New Owner Satisfaction Poll

[Belzedar]

I have a new boat and have been surprised by the number of defects and problems I have encountered. I had assumed that quality control would have been better with a new boat. I am wondering how common this is. If you have bought a new boat recently, would you please help by responding to this poll question? Also mention in the narrative how satisfied you were with the initial quality of your boat and mention the maker of your NEW boat if you are willing:

Dissatisfied; Somewhat dissatisfied; Neutral; Somewhat satisfied; Satisfied.

How many defects or problems have you had within the first year of ownership of your NEW boat? Minor issues were easy fixes that the average owner could do him/herself. Major issues the average owner would have to take back to the dealer.

 

[L Hall]

It is sad that even builders of million dollar boats can't turn out a close to perfect product. While, in the 60s, we all bought cars with those same expectations - several trips to the dealer to fix defects and squeeks, these days we would be screaming lemon if we had those problems. Today we can buy a car and fully expect it to run for years with no problems whatsoever. Yet, we are programmed to expect a bunch of defects even when we spend 10 times the cost of a new car. There is just no excuse for it, they know we will tolerate imperfection so that is what we get.

 

[L Hall]

The positive comments about Genmar (Carver, Four Winns) are interesting. I had the opportunity to work with them for a while when at Sea Tow. The entire organization is committed to quality, if for no other reason than economics. Yes, it is far less expensive to make things right the first time. Genmar's VEC technology can produce hulls that are incredibly consistent and defect free. In their larger boat divisions, they have the QC programs in place to ensure a minimum of problems.