hobie adventure leak warranty claim review

[aspen]

A week ago i decided to send my hobie adventure back to the hobie dealer because i noticed the inside of the hull was getting flooded. It is a new adventure kayak (only 6months and 2 trip old) . The dealer found a leak in the mirage drive and have forwarded the picture and warranty claim to hobie.
This experience and what will happen next will be a good thing to share with my fellow yak community , as a real time review of hobie as a company, my dealer, and the adventure kayak in general...

Currenty the dealer has just sent of the photoes off to hobie... i am hoping that hobie does not try and cut cost by trying to repair that defective kayak rather than replace one. As a consumer i wont be very happy if they did as it is a manufacturer fault. Although the dealer does not think so i believe there is a problem with the radar system and the shape of the hull as there are plastic bumps on the inside of the kayak that the dealer said is normal...(a little dodgy me thinks..)

I will keep everyone posted on the progress.

Cheers

[ELM]

One thing Hobie have, is a great review on warranty claims. I have no doubt your hull will be replaced if it is a manufacturer fault, no hesitation. Not a new kayak, as your old fittings will be swapped across to the new hull most likely, but as good as new, and ready to slice through those waves like a hot knife through butter, enjoy.

Eddie

[Babylon]

I had a hobie Revo for a just over a year and it split in the hole where the seat
plugs go pictures where taken and sent to hobie.
Thought to myself easy weld up job.No, new hull turned up week later.
Am pretty sure you will be looked after.Cheers Jim

[Digger]

It happened to me with my yellow Outback, not a lot of water but enough to know there was a problem that would probably get worse.

I tried all the usual tricks to locate the leak but I couldn't find it so back to the dealer it went.

Dealer couldn't find it either and despite providing them with photos of the water in the hull, Hobie would not authorise a change-over until the dealer located the source of the leak. A week went by and nothing was happening and I was needing a yak to go away the following week on a pre-booked holiday so I had to put the pressure on a bit. My dealer at this time was fairly inexperienced having not long had the agency.

Someone gave me the contact details of the customer service rep at Hobie and I rang him....didn't like him much!

Eventually the dealer sent a bloke with my yak out to try it on the water (rotten day) and after a couple of hours there was clearly water in the hull. By contorting himself he was able to see back through the front hatch and could see that the water appeared to be coming in from a small crack in the mirage drive area...well done you! The problem only happened with the pressure of the drive being used.

The customer service rep from Sydney rang me to say that they would replace the hull under warranty....he seemed to expect me to grovel in gratitude I think. did I say I didn't like him? Started to come the "commercial in-confidence" rubbish and I cut him off because that is bullshit and cannot be required if they are just honouring warranty!

After 2 weeks I got a new hull just in time to go away but had to take colours they had in stock as Hobie wouldn't send me a yellow one down specially. The dealer changed over the anchor trolley as they had supplied it but I got my sounder back in a bag with the T/D still adhered to a piece of hull.

Hopefully your dealer has more experience than mine did at the time.

I couldn't tell you how many Hobies I have sold by recommendation and I was a bit annoyed to be mucked around so much.

In the end the dealer and Hobie came through but I didn't need the attitude I got from the bloke at Hobie.

Dig

[Dognut]

A week ago i decided to send my hobie adventure back to the hobie dealer because i noticed the inside of the hull was getting flooded. It is a new adventure kayak (only 6months and 2 trip old) . The dealer found a leak in the mirage drive and have forwarded the picture and warranty claim to hobie.
This experience and what will happen next will be a good thing to share with my fellow yak community , as a real time review of hobie as a company, my dealer, and the adventure kayak in general...

Although the dealer does not think so i believe there is a problem with the radar system and the shape of the hull as there are plastic bumps on the inside of the kayak that the dealer said is normal...(a little dodgy me thinks.

Bumps inside are totally normal. Just how their made.
What radar?
hobie has had issues with drive Wells, its well known. If thats what it is they will replace.
im suprised they didnt just tell you that.
Who is your dealer?

