Nitro Warranty Nightmares

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Kevin Jaquith

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I have had nothing but issues trying to get warranty work done and it has been a nightmare. I will never buy another Nitro Boat.



Where do you want me to start. NEVER BUY A NITRO BASSBOAT USED!!!! I'm currently in the middle of a battle with Tracker Marine. THis fall my transom cracked and the bulkheads had cracks and were seperating from the hull. It's a 2002 NX750 and there whould be no issue with warranty but tracker marine is making every excuse and trying to throw every road block they can in the way. From warranty transfer issues to whatever. This has been on going for 3 months with no resolve. TO this day the warranty is not in my name and they have been trying to get it done ever since. Now they say my problem are abuse damage. How can a transom crack open(fiberglass is split)be considered abuse damage when I ran the boat on 1 1/2 foot chop at 50mph. I would consider these normal conditions. The next thing is don't try and call them yourself. They will punt you off quicker then you can turn your head. Having a dealer that will deal with the issue is imperitive. Otherwise you are dead in the water(excuse the pun).



Those who have been pests to get there boat fixed what action did you take and who did you talk to. I want my boat fixed I am not willing to pay 2000 dollars to get it done when it should be warranty work. Please anyone with suggestions please help. Did people climb the ladder through tracker and if so how and who did you talk to.



Oh and on another note don't waste your time with email support as all the answers are generic responses and you chase your tail around in a circle.



Thanks

QuinteBasser

 
Is your boat at the factory? or the dealer? Im curious because my dealer is getting ready to send mine off for some repairs soon. I got mine used as well and i hope i dont run into the same problems as you, my dealer thinks it should be a smooth process. In my case my dealer is on top of things and is doing the work to make sure my problems are repaired to my satisfaction. You are right i think the dealer is key and i have a great one.
 
While I don't want to cause any mistrust or bad feelings...



You bought the boat used, this has a wealth of potential problems with anykind of warrenty work.



Just because <b><i>you</i></b> didn't abuse it, doesn't mean the former owner did not.



Secondly, it sounds like you do not have a dealer going to bat for you... if you do, then it is more between them and tracker then you and tracker.



I wish you the best of luck...
 
In my case i bought my boat used from my Nitro dealer. I dont know if that makes a difference or not but they did inspect the boat top to bottom before i bought it.
 
Jim, I would certainly think that would help your side more than anything... it certainly won't hurt. YOu said your dealer was really taking the task head on... that speaks volumes...



This sounds like an uphill battle for QuinteBaser, and I do wish him all the luck in the world... Tracker Marine should stand up for the boat if the claim is indeed a warrenty issue...



Has a third party been brought in? Like a Marine surveyor??? What is their impression of the damage?



If it is damage, and not faulty, perhaps a claim to the insurance company is in order?

 
I sure hope Tracker Marine will help you with this. I have a 2002 NX750 that I bought new from the dealer. I'd hate to have to go through what you're dealing with right now. Especially on a boat as new as yours. Good luck.
 
Just to clear up some questions that have been brought up. When I bought the boat it was mint and looked like new. I had only 2 tanks of fuel through it and the motor was barely broken in. It seems as though the dealer is doing everything that they can. My biggest issue is when I try to call and talk to them they want nothing to do with me. The sound like robots that consistently repeat goto a dealer. That is where the boat is now and has been for 3 months. But can someone clarify for me is running a bassboat in 2 foot waves at 50mph considered abuse or wreckless use of the boat? I would think not and that these boats are designed for much more adverse conditions then this. In all honesty switching the warranty is a nightmare. Then when it is switched it's not worth the paper it is wrote on.



Big thing I need to know at this point is names of people I need to talk to. What process have some of you had to go through to get your issues resolved.



One thing is clear to me I WILL NEVER OWN ANOTHER TRACKER MARINE PRODUCT



Thanks

QuinteBasser
 
I can't speak to the 2' waves and 50MPH... in the 750 that I owned I would never have dreamed of doing that, is it abuse or "normal usage"... hard to say.



What I will mention is that you should not have to contact tracker marine directly, the dealer should be your both you and trackers representation, with both of your best interests in mind.



of course, this is not a perfect world.



If you are not getting the satisfaction you desire, I would suggest a third party that represents only YOUR interests... wehter this is a lawyer, a marine surveyor, or your insurance company.



If the boat was damaged due to an accident and not "faulty manufacture", then your insurance company is your first line of attack. To the best of my knowledge, damage like you are describing would be covered under your insurance policy.



The best thing you can do is stick with it, and try to remove the emotional side of it and stay objective. Tracker does not owe you warrenty coverage if they feel the damage is from abuse. It is up to you to prove otherwise.



I truly hope this works out for you.



 
Personally i would think 50mph in true 2' waves would be abuse. I run in that kind of stuff and then some all the time i would never even think about going that fast in waves like that. in 6" ripple yea im going faster then 50 in 1 footers mabuy but 2 footers no way its time to slow down. It really beats the crap out of the boat and the people in it. In waves like that running that fast my boat would spend as much time airborne as it did in the water and i have a bigger heavier boat then a 750. Getting airborne and crashing back into the water is bad for the motor and the transom.
 
