New MB factory flaws

[NWCastle]

Hi everyone,

I want to be careful how I phrase this because I'm not disparaging MB here but want to give them some feedback on what I and potentially others have been dealing with.  I bought a new 22 B52 Alpha last year and it is my second MB.  Here are the issues I've been dealing with and one of them is major.  

1. By far the most significant-  The boat leaks due to an air gap between the fiberglass and the gel coat under the engine up to the rudder housing (as far as the dealer can tell).  There is a significant leak that the dealer chased all last summer and was unable to resolve after 4 trips there.  The boat has been at my dealership now since August, waiting on further diagnostics.

2. The boat was delivered without a heater which was part of the build.  This I'm sure was a supply chain issue but should have been called out, I had to discover it.

3. The USB ports and power ports all around the boat were not connected to power.  The dealer told me that this was super common with new MB's.  

4. The low point bilge pump hose was not connected to the exit bung, it was just laying on the floor in the starboard bow locker.  

All that and that boat is amazing.  It runs great, throws the best wave ever...so, I'm happy-ish but worried the air gap issue may require an intervention that will cut into next summer too.  I know that MB will work with the dealership to resolve it if that is possible.  I know Don had an issue with the boat that he and I owned that required a new hull.  I hope that isn't going to be the case with my boat.  

Are any of you dealing with issues like these with your new MB's?  My goal here is to gather up some feedback and give it to MB because I truly appreciate the company and their boats but want them to do some better QC'ing.  Does anyone know if they float all new boats?  If they had floated mine, they would have seen how bad it leaks.  

[Guppydriver]

I had some interior issues that were not acceptable on my 2021....

I'm still waiting to get them addressed but I believe they have been approved by the warranty department.   

I've had an overall great experience and also firmly believe you buy the dealer as much as the brand. TBS has treated me very fairly. I've had a few neighbors buy much more expensive brands that have been nightmares, so I feel pretty good overall. 

I always thought my "grail boat" would be a Supra in a few years, but I honestly think that if I were to buy another boat, I would stay MB. I'm excited to see this 25' foot B52 when it comes out.

[wes]

My 2021 B52 Alpha had leaky ballast bags—waiting to try the new ones out to see if it solved the problem. Took over a year to get the bags replaced. 

We had 12v power ports not hooked up as well. I haven’t honestly tried using the USB ports.

The stereo channels were not hooked up correctly—power going to different speakers than what is displayed.

The blower manifold wasn’t securely mounted to the fiberglass around the blower vent at the transom. It came loose shortly after using it.  I fixed this with some silicone caulk. 

Build specs were all on the boat. These issues were all annoyances, but relatively easy to resolve. 

My steering wheel cover is starting to fail after two seasons and I see that can be easily replaced. 

I also had an issue with the 7 pin power connector to my Boatmate trailer. I had to bend the contacts on the female (trailer) side of the plug to get full contact with my GMC pickup. I realized it after replacing all the trailer related fuses on my truck in desperation. I had problems with the backup solenoid not activating as there was not quite enough power to activate the solenoid but enough to activate the lights. 

We still love our boat. We are hoping to upgrade to a 2023/24 model. These issues would be easily solved with a quick QC checklist before it leaves Atwater. 

I wonder if the leaking hull issue might be a ballast tank issue—but I am sure that would be ruled out already. What a nightmare if it is the hull!

[JAI]

I purchased a new 2022 MB B52.  It’s a great boat and we had a lot of fun with us this past summer.  As I was cleaning it up this past week getting it ready for storage I noticed a number of small blisters on the hull.  I have contacted the dealer and will be taking it in in a couple of weeks .   I am concerned that this will be an ongoing issues and what the repair will look like.  I will repost once it is repaired.

[bloodiestcadaver]

3 hours ago, JAI said:

I purchased a new 2022 MB B52.  It’s a great boat and we had a lot of fun with us this past summer.  As I was cleaning it up this past week getting it ready for storage I noticed a number of small blisters on the hull.  I have contacted the dealer and will be taking it in in a couple of weeks .   I am concerned that this will be an ongoing issues and what the repair will look like.  I will repost once it is repaired.

blisters are usually from extended time in the water. A lot of times they will diminish. 

[Stephen]

We had our 2019 MB tuned up a few weeks ago and they said they suggested that we replace the spark plugs, which we approved. When they went back out and pulled the spark plugs out, there was rust and sludge in the coils that were vertical (apparently some are horizontal and did not have that problem). It appears that water from below the engine is getting splashed up and entering those coils, and then rusting. I don't know if there should have been a gasket in place, or some sort of cover to prevent that from happening, but it appears to be a design flaw.

Anyone else had this issue? Total cost to clean the rust up and replace the coils is around $3,000, and it sounds like we may just have to do it again in a few years. I'm hoping MB will do the right thing and cover this. Looking for advice or suggestions . . .

Thanks,

Stephen

[bloodiestcadaver]

I the engine isn't misfiring I wouldn't be too concerned. Its likely from excessive water getting in the engine bay. Sucks they got you for 3000. your probably 1000 or less just in parts. And them coils were probably just fine. Maybe keep the old ones incase you run into an issue on the water.