Sea Ray

briansabatelli · ‎07-17-2020

Hate to have to share but I sent this email to Sea Ray today regarding my 2019 230 SPX.

Unfortunately my SPX 230 is a LEMON.

My name is Brian Sabatelli and I am writing you to inform you about the terribly unreliable product that you built for me. I had my 2019 230 SPX custom built and took delivery of it in April of 2019, exact day I can't remember. Ever since I have had nothing but problems and it seems that I can't take it out into the water without something breaking. Here is a list of the issues:

1. Stereo hum needed three attempts to fix by the staff at Marine Max. The upgraded premium audio system had a terrible hum to it and was only fixed after we reached out to Fusion and they sent an upgraded wiring harness.

2. Water tube from the speedometer was never attached to anything in the dash. While under way water was shooting out onto the floor of the helm.

3. Barrel nuts on the sun pad on the underside of the engine compartment were never coated with Lock Tite and at least 8 of them backed out and fell into the engine compartment. The sun pad almost flew off while under way.

4. Warning light on the fire extinguisher system on the gunnel under the helm just popped off and was dangling there.

5. Engine compartment latch broke twice. While under way this meant the engine compartment lid popped open causing a major hazard. Was only fixed after two attempts of screwing the same latch into plastic when service at Marine Max got approval to bolt thru the plastic instead of screwing into the plastic.

6. SPX emblem on the transom broke

7. Main ski locker latches came loose. After inspection again the screws holding them in did not have any thread lock on them. They just loosened up and spun as you tried to open the ski locker. Techs from Marine Max repaired but they put the latches facing opposite directions.

8. Submersible swim platform FLOATS. It doesn't stay submerged at all! This creates a hazard for swimmers approaching the swim platform for the leading edge of the submersible swim platform now is even with the mouths of the swimmers.

9. Simrad doesn't sense a full tank of gas. Has to be manually reset every time boat is gassed up.

10. Bow ski locker latch then became loose and spun. Again with no thread locker.

11. Sea Ray emblem on side of boat fell off in the middle of the lake while under way.

12. Sea Ray sent Marine Max a new submersible swim platform to install on the boat. Undue delays happened because the magnets and Seadek covering didn't ship with the platform. Once they installed it the techs at Marine Max damaged it and had to send it to the body shop for repairs. Ultimately Seadek shipped directly to me and I had to install it myself.

13. New submersible swim platform floats worse than the original.

14. After getting boat winterized by Marine Max first time out on lake I got a "drive lube low" alarm. Drive lube tank on engine took about 8 oz of lube.

15. Front speaker now hums again at low volume.

16. Last time on lake outdrive got stuck down. Switch on throttle would not raise outdrive. Had to pay local mechanic out of Bolton Landing, NY $60 to jump the pump and raise outdrive before I could get boat back onto trailer.

17. Shortly after having outdrive problem accessory lights in boat came on for a short period of time and then cut off and would no longer operate.

Boat is currently at Marine Max Lake Hopatcong and they claim that with a new relay and some fixing the boat will be fully operational for my next trip to the lake which is next week. Unfortunately parts needed to be ordered and boat will need to go back into the shop.

As you can see there are so many problems in this brand new $85K boat - and with only a short 14 week boating season in the northeast this boat has spent way too much time in the shop. I have lost faith in the quality of Sea Ray boats and this is contrary to the experience I've had with Sea Ray throughout my childhood.

My family loves the boat but feel as though every time we bring it out something is going to break. And I always have my small children onboard with me(ages 5 and 7) so it's not even like we're running the thing hard.

Please let me know if there's any recourse here for a tremendous amount of down time and trouble. I am at my wits end with this machine.

Thank you,

Brian Sabatelli

robertbunch · ‎07-19-2020

That is a lot of issues. Very frustrating. I am sure SeaRay will contact you. Sounds like is a problem with the service area at the Mariana as well. Good luck! Let us know if this gets resolved.

briansabatelli · ‎07-19-2020

Thanks. Honestly I don’t know if there is a solution at this point. We love the boat but I’ve lost faith in the way it functions. I’m sure a lot of the problems can be fixed and will never be problems again. But when engine operation and electrical issues present themselves you begin to worry about safety on the water. Hopefully I can have an honest conversation with a rep from Sea Ray about this.

