I'm at wits end

[Chia]

I wonder if these problem boats are from both factories or just one. ?

Good point BigD. Looks like the guys with the long lists are all in MO, SC, and Alberta Canada. Are those all Tenn plant boats? I would imagine so.

alberta=merced

[2THEL8K]

I'm curious, with the clout of this forum, is there is some feedback mechanism directly back to Malibu? I understand the whole hand crafted argument, and that eveyone has had a different experience with their boats. Flaws do happen, and what's important is how they are addressed. It sounds like most dealers and even Malibu directly in some cases have made good attempts to resolve some of these issues. I can also understand owner frustration in certain cases where the lists are excessive. It would seem to me that with the reputation Malibu has built for a quality product, this type of thread would be wanted feedback at HQ. There's no better way for a company to improve these areas than to see these lists. My concern would be that if most people are dealing directly with dealers, the feedback may not be getting back to HQ on a consistent basis, at least not in a way where they can see general trends and identify QC items (vs. one off repairs) that need to be addressed. While some of these repair lists are disappointing, on the positive side, it would seem that there could be some opportunities to Malibu to make a few improvements here if the feedback gets to the right people.

[NorCaliBu]

I'm curious, with the clout of this forum, is there is some feedback mechanism directly back to Malibu?

If you think Malibu doesn't monitor this website...you're mistaken. They know about this thread.

[2THEL8K]

If you think Malibu doesn't monitor this website...you're mistaken. They know about this thread.

No doubt, I'm sure they do Would be nice to have some of these threads acknowledged if that's the case so that we know the feedback is getting back the right people.

[NorCaliBu]

Would be nice to have some of these threads acknowledged if that's the case so that we know the feedback is getting back the right people.

I think they don't out of respect for the integrity and independence of this community. The fact that they "get the message" is enough.

[Malibuzer]

Maybe the Malibu Guru's should try and contact the individuals either directly or through the local dealers to let them know where they are going in resolving these issues.

[Malibudude]

Yes this forum is read by Malibu, however it is company policy to avoid posting in forums. I know personally that members have been contacted and assisted with resolving the issues.

[Malibuzer]

Thanks for the info Malibudude. Our dealer has been great do deal with so the issues are just minor inconveniences, none the less QC does still seem to be a bit of an issue. But for others I am sure they will be more than happy to hear that Malibu will listen and help out.

[pennery]

Mt VLX was a Tennessee boat and lthoug I never had any issues with it (22 Hours) there were a few little things that I thought were not right... One being that the ACC switches although functioned only 2 out of 4 actually had power running to them... Little weird I thought but none the less not a big deal... Also the Factory Sony remote was not hooked up but I fixed that myself... Also the bow cupholders (above the amps) are not sealed and drain rain water right onto the amps... I don't imagine that can be good for them... Overall I am pleased...

[JasonK]

Too bad you guys didn't get a 1990! j/k

It was hand-crafted!

[steve'O the mechanic]

Everyone needs to understand that when you have state of the art and top of the line components in your TOY! It some times take a while to get them dialed in properly. From being some one that works on these boats 12 hours a day I have found a lot of the problems are operater errors from the start. Thats what creates most problems down the line. I own a 2008 VLX and i have not had one problem or glitch. But i did learn to be very patient with new computer controls and not get rammy. I know that not everyone is this way, dont get me wrong. I do get frustrated reading some of these things and i know for a fact that where i work every problem is addressed as soon as it happens and as soon as we can get the boat. I know that because i am the guy that fixes your little finiky problems till mid-night so your boat can sit on your driveway!

[wakeup]

I hate that quality is perceived to be in jeopardy on some of the new boats. We had such great service out of our boat.

Even with a lot of gadgets, you should expect those to be good quality and dialed in under testing and quality assurance while still at Malibu, not the end user. It puts the dealer in the middle and mechanics working weekends to keep up. But things do happen and that is true in about any manufacturing industry.

