2021 Yamaha 275SD engine died - thoughts?

[the MfM]

Fwiw I’m taking Yamaha at face value that they saw something. I have no clue about these things. Prior to them saying this, the only info I had was a mechanic who said he didn’t see anything. But this same mechanic said the engine was okay and gave the boat back to me when it was messed up. I really do appreciate the help and comments. And wrt fighting Yamaha Im not doing it because I believe them (now that they explained it) and because it wouldn’t work anyway. But this is a negative experience. Hopefully back on the water by summer.

No one here has a vested interest in the outcome (unless @Betik works for Yamaha ). But I can’t imagine anyone truly believes that you did anything to cause the damage.

If a nick so small in the impeller that the mechanic didn’t see it actually caused all the damages then there is a serious design flaw in my opinion.

 

[Julian]

@BGN123 I understand your reticence to fight with Yamaha over this, but we (Yamaha owners) are more than a little concerned with Yamaha's response to your engine failure - and their complete lack of warranty support for it. From my perspective, this is simply Yamaha's default reply - Denied. Much like many insurance companies. Your impeller would need to look like this (no this isn't a Yamaha Impeller- but you get my point):


for Yamaha to have a leg to stand on in denying your claim. If Yamaha engines cannot withstand any sort of hit to their impellers without trashing the engine....then there is a problem! I am pretty certain that you have one of a small number of defective drive shafts. I'm still baffled by how a broken shaft can trash the engine....another thing Yamaha should explain.....

But bottom line, I'd not take Yamaha's default "denied" response and walk away. I would at the very least ask them to clearly document the damage they see, and explain how their boats are designed to allow an engine to be trashed by said damage.

Would love for you to post photos of the shaft and impeller in question!

 

[haknslash]

swatski's tower that collapsed because the screw threads weren't long/pitched enough ( I can't remember exactly) and then other owners with that model confirmed, I can't search for the thread now,

Scottintexas, what was the waketower debacle?

You should read this crazy adventure they went through in the Great 2017 Bimini crossing thread https://jetboaters.net/threads/jetboaters-net-bimini-fling-july-10th-to-15th-2017.11966/post-249891. Not sure where the pics are posted exactly in there but yea @swatski tower damn near killed him as @Scottintexas mentioned. Crazy story!

 

[BGN123]

The parts are so backordered that i started calling around other dealers. The first one I called in florida (where I am) said they had a 2020 275 with snapped driveshaft and blown engine due to misalignment - Yamaha covered it. I now think their explanation is wrong again. I can’t drop this because I cannot get the boat fixed. There appears to be no way to get back on the water no matter how much $$ I am willing to spend. Anyone have any ideas? And there is no way to trade this boat because it is not in working condition.

 

[Maineiac]

That’s crazy. I wonder if Yamaha would still be fighting this if they had come out to inspect it back in the beginning?

I’m still at a loss for how a small nick in the impeller can cause a catastrophic engine failure. I’ve seen all kinds of junk get wound up on the impeller shaft of people’s boats and it didn’t cause their engines to fail! I was on board my brother’s 190 when his (aftermarket) impeller failed and we still limped back to the dock without our engine being destroyed.

It seems like there’s more to this story.

 

[BGN123]

I

 

[BGN123]

I still don’t see a nick

 

[mrcleanr6]

Doesnt matter because a nick wont cause a failure like that. No way, no how. If i was you i would be fighting it. It appears you have the time if everything is on backorder anyway

 

[marcham]

I'd lawyer up....

 

[swatski]

I'd lawyer up....

Whatever that means...lol
You want to outlawyer Yamaha...?

One does have a chance in a small claims court as that is a different game, but there is too much damage in this case to recover.

--

 

[Betik]

@BGN123 i am sorry to hear you are getting screwed like this.

 

[the MfM]

@Yamaha why cover the repairs for one owner and not another?

 

[the MfM]

Plus how could one so badly misalign an engine/drive shaft that it grenades itself?!?

@Yamaha

 

[the MfM]

But like the imperceptible nick in the impeller be totally unnoticed by a trained factory tech?

@Yamaha

 

[the MfM]

Hey look, Yamaha joined the forum!

 

[buckbuck]

Funny @the MfM
They have been in the shadows since we were on Yamahajetboaters.com

 

[the MfM]

Not saying I willed it into existence yet but if @Yamaha can run this up the corporate ladder and get this covered then @BGN123 can buy me buy me a beer a bottle or two of glenlivet. And I’m not talking founders reserve.

 

[GTBRMC]

Not saying I willed it into existence yet but if @Yamaha can run this up the corporate ladder and get this covered then @BGN123 can buy me buy me a beer a bottle or two of glenlivet. And I’m not talking founders reserve.

If you get this fixed for him, maybe you should be talking founders reserve.

 

[marcham]

Awful situation to be in, just as summer is about to get started.

I can foresee a few things happening.

1. Yamaha won't cover anything. They probably would have, had they been able to examine the boat/engine as they originally wanted to. They'll claim the non-warranty repair work wasn't completed correctly.

2. The mechanic that did the non-warranty work probably won't cover anything because he'll claim it was a pre-existing defect.

3. Insurance may not cover it as they'll claim either faulty workmanship (repair) or manufacturing since there is no definite sign of impact / accident / incident.

I'm assuming repair cost will be >10 000$ for a new OEM engine? Considering the amount involved, it may be worthwhile to pay a lawyer a few hours to send letters and try to negotiate a settlement. Maybe 1/3 mechanic, 1/3 Yamaha, 1/3 owner would be appropriate in this case? Otherwise, you may be stuck footing the bill (again). Ideally, a good lawyer can argue that the federal lemon law (MMWA) applies,

Really sorry for the bad luck. I hope this doesn't completely sour your taste for boat ownership. It certainly isn't always like this. Hopeful you can find a satisfactory solution that gets you back on the water quickly.

 

[BGN123]

If anyone gets this fixed for me it’s more than a bottle! The repair is $20k. All I want is the boat fixed even if I pay so I can get back on the water. I cannot believe that a company as good as Yamaha is leaving situation like this dangling. I literally cannot get through to them. The manager of The dealer finally spoke with someone there and is trying to accelerate the parts. But I guess them covering it is off the table. Bad karma for them. If I ran my business this way I would get a bad reputation. I do have access to good lawyers and if I miss the summer I will go for “lemon” approach. In the meanwhile hopefully they get me back on the water. The longer the repair delayed the more upset I am getting. Boat defect and no parts to fix it even if a customer willing to pay. That’s called a “no boat trap”.