boater0317
06-12-2007, 12:04 PM
I’m hoping someone can give me some advice. I purchased a 1999 Moomba Mobius in November of 2006. I have only put 26 hours on the boat since. The boat was purchased from Watersports of Central Florida. This is the first boat I have ever purchased and I would consider myself to have minimal knowledge in terms of the mechanics of boats
Since purchasing it I have had to replace the carburetor, bilge pump twice, solenoid, oil pressure gauge, the oil pressure sensor, a tire, among a few other minor things. I was a bit peeved I had to replace the carb after the first use, but accepted it as I expected a few items would need to be replaced. What did anger me was that I test drove it not a week before and the engine ran fine (no stuttering in idle or difficulty starting it). This suggests to me that the dealer had gotten the engine very warm before he allowed me to fire it up (unbeknownst to me). Still I let it go.
Three months after the purchase my tire blows on the highway, despite having checked its tire pressure before I made the trip. Ok I can deal with that too.
Then my boat wouldn’t start apparently because the oil pressure wasn’t being read. The owner upon sale told me the oil pressure gauge didn’t read, but claimed that had no effect on how the boat ran, and that it wasn’t important. He’s a boat expert, I know very little about the mechanics of boats…I take his word. Costs me around $500.
Last week I was on a drive to the lake, and made a turn into the park where the lake was at driving no faster than 20 miles per hour and I look behind me and my wheel is at a forty five degree angle. Turns out the axle collapsed. Now I’m angry. I spend $200 to get it towed to the shop, and then find out the brake pads are non-existent, the brake-lines are broken, the “pump” has been filled with water, the bearings and “rotors” are extremely corroded, the crank collapsed in tow, and wind up $1700 deep in replacements. The mechanic tells me that there is no way this trailer was in any shape to haul my boat 8 months ago, and that I’m lucky the trailer didn’t collapse while I was doing 60 MPH, potentially injuring someone.
I feel like I was taken advantage because I had such limited knowledge of boats. Does anyone have any suggestions for recourse I can take against the dealer who sold me this boat? I find it unacceptable that I was sold a piece of equipment that could put my life at risk as well as others on the road, and that he told me the oil pressure gauge wouldn’t affect the running of the boat when in fact it did. What should I do?
Since purchasing it I have had to replace the carburetor, bilge pump twice, solenoid, oil pressure gauge, the oil pressure sensor, a tire, among a few other minor things. I was a bit peeved I had to replace the carb after the first use, but accepted it as I expected a few items would need to be replaced. What did anger me was that I test drove it not a week before and the engine ran fine (no stuttering in idle or difficulty starting it). This suggests to me that the dealer had gotten the engine very warm before he allowed me to fire it up (unbeknownst to me). Still I let it go.
Three months after the purchase my tire blows on the highway, despite having checked its tire pressure before I made the trip. Ok I can deal with that too.
Then my boat wouldn’t start apparently because the oil pressure wasn’t being read. The owner upon sale told me the oil pressure gauge didn’t read, but claimed that had no effect on how the boat ran, and that it wasn’t important. He’s a boat expert, I know very little about the mechanics of boats…I take his word. Costs me around $500.
Last week I was on a drive to the lake, and made a turn into the park where the lake was at driving no faster than 20 miles per hour and I look behind me and my wheel is at a forty five degree angle. Turns out the axle collapsed. Now I’m angry. I spend $200 to get it towed to the shop, and then find out the brake pads are non-existent, the brake-lines are broken, the “pump” has been filled with water, the bearings and “rotors” are extremely corroded, the crank collapsed in tow, and wind up $1700 deep in replacements. The mechanic tells me that there is no way this trailer was in any shape to haul my boat 8 months ago, and that I’m lucky the trailer didn’t collapse while I was doing 60 MPH, potentially injuring someone.
I feel like I was taken advantage because I had such limited knowledge of boats. Does anyone have any suggestions for recourse I can take against the dealer who sold me this boat? I find it unacceptable that I was sold a piece of equipment that could put my life at risk as well as others on the road, and that he told me the oil pressure gauge wouldn’t affect the running of the boat when in fact it did. What should I do?