I just know that BU lost my neighbor after his second tranny, an alternator and many ballast pump issues on his 06 lsv. This coupled with finding these problems on weekends plus taking off work to pull the boat 3 hours to the dealer just got to be too much. He just bought a Nautique to replace it. Pity.

[VinRLX]

Everyone needs to understand that when you have state of the art and top of the line components in your TOY! It some times take a while to get them dialed in properly. From being some one that works on these boats 12 hours a day I have found a lot of the problems are operater errors from the start. Thats what creates most problems down the line. I own a 2008 VLX and i have not had one problem or glitch. But i did learn to be very patient with new computer controls and not get rammy. I know that not everyone is this way, dont get me wrong. I do get frustrated reading some of these things and i know for a fact that where i work every problem is addressed as soon as it happens and as soon as we can get the boat. I know that because i am the guy that fixes your little finiky problems till mid-night so your boat can sit on your driveway!

Don't candy coat it, we can take it!

[VTXFORME]

Hey, they aren't all finicky little problems, we pay SERIOUS money for these boats and when the speed control fluctuates 5 MPH I remember that I could do better than that manually so what am I paying for. When I buy a boat and the rubber gasket around the winshield blows off, or the rear trunk latch falls apart in my hand, or they forget hook up the nav lights, or they forget to install the rubber gasket on the window closure so it wears a big gouge in the aluminum or the cup holders on the gel coat don't fit flush, or the chrome VTX and Malibu flash don't fit flush, or the $400 carpet mat doesn't fit right, or the bow center seat cushion is too weakly built to withstand someone standing on it without collapsing to the the floor, etc. etc. (they apparently refuse to acknowledge this as a design flaw, wait until someone heavy steps on it, falls over and injures himself or herself) You start to wonder is Malibu quality a myth.

I owned my previous Malibu for 13 years, I took good care of it and it held up very well (looked one third it's age when I sold it), but I'm not so sure about the new boats, they have a lot of electronics which are tricky to design and test well even for very large auto manufacturers let alone relatively small volume boat builders, they now have smog systems on them, and on top of all this there is a push to drive down costs and improve effeciency which always increases the difficulty of producing a quality product. But when I buy a carpet mat that doesnt fit right (the cut out for the table is off by a good 3 inches not to mention the other areas it doesn't fit, for instance it doesn't go to the end of the bow, I guess for the people with front ballast tanks, all 10 of em.) I start to ask myself why. BTW the answer I got back from my dealer is that Malibu outsources the mats and all are manufacturered using a single template, well mayybe someone should have told the mat manufacturer that the table base was being moved three inches cuz now you have a lot of mats that don't fit...

There are a few dubious engineering issues that I won't go into now. But I will say, what the heck is the point of a "frameless" windscreen that looks very much like a windshield with a frame? How is it better? What is the point of the electronic throttle that is so touchy that it thows the boat into hyperspace if you happen to brush it with your shirt sleeve. Of course the passengers usually aren't ready for launch when this happens. And what about that CHEAP plastic on the throttle lever base. What did this boat cost again $55-60K? Did anybody test this stuff with real people?

And SORRY, I mean really, to all those Malibu fans who really love their boats. I really like my 08 VTX alot, but I could love it if the FINICKY little details were worked out. I mean, I'm a Malibu fan, but we need to be critical of these boats so that Malibu will build them better and better. Sometimes I think Malibu needs to SLOW DOWN THE INNOVATIOIN AND CONCENTRATE ON THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF QUALITY.

When I hear, "Oh these boats are custom hand crafted..." and thats why they have these issues, I'm remided of the same argument being made about earlier British and Italian cars that were all hand crafted, because they didn't have have good engineering, consistant production processes, and quality assurance to produce a reliable car.

