your opinion on quality of Tahoe boats

[joeIII]

I am currently looking at purchasing a used boat and am very interested in Tahoe's fish and ski models. I located a used 2006 Q6 fish and ski which seems to be in great shape. After researching Tahoe boats on the internet I found numerous complaints of the gel coat cracking on Tahoe boats, some of which only being a few months old, and also the hull being weak. I'm not sure if there is a specific year and model that had this problem or maybe just a small percentage of their boats had issues. I would really appreciate any information and your thoughts as you all own Tahoe's and can provide me with the most accurate info. Thanks

 

[splicer]

Re: your opinion on quality of Tahoe boats

No problems with mine, love it!

 

[mnypitboat]

Re: your opinion on quality of Tahoe boats

I have an 01 Q7 that I love. the previous owner let it sit for years and the upholstery was shot and the color was all faded, but other than that I have only done regular maintanance, up until last year, I did nothing out of the ordinary for a boat that was never maintained. Last season I had a head gasket blow, but again, this is on a boat that prior to me never even had an oil change in 5 or so years. I also found a pinched gasket, so it was probably a GM defect from Mercruiser.

All in all it has been a great boat. The only reason I would sell it at this point would be to get a much larger boat.

 

[joeIII]

Re: your opinion on quality of Tahoe boats

Thank you both for your thoughts.....Im glad to see that you both are happy with the boat. Splicer- I see that you have the 5.0 220hp, the boat I am looking at is the 4.3 190hp, is this enough power for the boat? I do not want an underpowered boat as I would use it for skiing and tubing.

 

[kailec00]

Re: your opinion on quality of Tahoe boats

I really like my boat. We have not had any big issues. Small things that have been fixed by the dealer. Snap in carpet didn?t seem to have enough snaps and the wind would rip it up. The carper was replaced and extra snaps added. The blower also went out, but that is not a Tahoe issue. That was fixed under engine warranty. I have not had any issue with the boat itself .
If you are looking at an 06 I would look at the condition of the boat. If the gel coat is cracked then move on. I would think that if the boat was going to have issues it would already have it by now, being 4 or 5 years old.

 

[AgentJ]

Re: your opinion on quality of Tahoe boats

I love mine too. i have a 2010 q7 SF. the only issue i had with mine were the seats came apart at the seams. i went to my local dealer and tahoe sent me a brand new seat. no problems.

 

[hpeeler]

Re: your opinion on quality of Tahoe boats

We bought the same boat you are looking (06 Q6sf) at about 3 months ago and have only had a chance to splash it 4 times. Ours was in really good shape when we got it and I have not noticed any gel coat issues with it. I did lots of homework before and after purchase and have not heard anything about the hulls being weak. I'm really looking forward to spending some time in it (except for gas prices). I do wish that it had more storage though. One issue I've noticed and asked about on this forum is the transmission shifting really hard when it's cold. I've never owned and I/O so I don't know if it's normal but we'll see when the weather warms up.
I would recommend getting a 100 hour service on it as soon as you get it so that you know what you are starting with as far as mechanicals and fluids go. Good luck with it and have fun.

 

[splicer]

Re: your opinion on quality of Tahoe boats

Thank you both for your thoughts.....Im glad to see that you both are happy with the boat. Splicer- I see that you have the 5.0 220hp, the boat I am looking at is the 4.3 190hp, is this enough power for the boat? I do not want an underpowered boat as I would use it for skiing and tubing.

I think you'd do good with the 4.3. I'm never lacking power. We go with a full load of adults, and have no problem doing whatever we want.

 

[JUST BECAUSE]

Re: your opinion on quality of Tahoe boats

I am on my second tahoe boat, started with a Q4 with the 4.3 and last year got the last 256 Deck boat made. I have had no problems with either and for the money don't think you can find a better boat.

 

[marcoalza]

Re: your opinion on quality of Tahoe boats

I have had my 2007 Q4 for 6 months now and it is in brilliant condition.
The gel coat and paintwork is really good and when it is cleaned it shines like it is brand new.
Many people cannot believe it is almost 4 years old.
I have been out 23 times since I bought it and so far no issues although the blower is very noisy and will be replaced soon.
I have the 4.3 MPI 220hp and I'm gald I didn't go for the 135 as that would be underpowered for me.
She topped 55mph yesterday on sea that was like glass but man does it burn the gas!!
Note really a problem here though as a full tank costs $30.

If I was to replace my baby my first choice would definitley be another Tahoe.

Good luck.

 

[TahoeQ4Pilot]

Re: your opinion on quality of Tahoe boats

Thank you both for your thoughts.....Im glad to see that you both are happy with the boat. Splicer- I see that you have the 5.0 220hp, the boat I am looking at is the 4.3 190hp, is this enough power for the boat? I do not want an underpowered boat as I would use it for skiing and tubing.

I have a '06 Q4, the 190hp carb version works just great for pulling skiers, wakeboarders and kneeboarders, as well as any tube I have put behind it.

With that said, I dont think anyone ever said they wish they had "less" power. ;D

 

[TahoeQ4Pilot]

Re: your opinion on quality of Tahoe boats

and also the hull being weak.

BTW, I have only seen one well published owner problem with the Tahoe hull, I am beginning to think it was an anomaly. Of course everybody and their brother has seen it and points to it when discussing Tahoe quality issues, but it seems to me that it is not a prevalent problem.

 

[Ret USN CPO]

Re: your opinion on quality of Tahoe boats

If I've said it once, I've said it a hundred times...Most of the problems from Tahoe is the dealer, not the boat. Manufacturers all make mistakes when they mass produce a product, it's how the dealer reacts that makes the difference between a good experience and a bad one. I have heard nothing but crap about BPS and other big box dealers. I have had a couple of warranty repairs done on my Tahoe, no problem. Dealer choice is key in any transaction.