Doral boat problems!!!!

[doral sucks]

Re: Doral boat problems!!!!

It seems to be easy for you to try and blame me. I didn't ask for or want these problems. And your solutions are to lose even more money and trade it in for maybe a better boat or maybe one with more problems. Why do you not find Doral at fault at all. You seem to think they do nothing wrong except customer support. We all seem to agree on that. I guess you can't be friends with me because I said how I feel about Doral. Ok. Just google Doral boat problems and you will see another 2005 elegante had major issues. I wish I would have known about that one sooner. I might not have this boat that is why you post and inform people. I have no hard feelings and I hope you don't either. I admit I am very bitter about how Doral treated us.

 

[BSAFlash]

Re: Doral boat problems!!!!

d.s,
I googled as you suggested.
The other Elegante was also an '05 vessel was also not sold until '07? I think Doral went belly up around '05.
Many of the problems mentioned are the same as yours including the Merc issue. It seems from the thread the dealer Roger4 bought from actually did his job and involved Merc and Doral and sorted the problems (including new engine etc.)
Again, I don't believe Doral are innocent in this but, your greatest issue is the dealer walking away and leaving you to deal with this on your own.

 

[Chevyboy454]

Re: Doral boat problems!!!!

It seems from the thread the dealer Roger4 bought from actually did his job and involved Merc and Doral and sorted the problems (including new engine etc.)
Again, I don't believe Doral are innocent in this but, your greatest issue is the dealer walking away and leaving you to deal with this on your own.

I'm in 100 percent agreement with this statment. Also notice how Roger worded his issues in a helpfull manor. No one blames you and no one said Doral can do no wrong either As previously stated every manufactor has problems, your dealer should have steped up and took action on your behalf especially with the ammount of money spent.

Rick.

 

[doral sucks]

Re: Doral boat problems!!!!

I agree with both of you as well. I have spent more time dealing with these issues than Doral, merc, and the dealer combined. As I have said merc is still involved but blames Doral. Doral won't help. It now falls on the dealer once again but they were still in talks with merc as of yesterday. To me it is ashame all of us boaters have to deal with these issues for what boats cost these days. I can let all of you know how this ends if you want. I don't know when that will be, Just let me know.

 

[BSAFlash]

Re: Doral boat problems!!!!

d.s,
Would love to hear of a positive outcome for you.
Has anyone even quoted the costs to rectify this? I can't see how it would be anywhere near economic verses the cost of repairs from continual internal saltwater ingestion.

 

[doral sucks]

Re: Doral boat problems!!!!

Back in march a Doral rep asked the dealer for a quote to fix the boat. The quote was approx $6000. That quote included a haul out fee, alot of troubleshooting labor time, and the two starters that were ruined due to this issue. I know the dealer was trying to be reimbursed for all their expenses. I would guess the true price to just repair it would be approx $2500-3000 range. I read that rick a was able to have merc put in a new engine in his. The only thing we don't know is why it got water in the engine. I don't know if it was a riser height issue or something else failed. That is why it is so important to give as much info on these issues as possible to help other fellow boaters out. I am sure their are other boats we don't know about.

 

[BSAFlash]

Re: Doral boat problems!!!!

G'Day d.s,

$6k... The dealer should have resolved that a long time ago and then forced the issue with Doral.
My issue was $19,600 by the time the idiot mechanic realised what was going on.
Have Merc assessed the problem fully? I agree with you, a quote from Doral is likely to be well over actual and also likely to be considerably more than they offer the dealer to effect the repairs. Your problem may very well be an argument behind the scenes between Doral and the Dealer! As I have said before, the arrangement for the distributors over here seems to be that the first $x amount of warranty was pre-paid to the dealer by way of discount from the factory. Given the time on grass is it possible the deal you struck to buy the boat eat up that discount? or the holding costs to the dealer did...
By the way, the issues with mine will end up costing a little under $40K(the first repairs plus 2 new drives being fitted soon) But I still love the boat just hate volvo and their monkey mechanics:facepalm:

 

[doral sucks]

Re: Doral boat problems!!!!