To the guy who fixes the "finicky" problems with our boats, YOU HAVE MALIBU TO BLAME NOT THE OWNERS. If Malibu paid more attention to detail you wouldn't be fixing these problems. If Malibu sells a boat with certain features and implies a promise of quality. They sure better live up to it. Or you will be working late every night.

Finally, my $55K Lexus provides a lot more features, more sophistcated engineering, and ROCK SOLID reliability and I bet the mechanics sleep well at night.

[Black&Blue'Bu]

Hey, they aren't all finicky little problems, we pay SERIOUS money for these boats and when the speed control fluctuates 5 MPH I remember that I could do better than that manually so what am I paying for. When I buy a boat and the rubber gasket around the winshield blows off, or the rear trunk latch falls apart in my hand, or they forget hook up the nav lights, or they forget to install the rubber gasket on the window closure so it wears a big gouge in the aluminum or the cup holders on the gel coat don't fit flush, or the chrome VTX and Malibu flash don't fit flush, or the $400 carpet mat doesn't fit right, or the bow center seat cushion is too weakly built to withstand someone standing on it without collapsing to the the floor, etc. etc. (they apparently refuse to acknowledge this as a design flaw, wait until someone heavy steps on it, falls over and injures himself or herself) You start to wonder is Malibu quality a myth.

I owned my previous Malibu for 13 years, I took good care of it and it held up very well (looked one third it's age when I sold it), but I'm not so sure about the new boats, they have a lot of electronics which are tricky to design and test well even for very large auto manufacturers let alone relatively small volume boat builders, they now have smog systems on them, and on top of all this there is a push to drive down costs and improve effeciency which always increases the difficulty of producing a quality product. But when I buy a carpet mat that doesnt fit right (the cut out for the table is off by a good 3 inches not to mention the other areas it doesn't fit, for instance it doesn't go to the end of the bow, I guess for the people with front ballast tanks, all 10 of em.) I start to ask myself why. BTW the answer I got back from my dealer is that Malibu outsources the mats and all are manufacturered using a single template, well mayybe someone should have told the mat manufacturer that the table base was being moved three inches cuz now you have a lot of mats that don't fit...

There are a few dubious engineering issues that I won't go into now. But I will say, what the heck is the point of a "frameless" windscreen that looks very much like a windshield with a frame? How is it better? What is the point of the electronic throttle that is so touchy that it thows the boat into hyperspace if you happen to brush it with your shirt sleeve. Of course the passengers usually aren't ready for launch when this happens. And what about that CHEAP plastic on the throttle lever base. What did this boat cost again $55-60K? Did anybody test this stuff with real people?

And SORRY, I mean really, to all those Malibu fans who really love their boats. I really like my 08 VTX alot, but I could love it if the FINICKY little details were worked out. I mean, I'm a Malibu fan, but we need to be critical of these boats so that Malibu will build them better and better. Sometimes I think Malibu needs to SLOW DOWN THE INNOVATIOIN AND CONCENTRATE ON THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF QUALITY.

When I hear, "Oh these boats are custom hand crafted..." and thats why they have these issues, I'm remided of the same argument being made about earlier British and Italian cars that were all hand crafted, because they didn't have have good engineering, consistant production processes, and quality assurance to produce a reliable car.

To the guy who fixes the "finicky" problems with our boats, YOU HAVE MALIBU TO BLAME NOT THE OWNERS. If Malibu paid more attention to detail you wouldn't be fixing these problems. If Malibu sells a boat with certain features and implies a promise of quality. They sure better live up to it. Or you will be working late every night.

Finally, my $55K Lexus provides a lot more features, more sophistcated engineering, and ROCK SOLID reliability and I bet the mechanics sleep well at night.

Also the guys with the owners goggles on drinking the Malibu Kool Aid sure get your expectations up and you think WOW this Malibu quality, fit and finnish etc is going to be awsome and then when the issues start something I call "the anger of expectations" happens. Lower peoples expectations so things aren't over promised and they seem happier.

Don't get me wrong either, I love the 'BU but kind of "expected" a little more attention to detail in the boats quality.

