Top Class Actions’s website and social media posts use affiliate links. If you make a purchase using such links, we may receive a commission, but it will not result in any additional charges to you. Please review our Affiliate Link Disclosure for more information.
Two plaintiffs have filed a class action lawsuit against Yamaha Motor Corp. USA, alleging that the company manufactured outboard boating motors with a defective aluminum coating that are susceptible to corrosion and premature engine failure.
Florida residents Clifton Mitchell and Keith Johnson filed the Yamaha boat motor class action lawsuit on July 22. They allege that Yamaha should have known about the motor defect and taken steps to provide a remedy for customers who were affected by it.
The proposed members of the Yamaha boat motor class action lawsuit include Florida residents who bought a model year 2000-05 Yamaha first-generation F-Series four-stroke outboard motor for their personal use. The plaintiffs claim that because Yamaha failed to fix the problem with the motor, the Class Members have been forced to either pay thousands of dollars to repair the defect or be stuck with a defective motor that they never would have purchased had they known about the flaw.
Mitchell and Johnson purchased boats with the Yamaha F-Series motors from a boat dealership in Pensacola, Florida. Both plaintiffs were informed about the motor corrosion after they had their boats inspected after approximately 650 hours of recreational use. It cost Mitchell approximately $7,000 to repair the motor, while Johnson experienced close to $3,800 in repair costs.
In their class action lawsuit, the plaintiffs claim that there is either a design or manufacturing defect in the coating on the aluminum exhaust components. They claim that this coating allows hot gasses to corrode the exhaust passages, eventually creating holes in the passages that cause engine problems or failure.
The plaintiffs claim that the expected life of a motor made by a major manufacturer like Yamaha is several thousand hours of usage before failing or requiring significant repairs. According to the class action lawsuit, the affected Yamaha motors sometimes only 500 hours before failing.
The affected Yamaha motors came with a three-year warranty. However, because these motors are marketed for recreational use, most users only average about 100 hours of use per year. As a result, the warranty usually expires before the customer experiences problems with the motor. Because the affected components are within the dry exhaust system, the corrosion takes place within the fully enclosed engine housing and is not visible. Therefore, boaters are unaware that the damage exists until they experience engine problems.
The plaintiffs in the class action lawsuit allege that standard engineering tests should have revealed the motor defect to Yamaha during the design or manufacturing stage of production. Despite receiving numerous complaints about the defect, Yamaha failed to take steps to fix the situation. While Yamaha has changed the coating and created a kit to repair the defect, the kit alone costs $650 and will cost thousands of dollars to implement, the class action lawsuit says. The plaintiffs claim that Yamaha did not notify its customers about the defect or issue any service bulletins or recalls. The class action lawsuit accuses Yamaha of negligence, product liability, and violating the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act. The plaintiffs have requested a trial by jury.
The plaintiffs in the class action lawsuit are represented by Peter J. Mougey and James Kauffman of Levin Papantonio Thomas Mitchell Rafferty & Proctor PA, and by Steven R. Jaffe and Mark S. Fistos of Farmer Jaffe Weissing Edwards Fistos & Lehrman PL.
The Yamaha Boat Engine Coating Class Action Lawsuitis Mitchell, et al. v. Yamaha Motor Corp. USA, case number 3:13-cv-00417, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida.
ATTORNEY ADVERTISING
Top Class Actions is a Proud Member of the American Bar Association
LEGAL INFORMATION IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE
Top Class Actions Legal Statement
©2008 – 2024 Top Class Actions® LLC
Various Trademarks held by their respective owners
This website is not intended for viewing or usage by European Union citizens.
Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Subaru vehicle data collection class action lawsuit investigation
May 17, 2024 | Legal News
94 thoughts onClass Action Lawsuit Targets Yamaha Boat Motor Defect
I have a 2006 Yamaha 300HPDI. 600hrs of recreational use. I have had issues for the last 2 years with what we thought where VST pumps and High pressure filters. After 1800.00$ trying to fix, we pulled the lower unit and found that the exhaust system was completely melted away. Now I am being told it will take an estm of 3-4,000.00 to get this repaired. I would like to join the class action suit and hopefully get my motor fixed. I can be reached at 361-438-7463. If Yamaha is willing to pay for there defective product, I am willing to take it to an Authorized repair shop in Corpus Christi and get the work completed.
