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Problem with Malibu warranty


belz87

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Has anyone else had any problem with the Back row seat covers coming apart? My boat is a 2006 23 LSV still in factory warranty. The dealer said no problem but the factory said if was not a defect but possibly the cleaner I used eating the stitching. Anyway they offered the covers but will not pay for the labor to sew them. What do yall think, should I just be happy with the covers?

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Has anyone else had any problem with the Back row seat covers coming apart? My boat is a 2006 23 LSV still in factory warranty. The dealer said no problem but the factory said if was not a defect but possibly the cleaner I used eating the stitching. Anyway they offered the covers but will not pay for the labor to sew them. What do yall think, should I just be happy with the covers?

Warranties are so subjective. I would return to the dealer since they are your liason to the factory and reject their idea that its the cleaning solution that your using. Ask them if they tested the seat covers to find out what part of the solution for your future knowledge did the damage. If they didn't do any testing then how can they assume that it's the cleaning solution that your using. Also had you told them or showed them what you were using to clean the seats outside of hydrochloric acid how could they make that assessment? Sounds like the dealer is being asked to by Malibu to cut warranty costs. Also (this is chicago thinking) could the factory be paying for the whole replacement and the dealer pockets your dough? I hate to be so negative but lets face it dealers are dropping like flies and they need all the cash they can get. It's an old trick doing that btw. Good luck. Would love to hear about the results.

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First are you sure it's still under warranty? Its 3 years for the interior, so free skins is a great deal above and beyond the warranty from Malibu. Hopefully the local dealer will install them for a decent price. Secondly why not just keep the new skins and replace them when the originals get really bad, assuming they aren’t now. Malibu has stepped up on many occasions for a variety of issues to help out their constituency, so to think anything otherwise I would need some proof of that. The customer service after the sale is top notch from Malibu.

I’m not sure what cleaner you used, but I’d recommend vinyl finish.

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First are you sure it's still under warranty? Its 3 years for the interior, so free skins is a great deal above and beyond the warranty from Malibu. Hopefully the local dealer will install them for a decent price. Secondly why not just keep the new skins and replace them when the originals get really bad, assuming they aren’t now. Malibu has stepped up on many occasions for a variety of issues to help out their constituency, so to think anything otherwise I would need some proof of that. The customer service after the sale is top notch from Malibu.

I’m not sure what cleaner you used, but I’d recommend vinyl finish.

I believe in Malibu but could their be something shady going on with the dealer? I've had nothing but good luck with my boat. Also the warranty process was harmless to say the least. But let's face it the factory can't oversee what the dealers are doing. Don't get me wrong Malibudude just trying to help BELZ87 to get what is rightfully his (or hers).

The boat could have been bought in 2007 which would have brought the warranty into 2010.

What about Vinegar and water? I used it for years. Never had an issue.

Edited by travlnmannn
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I believe in Malibu but could their be something shady going on with the dealer? The boat could have been bought in 2007 which would have brought the warranty into 2010.

What about Vinegar and water? I used it for years.

There could be something going w/ the dealer I suppose, but more often than not there are two sides to the story and we only ever hear one...not to say the OP isn't correct sometimes there is just extra info we are privy to. If the OP feels the dealer isn’t completely honest then I’d suggest contacting Malibu directly to verify the info he/she was told by the dealer to compare.

I wouldn't recommend vinegar as it contains acetic acid, granted diluted but still. I use what is recommended by the vinyl manufacture, to clean and 303 to protect.

True the boat could have been purchase as a left over in ‘07+, at that time I naturally assumed before the market tanked it was before ’07. If that was the case vinyl wear and tear and the craftsmanship is a fine line. Reupholstering shouldn’t be that expensive.

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There could be something going w/ the dealer I suppose, but more often than not there are two sides to the story and we only ever hear one...not to say the OP isn't correct sometimes there is just extra info we are privy to. If the OP feels the dealer isn’t completely honest then I’d suggest contacting Malibu directly to verify the info he/she was told by the dealer to compare.

I wouldn't recommend vinegar as it contains acetic acid, granted diluted but still. I use what is recommended by the vinyl manufacture, to clean and 303 to protect.

True the boat could have been purchase as a left over in ‘07+, at that time I naturally assumed before the market tanked it was before ’07. If that was the case vinyl wear and tear and the craftsmanship is a fine line. Reupholstering shouldn’t be that expensive.

We agree to disagree...lol. I used Vinegar only because my salesman told me that would be a cheaper alternative to the expensive cleaners. I didn't have any problems for 12 years. I would imagine in your climate you would have to be more careful about what you use? My climate tends to not be so dry so maybe the acid in the vinegar doesn't affect me as much?

Agreed wear and tear and craftsmanship is a fine line. Outside of a picture of someone doing damage to the said area how does the warrantor actually have grounds for misuse?

