Those who have made warranty claims?

[suke]

Called up my dealer as my boat has been there for about 2 weeks or so now. They said they're still waiting on Yamaha for the warranty claims. I have no idea how long warranty claims actually take to be reviewed. Is this fairly standard? Gentleman I talked to was nice, but unfortunately didn't have much additional information he could share(he wasn't being obstinate, he really didn't have any additional info on hand). I obviously don't want to interject myself between yamaha and the dealer as with all warranties the whole plan is to try and deny claims as much as possible. Definitely don't wanna piss off Yamaha. With that being said is there anyway I could check the warranty claim status? I.E. any sort of claim number I could look up that would provide additional info. Like waiting on additional pictures, or escalated for review, or rejected first pass, etc. I hate dealing with warranty stuff, but also don't wanna pay out of pocket for manufacture defects.

FYI for those curious almost all of mine are gelcoat issues, aside from the window hinge/bolt is broken. Granted that part is like $20 to replace.


Here's one of the bubbles, this side is riddled with smaller ones that have popped and some that haven't.


You can see the hinge sticking out the bottom. It appears the bolt piece sheared right off. My boat is spotless and never once did I find any remnants of anything broken or laying around in the boat.

 

[anmut]

I can't imagine they'd screw around with the gelcoat warranty - seems pretty open/shut, especially on a year old boat. I have the 212S can have never seen bubbles, but I have had the strip that covers that sheared bolt come out before. I slid it back in and didn't even think to look at what was behind there.

I'll be filing a warranty claim this spring on the piece that holds the door to block the wind. Top and bottom edges of that have cracked and are peeling back. Other than that we've had good luck.

Btw, how do you like the surf wave on that boat with factory ballast?

 

[suke]

I can't imagine they'd screw around with the gelcoat warranty - seems pretty open/shut, especially on a year old boat. I have the 212S can have never seen bubbles, but I have had the strip that covers that sheared bolt come out before. I slid it back in and didn't even think to look at what was behind there.

I'll be filing a warranty claim this spring on the piece that holds the door to block the wind. Top and bottom edges of that have cracked and are peeling back. Other than that we've had good luck.

Btw, how do you like the surf wave on that boat with factory ballast?

I've had good luck with the surf wave on my boat stock with the wakebooster. I only get like 10 mins an outing to actually surf though. Primary reason we didn't go full on tow boat. Very little time spent on tow sports right now.

 

[haknslash]

That hinge pin will move some as it’s the same design found on many boats. Mine has moved on my Moomba and it moved only my AR192. I actually have a very, very small area below mine where the pin touched the gel coat and caused a little ding. Sucks but it happens with that style from my experience, Its basically a large pin that holds the middle windshield in it will move over time in varying conditions. To get it to move back up you need to take the stress off the window by having it closed and then take a flat head screwdriver or something to push the pin back up into the window “tube” or channel. The pin typically moves or slides down when there are strong vibration or pounding enough to cause the windshield to move or flex, so perhaps you had some decent waves or slammed down a few times to case it to move.

The gel coat issues are for sure a warranty claim but not sure you’ll have much luck with that pin as it’s just a inherent design of how the widow is constructed. You could el,image it by adding a small plug to the bottom but just understand that you may want to remove it from time to time to let any rain water or water in general be able to drain.

 

[BigAbe75]

Mine took a long time. Lots of back and forth between yamaha and my dealer. They sent pics and videos multiple times I was told. Was finally approved. I think it really depends on the dealer to go to bat for you. But, again with gel coat issues, that should be fairly cut and dry. I have a very similar spot to be addressed in a couple months.

 

[suke]

That hinge pin will move some as it’s the same design found on many boats. Mine has moved on my Moomba and it moved only my AR192. I actually have a very, very small area below mine where the pin touched the gel coat and caused a little ding. Sucks but it happens with that style from my experience, Its basically a large pin that holds the middle windshield in it will move over time in varying conditions. To get it to move back up you need to take the stress off the window by having it closed and then take a flat head screwdriver or something to push the pin back up into the window “tube” or channel. The pin typically moves or slides down when there are strong vibration or pounding enough to cause the windshield to move or flex, so perhaps you had some decent waves or slammed down a few times to case it to move.

