Dealer Says Back To The Factory, Maybe

[Bill Balch]

My 2003 PT 175 has a squeeking, flexing area in the deck on the rear left side. I mentioned it soon after I bought the boat in late January, but the service manager said to wait until the 20 hour maintenance. Now the boat is in the shop and the service manager said Tracker Marine reported a similar problem with a boat in Arkansas. That dealer sent the boat back to the factory.



The service manager at my dealer said Tracker Marine advised that they pull the carpet back using a hot air gun to determine if the technician can access the compartment where the flex is. There might be a problem with a defective stringer and/or brace. However, if they can't access the compartment, the technician is going to drill a hole in the deck and shoot in expandable foam to see if that stops the flexing.



If the foam doesn't work, they propose to return the boat to the factory. If that happens, my boat will be gone at least three months, and I will be responsible for the transporation charges.



I am really sick about this. I don't understand why an authorized dealer with trained technicians and sophisticated tools shouldn't be able to take care of all warranty repairs. Has anyone else had to deal with having a boat returned to the factory? Any suggestions on how to negotiate this?

 

[Larry Harp]

Bill, my 2001 PT 185 has a squeek in the back deck as well. I never really thought much about it, thinking it was just a loose screw in the wooden deck. Never considered anything structural. I would be very interested in hearing the outcome of your problem. I don't know if I would have any warranty claim or not since I am the second owner.

I also don't think that sounds right for you to have to pay for transportation costs to repair a covered warranty item. What's up with that??!!

Harpo

 

[Scott Smith]

Bill,



I am very well versed with this procedure. You do not have to pay transportation costs to send your boat back and forth to Tracker as long as it is under warranty, which it appears yours is.. My 2000 TV-18 was sent back and forth last winter; it was eventually replaced because of other issues, but it did make the trip back and forth with no cost to me. If your dealer is telling you that you are resposible for the cost, he is either misinformed or trying to sponge money off you. You do need to sign a transportation waiver as Tracker claims no responsibility for damage caused during shipping that is not a direct result of Tracker Marine. They contract with an outside trucking firm for transportation.



Talk to your dealer today, perhaps you misunderstood him. If you feel your getting the runaround, lemme know; I've got e-mails and phone numbers to all the individuals at Tracker Marine who will be making decisions on your boat. Whatever you do, do not let the dealer make any experimental repairs to your boat unless it's approved by Tracker Marine itself. If the experimental repair does not work, and the damage gets worse, Tracker Marine can void your warranty. If you go ahead with the experimental repair, make sure you get approval in writing from Tracker Marine before they proceed.



If the damage is not structural, you may consider fishing the season with your boat and taking it in during the off-season. They will more than likely have it for a very long time.



Hope this helps.

 

[JEFF WHITE]

tracker boats when i was going to send mine back in 99 they pay shipping,when they have a truck coming through that way they put it on the trailer if there is space.it might sit at the dealer for a month or more till the truck comes through to tracker.



if you are close enough to the factory take it back,and pick it up.i did a round trip of 2200 miles with mine.if you do that tell them you want a tour of the plant.they did for me.this way you can tell them precisely what is wrong with it.

 

[Bill Balch]

OK, that's encouraging that maybe I don't have to pay transportation costs. I concluded that I am responsible for transportation costs from reading a copy of the limited warranty I received when I bought the boat. I also bought the Premier Protection Plan for four more years (total 5 years). The dealer tech called me this morning (Sat) and said he had not pulled the carpet back, but rather had drilled holes in the left wall of the battery compartment and then put as much foam in as he could. He said he would call me when the foam dries to advise whether that worked. He previously told me this procedure was recommended by Tracker Marine when he talked to them, but I have nothing in writing regarding that recommendation. Wouldn't Tracker have to stand behind any work done by an authorized dealer?



The assumption is that the flexing, squeeking deck may simply be due to insufficient foam in the left back compartment. That possibility had occurred to my son-in-law and me even before I contacted the dealer.



Doesn't Tracker build its boats in Arkansas? If that is true, I could take the boat in one long day's drive, if indeed it is necessary for the boat to go back to the factory.



Thanks for your feedback, everyone. I really hope this can be resolved soon. I promised my grandson a lot of fishing and tubing adventures as soon as he's out of school, and I don't want to disappoint him.

 

[James D.]

sorry to hear your havin problems with the rig bill. i think i remember an earlier post where you mentioned the squeek. I would think a stringer is a pretty main piece of the structural integrity of the boat and you will want to make sure it is fully repaired the right way. the foam might work for a time, but i would think the problem would come back over time. i'd email smitty and get all the info you can and be sure and document everything especially since there are different relationships and responsibilities between tracker and its dealers. hopefully, it can be fixed at the dealer and a good job done. don't know if it is possible or not, but if the dealer was going to fix it, i would want to see the work done. if it has to go back to the warranty center, i would send it in at the end of the season and hope that you get it back in time for next season. good luck to ya and let us know how it goes.



jd

 

[Bill Balch]

How would stringers and braces cause a sqeeking, flexing deck? Aren't the braces in the bottom of the boat and the stringers along the sides? I can't tell from the small diagrams I've seen. I did read on Tracker Marine's web site that the purpose of flotation foam is to reduce flex. Are there braces running laterally that support the deck?

 

[Larry Harp]

Bill are you sure you have a problem? While out fishing today I listened as my son steped back and forth in the problem areas. Sounds like wood flexing or rubbing on metal to me. I had intended to look up under the floor when we got back but slipped my mind. When I was in the floor covering biz we would fix wood floor squeeks by injecting baby powder down in the problem area.

I wonder if we just need to powder the boats "tooshie"? LOL

Harpo

 

[TOMMY RICH]

Oh no..here we go again. If you have ANY squeaks on your decks on your 175's & 185's...you may have problems! There was quit a few boats that got out of the factory that had welds (under the rear decks mostly )that were bad. I bought a 2001 185...last one that Cinci BPS had and I found this out after having it on the water. I refused the boat and waited two weeks for a 2002...which the boat was checked thoroughly by me for any kind of defects on the decks. I refused it because they wanted to pull up the carpet,re-weld...which the rear deck had to come completely off to repair. Those rear boxes are sealed on both sides..Glad I took it back.

I seen the boat when I went to pick-up my new one...they had it stripped...looked bad.

TEE

 

[Bill Balch]

Tee, Your description of the problems with the 175's & 185's sounds pretty ominous. Do you, or anyone else have any indication that maybe these problems were solved on the 2003 models. I really don't want to have my new boat gutted to fix those kinds of basic structual problems.



I really hope that this flexing, squeeking is due to insufficient flotation foam in that rear port compartment. I've had possession of my boat for for over three months, so I think that I don't think I could refuse the boat.



Did you have squeeking all across the rear deck, or was it confined to one location like mine?



Bill

 

[Larry Harp]

This may be a stupid question to be asking this late in the game but like I always say; "there is no such thing a stupid question-just stupid people who ask questions".

Anyway here goes. What exactly is the warranty term and am I, the second owner covered or is warranty coverage for the original owner only?

Harpo