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Merced Factory Warranty Service Scheduling Issues & Shop Delays


Addictedto6

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I've been reluctant to post this but I've reached a point where I need to share my experience so that other Bu owners are aware of the potential delays with the Merced factory warranty work right now.

I first contacted Malibu in June 2007 regarding problems with my floor sagging that is covered under the lifetime hull warranty. Per customer service, they were looking to get my boat in end of October. When I contacted them, they pushed it to Dec/lateJ anuary.

I didn't hear back from customer service, so I checked in again in January, the timeframe was pushed until March.

I use the boat close to year round, so I didn't want to just drop the boat off and pick it up a couple of months later. I also didn't want it sitting outside at Merced all winter. It was explained to me that the floor repair was a couple week process.

In early march, I contacted customer service again and Malibu said they were ready.

I brought my boat down on March 25th.

On April 3rd, I sent an email asking for an update on progress. No response. I put in a couple of calls, no response until I escalated in customer service. Finally I heard back around April 7th, with customer service saying that due to personnel issues in the factory, they had not started my boat and it would be several more weeks before they could even start on it!

Malibu was kind enough to deliver my boat back to me and has promised to pickup/return the boat when they actually are ready to do the work . They also took care of one other minor issue before returning the boat to me But, I still have the big warranty floor repair to be completed sometime in the future.

Unfortunately, delays are still an issue. Supposedly I am the first boat they would bring in, yet when I checked in on May 12, the response I got was they still have issues and the guys in the factory are getting 09 production training. Previously, I had been told that the warranty shop and the new production were separate groups.

I still don't have a date when Merced is going to solve my problem. During the school year, we don't use the boat out at the bigger lakes very much as I ski on private pond with the course. There, I have access to a couple of ski partner boats so losing the boat for a couple of weeks during that part of the season is fine. Now, we are soon running into the summer season when we use the boat on the bigger lakes as a family, and losing any of those days is difficult given how short the school break is these days.

I'm a very loyal Bu owner (love my LXI!) and previously have had very good customer service from Merced on questions and initial followup when I first purchased the boat. Obviously, there are some issues that are impacting their ability to provide service to me (and probably others).

So, be aware of potential delays if you are trying to get your boat in for warranty work in Merced...

Edited by Addictedto6
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Sorry to hear of your problem. I don't know if anyone else has noticed, but it seems to me that there have been more quality and factory service issues since the demise of the "Employee Ownership" program. Has anyone else picked up on this or is it my imagination? Good luck with your repair. At least they ARE willing to fix it.

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Sorry to hear of them giving you the run around!

Sounds like it is time to start going up the food chain, I understand that your boat is not new, but that doesn't mean a warrenty fix should be ignored and pushed back so they can get ready to make the switch for 09 production...

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Sorry to hear of them giving you the run around!

Sounds like it is time to start going up the food chain, I understand that your boat is not new, but that doesn't mean a warrenty fix should be ignored and pushed back so they can get ready to make the switch for 09 production...

I was up the chain when they had the boat in April. Had a good conversation and I truly believe the explanation on issues at that time that were out of their control, so I held off with my warning & post. But the update this week on 09 production training and no timelime in sight for getting my work done is inexcusable.

Edited by Addictedto6
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Malibu better get it together or they will end up like MC. If you're reading Malibu get it together and take care of your existing customers because we are also your future customers. Well unless you start pulling crap like this we might have to go to another brand.

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Sorry to hear your having issues. I had my boat down there earlier this year. We scheduled and appointment for me to drop it off. It didn'g get started on until about two weeks later. They had a couple of boats ahead of me that needed more work than they had planned on.

My boat was suppose to just have some minor issues resolved but even those minor issues turned into a bigger job than was planned. All in all it took about 5 weeks to resolve. The boat looks awesome and the handling issues seems to be resolved.

Stephanie in Customer Service was very helpful and always got back to me in a timely manner any time I called and checked on status, etc. I suggest touching bases with her or Mike Sanchez the customer service manager.

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Sorry to hear your having issues. I had my boat down there earlier this year.

You must have bumped me! :biteme:Tease.gif

Update on my situation - Malibu customer service said they'd be ready to start my work next week. Clap.gif

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Sorry to hear your having issues. I had my boat down there earlier this year.