The gel coat issues are for sure a warranty claim but not sure you’ll have much luck with that pin as it’s just a inherent design of how the widow is constructed. You could el,image it by adding a small plug to the bottom but just understand that you may want to remove it from time to time to let any rain water or water in general be able to drain.

I generally just push it back in. Looking at the parts diagram it looks like it should be attached to something at the top so it doesn't slide out. My old boat didn't do it.

 

[suke]

Mine took a long time. Lots id back and dirty between yamaha and my dealer. They sent pics and videos multiple times I was told. Was finally approved. I think it really depends on the dealer to go to bat for you. But, again with gel coat issues, that should be fairly cut and dry. I have a very similar spot to be addressed in a couple months.

That's kind of what I expected. Good to know. Dealer when I dropped it off said everything appeared to be pretty straightforward, but they can't even order anything until Yamaha green lights it. Fortunately they said the body work stuff looks super easy and easy to get to. So it sounds like it'll take longer to get yamaha to approve the claim than it will to do the work.

 

[mrcleanr6]

I had an issue with my 275 side windows. I had no issue with getting it covered quickly. Got the ok in i believe less than a week. I used to be a svc tech and field engineer for on of the biggest yacht co in the world so i sort of took the lead on the repair. Told the dealer the issue and he basically just relayed the info back and forth to yamaha. He would just email me screenshots of their email responses. Yamaha was always quick to reply. Usually a day or two. What made it quick though was i think the fact that i was doing the troubleshooting and told the what caused the failure because i had seen it a few time before. I ended up getting my own guy to take care of the window glass who inpaid then yamaha paid me back. Well dealer paid me then they paid dealer. Had a chk within a few days. Now if i just dropped the boat off at the dealer and let them and yamaha take care of it, i bet the boat would still be there 2 mos later. dealerships are always busy so you have to figure it may take them a week or two before they can even look at the boat then a few days for yamaha to reply then another week for the dealer to get back on it to further chk things yamaha wants to know about and so on. Once everything is ironed out then the dealership will have to call in a glass guy for you which they can be weeks behind. What is a simple glass repair turns into a 2 month project.

 

[suke]

I had an issue with my 275 side windows. I had no issue with getting it covered quickly. Got the ok in i believe less than a week. I used to be a svc tech and field engineer for on of the biggest yacht co in the world so i sort of took the lead on the repair. Told the dealer the issue and he basically just relayed the info back and forth to yamaha. He would just email me screenshots of their email responses. Yamaha was always quick to reply. Usually a day or two. What made it quick though was i think the fact that i was doing the troubleshooting and told the what caused the failure because i had seen it a few time before. I ended up getting my own guy to take care of the window glass who inpaid then yamaha paid me back. Well dealer paid me then they paid dealer. Had a chk within a few days. Now if i just dropped the boat off at the dealer and let them and yamaha take care of it, i bet the boat would still be there 2 mos later. dealerships are always busy so you have to figure it may take them a week or two before they can even look at the boat then a few days for yamaha to reply then another week for the dealer to get back on it to further chk things yamaha wants to know about and so on. Once everything is ironed out then the dealership will have to call in a glass guy for you which they can be weeks behind. What is a simple glass repair turns into a 2 month project.

I called ahead of time to see if it was a good time to bring it down. They said the jet side wasn't busy at all and to go ahead and bring it down, but yeah I see what you're saying. Fortunately it's 27* out right now and I don't need my boat for another 3-4 months.

 

[TwoSips]

So, I've had my boat for a little over a month... I'm wondering if Yammy is the company that I think it is. Industry worst warranty, etc. It seems as if they no longer stand by their boats, the more expensive they get. PLEASE, change my mind on this - really, I'm sincerely asking if there is something I'm missing.