Wow, I can see why you hate Volvo.

 

[doral sucks]

Re: Doral boat problems!!!!

Wow, I can see why you hate Volvo. Thanks for the info on your issues as I won't consider a Volvo now. When Doral asked my dealer for a quote to fix I thought they might step up to the plate and help. I was wrong. We like the boat and its layout but they need help in customer support. We probably would have bought another one if we didn't have all the issues. If they would back their product and taken care of us Doral would get their money back when we buy more over the years. Makes no since to me. Plus I could talk better of them. To me customer support is a big part of the brand. Bsaflash I hope after all that money your boat functions as it should. Thanks again for the info.

 

[BSAFlash]

Re: Doral boat problems!!!!

d.s,
We were awaiting the arrival of the Alegria!
After the b.s service from the dealer and volvo, both mine and a friend with an IPS system on an Azimut and the fact that the Alegria was to be a Volvo IPS I changed my mind.
By the way, check your battery charger, it should be isolated from the conductive insulation on the bulkhead. I re-fitted mine onto a wooden board. Any saltwater spray etc. through the simplest of failures (raw water pump etc.) will turn your engine bay into a rather large battery if it is left as per factory setup.

 

[doral sucks]

Re: Doral boat problems!!!!

Thanks bsaflash,
I am going to the dealer today to visit our boat in the shop, and to see if they have any new info for me. I will climb in the boat and look at the charger. Its kind of funny that you mentioned an alegria. We were considering one as well until Doral customer support lost my business. It amazes me that Doral would rather lose future sales than take care of our problem. Anyway best of luck to you BSA with your issues and thanks again for the info. I will let you know if I get any new info on our issues. With any luck we will both be able to use our boats soon.

 

[jcrawfordiv]

Re: Doral boat problems!!!!

I have a 2002 360 se, bought it brand new. The first yr after 25 hrs the Port engine blew, the dealer, Doral and Merc all said it was due to it overheating. I never heard the quto alarm, the temp was normal and was the oil pressure. They all deny it was covered under warranty and I ended up replacing the engine (14k). The next spring during the dealers general spring service work and trial run before delivery, the Star. engine blew. The dealer submitted a warranty claim with Doral and Merc and their inspector came to the conclusion that it blew due to the engine ingesting water and rusting the heads. They agreed to replace the Star engine under warranty and they also added 3 inch spacers on the risers under warranty. They refused to reimburse me for the Port engine that I replaced. I, like others have had nothing but problems with Doral, the engine problem was their design issue and they should have stood by their product. I have other issues with parts, hatches, canvas, battery charger, T.V., trim tabs, compass, etc. You can't get replacement parts because no one will speak with you. The dealer I bought my Doral from was pathetic, they didn't care about their customers only how to charge them for service work. DO NOT BUY A DORAL!!!!! THEY DON"T CARE.

 

[BSAFlash]

Re: Doral boat problems!!!!

jcrawfordiv,
If they were the only ones like that I would agree... But their not!
SeaRay that leaked between the hull and deck joint... The dealer did a deal eventually and for very little money replaced the boat... with the next model down!!! (Great swap that, yes your boat is a dud, how about taking a smaller one in lieu) The same boat is now overheating.
FourWinns with a hull to deck leak... Fixed the leak but not the damage.
SeaRay with Yanmar diesels and Merc drives, Merc will only warrant the drives for 12mths with Yanmars, 24mths with their own engines but the dealers don't tell you until the leg fails at 14mths?
And then mine, Starboard leg replaced under warranty after issues found when servicing, monkey mechanic forgot to service the Port leg, it failed 2mths later at my cost.
I must admit though, the dealers that SeaRay use over here are so much better than the original clowns chosen by Doral, even moved the battery charger after reading the survey done on my boat as a warranty claim (prevention is better than a cure)

 

[BSAFlash]

Re: Doral boat problems!!!!