Adam210 · ‎07-19-2020

I was looking at an Spx 230 and now I think I will pass

michael_d_mcelr · ‎07-19-2020

Sorry for Brian, but the flip side is my 2019 SPX230 seems bulletproof. It is the outboard version, but has run flawlessly for nearly 200 hours in the salt water of Tampa bay. We go out for sunsets and wine several times a week, but also pull grandkids on ski's and tubes. Only service so far is the 100 hour service.

briansabatelli · ‎07-19-2020

Love that for you. I feel like this one was made at the end of the week by the new guy at the factory.

101Marine · ‎07-19-2020

So sorry for your issues. So it sounds like the PDI - Pre-Delivery Inspection didn't happen at all. So that should be the dealer that is at fault there.
I'm a boat mechanic and I recommend clients buy a 1 year old and keep it for about 5-6 years. 1 year old boats have had the "issues" wrinkled out and are still nearly new. You saved some money but get to use the best the boat has to offer until it starts to get older...
I'm not sure why there needs to be locktight everywhere. Normally a boat should have nyloc locknuts on everything that is a thread. They never back off or fall off. They can seize on though. With the latches - are they Perko type? They should just be done up tight from behind with the big nut. Normally not an issue unless its slick or lubricated some how.
Get rid of the radio - start again with another brand..
Swim platform is obviously a fail. Maybe its not being driven down. If thats the case it will always float as its using gravity not hydraulics to lower it. Does it go down with some weight or pressure? Maybe you could add lead weight to the underside?
Just remember - don't sell it after you get everything fixed as you'll be the guy I recommend my clients buy from... And it doesn't sound like you have too many real issues just stuff that happens. That swim platform is wrong - though.. Something to work out there.
Good luck. And remember South Florida is summer 365 days a year. Always waiting for you... Just don't come now, its over 100 every day!!

briansabatelli · ‎07-19-2020

So attached is a pic of the submersible swim platform just floating in the bay. There’s no way of locking it down at all. And it won’t stay down worth a damn.

All of the screws that came loose in the sun pad were barrel nuts. So a bolt secures into the barrel nut that reaches into the sun pad. They all just backed out. The latches on the ski locker are bolts from the underside that reach into the top portion of the latch that acts very much like a barrel nut. Also backed out with vibration of use. Def needed some type of lock tite.

And yes I did finally get rid of the Fusion head unit in favor of the JL Audio. I hired a marine sound guy to add tower speakers and he changed the unit to JL Audio for me BC it had the ability to control the tower speakers as a second “zone.” Needless to say I am very happy with that change.

As for the service yes they have made some mistakes.

ptmclaughlin · ‎07-26-2020

Brian I bought a brand new 270SDX and have found the quality control is a problem at sea Ray. I have had numerous things I have had To fix. The issue with your fuel is probably just a serving in the Simrad unit that needs to be changed. I was having the same issue and I finally fixed it. Make sure you get the latest updates installed.

I have the Fusion stereo system and I love it. You might just have a ground isolation problem if you are getting a hum or it could be interference from another electrical device.

I agree about the swim platform not being designed well. I wish there was a way to lock it down.

Good luck getting all the kinks worked out.

briansabatelli · ‎07-26-2020

Yeah thanks. I’ve been in touch with a nice gentleman at sea ray who is going to try to help me out.

I don’t know what that’s going to look lime exactly but obviously this is completely unacceptable for such an new and pricey boat.

Ultimately it really wouldn’t take much for the engineers to design a bracket that locks. Even if there was a nylon knuckle in the bracket that locked it down. It can’t be hard.

I must say the interface in the JL Audio system is so much more user friendly than the Fusion. I’ve immediately seen an improvement. I’ve been so impressed I’m likely to start replacing each speaker with a JL speaker each year.

Sea Ray

Hate to have to share but I sent...