The dealership I acquired the boat from as well as the local dealer that will now handle maintenance and warranty claims said, it's not just a mediocre year for Yammy in terms of quality, but a pretty bad one.

The dealer I purchased from has only received 3 x 25 ft series since they started rolling out. The local one has only received 2. In total, all 5 (which includes mine) have a TON of warranty issues. Both dealerships, mutually and apart, have said, it's very clear that Yammy rushed these boats out. Missing in boat drain plugs, unfinished anchor drain port, a lot of chips in the anchor cover that just looks like poor workmanship.

Add that to the Yammy regional guy basically saying, "Suck it, because it's gonna be a while before we address ANYTHING warranty." Add that to the fact that Yammy will NOT handle anything that is made by another party. We have a busted aft/transom starboard side speaker, Yammy says, not their problem, go to the vendor to replace. We have vinyl that was packed VERY poorly and the foam now has a weird indentation that won't go away, Yammy says, not their problem, go to the vendor to replace. All this to say, Yammy essentially says, you have to deal with the vendor that manufactured those specific parts. Other than hull, structure and engine, they essentially leave it to the dealership to deal with the 3rd parties.

Now, I could have my facts ALL wrong, but this is the general consensus as the dealerships I'm dealing with have essentially mirrored the same concerns for this year.

 

[Bizywk]

We had a warranty claim on our boat purchased new in Aug 2019 and missed most of the 2020 boating season stuck in a loop with the dealer and Yamaha going back and forth. At least we got a few weeks of use out of it this year.

 

[Canuckjetboater]

Called up my dealer as my boat has been there for about 2 weeks or so now. They said they're still waiting on Yamaha for the warranty claims. I have no idea how long warranty claims actually take to be reviewed. Is this fairly standard? Gentleman I talked to was nice, but unfortunately didn't have much additional information he could share(he wasn't being obstinate, he really didn't have any additional info on hand). I obviously don't want to interject myself between yamaha and the dealer as with all warranties the whole plan is to try and deny claims as much as possible. Definitely don't wanna piss off Yamaha. With that being said is there anyway I could check the warranty claim status? I.E. any sort of claim number I could look up that would provide additional info. Like waiting on additional pictures, or escalated for review, or rejected first pass, etc. I hate dealing with warranty stuff, but also don't wanna pay out of pocket for manufacture defects.

FYI for those curious almost all of mine are gelcoat issues, aside from the window hinge/bolt is broken. Granted that part is like $20 to replace.


Here's one of the bubbles, this side is riddled with smaller ones that have popped and some that haven't.
View attachment 138945

You can see the hinge sticking out the bottom. It appears the bolt piece sheared right off. My boat is spotless and never once did I find any remnants of anything broken or laying around in the boat.
View attachment 138946

@suke I have been told that the three biggest factors regarding a well-resolved warranty claim are the volume of boats the dealer buys from Yamaha, how strongly the dealer states your case and whether you are a repeat customer. In the case of my warranty for a hull chip - right from the factory - the dealer was not a high volume dealer although that is changing, the dealer did state their case forcefully and I was a repeat Yamaha customer. When matters dragged-on a bit the dealer re-stated the information (probably a bit more forcefully) and Yamaha came through. I did tell the dealer that I was ready to get involved with Yamaha as someone who had purchased a 2018 Yamaha FX SVHO cruiser and a 2020 Yamaha SX195 new from Yamaha and ask Yamaha if they stood behind their products or not. The dealer said - let us take another run at this and that did the trick. You should not have to fight for good warranty response. Yamaha states in their advertising and sales literature what great products and service they have and we should hold them to their claims.