One of the reasons I tried to join this forum a couple of years ago was to vent my anger:facepalm:
Now, having heard and seen so many similar issues on many different brands of boat, I am of the opinion that a forum like this can be used to avoid the pain for future buyers.
My electrical survey was too big to put on the forum but one of the key points was the battery charger being mounted on a conductive surface (fine with the old types but not the new units). A ham fisted monkey in your engine bay that over tightens instead of replacing a belt can cause $thousands in damage. Isolate the charger and the problem is substancially lessened. The float switchs in the shower sump are a problem on many different brands, if you are aware of this you can avoid the associated smells and costs of repair. The stupid windlass remote that only works for a week is another little issue that I need advice on We already own these boats, so rather than ***** about a couple of worthless employees that can't afford one, to take the wind out of our sails, I suggest we pass on information that allows others to fix small problems before they become big expensive ones.
Riviera on one of its models had a major overheat issue, after a couple of good shipwrights assessed the probelm it was resolved (at the owners cost) for approx $3600 by adding another raw water pick up to the system. This sort of advice is priceless, a full season with no overheating, no fights with Merc or heaven forbid, volvo over cause or who is to blame.

 

[doral sucks]

Re: Doral boat problems!!!!

Sorry to hear about your 2002 360se jcrawfordiv, and thanks for posting for others to see your issues. I certainly feel your pain and want to spare others from doral as well. Doral makes a decent hull but they lack in many other areas. I talked with a fellow that had a 360se and had water ingestion issues. He bought it used from a dealer that once he started having ingestion issues told him he couldn't put more than five people in the boat and watch the overall weight. He had to replace an engine in that boat. Doral engineers have made big blunders by not having the boats exhaust high enough above the waterline. 15 inch min. is the spec.

Bsaflash I did look at my charger and it is mounted like your was. I will be changing that soon. After our battery isolator caught fire I started looking how the boat was wired. We have four batteries. One gen, one house, and one for each engine. Our house battery was only charged through that isolator from the port engine battery. I guess doral wired it that way so the house bat would get charged without having to have the bat charger on. It was draining life out of our batteries. There was an additional terminal on the bat charger to independently charge another bat. I connected our house bat to that extra terminal so it gets its own charge instead of it always going through the port engine bat. I did install a different bat isolator between the port engine bat and the house bat so it could be charged without the charger having to be on. The house bat life has increased alot since I made that change. I have no idea why doral wired it the way they did. Like I said they lack engineering in some areas.

 

[seanva]

Re: Doral boat problems!!!!

Guys - Sorry to hear about your problems. I have 1 2004 Intrigue with dual Volvo 5.7GXis and duo props. I have to say that I have nothing but positive things to say about Doral and Volvo. I'm going into season eight (8) with almost no problems on the Volvos (knocking on wood). Strong solid engines. I agree finding quality certified techs is hard, but once you find a good one you are set. That said, I have only had a $10 part fail. Of course, I go over the top with making sure any and all maintenance is completed beyond manufacturer recommendations. Boats can take a beating and for me the investment provides peace of mind and additional opportunities to resolve minor issues before they become major.

Doral in my experience has been great. They have covered things I never thought would be cover. In year two I had some faint spots in the headliner. Doral thought it might be some new adhesive they had been using. They offered to ship the entire boat back to Canada and redo the headliner (since to do it right they have to dismantle the top). I ended up passing since it was minor and was not sure if would cause other issues or shorten a season. But A for effort and service. I have freinds with other boats of similar age from Sea Ray and other major brands. They have generally considered the Doral and Volvos better than their experiences with manufacturers and Mercs. With anything, I'm sure there are the good and bad experiences.

I do have to say that my experience is likely the result of a dealer with strong mechanical techs and a good relationship with the dealer. My dealer sadly retired, sold out and closed down a few years ago. As with most companies, it also helps to be a strong advocate for what you want. A well-documented story, solid facts, research, and perseverance always pay off. I never accept "no" and have no issue politely escalating and requesting conference calls with all parties to ensure we are on the same page.

I don?t know if Doral?s change in ownership and the financial troubles that many marine manufacturers encounter have played into you problems. I feel bad that you have had such a rough time. I sincerely hope you will find the right people to get to a resolution.