Edited by travlnmannn
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Malibu Dude true their are two sides to every story and Malibu is a top notch company however some of their sub tiers are not so top notch. To the original poster keep to your guns I had to deal with interior warranty issues as well with Malibu and the vinyl manufacture they use and after 6 months Malibu did finally replaced the problem vinyl under warranty. Good luck

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One of the issues is Malibu is warrantying a product then trying to get the manufacturer to compensate them. The Mfr will almost always want to sample the vinyl and then 90% they always come back and say Nope wrong chemical used..lol Which leaves Malibu eating the whole thing. I have seen them send skins as a good gesture when a boat is out of warranty by a short time. Lets face we can be upset over this but it beats what most other mfrs do. Nothing!!

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Has anyone else had any problem with the Back row seat covers coming apart? My boat is a 2006 23 LSV still in factory warranty. The dealer said no problem but the factory said if was not a defect but possibly the cleaner I used eating the stitching. Anyway they offered the covers but will not pay for the labor to sew them. What do yall think, should I just be happy with the covers?

Yes.

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I've never tried vinegar & water for cleaning the boat. Seems like it would stink to high heaven, while your cleaning & for a while afterwards. I won't even get into the douche jokes. Whistling.gif

It would be interesting to get an official suggestion from an upholstery manufacturer/installer as to what cleaner to use or not use. And whether or not vinegar & water was a good idea. I sure as he|| wouldn't take a sales guy's suggestion on that though. Think about all the other lame suggestions we've heard them make, ie; not bothering with stern straps, disconnecting the winch strap when dropping the boat in, etc.

Edited by Bill_AirJunky
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Has anyone else had any problem with the Back row seat covers coming apart? My boat is a 2006 23 LSV still in factory warranty. The dealer said no problem but the factory said if was not a defect but possibly the cleaner I used eating the stitching. Anyway they offered the covers but will not pay for the labor to sew them. What do yall think, should I just be happy with the covers?

Yes, since you are most likely out of warranty anyways (3 - year from original date of purchase)

-Paul

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This sounds like my situation exactly from last year. My boat is an '06 but wasn't purchased until April of '07 by the first owner. Therefore my warranty on the upholstery expires in 2 months. Any ways, I noticed that on all the visible seams (seams that would easily get wiped down at the end of the day without actually removing the cushions) the stitching was severly deteriorated or gone! But if you followed that seam down under the cushion it was fine. My dealer also told me it should be covered and I should get a completely new interior. They sent pics to Malibu and they denied the warranty claim stating that the seats had been cleaned with an acid or something containing bleach. The stitching thread is made of cotton and sealed with wax for UV protection. Once that wax is gone you can imagine how long a simple cotton stitch will last in these environments. So I just had them replace the high traffic areas that were really bad and starting to seperate.

I don't know what kind of stitch they use but it appears there is another stich on the inside which is still holding well on the remaining peices that I didn't have Malibu re-cover. I purchased a product called VLP vinyl repair and ran a thin bead done the center of the bad stitches for a little insurance and hopefully prolonged life. We'll see if that pays off over the next couple years.

Good Luck OP.

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Is there a specific interior(vinyl) cleaner that is suppose to be used? As stated by Malibu? I purchased an '08 last spring and can't seem to find a list of products to use or not use on the interior? I use lake water and a soft bristled brush on my seats, Then 303. However, even with 3 small girls I haven't had to use any cleaners on the vinyl as of yet. My only warranty work with my '08 VTX is some gel coat repairs. I noticed some hairline cracks around the bow vents, directly under the screws that hold the grill in place. My dealer told me that this isn't acceptable and that he will take care of it. Warranty is a slippery slope. All manufacturer's promote their warranties and then come time to use the warranty (which you've already paid for) you get the fine print. Not saying this is specific to your case. Just been my experience with warranties in general truck's, quad's ect..... Hope everything works out for you. New skins seem like a good deal if the warranty is expired, If not I would seriously question how they knew you used an inappropriate cleaning product.

Koop

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Back to the original post. Ya my center cushion has the stitching pulling out of it. As does 4 of the 5 friends of mine that have newer model BU's for Malibu to say it is anything but bad design is silly. Just think about it every person that gets in or out of the boat steps on that seat on the way. I am in the process trying to get this replaced as well.

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I have a 2006 LSV and all 3 rear seat cushions had the stiching begin to tear at the beading...I took in before my warranty was up last May (2009) to Larson's in Sac and they took pics and sent to Malibu...Malibu sent new covers and Larsons had them re-covered, all under warranty. They look great now and no issues after last seasons use. Never had one negative experience with Malibu on any warranty item, no matter how minor and Larson's has been fantastic and a much better experience then Bell Aqua ever was.

