Are Malibu Boats Reliable & Good? (Helpful Tips)

Malibu Boats is an American manufacturer of watersports boats that was founded in California in 1982.

Today, Malibu is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of wakesurf, wakeboard, and ski boats, and they are now recognized as the builder of one out of every two tow-boats worldwide.

If you’re looking for a fun boat, then read on!

Are Malibu Boats Any Good?

Malibu Boats is mainly used for water skiing, tubing, and wakeboarding, so they need to perform at a high level every time. While Malibu Boats are not cheap, they have a reputation as a boat you can count on and deliver top performance every single time.

A Brief History Of Malibu Boats

Malibu Boats began in 1982, when a group of six friends, who shared a passion for waterskiing, got together and designed and started to build a new style of watersport boat.

They went on to build, and sell, more than 100 boats within their first year of operation.

In 1986, Malibu introduced an Employee Stock Ownership Program, which ensured staff loyalty and contributed to a higher quality of craftsmanship and greater creative input within their boats’ production.

By 1989, Malibu had become one of the largest boat manufacturers in California, with a manufacturing output of 1200 boats per year. They were awarded the “Product Excellence Award for Value” by Powerboat Magazine – the first of many.

In 1992, Malibu Boats expanded by building a new production facility in Loudon, Tennessee, to keep up with the increased demand east of the Mississippi River, and in 1994 production began in New South Wales, Australia.

By 2002, Malibu was “arguably the largest custom ski boat manufacturer in the world.” In 2006, the company was acquired by Black Canyon Capital who was their primary investor. The company still manufactures its boats in its three locations and employs more than 700 people worldwide.

How Reliable Are Malibu Boats?

As a boater or a water sports enthusiast, you look forward to getting back on the water as the weather gets warmer.

However, there is always that trepidation of getting the boat out and starting the engine for that first time – is it going to start?

Malibu prides itself on having one of the most reliable engines on the market. All Malibu Boats come equipped with an inboard engine that has been specifically designed and engineered by Malibu.

The new Malibu Monsoon engines, the M5Di, M6Di, and the LT4, were developed to offer unparalleled performance, efficient fuel consumption, reliability, and a quieter engine. These new engines are only available when you purchase a Malibu Boat.

How Durable Are Malibu Boats?

In 1993, Malibu Boats introduced their Fiberglass Engine Chassis System (FibECS), which meant that they got rid of any wooden stringers in the build.

This patented system provides the strength and durability of fiberglass with the sound dampening quality that wood provides. Since the introduction of this new system, Malibu says it has encountered no structural defects in its engine chassis system, and that’s with more than 30,000 boats that have been built!

In addition, Malibu Boats were the first boatbuilding company to introduce a limited lifetime warranty on their hull, decks, and stringers.

However, this limited lifetime warranty is worth nothing if you don’t look after your boat.

If you leave it outside in all weathers, don’t put vinyl protectant on the upholstery, clean and buff the hull after each use, don’t do the required maintenance as prescribed in the manual, ride it hard, and put it away wet, you will have problems.

To sum it up, if you take care of your boat, your boat will take care of you.

What About Older Malibu Boats?

As Malibu has made so many boats, plenty of older models are available; the oldest Malibu boat we found for sale was from 1987!

Since 1995, Malibu stopped using any wood to construct their boats, so wood rot was not an issue moving forward. However, rotten stringers should not be an issue if a boat older than 1995 has been well looked after.

If you take a look at the Malibu forums, there are many owners of older boats still singing their praises, with one member saying:

“A friend of mine has a 98 Response LX that I have driven and skied behind, and it is still an excellent boat. I have only slalomed behind it, but from behind, I can’t tell the difference between the 98 and my 2002 LX.”

[Source: Malibu Forums]

Do They Still Make Parts For Older Models?

Unfortunately, Malibu Boats have stopped making parts for their old models.

However, if you contact them or your dealer, there may be some inventory still available. In addition, there are many online spare part dealers where you may find parts for older models.

Another good source for spare parts for older models is sites like eBay.com or skiboatpartsonline.com, or you can even contact your local secondhand boat dealer or boat scrapyard.

You’d be surprised by how much inventory for older boats they carry.

What Are Typical Problems With Malibu Boats?

Like any boat brand, Malibu has its fans and detractors, and as they have made so many boats, there are bound to be a few problems with quality control sometimes.

However, overall, Malibu has a reputation for building strong, quality boats.

The following is a small list of the most common problems with Malibu Boats:

• Gel coat cracks
• Interior upholstery (vinyl) cracks and stitching comes loose
• Ignition and electrical issues
• Weak, loose, or broken wakeboard towers

As Malibu offers one of the best warranties in the sport boat market, most of the problems with new boats will be fixed by their network of highly trained dealerships. In addition, Malibu has a Warranty Department, but it also has a separate Customer Service Department.

The purpose of both is to provide exceptional customer service. When a customer calls Malibu Boats for a warranty issue or general inquiry, an operator will put the customer through to the relevant department. 

They then get to speak to a technician or an engineer about their particular problem or inquiry.

In addition, the Customer Service Department is there to gather information about customer satisfaction and get feedback from the customer on how Malibu can better their product and how the dealer can give better service. This information is invaluable to Malibu for product development and innovation.

How Long Do Malibu Boats Last When Compared To Similar Brands?

Malibu Boats is one of the top three wake, surf, or sport boats alongside Mastercraft and Nautique.

While Malibu Boats is the ‘baby’ of these three boatbuilding companies (Mastercraft has been around since 1968 and Nautique since 1961), they still compare well.

There are plenty of secondhand Malibu Boats on the market, but just like with any brand, how well it has been looked after is more important than the actual brand itself. Malibu Boats is not a cheap brand, and they are known to use top-quality marine parts, components, and materials.

So if you take good care of your Malibu Boat, there is no reason why it won’t last you a lifetime.

Do Malibu Boats Hold Their Value?

If you are thinking about buying a boat as an investment, then think again.

New boats typically lose between 30 – 40% in value within the first year and then around 5% for the next 2 – 3 years before the depreciation flattens out. The real value of any boat is how much fun you have on the water and the memories you make, which are priceless.

Despite Malibu being at the top end of their niche, Malibu Boats are no different from any other brand and will not depreciate any faster than normal as long as the boat has not been driven hard and has been well looked after. 

Top tip: If you are worried about taking the knock on a new boat, we suggest looking at the same model, which is about 3 – 4 years old with low hours or usage. Hopefully, the first owner has ironed out any ‘new boat niggles’ and even added some extras. 

Are Malibu Boats Still Being Made?

Malibu is still building some of the world’s best wakesurf, wakeboard, and waterski boats around.

While the company began in Merced, California, in 1982, it opened a new manufacturing plant in Loudon, Tennessee, in 1992, where it is currently headquartered.

By 1994, the company started manufacturing its boats under license in Arbury, New South Wales, Australia, to meet increasing demand.

Today the company manufactures a line of 11 Malibu Boats in their three manufacturing plants, plus a range of the more affordable Axis Wake Boats.

Final Thoughts

Malibu Boats is regarded in the industry as a high-quality boat manufacturer.

Malibu has developed a competitive edge that stems from the strength of its brand, which has become known for premium performance and attention to quality within the wakesurf, wakeboard, and water ski boat industry.

Malibu Boats has positioned itself at the high end of the market and has a strong customer loyalty, with purchasers coming back to buy new boats time and time again. They are widely recognized for their continuing innovation, style, ease of use, and overall high performance.

So, yes, we can say Malibu Boats are reliable and good!

References:

Malibu Boats

Malibu Boats – Wakeboarding Magazine