Really though what happens behind the boat is what I was after and that part I can't complain about at all.

[Malibudude]

To compare the assembly line of autos vs. cars is like apples to hand grenades. Boats are virtually all had done while vehicles are the opposite mostly by computers and robots. When increasing volume there is a greater chance of a dip in quality control, and while Malibu isn't perfect I know for a fact the company has gone above and beyond to rectify countless situations. Your dealer plays an immense role in getting this corrected and keeping you on the water. The reason you've heard about the quality fit and finish etc. is because majority of us have experienced it, typically we only hear the negative side of things never the positive. No to say the things that are listed above are trivial just keep things in perspective that while your view is tainted by in large this isn't what is experienced by others. Quality control can always be improved Keep in mind once things are finished at the Malibu plant another party takes over in transporting it to the dealer and things do happen.

[wakesettergreen]

[

Also the guys with the owners goggles on drinking the Malibu Kool Aid sure get your expectations up and you think WOW this Malibu quality, fit and finnish etc is going to be awsome and then when the issues start something I call "the anger of expectations" happens. Lower peoples expectations so things aren't over promised and they seem happier.

Don't get me wrong either, I love the 'BU but kind of "expected" a little more attention to detail in the boats quality.

Really though what happens behind the boat is what I was after and that part I can't complain about at all.

I am 3 time Bu owner and do love the boats and have had my share of issues over the last couple of years. How much of what makes Malibu, MC, and Nautique the elite and far more expensive is hype, great advertising and making sure ($) thier boats are used in pro events. I do find it hard to believe that these days there is a 25K difference in performance and quality.

[Matt_Alger]

When I priced a Tige 20V vs my VTX it wasn't anywhere near $25k when comparably equipped and I feel the VTX is much better. Now a Moomba probably would have been $25k less but that wouldn't be comparably equipped. I agree that these boats are waaaay to expensive but it seems that everyone's price is high. Maybe I bought at the wrong time and 2009 will be a market correction.

[bgriff7]

Sorry to bring this old thread back from a few months ago (was doing some searching).. but after reading about some of the issues owners have been having with their new bu's lately, I feel like I need to vent over my own never ending laundry list of problems.

I picked up my 08 Wakesetter 23 LSV from a local dealer back in March. What ensued in the coming months were more trips back and forth from the lake to the dealer (67 miles round trip) than I could have ever imagined. I was having to take it in once, sometimes twice a month from April through August. Once there, the average turnaround time was 3-5 days, maximum being 16 days (waiting on parts). Needless to say, I probably spent more hours behind the wheel of a truck and waiting for repairs then I did being out on the water. It was either that or pay the $150 minimum that my dealer charges for a "Lake Call", which takes weeks to get scheduled.

To those with more problems than myself.. you have my sympathy.

1. The whole JBL "BlackBox" just chaps my a**... keep the blackbox on an airplane and offer a real head unit from the factory. I've found two out of 6 IPods that will actually work with the system. Even then, its completely useless. My blackbox loves to play the same group of songs over and over and over again, whether off an Ipod or the thumb drive. What an embarrassing piece of junk to be offered on a $70,000 piece of equipment. How much do I have to pay for a mute button? Malibu needs to fix these problems with some form of update or replacement system. From the looks of some past threads, It appears that I am not the only one with this problem. Shame on me for not doing the research.

2. There was a constant "wobble" of the driver's seat, as well as a nice helping of metal shavings strung out along the base. This was fixed by the dealer initially in April, however back in August the seat began to wobble again. A few more hours of use led to the entire base of the seat separating from the floor of the boat, making the boat unusable until I could get it in for warranty work. Although at 6'3", 210 lbs I may be significantly larger than the average professional wakeboarder/towboat driver, there is still no excuse for that type of craftsmanship. I have to say, I looked pretty good driving my shiny new boat sitting on a milk crate.