As I read this I wonder what would be considered abuse in a TV-18, I was out in 2-3' water the other day and my counsel broke away from the side rail as did the carpeted piece, as you can see the screws were not installed in the pre-made holes instead the drunks building these boats thought they didn't need the pre-made holes and just slammed the screws in where ever they felt like it and as you can see one screw was hardly in the glass.

Now I will need to fight to get it fixed cause they will probably say I abused it. And I thought the TV-18 was built for this kind of water and I cant go fast I only have a 90 on it and it runs like crap, I am getting about 32mph (gps) out of it on flat water.

With this and several other issues that should be covered under my pro plus extended warranty, I am going to try one of my last two service shops in north Texas and am hoping that they know how to treat a customer and his boat (they are not a BPS).

They are about 65 miles from me.



Wondering what in in for now

Charlie

2001 TV-18 w/merc90
DSC00160.JPG
 
Thanks everyone for your input and feedback. Some has been useful and others insult me.



I have no idea what the water conditions are like in the states but quite commonly normal conditions would be 1-2 foot waves. Up here in ontario on some of our bodies of water it is not uncommon to have 4-5 foot waves. With bow lift of the boat in 1 1/2 to 2 foot waves you are not airborne all the time as someone had suggested. Last time I checked when a boat is running on the pad there is very little boat in the water which in the most part would be raising the majority of the boat out of the water. I have seen rough water before and have always backed off and took caution. I would love to fish in area where normal wave are 6" to 1 foot but it is not the case here. It's not like I am running the great lakes either incase that is what some of you are thinking. Bottom line is Nitro's boat broke and came apart under what I would consider non-extreme/abusive conditions. Also someone posted that there NX750 would get no where near 50 mph. Mine with a 6"jackplate (Factory Installed) on a 6" chop will consistently run 52-54 mph. Performance of the boat is good but the boat is structurally lacking. I know many local pros in my area with boats a little larger then mine that run hard in 3-4 foot waves 60-65mph all the time and there boats have never came apart like this one which was running in waves half the size and 10-15mph slower. Just I think it unfortunate that this is the way I have been treated and that a big company like tracker marine is giving me such a hassle. I'm a young tournament angler trying to break into this sport. I know some of you are thinking after my last comment "Oh it's a young guy he must have beat the boat up!" I baby my boat and take great pride in my maintnance on the boat and don't drive like an idiot. Chances are I will buy a new boat in 5 yrs most likely a 19 or 20footer with a 200 or 225 engine. Poetentially I could buy 4-5 boats in my life. One thing I will say again though and it's unfortunate to say this but I Will Never Buy Another Tracker Marine Product. Nitro boats are great guys but prey to the good lord above that you don't need to get any warranty work done. It's a nightmare and they will avoid at all costs paying to fix and if they do it will take months. Just my response to some more of the questions asked.



Thanks

QuinteBasser

 
QuinteBasser,

Im sorry if i offended you with my post but i stand by what i said that in true 2' waves 50+ is too fast for that boat. The lakes i fish are big glacial lakes and when the wind blows we see 5' plus waves. 1 footers are a light day and no a normal boat busy day we have 2'+ boat generated chop mixed in as well. I know of what i speak when it comes to rough water, i run it every time i fish. If you are running is 2' waves fully trimmed out the boat is going to take a beating period. I have run my nitro in waves as big at 7' without a problem but when the water isnt glass( rare) i trim it in some and back off it.



I know of only one person who has ever busted a transom on a modern bassboat. The boat was a 519vs Ranger and it broke in around 3' waves. The reason it busted was because he pushed it way too hard and it failed, he also busted the tilt bracket on the motor on the same day. And guess what Ranger denied his warranty claim too.
 
Not all 2' waves are the same. 2' waves on the ocean, with long periods between the waves, can be an easy ride, wherease 2', short period waves on a moderately sized lake can be painful.



Some drivers are good enough to make 2' waves seem like a an easy chop, while others who don't know how to trim the boat or take correct angles on the waves make it seem like a ride in a washing machine. Nobody can judge a particular boat ride unless they are in the boat.



My own experience is that the boat can generally take more than I can. It starts to hurt me enough to slow down before the boat ever breaks. However, I can say that I expect my boat to take a pounding in 2' waves of any type, at any speed the boat is capable of in those conditions. The manufacturer's job is to build the boat so that it can do that, because it's not an unreasonable situation. You may have to run in rough conditions at high speeds to escape weather, or to get someone quickly to medical aid in the case of an injury. The boat should not suffer structural failures in such conditions.



That's my opinion.



QuinteBasser, I hope you get some help from Tracker.

 
I'm reminded of a Ranger commercial where the boat is in really rough water and it's taking a pounding...I'm sorry guys, but IMHO, a boat that cannot take 1-2 foot "chop" without structural failure has something more serious wrong with it besides owner abuse.
 