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Is there a specific interior(vinyl) cleaner that is suppose to be used? As stated by Malibu? I purchased an '08 last spring and can't seem to find a list of products to use or not use on the interior? I use lake water and a soft bristled brush on my seats, Then 303. However, even with 3 small girls I haven't had to use any cleaners on the vinyl as of yet. My only warranty work with my '08 VTX is some gel coat repairs. I noticed some hairline cracks around the bow vents, directly under the screws that hold the grill in place. My dealer told me that this isn't acceptable and that he will take care of it. Warranty is a slippery slope. All manufacturer's promote their warranties and then come time to use the warranty (which you've already paid for) you get the fine print. Not saying this is specific to your case. Just been my experience with warranties in general truck's, quad's ect..... Hope everything works out for you. New skins seem like a good deal if the warranty is expired, If not I would seriously question how they knew you used an inappropriate cleaning product.

Koop

My boat came with samples of Babe's boat products in the glove box and I have been using them, and only them, since.

Babe's Seat Soap from their website states: "BABE'S Seat Soap has been tested and approved for use by the leading boat manufacturers including Malibu and Mastercraft".

I follow up the Seat Soap with the Babe's Seat Saver with UV protectant and conditioner.

http://www.babesboats.com/

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I use vinyl finish for cleaning and 303 to protect as recommended by G&T Industries who is the maker of the vinyl that is supplied to Malibu. They have since changed spradlingvinyl, they DO NOT RECOMMEND vinegar to clean any vinyl period. Here is the cleaning guide w/ cleaning recommendations directly from the vinyl manufacture.

SIM%20Vinyl%20Care%20Card.pdf

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My boat came with samples of Babe's boat products in the glove box and I have been using them, and only them, since.

Babe's Seat Soap from their website states: "BABE'S Seat Soap has been tested and approved for use by the leading boat manufacturers including Malibu and Mastercraft".

I follow up the Seat Soap with the Babe's Seat Saver with UV protectant and conditioner.

http://www.babesboats.com/

Mine did too, a bottle of seat soap and boat bright. Bought the seat saver and spot remover too, great products and worth the price Thumbup.gif

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I have had issues with my engine cover skins since day one. Had one replaced already and now they need to replace both. The dealer has been very good about any warranty issues I have had. The only thing that kinda upsets me is the lead time to get the vinyl done. It takes months to get anything done with the vinyl. Hope this time it goes faster, I don't want another season with bad vinyl.

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Im sorry to just now get back on here but Ive been out of town. My boat is still in warranty until March 13th 2010. The dealer which is Family Powersports in Lubbock Texas has done everything the could. They have known about the seats coming apart since last summer but I didnt want to take them untill the season was over. They even gave me the name of the rep at the factory in California. When I called him he said it looked like whatever cleaner I used disolved the stiching. The stitching looks ok to me but the material pulled apart where the seats had been steped on getting in and out of the boat. As far as cleaner all I have used is 303 and babes boat soap. Any way I guess the idea about keeping the skins until the seats get really bad is a good one.

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If you are talking about the stitches tearing through the vinyl, not thread coming apart, that is a different story. I had the same problem with my 2004. The factory sent seat skins and I paid a local shop for the labor. Since Malibu has no way of knowing what kind of abuse these seats have seen, I thought the resolution was fair. A friend of mine had the same experience.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I've replaced both of the skins on my rear corner seats because the stitching was pulling through the vinyl at the beading in the middle. Both of those seats are the ones that get stepped on as people are getting into the boat, so no surprise that those are the ones that came apart. The port side one got replaced under warranty, but I just had the starboard one replaced out of warranty. The replacement skin and labor ran me $275, so if they are offering the skin for free definitely take it.

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Is there a specific interior(vinyl) cleaner that is suppose to be used? As stated by Malibu? I purchased an '08 last spring and can't seem to find a list of products to use or not use on the interior? I use lake water and a soft bristled brush on my seats, Then 303. However, even with 3 small girls I haven't had to use any cleaners on the vinyl as of yet. My only warranty work with my '08 VTX is some gel coat repairs. I noticed some hairline cracks around the bow vents, directly under the screws that hold the grill in place. My dealer told me that this isn't acceptable and that he will take care of it. Warranty is a slippery slope. All manufacturer's promote their warranties and then come time to use the warranty (which you've already paid for) you get the fine print. Not saying this is specific to your case. Just been my experience with warranties in general truck's, quad's ect..... Hope everything works out for you. New skins seem like a good deal if the warranty is expired, If not I would seriously question how they knew you used an inappropriate cleaning product.

Koop

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I've wondered about the cleaning solution and followed a couple different forums on this topic - Malco vinyl & upholstery cleaner followed up with dose of 303 seems to be getting some rave reviews - key is don't use acid or anything petroleum based- and the stitching issues discussed are not unique to just malibu - I think all manufacturers have this issue at one time or another - bottom line - boat interiors get pounded by the elements, some worse then others depending upon use. just my 02 cents..

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