Looking for my next boat - which years to stay away from?

[Scuba_ref]

Well, the day has finally come. With us moving back to the lower 48, I've sold my 2005 AR230HO and will be looking to replace it.

Initially the gap between what I could get for mine and the cost to replace it was too large and I decided to ship my boat back to the west coast. But, now with new inventory on dealer lots driving down the price of used boats and the premium dollar I got for my boat that gap is more in the range that I can stomach.

I'm hoping to stay around $40k and as I look at boats it made me wonder which years I need to avoid - oil cooler problem, timing chain issue and any others?

I would really appreciate your advice and thoughts!

 

[BigAbe75]

I think I would be looking for a ‘14 242 Limited S.
I do love my ethrottles, but other than that, I think it would do most of what I need a boat to do and seems to be in your range.

 

[adrianp89]

An 2017-2019 AR210 should fit the bill nicely here. Smaller boat but it probably will feel roomier.

 

[zipper]

Have you considered an FSH or are you sticking with a dual console?

 

[Ronnie]

After reading about many issues owners are having with Connext, I would be leery of any boat with Connext, so 2015 and newer. I would love to have some of the features but if / when the connext system/display goes down, I may not be able to get the boat on the water, at least according to some of the posts here.

 

[Scuba_ref]

Here she is waiting for her new 2" ball to arrive. Not actually the second happiest day of my life, I'm really sad to see her leave. She has been a joy to own, no problems (other than bad fuel on summer, but that's not her fault).

I have a sinking feeling that I won't find another as reliable as she has been!

 

[VitaminSea]

@Scuba_ref How many hours does your 2005 have there?

Glad to hear she was able to offer you many great memories!

 

[Scuba_ref]

Have you considered an FSH or are you sticking with a dual console?

Haven't really considered the FSH...may need to look a little more at it.

 

[Scuba_ref]

@Scuba_ref How many hours does your 2005 have there?

Glad to hear she was able to offer you many great memories!

She was right at 503 on the port and 496 on the SB.

 

[Noko]

Avoid Harland and Wolff 1909 series.

 

[Sean R]

Tming chain redesign 2016 or newer, new cleanout plug redesign 2017 and newer, covid built boat would make me nervous.

 

[Scuba_ref]

Tming chain redesign 2016 or newer, new cleanout plug redesign 2017 and newer, covid built boat would make me nervous.

So the timing chain issue started in 2016 or is that when they fixed it with a redesign?

 

[Ronnie]

So the timing chain issue started in 2016 or is that when they fixed it with a redesign?

That’s when they fixed it/went to a thicker chain.

 

[Scuba_ref]

That’s when they fixed it/went to a thicker chain.

Thanks @Ronnie

 

[biffdotorg]

That’s when they fixed it/went to a thicker chain.

Ronnie weren't you one of the few that had the timing chain issue on the 2010? And I think you were one of the folks that confirmed the oil cooler bolt was limited to the 2010 1.8ltr engines.

Timing chain failures can be very expensive, so they got plenty of attention when failed. But the rarity never gave enough indication for Yamaha to do a recall. And I believe a TSB was only issued on late build 2014 and 2015 model years as it was most prevalent. And still then, not enough for a recall.

 

[Cambo]

Honestly timing chain Connext issues are all very minimal . I would look for low hours and the boat that suits your needs and of course price. Maybe a good deal pops up and is 10K less than other boats don‘t let the timing chain or Connext spin you off track. Good time to shop and don’t be afraid to drive a few hundred miles

 

[Scuba_ref]

Ronnie weren't you one of the few that had the timing chain issue on the 2010? And I think you were one of the folks that confirmed the oil cooler bolt was limited to the 2010 1.8ltr engines.

Timing chain failures can be very expensive, so they got plenty of attention when failed. But the rarity never gave enough indication for Yamaha to do a recall. And I believe a TSB was only issued on late build 2014 and 2015 model years as it was most prevalent. And still then, not enough for a recall.

Good info, thanks @biffdotorg

Honestly timing chain Connext issues are all very minimal . I would look for low hours and the boat that suits your needs and of course price. Maybe a good deal pops up and is 10K less than other boats don‘t let the timing chain or Connext spin you off track. Good time to shop and don’t be afraid to drive a few hundred miles

A person can get fixated on the negative issues, thank you both for bringing some clarity to my question and some perspective.

@Cambo I'm not afraid to drive for the right boat!

 

[212s]

After reading about many issues owners are having with Connext, I would be leery of any boat with Connext, so 2015 and newer. I would love to have some of the features but if / when the connext system/display goes down, I may not be able to get the boat on the water, at least according to some of the posts here.

The Connext is just a display, it doesn't really control anything directly so you can still start the engines and run the boat normally while waiting for a new screen to arrive. The ECU controls most of the electrical functions. You just lose some switchable functions like nav lights, etc. and displayed info. I know this because I had to start the engines quickly one time as my anchor broke loose and we were drifting towards an exposed shoal. The engines fired right up and I started to drive away long before the screen had come on.

And how many screen failures have there actually been? Out of thousands of boats sold ever year, there have been a few failures...probably within the margin of error for defects. Since buying the boat, I've added a second display screen (7" chartplotter), two amps, an on-board charger, etc. All of these electronic items could fail, but statistically they likely won't. It's like refusing to buy a new car because it has power windows instead of crank up windows...the tech is stable and reliable. Sure there's still the odd failure, but that happens with anything man-made.

 

[212s]

don‘t let the timing chain or Connext spin you off track.

Playing the other side here, the only thing I would avoid is engine models prior to the timing chain update. That's a catastrophic failure point.

 

[212s]

Tming chain redesign 2016 or newer, new cleanout plug redesign 2017 and newer, covid built boat would make me nervous.

Oh yeah forgot about the clean out plug redesign - the newer ones are much better. Although you can get a better locking design from @Cobra Jet Steering LLC to update the older plugs. And yes I agree, Covid boats seem to have more non-essential issues.