How did this situation turn out?
I own a 2009 Yamaha F150 with a defective balancer. The repair is more than $2000. That’s about 1/8 of the motor’s purchase price. This is a well known issue that Yamaha has been avoiding and not dealing directly with the consumers who purchased the motors with this defect. I’m very fortunate the sudden failure didn’t leave me stranded out in the Pacific far from port. Feel free to contact me for any action
Did you resolve your issue with the defective balancer? I am looking at a 2009 Hydra sport w/ twin 150’s with 240 hours.Trying to research any problems these motors may have had.
I just came back from the Yamaha dealer who was inspecting my twin 2006 225 hp Yamaha outboard lower units and he has found melting aluminum in the exhaust stack and he now needs to pull the power heads to see how bad the damage is and whether it is repairable @$4K on each motor and if not it’s new power heads or new motors. The casting melts in 2004-2006 Yamaha’s be accuse of cheap manufacturing. This was corrected in later years but those of us with this earlier motors are at a loss.
Call me too, twin 300 hpdi, 2005, 70 lb compression on every cylinder, 288 hours.(305) 799-5115.
I have a F 200 TXRC 2004 Yamaha Outboard with less than 300 hours. We live in Palm Coast, Florida on the Intracoastal Waterway (salt water) and therefore I have always flushed the motor after every use. Also, from day one, I have complied with the manufacture requirement for engine maintenance, use the motor with care, and carefully clean it after every use. Because of his “tender loving care”, the motor looks new today. In spite of this, unknown to me, internal corrosion was at work and the power-head has now developed a hole in the wall behind the thermostat. My certified marine mechanic has examined it and reports we need a new power head. The replacement cost is estimated between $5,000-$6,000.
On 9/6/2016 I contacted Yamaha and described the above. The customer service representative stated that this is a common problem, but offered no remedy. ??? This is a “MANUFACTURING DEFECT” and they offer no support!
They still have not fixed the issues. Own a 2012 F-150 with 552 hrs total run time. I am anal about maintenance and flushing on the muffs after each use. Battling the corrosion behind the thermostat, just used a Dremel Tool with several wire brush attachments to take it to bare aluminum and coated with Aircraft Grade Zinc Chromate. Time will tell.
I would like to join the law suit, I have a 2005, 150 4 stroke with balancer issues, and internal corrosion, we are only owners of this engine and we have services every yr,,
We have a 2005 90HP OB and have had nothing but problems, very hard to start (from the first day we put it in the water – has to be primed with engine cowling off), will not idle, runs rough or not at all. Most of the time it will not start if the prop is in water. Makes it hard to use a boat. We have had to have it towed back in several times and pull it back up onto the trailer using ropes. Took it to a Yamaha authorized service center 4 different time while still on warranty and they told us there was nothing wrong with it except that we werent using it enough. ??? At this point we have approx. 100 hrs on this boat because we cant get it to run in water and we are afraid to go anywhere with it for fear of being stranded on the lake. Last summer we spent almost $1,000 to have the carbs rebuilt and the engine serviced and the second time we took it out on the lake, we had the same problems. In addition, once you get the engine to run, it will rev up and roar and the you cant kill it by turning the key or pulling the kill switch. It sounds like its going to blow up. Count us in on a lawsuit – I have all the documentation and witnesses necessary.
Looking at a boat with twin 250 2005. Have spoken to sone people outthere and they told me corrosion problem was on the 225hp. Is that true? Should I stay away from that engines?
I have twin 250 Yamaha 4 strokes, my problem is that the engines stall out at low speed and at idle. I then have to go and prime the fuel balls and restart the engine. This happens often and is a real nuisance. I have tried everything including changing both fuel pumps and filters and problem won’t go away. Best Yamaha mechanic in Montauk N.Y can’t figure it out. Can anyone help. Joe
Your sucking in exhaust gases under the cowling from a leak and it smothers the motor.
Please include me with these actions. I have a 2005 225 hp with 700 hours when my mechanic discovered the exhaust issues last spring in the lower part. This year it was the upper part of the exhaust. Cost 2015 $4,000 2016 $3,500. Thank you