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