You must have bumped me! :biteme:Tease.gif

Update on my situation - Malibu customer service said they'd be ready to start my work next week. Clap.gif

The power of the 'bucrew? Dontknow.gif

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Sorry to hear your having issues. I had my boat down there earlier this year.

You must have bumped me! :biteme:Tease.gif

Update on my situation - Malibu customer service said they'd be ready to start my work next week. Clap.gif

The power of the 'bucrew? Dontknow.gif

malibucalifornia must have been lurkin!

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  • 3 weeks later...

Update: I brought my boat back down to Merced for the floor repair on the 29th. Malibu did an amazing job turning around my boat in just a week. The new floor is outstanding (I now have the latest floor material in my 99!) and the interior of the boat looks fantastic.

It took a little longer then I had hoped to get the work scheduled, But now that it's done, I couldn't be happier with the result. And at no point did Malibu question me on whether it was a warranty issue or not,.

So, thank you Malibu and specifically to Jorge and the guys in the shop who must have worked their tails off to get the boat back to me so quickly.

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Man, as a new Malibu owner that is really inspiring to hear that they took care of you and fixed your nearly decade old boat under warranty.

i hope i don't ever have any issues, but if i have a problem with the hull or stringers in the year 2017 i hope they are still standing behind their product like this.

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  • 11 months later...
jkendallmsce
I've been reluctant to post this but I've reached a point where I need to share my experience so that other Bu owners are aware of the potential delays with the Merced factory warranty work right now.

I first contacted Malibu in June 2007 regarding problems with my floor sagging that is covered under the lifetime hull warranty. Per customer service, they were looking to get my boat in end of October. When I contacted them, they pushed it to Dec/lateJ anuary.

I didn't hear back from customer service, so I checked in again in January, the timeframe was pushed until March.

I use the boat close to year round, so I didn't want to just drop the boat off and pick it up a couple of months later. I also didn't want it sitting outside at Merced all winter. It was explained to me that the floor repair was a couple week process.

In early march, I contacted customer service again and Malibu said they were ready.

I brought my boat down on March 25th.

On April 3rd, I sent an email asking for an update on progress. No response. I put in a couple of calls, no response until I escalated in customer service. Finally I heard back around April 7th, with customer service saying that due to personnel issues in the factory, they had not started my boat and it would be several more weeks before they could even start on it!

Malibu was kind enough to deliver my boat back to me and has promised to pickup/return the boat when they actually are ready to do the work . They also took care of one other minor issue before returning the boat to me But, I still have the big warranty floor repair to be completed sometime in the future.

Unfortunately, delays are still an issue. Supposedly I am the first boat they would bring in, yet when I checked in on May 12, the response I got was they still have issues and the guys in the factory are getting 09 production training. Previously, I had been told that the warranty shop and the new production were separate groups.

I still don't have a date when Merced is going to solve my problem. During the school year, we don't use the boat out at the bigger lakes very much as I ski on private pond with the course. There, I have access to a couple of ski partner boats so losing the boat for a couple of weeks during that part of the season is fine. Now, we are soon running into the summer season when we use the boat on the bigger lakes as a family, and losing any of those days is difficult given how short the school break is these days.

I'm a very loyal Bu owner (love my LXI!) and previously have had very good customer service from Merced on questions and initial followup when I first purchased the boat. Obviously, there are some issues that are impacting their ability to provide service to me (and probably others).

So, be aware of potential delays if you are trying to get your boat in for warranty work in Merced...

Service is going to be spotty as all production at the Merced plant has been terminated. I have a 2007 LXI SE with engine issues and it has been at Merced since 3/28.

Since Mastercraft has shut their doors for the rest of the year, warranty work at authorized dealers or at the factory may be spotty for all boat dealers.

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theskiflyer

Wake Girl, I realize that you are going to shut me down with this post, "Merced" will insist on it. Their obsession with MC clearly represents a "playing not to lose, versus playing to win" attitude, compared to the attitude that made their initial success.

It is unfortunate and pathetic, that Malibu has now resorted to "let's make the other guy look bad...so we might look good." This is not the company we bought into.

As posted by Jkendallmsce:

"Since Mastercraft has shut their doors for the rest of the year, warranty work at authorized dealers or at the factory may be spotty for all boat dealers."

