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Stress Cracks


Carl8878

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On April 7th I pulled my 2008 VLX out of storage to begin cleaning and detailing for the summer season when I noticed 10 - 12 stress cracks in various locations of my boat. I immedately called my dealer so that I could get them looked at. Once the boat got to the dealer that is when everything went to hell. Basically the dealer told me they had not seen this on a boat before and that they would have to get a Malibu Rep to come and look. Three weeks later I was finally told that Malibu was still discussing there options on this repair. I am in Texas and in order for the boat to be fixed it would have to be shipped to California. Also they were not sure how long this would take. My boat has now been sitting at the dealership for over a month and no progress has been made. I am beyound pissed that I have not been contacted by Malibu or at least been told my options. The purchase price of the boat I bought was $74,000.00 Not sure about anyone else but have a real problem paying a 1200 dollar boat payment for a boat I cant even use. The boat is right at a year old with only 56 hours on it and I feel I should be taken care of. If anyone has any advice please let me know. I have told the dealer I wouldnt take the boat back unrepaired or wait all summer long for the boat to be shipped to Cali to be fixed leaving me without a boat. To me the only option they have is to put me into a new boat of equal value so that I am not out anymore time without a boat I am paying for!!

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I had a couple of cracks in my 07 when I took delivery of it The boat was new, but from a different dealer than my local guy, so I made the deal based on pictures only. I didn't know about the cracks until I picked the boat up. The dealer gave me the choice to fix right then, which was in April, or wait until winter. I chose the latter, and I got the boat to them the following January and it was handled as they promised. If push comes to shove, I would rather have my boat with a few cracks over the summer as long as they agree to have it handled after that. Just my 2 cents.

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I had a couple of cracks in my 07 when I took delivery of it The boat was new, but from a different dealer than my local guy, so I made the deal based on pictures only. I didn't know about the cracks until I picked the boat up. The dealer gave me the choice to fix right then, which was in April, or wait until winter. I chose the latter, and I got the boat to them the following January and it was handled as they promised. If push comes to shove, I would rather have my boat with a few cracks over the summer as long as they agree to have it handled after that. Just my 2 cents.

That has been an option from dealer, my only problem with that is the placement of the cracks. Most of them are below water level and are deeper than a normal stress crack. I am afraid that any more stress on the boat could only make these cracks worse and put me and family's safety in jeopardy. The cracks are about 1/4" deep?

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I had a couple of cracks in my 07 when I took delivery of it The boat was new, but from a different dealer than my local guy, so I made the deal based on pictures only. I didn't know about the cracks until I picked the boat up. The dealer gave me the choice to fix right then, which was in April, or wait until winter. I chose the latter, and I got the boat to them the following January and it was handled as they promised. If push comes to shove, I would rather have my boat with a few cracks over the summer as long as they agree to have it handled after that. Just my 2 cents.

That has been an option from dealer, my only problem with that is the placement of the cracks. Most of them are below water level and are deeper than a normal stress crack. I am afraid that any more stress on the boat could only make these cracks worse and put me and family's safety in jeopardy. The cracks are about 1/4" deep?

Photos?... that doesn't sound like the normal "gelcoat stress cracks" we normally see. IF you can tell it's 1/4 deep them is sounds like a crack in the fiberglass.

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Yea, considering the gelcoat isn't anywhere near 1/4" thick, a crack that deep would go well into the glass. I'm curious how you know how deep they are?

I think I'd tell the dealer I wanted to talk to a Malibu representative & be brought up to date on your options.

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Usually, when cracks are discussed here we are talking about gel coat cracks. I'm no fiberglass expert, but 1/4" deep seems like more than just a gel coat crack to me. I can easily understand why you do not want to use the boat. Here is what I would do:

1) Contact Malibu directly and send them pictures. Give them a reasonable deadline to respond. Five business days should be more than enough. Refuse to put the action plan in the dealers hands alone and refuse to be put on hold. That is what got you here today.

2) Take the boat to a local fiberglass shop for an independent expert opinion.......even if it costs a few bucks. You can deal from a power position if you know what caused the problem and what it will take to make it right.

3) Step three would depend on what happens in steps 1 & 2. I don't even want to go there yet because I believe Malibu is going to step up. In my experience, they always do.

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Usually, when cracks are discussed here we are talking about gel coat cracks. I'm no fiberglass expert, but 1/4" deep seems like more than just a gel coat crack to me. I can easily understand why you do not want to use the boat. Here is what I would do:

1) Contact Malibu directly and send them pictures. Give them a reasonable deadline to respond. Five business days should be more than enough. Refuse to put the action plan in the dealers hands alone and refuse to be put on hold. That is what got you here today.

2) Take the boat to a local fiberglass shop for an independent expert opinion.......even if it costs a few bucks. You can deal from a power position if you know what caused the problem and what it will take to make it right.

3) Step three would depend on what happens in steps 1 & 2. I don't even want to go there yet because I believe Malibu is going to step up. In my experience, they always do.

The word they are calling these cracks are a "stress crack". To me they are way more than that. The cracks are bad enough that they have raised the gel coat up. What is weird to me is the locations. 4 cracks at nose of boat around bow light, 5 cracks down left side of boat starting at windshield all the way down to rub rail, 4 cracks around swim platform bracket peice that anchors platform to boat? All these cracks are at least 12" long or more and you can stick a penny in them. I do feel that there is protocal that has to be followed but they have now had my boat for over 5 weeks with no answers.

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martinarcher

I agree with what others said. If you can stick a penny in the cracks I wouldn't take it on the water either. That is much deeper than just gelcoat. Here's a pic of a 1 inch hole drilled in my boat. The gel is probably 1/16" deep.

post-7666-1241540933_thumb.jpg

post-7666-1241541002_thumb.jpg

Edited by martinarcher
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I agree with what others said. If you can stick a penny in the cracks I wouldn't take it on the water either. That is much deeper than just gel coat. Here's a pic of a 1 inch hole drilled in my boat. The gel is probably 1/16" deep.

Gel Coat should be no more than 5 mils thick (about five sheets of paper) Gel has no strength properties (it's just pigmented resin) and when its thicker there is a rigidity problem, instead of flexing it cracks. Most thick locations are where multiple passes with the gel coat gun overlap, radius's, side gunnel's, windshield locations. Just part of the difficult manufacturing process.

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