[aspen]

A week ago i decided to send my hobie adventure back to the hobie dealer because i noticed the inside of the hull was getting flooded. It is a new adventure kayak (only 6months and 2 trip old) . The dealer found a leak in the mirage drive and have forwarded the picture and warranty claim to hobie.
This experience and what will happen next will be a good thing to share with my fellow yak community , as a real time review of hobie as a company, my dealer, and the adventure kayak in general...

Although the dealer does not think so i believe there is a problem with the radar system and the shape of the hull as there are plastic bumps on the inside of the kayak that the dealer said is normal...(a little dodgy me thinks.

Bumps inside are totally normal. Just how their made.
What radar?
hobie has had issues with drive Wells, its well known. If thats what it is they will replace.
im suprised they didnt just tell you that.
Who is your dealer?

My dealer at first said it was an easy fix a bit of silicone in the mirage drive area, then a few days ago he said he haslodged a waranty claim. But he cant promise. A replacement. The kayak is still in the shop at the moment. They took out the drive connector for photoes. I saw where the leak js and it didnt look like an easy fix since its not a placewhere you can muck around with. Safety in the long term can be a concern because we go out in the open.. ive got the new radar system 2010+ .. it sometimes get stuck coming up and down.. and i was in deep water so it isnot because it is stuck at the bottom..

Digger, your dealer might be the same as mine

[Digger]

My dealer is at Sale and they are OK but then they just hadn't had the experience...I think mine was the first Hobie they had sold.

The delay was with Hobie!

Still I have confidence that they will do the right thing, but don't accept a repair as a weakness in the drive area won't stay fixed with silicon due to the pressures on that spot! If that's what they offer tell them you will do a full report on 3 kayak forums and let potential customers know how they treat warranty claims.

That is absolutely a last resort however as I'm sure that the dealer and Hobie want to see you right.

Good luck.

Dig

[Jenko]

A week ago i decided to send my hobie adventure back to the hobie dealer because i noticed the inside of the hull was getting flooded. It is a new adventure kayak (only 6months and 2 trip old) . The dealer found a leak in the mirage drive and have forwarded the picture and warranty claim to hobie.
This experience and what will happen next will be a good thing to share with my fellow yak community , as a real time review of hobie as a company, my dealer, and the adventure kayak in general...

Although the dealer does not think so i believe there is a problem with the radar system and the shape of the hull as there are plastic bumps on the inside of the kayak that the dealer said is normal...(a little dodgy me thinks.

Bumps inside are totally normal. Just how their made.
What radar?
hobie has had issues with drive Wells, its well known. If thats what it is they will replace.
im suprised they didnt just tell you that.
Who is your dealer?

Think he means "rudder".

[ELM]

Not sure about you Dognut, even if I cannot use mine, I want one of these radars, go poacher hunting instead .

Second the lump and bumps as normal, if you do not understand how they are made, Google Rotomold. Basically powder is poured inside a heated mold and rolled around as it melts to line the inside of the mold. The inside of the kayak, ends up as a rough surface compared to the outside which has a finished surface to mold too.

Cannot comment about the rudder.

I think "silicon" has become a running joke amongst Hobie dealers and suspected warranty claims, anyone with a leaky boat hears it.

Diggers, we all know your leaks come from those sharpened steel pickets, hidden in your famous fish dam How-ya-hangin cobber?

[Digger]

[quote="ELM"]Not sure about you Dognut, even if I cannot use mine, I want one of these radars, go poacher hunting instead .

Second the lump and bumps as normal, if you do not understand how they are made, Google Rotomold. Basically powder is poured inside a heated mold and rolled around as it melts to line the inside of the mold. The inside of the kayak, ends up as a rough surface compared to the outside which has a finished surface to mold too.

Cannot comment about the rudder.

I think "silicon" has become a running joke amongst Hobie dealers and suspected warranty claims, anyone with a leaky boat hears it.

Diggers, we all know your leaks come from those sharpened steel pickets, hidden in your famous fish dam How-ya-hangin cobber?[/quote]


Not bad for an old fart Ed thanks. Hope you are the same?