[/u

This statement is entirely erroneous!! We have 2 Malibu's, the kids XTi and Dad's cruiser, an LSV. The LSV suffered an "accident" on May 25th and is unusable. The boat is "down" and our dealer has been trying to obtain parts since May 28th (they have shown us the e-mails correspondence with Malibu and the parts suppliers). Regardless of what our dealer showed us (they paid for the required parts up front), Malibu has not yet shipped the parts (e-mails the dealer showed us between them and the suppliers; confirmed that parts manufacturers are reluctant to ship Malibu parts do due credit concerns). Example, PWC windshields.

So our short season ticks away!

In contrast, our dealer showed us their online parts orders and warranty claims with MC, and parts not "in stock" were shipped within 48 hours (no credit hold here) and warranty is credited almost immediately (no cash flow problem)!

At the Toronto Boat Show, I talked with the Malibu rep (if B#!! S#!T was music he would be a be a Brass Band) and I asked him if they were going to provide a "solvent" dealer in our area (other than the present MC dealer that we purchased our 5 previous Malibu boats from); and he sounded like Porky Pig!

I would suggest that the "spin" being presented on this site should be reflective of the unstable position of Malibu Boats at this point in time versus unproductive deflection directed at their competitors!

Our dealer can provide written evidence of the truth, which would prove both embarrassing and positive proof of Malibu's present financial position.

Maybe I need to go to "TMC"!; with this.

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As long as your going to TMC, how about you stay there.

I also love how you connect the comments from a person who is not related to Malibu to "Merced"

YOU do realize this original post if well over 13 months old

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The more I hear you skiflyer the more I hear about this "dealer".... so instead of jumping on other posts as verbatim from Malibu, let's look at what can be done.

I have no information about the who/what/where, but as a point of reference -

- unless a dealer is not an authorized Malibu dealer

- or is so late paying bills their parts and warranty account has been shut down

- or there is some other issue

then Malibu does not charge any dealer "up front" for parts.

If you are referring to PCW, (Not PWC), then I can understand some delay, as PCW is extraordinarily hard to get warranty parts from. I would imagine this is one of the reasons Malibu choose a new supplier.

I appreciate you working with your dealer. Perhaps you can sit in on a conference call with them to Malibu and discuss it.

Best of luck,

Peter

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Wake Girl, I realize that you are going to shut me down with this post, "Merced" will insist on it.

No, I think we'll let this one run since it is still relatively on topic. Besides, the more you open your mouth, the more you show your true colors & I'd hate to keep that from happening.

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Wake Girl, I realize that you are going to shut me down with this post, "Merced" will insist on it. Their obsession with MC clearly represents a "playing not to lose, versus playing to win" attitude, compared to the attitude that made their initial success.

It is unfortunate and pathetic, that Malibu has now resorted to "let's make the other guy look bad...so we might look good." This is not the company we bought into.

Maybe I need to go to "TMC"!; with this.

Quite a logic jump to connect an owner and posting crew member with "Merced". It wasn't Malibu who made Mac ads mocking Mastercraft and I have not seen any commentary from "Merced" on anything other than their own plans. Perhaps it is your dealer which, for whatever reason, is having difficulty with Malibu and has thus influenced your thoughts on Malibu. If you are shut down, then it won't be due to Merced, it will be due to the rules of the fourm and the fair warning you received. No need to go to TMC, they're already aware of you and your previous thread, and I'm sure will discover this one.

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I am curious since I have a 99 LXi. Is the sagging floor a problem indicative of this particular model or is this a rare occurrence?

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It's not necessarily a rare occurrance, including the OP I've known 2 people to have that problem. If you're the original owner then it may be worth pursuing a warranty claim as the OP did.
I'm the original owner - so far the floor seems fine. I guess I will keep an eye on it given this information. How does this happen? I thought when Malibu went to all glass construction this was a thing of the past.
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It's not necessarily a rare occurrance, including the OP I've known 2 people to have that problem. If you're the original owner then it may be worth pursuing a warranty claim as the OP did.
I'm the original owner - so far the floor seems fine. I guess I will keep an eye on it given this information. How does this happen? I thought when Malibu went to all glass construction this was a thing of the past.

It's not a wood issue. I think it has to do with the breakdown of the superstructure under the floor but not positive. I think it's pretty good that malibu honors these this far out. I don't THINK Malibu even had a lifetime hull warranty in 1999.

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Actually IIRC that issue had to do with the type of foam that they were using under the floor back then. And the other 2 people that I've known to have the issue had mid-to-late 90's boats that were both honored under the lifetime warranty, so I think that you'd have a good shot at getting it fixed.

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