3. It has been an ongoing problem with the rubber trim that runs around the base of the windshield. There are places that it has just been wedged in between the hull and windshield, and other places where it is completely unattached. Every time it has failed to be fixed correctly.

4. After the first outing, the ice chest leaked a few gallons of water out into the carpet, leaving an ever so pleasant mildew-esque stench that still lingers.

5. Wedge gauge has never worked correctly... I think everybody has this problem though.

6. Left LCD panel (ballast pumps, lights, horn, etc) quit working.

7. Bow Navigation light quit working.

8. Shifter Recall.. another trip to the dealer

9. After about 50 hours of use, both tower racks (high mount positions) started to become loose and rattle. I checked that the bolts were tight, assuming they had just backed off from vibration. What had actually happened was the bolts started to strip out of the tower, and could not be tightened any more. I was lucky I caught it before I lost a board in the drink. This took over a month to get repaired correctly (late June - early August), myself being the lab rat for their multiple experimental fixes. I believe this was to be the "Tower Recall" that showed up in my mailbox a couple months later.

10. The latest and greatest.. went out to the lake last week and it looks as if a Torsion bar on my Boatmate trailer has broken. The rear left tire is pressed completely up into the fender, while its tandem is having to support all the left side weight of the boat. I initially thought that the front left tire pressure was low.. but it only appears that way because it is having to support twice as much weight as usual. It was difficult to tow the boat from storage to the ramp (500 feet) because the tire with the broken torsion bar is pressed up against the fender, which is trying to put a slice in the sidewall and skid the tire. With the boat off the trailer, I could articulate the suspension of that one wheel with two hands. My dealer said that this is not covered under warranty, and I would be charged with a "Lake Call" for them to come out and fix it since I can't tow in that condition. I'm still waiting on a call back as to whether or not Boatmate will cover the work under warranty.

I feel like I'm a pretty easy going guy, and usually have a pretty open mind when it comes boats breaking... but this is starting to get ridiculous. My plan is to trade in and up around 300 hours, and that looks to be at the end of 2009 (put 150 on this season..even with the problems).

I've always loved Bu's and think they are the best looking boats on the water.. but I'm afraid I will have to sacrifice my taste for customer service this next go around.

[Malibusteve]

Sorry to bring this old thread back from a few months ago (was doing some searching).. but after reading about some of the issues owners have been having with their new bu's lately, I feel like I need to vent over my own never ending laundry list of problems.

I picked up my 08 Wakesetter 23 LSV from a local dealer back in March. What ensued in the coming months were more trips back and forth from the lake to the dealer (67 miles round trip) than I could have ever imagined. I was having to take it in once, sometimes twice a month from April through August. Once there, the average turnaround time was 3-5 days, maximum being 16 days (waiting on parts). Needless to say, I probably spent more hours behind the wheel of a truck and waiting for repairs then I did being out on the water. It was either that or pay the $150 minimum that my dealer charges for a "Lake Call", which takes weeks to get scheduled.

To those with more problems than myself.. you have my sympathy.

1. The whole JBL "BlackBox" just chaps my a**... keep the blackbox on an airplane and offer a real head unit from the factory. I've found two out of 6 IPods that will actually work with the system. Even then, its completely useless. My blackbox loves to play the same group of songs over and over and over again, whether off an Ipod or the thumb drive. What an embarrassing piece of junk to be offered on a $70,000 piece of equipment. How much do I have to pay for a mute button? Malibu needs to fix these problems with some form of update or replacement system. From the looks of some past threads, It appears that I am not the only one with this problem. Shame on me for not doing the research.

2. There was a constant "wobble" of the driver's seat, as well as a nice helping of metal shavings strung out along the base. This was fixed by the dealer initially in April, however back in August the seat began to wobble again. A few more hours of use led to the entire base of the seat separating from the floor of the boat, making the boat unusable until I could get it in for warranty work. Although at 6'3", 210 lbs I may be significantly larger than the average professional wakeboarder/towboat driver, there is still no excuse for that type of craftsmanship. I have to say, I looked pretty good driving my shiny new boat sitting on a milk crate.

