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2018 25 LSV purchased 2021 with 30 hours - Quality Control Question seats


BJSChneid76

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Just looking for a little guidance here. This is my first Malibu and I purchased it this winter. I did the warranty transfer and the technician noted that one of the rear quarter seats did not fit right and was causing the vinyl to tear. After pointing this out I looked closely at all the vinyl and noticed the engine hatch covers were contacting the back of the rear seat really tight causing the vinyl on both to be damaged. Malibu decided to warranty the seat and rear hatch panels. So here is my real question - after looking at all the different seats in the rear of the boat most them don't line up on the inside. One will stick out a half inch past others, some have slight angles, the rear quarter cushion is lower than seat next to it - it just looks sloppy. I understand the boats are hand made but is this how they came out of production in these years? Would someone reasonably expect Malibu to fix this? I get that this might be picky, but it is noticeable. I will try and get some pics and post a link. Thanks for the help!

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Pics will help but sounds like you have a legit issue with a few of your seats.  I've had hinges replaced under warranty that were causing alignment issues similar to what your describing.  Malibu and my local dealer have gone above and beyond on all issues for me. Might take longer than usual due to shortages etc. but working with your dealer and remaining patient is key.  Good luck and post up those pics when you get a chance. 

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Thank you for reply! Will do on the pics, have to get to the storage place today. Seems like a silly question but do most of the Malibu's come with very well aligned seats in the interior from the factory? I keep getting the "well you know they are hand made" line which in my mind means it should be of greater quality, not an excuse for cushions whose corners don't align. I know, I know I need pictures! Thanks again.

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23 minutes ago, BJSChneid76 said:

Thank you for reply! Will do on the pics, have to get to the storage place today. Seems like a silly question but do most of the Malibu's come with very well aligned seats in the interior from the factory? I keep getting the "well you know they are hand made" line which in my mind means it should be of greater quality, not an excuse for cushions whose corners don't align. I know, I know I need pictures! Thanks again.

I counter that "hand made" comment with an eye roll and "well you know they are ~$200k".....  The seats should be reasonably aligned and level.

Edited by BlindSquirrel
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Comb through a bunch of dealer web sites and see if you can draw a conclusion off some of the photos of what you have vs show room boats.  Some dealers do a really nice job with photos.  Looking through photos may help you directionally.  

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On 7/22/2021 at 10:04 AM, BJSChneid76 said:

Thank you for reply! Will do on the pics, have to get to the storage place today. Seems like a silly question but do most of the Malibu's come with very well aligned seats in the interior from the factory? I keep getting the "well you know they are hand made" line which in my mind means it should be of greater quality, not an excuse for cushions whose corners don't align. I know, I know I need pictures! Thanks again.

I've been on a few newer 2020 + Malibu's this season and seen both good and bad fit and finish.  For whatever reason It seems like QC fluctuates from boat to boat.  IMHO there isn't a great deal of precision fit and finish on these boats which forces you to lower your expectations on simplistic parts like stamped steel hinges and big clunky seat cushions.  An assembly person must align everything by hand and on any given day he/she might be struggling and somehow it gets installed slightly off and continues on from there.  Shouldn't happen but obviously does.  Good news is Malibu and it's dealer network will work with you to fix the issues.  Hope you get yours dialed in.  

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  • 4 months later...

Malibu is taking care of the cushion and the hatch covers - not sure what they are going to do about how tight they fit with back bench, maybe there is some adjustment that can be made.

Thanks for the replies!

 

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16 hours ago, BJSChneid76 said:

Malibu is taking care of the cushion and the hatch covers - not sure what they are going to do about how tight they fit with back bench, maybe there is some adjustment that can be made.

Thanks for the replies!

 

I had the rear hatch vinyl replaced 3x on my 2017, hinge alignment was the issue.

1st - replacement was because of stitching on the top deck between different vinyl sections.

2nd- was a tear in between the rear hatch and the backrest, cause of that was improper alignment of the pad when reinstalling it from tear#1

3rd was same as #2 but the genius that used an impact driver to screw in the stainless screws into the hatch mounting block did so with the force of a thousand suns, and stripped away any proper tension that would hold the pad in the right position.

in our 2014 the cabin seating backrest was slightly off at an angle and the cushion beads on a few of the seats did not match up, Malibu warrantied the replacement, I would just recommend doing a thorough inspection of the dealer work, or vinyl vendor if they farm out the work. 

 

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