You think new Mercury outboards are reliable? Think again!

[waterinthefuel]

I've always been a Mercury fan and I'm a mechanic so I know stuff can just "break" but this is unacceptable.

My neighbor bought a brand new Sun Tracker 22 foot barge with a brand spanking new 2017 Mercury 150 four stroke on the back. Absolutely immaculate. Bought it brand new at the boat show a few weeks ago. A few days ago they took it out for the first time. The whole family in their swimsuits, loading their towels, etc. We even walked by them walking our dogs and wished them the best. That's when hell broke loose, literally.

The brand new engine had 3 hours on it and it suddenly froze up. They had to be towed in. Come to find out, a valve spring gave dumping the valve into the cylinder destroying the engine. I was awestruck. I've never heard of that happening to ANY new outboard.

Needless to say, Mercury is hanging a brand new engine on the back of the boat. An $11,000 dollar outboard lasted 3 hours. Unbelievable.

 

[dingbat]

Had a friend have two 275hp verados go boom out of the box.

First one took an undisclosed failure and replaced at less than six months old.Its replacement bit a grenade (hole in the block) 3 weeks later. The third now has 1250 hrs going on it's third season

 

[bruceb58]

It can happen to any mechanical device. Not surprised and I wouldn't stay away form Mercury because of this one incident.

A valve spring breaks! Could happen to any brand of engine. And guess what...the company that makes those valve springs likely makes springs for a lot more other brands of engines!

 

[roscoe]

Totally unacceptable especially since the whole family was in their swimsuits.

 

[tpenfield]

Must have been the swim suits . . .

Everyone knows you are supposed the wear cargo pants until you get out on the water.

 

[Scott Danforth]

if its man made, it will fail.

warranty will cover infantile failures like this. these failures are not common and not restricted to any brand.

 

[jerryjerry05]

Happens to Yamahas too.
Oh yea get a Ficht.

 

[ajgraz]

...We even walked by them walking our dogs and wished them the best. That's when hell broke loose, literally...

Hey wait...are you some kind of sorceror? Or at least, a gypsy?

 

[waterinthefuel]

They had the boat and truck parked out on the street where they were loading. We just walked by them and noticed them getting ready to go.

You never heard of that happening 30 years ago. Of course thats when outboards were all simple reliable 2 strokes. Yea they smoke, but they run. Forever.

 

[bruceb58]

We even walked by them walking our dogs and wished them the best. That's when hell broke loose, literally.

If you do that next time to them, they will probably just turn around and go home.

You never heard of that happening 30 years ago. Of course thats when outboards were all simple reliable 2 strokes.

Yes, pretty hard for a valve spring to break on a 2 stroke.

 

[Chinewalker]

Oh, it happened in the old days, too. My Dad had a brand new Mark 30H racing engine that he bought in 1957. First time out, testing and breaking it in a bit, it seized up. Come to find out, the needle valve seat in the top carb had loosened and backed out, preventing proper fueling in the top two cylinders. It ran lean and stuck a piston. Being a racing motor, Mercury wouldn't cover it under warranty. The dealer he bought it from stood behind it, though, and ordered him a new block and piston on their dime. Dad took the parts, but declined their offer to rebuild the powerhead and did it himself.

 

[Sylva-Ranger]

You have many more chances to experiment stranges or inexplicable problems whit a brand new unit, than on a motor that run for 10 years !

 

[JimS123]

You never heard of that happening 30 years ago. Of course thats when outboards were all simple reliable 2 strokes. Yea they smoke, but they run. Forever.

Yeah right. I had 2 brand new OBs that failed in the first year, and know of a couple others. And 40 years ago they were ALL pretty crappy. Now 60 years ago is a different story.

 

[jimmbo]

Engineers try to design products that are well made and durable, then the accountants get involved and start downgrading until the design is barely functional, but far more profitable, in both initial build and increased replacement part sales

 

[muskyfins]

They had the boat and truck parked out on the street where they were loading. We just walked by them and noticed them getting ready to go.

You never heard of that happening 30 years ago. Of course thats when outboards were all simple reliable 2 strokes. Yea they smoke, but they run. Forever.

30 years ago the world was a much much smaller place. No forums like this to hear about all the problems...

 

[jimmbo]

Yeah right. I had 2 brand new OBs that failed in the first year, and know of a couple others. And 40 years ago they were ALL pretty crappy. Now 60 years ago is a different story.

There are quite a few 40 yr old outboards still running, I doubt the same percentage of todays crop will still be running in 2057

 

[82rude]

muskyfins bingo!

 

[JimS123]

There are quite a few 40 yr old outboards still running, I doubt the same percentage of todays crop will still be running in 2057

Maybe yes, maybe no. Let's just wait and see...

 

[JimS123]

30 years ago the world was a much much smaller place. No forums like this to hear about all the problems...

No forums for sure. But many of us had a local trusted mechanic and we trusted what he had to say. Mine wouldn't work on a ***** and advised us to buy a +++++ or look for a low hours older model.

 

[bruceb58]

There are quite a few 40 yr old outboards still running, I doubt the same percentage of todays crop will still be running in 2057

Why not? I would think a greater percentage will be running.