If you fish any of the larger lakes in the summer where larger power boats are out in force, not only will you encounter 2' wakes, but they come at random angles and intervals. I consider these conditions to be much more severe than the normal wind-generated rollers.



While I avoided such lakes, I often had my old Nitro 180 in 1' to 2' chop; out on the pooled portion of the Mississippi River, when the wind is blowing from the south, waves of that sort are common - and they get much larger. I was out there on the day that there was a tournamnet in Memphis (I think it was BASS.) during which a number of boats broke their hulls; I experienced 6' rollers that went crashing over the tops of barges! (The day had started with just a moderate chop and I fished sheltered areas. When I went to leave, the wind had picked up considerably. I would never have gone out in conditions anywhere near that.)



Now, that older hull design with a 115 Merc would only top out at 50-ish, so that sort of speed wasn't a problem. But runs of 15 miles in those conditions at 35 to 40 mph were easily accomplished. In fact, I had to be at about 35 mph in order to keep the hull level. Like Rich said, the problem was not the boat - it was my backside, back and neck.



After 4 years of use, my Nitro 180 remained in excellent condition.



I would hope that Tracker would take a closer look at QuinteBasser's case.....



me!
 
i agree with rich,2ft chop on the ocean or lake ontario is diffrent than 2ft chop on champlan,i can attest to that.running fast in the short chop plays havoc on a boat,and a persons back,legs,kidneys and such!!.i hit a few on champlan hard enough to reset the gps a few times,but the same waves on ontario it doesnt do it.



ive been out in 2-4's,4-6's and 8-10's in mine,but i dont go hammer down,ride the waves throttle up,and down to keep the bow and stern out of the wave.



western basin lake erie is a good example of the short chop waves,fished it in a 28 ft sportcraft a few yrs back,we went out in 4-6ft waves,and it wasnt a pretty ride,glad i stood up the whole way out and back.not fun,but in the same instance i fished in 4-6ft waves on ontario and it is fishable.
 
Quintebasser,



Just some free advice, so take it for what it's worth....

You might want to wait until this issue is resolved before you tell the dealership and Tracker that you will never own another Nitro.



If they think they have lost your business already, they don't really have much motivation to help you.



just my opinion.



Good Luck. I do hope you are able to get them to help you.



TJ
 
Thanks for everyones feedback. I do appreciate what everyone is saying. When I was running in 2 foot waves and it was not hard on my body. Maybe I am a bad judge of wave size. Basically what I am saying is that the waves were no where near big enough to justify a trasom in a boat breaking apart. If anyone else has any more advice for me it would be appreciated.



Thanks

QuinteBasser
 
Chris....if you have it documented that you took it in while it was under warranty and it did not get fixed then it is covered. What is your dealer doing for you?



TOXIC
 
Chris who is your dealer?? I also live in KY and this time next year will probally buy another boat, but I would like to hear if they (the dealer) have treated you right/wrong. Who the dealer is will be a major influence in where i buy my next boat. You can email me back at [email protected] if you do not want to post it here.



Donnie
 
For the guy with the TV18,

Get those turkeys to put on a new console.That is a very poor example of quality control. Very poor.
 
Donnie...



When you get ready, we'll go to stokleys together... Ralph has done right by me.



Chris,



If Stokley's is your dealer, please contact me, if not... maybe they can assist?
 
Stokleys is on Nicholasville Rd, about 3-4 miles South of Fayette Mall....



Shoot me an e-mail if you want...



 
Sim Iam buying used so i can get more bang for my low pocket book...I plan on gettign about 5K fro my boat and financing another 5k so i can keep the same payments about the same. Really iam looking at a $10,000 boat about a 97 or 96 with a 150 efi, 18 footer, with a flipping deck (or large deck). I konw they are deals out there like them so Iam taking my time and will probally let the Tracker go in Aug. to concentrate on the "right one." Stokleys is on the list, South East Marine, Lexington Boats, and a place in GA called T&S marine. T&S advertise the type of boat iam looking for everyday for the price i want. Plus I belive they re-carpet all their boats. You going to the baot show in Cincy??



Donnie
 
I don't know if I am going to any boat shows... the only one I hear about that might have enough tackle to interest me will be in Nashville or knoxville.



What's the one in Cincy? Anything special about it?
 
Hey Donnie - T & S is about 10 minutes from my house if I can help. I know a couple of fellas up there and they are a great bunch. Good Luck!
 
Thanks Dan! I will keep you in mind....my buddy who lives in Dahlonaga (sp?) bought his from there...the oil pump went down on him and the motor blew on day 31 of his warranty..they fixed it under the warranty....I thought that was pretty cool...but seriously i will give you a shout in early summer to start scouting a new "glass" ride!



Sim the cincy show is supposed to have Denny Breuer and Tony Bean as part of the fishing seminar...now as far as tackle they dont have alot...but my buddies deer will be unvailed in a magazine that will be sold at that show. Let me know if you wanna go.



Donnie
 
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