 

[suke]

@suke I have been told that the three biggest factors regarding a well-resolved warranty claim are the volume of boats the dealer buys from Yamaha, how strongly the dealer states your case and whether you are a repeat customer. In the case of my warranty for a hull chip - right from the factory - the dealer was not a high volume dealer although that is changing, the dealer did state their case forcefully and I was a repeat Yamaha customer. When matters dragged-on a bit the dealer re-stated the information (probably a bit more forcefully) and Yamaha came through. I did tell the dealer that I was ready to get involved with Yamaha as someone who had purchased a 2018 Yamaha FX SVHO cruiser and a 2020 Yamaha SX195 new from Yamaha and ask Yamaha if they stood behind their products or not. The dealer said - let us take another run at this and that did the trick. You should not have to fight for good warranty response. Yamaha states in their advertising and sales literature what great products and service they have and we should hold them to their claims.

Don't think they're a high volume Yamaha dealer. They're not exactly small potatoes though as they're opening a second location. I'm hoping it's just the timing of the season. I'll let it simmer a bit and call again after the holidays.

 

[sunbyrned]

I brought mine into the dealer to change the oil (first year with the boat) and with a list of about 11 minor things (screws, rubber stoppers, etc.) that I asked they look into Yamaha covering them. What should have been a week long stay at best turned into over six weeks. My opinion, the dealer didn't want to fool with it because he would be losing money on other customers. In the meantime, I was paying six weeks worth of storage that I didn't need. Never gave the dealer my business again. So, in my case, the dealer was the issue.

 

[mrcleanr6]

I honestly think most of the issues are dealer related. Dealer dragging their feet with everything causing big delays. Irregardless of dealership size, the dealer will either make your warranty claim an easy quick process or turn it into a nightmare

 

[suke]

I honestly think most of the issues are dealer related. Dealer dragging their feet with everything causing big delays. Irregardless of dealership size, the dealer will either make your warranty claim an easy quick process or turn it into a nightmare

Called again today. Still waiting to hear back from Yamaha. I asked if there was anyway to put some pressure on them, and didn't sound like that was either an option or something they cared to do. Sounds like my process may be the latter in your warranty scenarios. Although he did say maybe it was the holiday(s) that messed things up as normally they hear back in a week or 2. Reckon I should have got this in earlier, so I'm also to blame in this it seems if it is in fact due to the holidays. I've got about 2 months until I want to actually use my boat again. However, I'd prefer it to sit INSIDE my storage place rather than rot on their lot in the elements.

 

[mrcleanr6]

Yes while im sure the holidays added 2 weeks to the process, it still should not take that long. My dealer was getting responses to my warranty and tech questions within 2-3 days. This was late oct and nov. i cant believe they are stringing you along. Maybe they are in less of a rush now because they know your out of season and they are focusing on people still in boating climates. Who knows. In any case i hope you get it sorted soon. Dont let them drag their feet too long

 

[Crob83]

Think it all depends on the dealer and their status with Yamaha as stated above. I love my local dealer, and they have always taken care of me in a timely fashion. And that dealer is Just Add Water in Indianapolis, nothing but a great experience so far. My last warranty item I had my boat back in 5 days

 

[suke]

Think it all depends on the dealer and their status with Yamaha as stated above. I love my local dealer, and they have always taken care of me in a timely fashion. And that dealer is Just Add Water in Indianapolis, nothing but a great experience so far. My last warranty item I had my boat back in 5 days

I also think in some cases the dealers are fixing the items documenting them and submitting them after the fact with Yamaha. In hopes that Yamaha will honor it or they're not concerned it won't be honored. Rather than wait and have the customers boat sitting forever. Which is what I've seen car dealers do. They'll fix the car and then submit the claim to the manufacturer so the customer isn't out their vehicle for 3 months. Granted I don't NEED my boat to get to work.

 

[Crob83]

I also think in some cases the dealers are fixing the items documenting them and submitting them after the fact with Yamaha. In hopes that Yamaha will honor it or they're not concerned it won't be honored. Rather than wait and have the customers boat sitting forever. Which is what I've seen car dealers do. They'll fix the car and then submit the claim to the manufacturer so the customer isn't out their vehicle for 3 months. Granted I don't NEED my boat to get to work.

Yep that is very true. I'm pretty sure that is what happened because the cashier chick tried to charge me and the shop mgr was right there and said no it's a warranty claim he's good