3. It has been an ongoing problem with the rubber trim that runs around the base of the windshield. There are places that it has just been wedged in between the hull and windshield, and other places where it is completely unattached. Every time it has failed to be fixed correctly.

4. After the first outing, the ice chest leaked a few gallons of water out into the carpet, leaving an ever so pleasant mildew-esque stench that still lingers.

5. Wedge gauge has never worked correctly... I think everybody has this problem though.

6. Left LCD panel (ballast pumps, lights, horn, etc) quit working.

7. Bow Navigation light quit working.

8. Shifter Recall.. another trip to the dealer

9. After about 50 hours of use, both tower racks (high mount positions) started to become loose and rattle. I checked that the bolts were tight, assuming they had just backed off from vibration. What had actually happened was the bolts started to strip out of the tower, and could not be tightened any more. I was lucky I caught it before I lost a board in the drink. This took over a month to get repaired correctly (late June - early August), myself being the lab rat for their multiple experimental fixes. I believe this was to be the "Tower Recall" that showed up in my mailbox a couple months later.

10. The latest and greatest.. went out to the lake last week and it looks as if a Torsion bar on my Boatmate trailer has broken. The rear left tire is pressed completely up into the fender, while its tandem is having to support all the left side weight of the boat. I initially thought that the front left tire pressure was low.. but it only appears that way because it is having to support twice as much weight as usual. It was difficult to tow the boat from storage to the ramp (500 feet) because the tire with the broken torsion bar is pressed up against the fender, which is trying to put a slice in the sidewall and skid the tire. With the boat off the trailer, I could articulate the suspension of that one wheel with two hands. My dealer said that this is not covered under warranty, and I would be charged with a "Lake Call" for them to come out and fix it since I can't tow in that condition. I'm still waiting on a call back as to whether or not Boatmate will cover the work under warranty.

I feel like I'm a pretty easy going guy, and usually have a pretty open mind when it comes boats breaking... but this is starting to get ridiculous. My plan is to trade in and up around 300 hours, and that looks to be at the end of 2009 (put 150 on this season..even with the problems).

I've always loved Bu's and think they are the best looking boats on the water.. but I'm afraid I will have to sacrifice my taste for customer service this next go around.

As the initiator of this thread, believe me when I say I feel your pain. You can see from my "laundry list" that my problems were numerous too, but I will offer this advice. Stay as cool, calm and collected as you possibly can. Document your problems in a notebook somewhere as to what happened, when, the dealer's response etc. ALWAYS have open, clear communication with your dealer. When you have problems, try to explain it to the service guy directly if possible. Sometimes things get lost in translation when a salesman listens to your problem and then relays it to the service guy. My problems were 100% solved to my complete satisfaction and I credit my dealer and Malibu Customer Service. This is a stand up company and my experience has been that although problems do occur, if you handle it the right way, then the dealer and Malibu will bend over backwards to accomodate you.

I don't think that you can expect them to reimburse you for your driving or to do a "lake call" for free. I would ask them, however, to lake test it when you bring it in for repairs. Then they can experience some of your windshield time. Hang in there! It's a good boat and company. When you get all of the bugs worked out you'll love it. With the hrs. you've already put on it looks like you already do.

[VTX2008]

Both my left and right LCD panels have stopped working. Was your panel replaced or was the problem a more serious repair?

[bb01760]

After my dealer did not such a great repair, they gave me my money back, I dropped the boat, they brought it back, ~40 miles each way.

At the end of the day I can only say that people make mistakes, it is the way they take responsibility that changes everything.

So yes, my dealer is great - and he is the ONLY one in the state.

BB

Both my left and right LCD panels have stopped working. Was your panel replaced or was the problem a more serious repair?