cracks in fiberglass covered under wtty or not???

[biggambler25]

New to the thread!!

I am looking to buy a left over 2010 tahoe 215 from my local dealer here in AZ. they have a 215 and a 216wt in stock that i am in the process of negotiating on. I noticed cracks in the fiberglass in a couple of spots in the interior. The manager at this dealership seems to feel that this is normal "happens to all boats" and says if we were to make a deal they would not fix this nor is it covered under wtty. Again this is a brand new boat that will come with wtty if I purchase.
You can also tell that this boat has been sitting out in the sun for a while. A shame that they treat a 40k item like that. Has anyone in here been able to get this kind of thing repaired under wtty? The way I see it A new boat should still look new???? If not they should at least give a huge discount..

A little bit disappointed but I do love the layout of this boat!
I guess a lot of the neg I hear is true about tahoe?

Thanks in advance for any response!

 

[PrinceValium]

Re: cracks in fiberglass covered under wtty or not???

Go to a different dealer...I would not purchase a new boat with cracks either.

 

[Bill3434]

Re: cracks in fiberglass covered under wtty or not???

Go to a different dealer...I would not purchase a new boat with cracks either.

I agree. Under warranty; sounds like the dealer wants you to have the headache not them.

 

[biggambler25]

Re: cracks in fiberglass covered under wtty or not???

Thanks for the opinions, After reading through all the threads I am getting mixed answers on whether or not these things are covered under wtty or not?? If anyone out there has had cracks and got them fixed through warranty please chime in and let me know how that went, also if they reappeared after the repair. Thanks!

 

[whitey224]

Re: cracks in fiberglass covered under wtty or not???

I had a 2010 Glastron Gt 185 before my Tahoe and it had a hairline crack at one of the cleats after a year. It was repaired under warranty with no questions asked. I would call Tahoe instead of going through that dealer. I bought my Tahoe from what i now consider to be a LAZY Dealer and I had a couple of small problems with my boat and he said it was not covered under the warranty but after calling Tahoe they said it was for sure covered.

 

[biggambler25]

Re: cracks in fiberglass covered under wtty or not???

Thank you for the response Whitey!! Before I decide to buy that particular boat I will contact Tahoe directly, BTW how do you like your tahoe compared to the glastron?

 

[whitey224]

Re: cracks in fiberglass covered under wtty or not???

The only reason I traded my Glastron was to get into a bigger boat. There are features about both boats i like and dislike but as far as quality I think they are very close. I bought both of them new and had some trouble with both boats. Every problem i have had has been covered at no cost. The only cost is having to bring the boat back to the dealer to have them work on it. I have learned to look over a new boat over just like a used one. Just because it is new does not mean it is perfect. And take it out on the water to make sure everything works as it should. The biggest problem I had with the Tahoe is the Dealer I bought it from, They have been a PAIN IN THE @#$

 

[spdracr39]

Re: cracks in fiberglass covered under wtty or not???

Whether you buy the boat from these nuts is up to you but warranty or not there is no way I would do business there. No one of sound mind would sell a new boat with a defect and not either cut the price drastically or fix it under warranty (even if the house shop pays for it) Do call Tahoe because if its 2010 the factory warranty period may have expired and another dealer that didn't receive the benefits of the sale may not take care of it for you.

BTW I love my Tahoe and my dealer! I would buy another without any second thoughts.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: cracks in fiberglass covered under wtty or not???

So, a new boat, never been used, but a couple of years old has cracks in the fiberglass.

Shouldn't you be looking at a different brand of boat?

 

[biggambler25]

Re: cracks in fiberglass covered under wtty or not???

Correction, its a 2011. I would go to another dealer however there is no other one in my area that sells tahoe. My original thought process was that I could get a nice discount and walk away with a new boat. they did bring the price down 4k but thats not enough for me especially considering its been sitting out in the sun and you can tell by looking at it. The manager of this bps said waranty would not cover cracks bec its cosmetic However my sales person just called me and said they brought someone in to look at it from tahoe and they said it was structural so they will prob fix it. Salesperson very nice and helpful! If they do lower price some more do you guys think I should consider, or do I walk away bec this is a new boat that has stuctural issues before even hitting the water? Salesperson said probably caused by kids jumping in it when it was on dispay! They are small cracks right by the front cupholders. By the way they have a 2011 216wt with cracks in the same place but not as bad..Are these cracks a big deal or pretty common..
Thanks again all for the advice this is really a great forum to learn.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: cracks in fiberglass covered under wtty or not???

Are you committing yourself to buying a Tahoe, or are you open to buying other brands than may not suffer from these issues?

 

[PrinceValium]

Re: cracks in fiberglass covered under wtty or not???

Are you committing yourself to buying a Tahoe, or are you open to buying other brands than may not suffer from these issues?

I don't have these issues with my 2011 tpenfield...I think that the dealer did not want to bother with fixing it and is trying to tell the customer it is normal. To me that is not acceptable and I would promptly look somewhere else.

biggambler...do a search on dealers in your area and if you have to drive I would do it. I would have drove hundreds of miles if I had to. We have had no issues with our Tahoe. The choice is yours...but if it were me I would look for another boat. You are buying a brand new boat and shouldn't have to deal with cracking issues right from the start.

 

[biggambler25]

Re: cracks in fiberglass covered under wtty or not???

I am also looking at other boats too..If you have a suggestion I am all ears! I just love the layout and the versatility that this boat has! I love to fish and I feel a little cramped in regular fish and ski boats..You can ski, fish, and even throw a party on one of these!Thats why I like them. Looking into Larson fx series but thats more for fishing. Wanting to stay between 26 and 32k so a brand new tahoe would quickly get me up to mid 40k range..

Thanks again guys for all your input!

 

[tpenfield]

Re: cracks in fiberglass covered under wtty or not???

I am also looking at other boats too..If you have a suggestion I am all ears! I just love the layout and the versatility that this boat has! . . . Wanting to stay between 26 and 32k so a brand new tahoe would quickly get me up to mid 40k range..

Thanks again guys for all your input!

Well there are always used boats to consider, which opens up a wider range of possibilities that you can pursue within your budget. this would allow you to buy a boat that would sell as new for a lot more than your budget. You do not have the warranty protection of a new boat, but having to get things fixed under warranty is not exactly a day at the spa.

So, searching for a used boat of about 5 years old may open some possibilities.

 

[BoatDrinksQ5]

Re: cracks in fiberglass covered under wtty or not???

If you are seeing multiple boats of that model with cracks in the same location.... i would seriously avoid that combo of year/model, It is most likely a design/production issue that will surface at some point.

 

[Georgesalmon]

Re: cracks in fiberglass covered under wtty or not???

Once upon a time,,,,,,,,,,before I retired I worked in the boating industry. Was there for 37 years. We always had gelcoat cracks caused by many things. From gelcoat to thick to demolding stress on the parts to bending parts to fit perfectly. During one year I made it a point to find out if we were the only ones with this problem. I attended many boat shows during my years and one year I went to every boat manufacturer at the Miami, Fort lauderdale, and new York boat shows looking for cracks. Truth be told I was able to find at least one gelcoat crack on every one of the boats I looked at, hundreds of them. I knew where to look and I did have a pencil with me to make some "dirt" to make them show up in some cases, but they ALL had them. Tiny gelcoat cracks are very hard to see until they get some dirt in them. Thats why many new boats "develope" cracks over time. Truth be told they may have been there since the part was pulled out of the mold. Wanted to bet my next SS check that I could find a gelcoat crack somewhere on any Fiberglass boat that has been operated in the water and has a gelcoat finish (not painted) but my wife won't let me.