afruchtl wrote:
We are looking at the 2017 A22 vs the 2017 Supreme s238. I love the A22 - wife is worried about the plastic fell in the A22. We are going out on the water on the 8th of April - Why did you all choose Axis?
I chose Axis because I liked the styling, wave/wake, lack of electronics.
Would I do it again............HELL NO!!!
Quality control is a freaking joke. The dealers don't care and neither does the manufacturer. The day I picked up my boat I immediately found problems with it during delivery, why didn't the dealer or manufacturer take care of these prior to delivery. Because they get away with what they can. Send the boat out and wait for the customer to complain about it before fixing it. They save over 80% in warranty related costs by doing this. Most owners won't complain or switch boats yearly and don't care. Then you have to listen to them tell you that you bought a "price-line" boat. Sad thing is friends with Malibu's have the same experience. I opened access panels, storage areas, the bilge to find fiberglass shavings, spare parts, extra screws scattered everywhere. Do they not own a stinking shop-vac at the plant. But, I only spent $70,000. I guess you need to spend far more to have a boat built in a quality manner and cleaned up before taking delivery. In the first two years I owned the boat it spent over 10 months at the dealership. The entire interior was replaced due to stretched seams I noticed on delivery. Then I had to take it back because they pulled the anchors out of the backs of the panels when reinstalling them, among other new issues as well. Swim step was repaired for gel coat cracks the first time and then replaced the second time. I had to call the manufacturer to force the dealer to fix things. Mind you, I have 53 hours on my boat today. I spend the first 20 hours breaking it in properly, no ballast weight, varying the RPM, the whole bit. After that I mainly tow the kids on a tube these days ( back in the day I would allow an inflatable on my boat, how kids change things).
A week after taking delivery I was contacted by my dealer. There was an urgent warning not to use the boat due to a fuel line recall, we missed memorial day weekend. I thought to myself, Ok things happen. They came and picked up the boat once they had the part in stock to repair it. It was a nice gesture as it was about 120 miles away. Two day job including delivery I was told. Three days in I was called and told they were waiting for a part it would be another day. (remember they didn't come get it until they had the part in stock first) Two days after that I still haven't heard back. I call and they tell me that the mechanic damaged the trailer fender, I was like what the hell, how did that happen? The phone was silent for 30 seconds and then they tell me they went to the lake to water test it and when the park ranger inspected the boat for mussels he stepped on the trailer fender (tricked out upgraded trailer) and collapsed the fender. I said so which is it? And again silence. I wanted my boat for the weekend and told them to bring it back. It was worse than I imagined when I saw it. It was hard to believe anyone could damage a fender that bad, where there is a step pad to stand on the fender in that position on the trailer. I lost a lot of trust in the dealership at that point. I know they lied through their teeth about the situation. They told me they would come get the boat and install the fender when it came in. I was frustrated and told them to just ship it to me and I would install it. (mechanic by trade 20 years) that was my first experience with the dealer that said service was second to none. I could write a detailed review of everything that happened in those two years but it would take about 5000 words. I think this gives you the gist.
I love the color, and wave/wake but the quality and customer experience is the worst in the industry. Malibu will never see another dollar from me or my friends again.
Get on a year old or two year old boat and look around at the quality or lack of, talk to owners who aren't "friends" of the dealer. Fanboys will troll these sites and mislead you to a degree I've never seen before. If you see a post like mine take a second look, don't disregard them or think theirs was a rare situation. I wished I had when I was looking at buying.
And now prepare for the fanboys to bash my comments (like that never has happened to people who give an honest opinion)
Note: I have a 2014 A22 Vandal Edition with every option and 350hp engine upgrade.
