, 2009)

(Message edited by kko13 on March 22, 2009)

"The gel coat cracks were there on delivery from the dealer....brand NEW!"

Shame on them and you! This is not a paint defect it is due to a weakness in the structure.

I know that it was an Indmar and that my Malibu has the Indmar too, but it was the way MC handled the whole thing. I was on the phone with a top guy with MC and a guy from Indmar and they said that there was no way that the rear main seal could have failed, and that I needed to get a 2nd opinion. This is what I get from them when I took it to their dealer whose mechanic goes to their school and is certified by them. The thing is customer service. I know that all companies have their issues, but it is how you react/recover from them that will make the difference. I was just throwing my story out there as an example. If MC had stepped up and offered to help or something, I would have told everyone how great they were and how they went above and beyond to make things right... What I am saying is that companies probably get better ratings if they have a few small problems, but fix/take care of them with speed and keep their customers happy. That will often make more of a positive reaction than not having any problems. At least then the customer knows that the company cares and will be there when they need it. Gene I hope that it works out for you.

Brett Yates
You are right on target. MCs warranty like all
warrants are written in jello. When a situation like this happens you have to count on the integrity and ethics of the company. The fact that they can legally get out of it doesn't mean its the right thing to do. Holding his web post against him is BS. Only after multiple attempts to resolve the problem were delayed,ignored and rejected was he forced to make this public.
MCs actions caused this it should have been addressed an resolved. I understand why MC wouldn't want the public to see this boat it would make me think twice about a new MC.
Not what I would expect from a top end builder. This is not about MCs boat quality they can win the legal case and loose big in public opinion. Come on MC make it right.

I don't think he is being unreasonable. By not dealing with their problems (poor quality) MC has put him in a position where he has nothing to lose by doing any and all damage he can to the brand and their name.

I certainly would not consider a MC after reading about the way they treat their customers. If this were a 98 MC that'd be one thing, but this boat is only a couple years old. Tragic that you are having to deal with this, on a boat that should be in the prime of its life. 150hrs shhesh.

And.... unfortunately, the dealer I bought from (Cope & McPheter's) is out of business and Bob Cope is making sandwiches at a Mr. Pickels (seriously) And NorCal MasterCraft can't do anything because MasterCraft is their "bread & butter." Any "authorized" dealer can't help as that would be a detriment to their business.

My BU is an 06, out of gel coat warranty and they still are repairing the problem and I'm not the original owner. The 12 cracks were due to the holes not being drilled proper. Sorry about your situation.

REALLY???? NorCal took my rub rail off & it seems that most of my cracks start at a screws that holds the top & bottom deck together too. I'll take some pics and post them on the web site later today. Maybe that will help shed light on something?

I looked at the pictures and it kinda looks like the tower hit a bridge (or something)and caused the damage?

Nope. If it did, I wouldn't even be saying anything other than...."I'm an idiot for hitting a bridge" licking my wounds and chalking it up as my own mistake.

No marks on the tower..... anywhere. No marks anywhere (gel, fiberglass, brass prop, rudder, stickers, rub rail, ect.) as a matter of fact, the only mark on the whole boat (other than all of the cracks is from the carpet on the trailor) and that doesn't even count.

As far as the cracks on the transom that were there on delivery when the boat was new, I thought that was a fluke as my previous MasterCraft never had any issues like that.

I would think if the boat hit something or was hit, it would be pretty easy to see (even to an untrained eye)

Also, keep in mind that my Insurance Company sent out a Marine Surveyor who examined the boat inside & out, top to bottom, & his report back to the Insurance Company stated that this was a "defect" and/or not performing as designed from the Manufacturer, AND not any fault of the owner.

Also, the lake where we were at doesn't have any bridges or anything of the sort.

Question.. Gene, how do you know it was crossing the double up that caused this? I have hit a ton of big waves but i wouldn't remember any of them as "damage causing" (meaning if i saw cracks in the hull i won't think "oh, it must have been that big double up a went through... UNLESS... you really really smacked the boat hard... unforgettably hard to the point you checked for damage 'cause you hit the darn wave so fast/hard that it shook the boat like no other. What was “memorable” enough about hitting this double up that caused you to look for damage or point to it as the source of your gelcoat cracking?

(Message edited by gregtay on March 23, 2009)

Greg,

Good question. We were "boat camping" and had to haul everything in & out. (Including trash ect) The only reason I "stopped after hitting the wake was that I was running 2 guys back to the dock & thought I'd take a bag of trash (which included some beer bottles) which I had set up on the floor of the open bow.

We went through the wake and the bag tipped slightly and 2 bottles rolled out and were rolling around. I stopped to grab the 2 bottles so they wouldn't break (for obvious reasons) When I sat back in the driver's seat, I noticed out of the corner of my eye that the 2 wakeboards on that side were almost pointing straight downward. I though I might have forgotten to pull the latches to secure the boards. I then noticed that the tower had snapped on the weld.

I then propped the tower back up, dropped off the guys & trash and pulled the boat out. upon getting it on the trailer and wiping it down is when I noticed the cracks.

I take great care & pride in my boat and know every square inch of it. I had also thoroughly cleaned it prior to the trip. So, I know for a fact that the cracks weren't there prior to the trip.

I really hope this all works out for you. Assuming everything is true, I would be so p-ssed. Every company can make a lemon. It is too bad the Lemon Law does not extend to boats or does it?

(Message edited by fatsac on March 23, 2009)

Wow, that sucks. Hope you can get it worked out.

Both these videos have been posted here in the past. I know for a fact that the first one is on a less than 1 yr old boat.

http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=rick...emb=0&aq=f#

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ww2ygM9xpT0

Bill, that first link is bad.

Greg Taylor
Are you trying to say you cant take a MC in rough water or it might crack? Its pretty obvious that this shouldn't happen to any boat unless you drop it off a forklift. Stop trying to make excuses for a bad boat I know MC builds quality boats. This one has a big problem and it needs to be replaced not covered up.
As it says on the MC website "Held To A Higher Standard" Is this what that means?

Gene NorCal MC cant help because it would be a detriment to their business? Mastercraft is their Bread&Butter? Since you cant use your boat anyway I would park it in front of their showroom every weekend and show it off. After seeing yours I'M sure they will be running back in to get one of their own.

I know this is of no help, but I really believe I could not put 110 stress cracks in my boat if I tried. Warrantied or not, it sure seems [IMO], that something went wrong in the "building" process. Good luck. Again, my opinion, but MC, step up!

This may sound too obvious, but did the tower somehow torque the fiberglass when it cracked. They put a pretty big mounting plate in the fiberglass where the tower mounts. If it broke and somehow twisted, who knows?

man that's bad bro. my neighbor has an x-45 and same issue but MC fixed it after about 2 months of complaining, the boat was 15 months old. MC hasn't been the best in warranty issues

there boats look the best!!!!!