Shouldn't this be covered under extended warranty...

The raw water spraying around the bilge from a faulty pump will cause a lot of rust that will look ugly and should be addressed immediately but shouldn’t impact the internal parts of the exhaust.
Were the motors running hot? Were there any other symptoms? How did they diagnose the exhaust?
Not sure how it would impact a transom assembly either.
What is failing in the transom assembly? Is it attributable to galvanic corrosion?
Sounds like you may want to get a second opinion.
Regarding some of the other issues you described: I think it makes a good case for having a survey done on a brand new boat.
 
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Wow, this is somewhat of a bizarre story - if I am reading this right you have a 4-5yr old boat that has had about every major thing go wrong on it that could. I've owned a lot of boats include a 2000 290DA and have had very few problems with any of them - and we are talking 1000+hrs of use on most of them. Worst problem I had was corrosion on my BIII outdrives, my dealer stepped up and fixed it by replacing both drives pretty quick - never lost any boating time. But you are talking about rotted deck core, engine couplers, transom assemblies - things that might need replacing in a 20yr old boat if ever. Yeah there is maintenance on a boat, I have spent plenty of $$ on it. If you ignore it, especially in salt water small problems become big problems pretty quick, but holy smokes, I am not sure you could break this much stuff if you were trying. And some of these things should still be under the manufacture warranty, the generator for example. Can you post some pictures, I am curious as to just how bad these things look - not saying they are not bad, just curious how such a new boat has this many problems. I kinda agree with the post above and wonder if the dealer is not just seeing the golden goose when it comes to repairs and service. I know with our cars, the BS that comes out the dealership service writers sometimes is down right comical, unless you don't know it. I know if I just went with every recommendation without understanding what is really required, I could not afford to own even a basic car. Maybe it's time to talk to SeaRay or Mercruiser directly if you have not already tried to address this with the dealership's management.
 
It is actually bizarre because it is not one thing recurring, it is multiple things. To date these are just some of the issues I have had:

cabin leaks
rotting cabin roof
battery charger failure
steering issues on port side
generator repair X3
gas gauges failed
cabin trim falling off
stereo broke
Trim tab cylinders needed replacement
AC unit needed replacing (Ouch $3500)
Starboard engine end caps leaking
O Rings leaking - replaced
Engine coupler replaced on starboard engine
other things I can't remember - or don't want to remember

....and of course all mentioned in this post
I'm hoping I don't have to throw in the cost of a divorce as my wife is getting fed up with this!!!!
Seems to me you should be communicating with an attorney
 
I agree, sounds like you are being taken for a hell of a ride. That is an incredible list of problems. Need to find a reputable mechanic that has the experience to address your issues. There are some good ones out there that have your best interests (financially) in mind and not just seeing endless $$$$. Like said, shop around and best of luck you get this figured out.
 
Wow. Tragic to read!

I would let them know that you are considering retaining legal counsel. If I had all that go wrong on a new boat, I would be standing on someone's desk at Sea Ray.
 
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Here are the pictures of the transom assembly they sent me. They are meaningless to me but maybe you guys can get something from them
 
The mechanic said water was entering through the assembly?????
 
That's where the swivel shaft seal is. Don't need a transom assembly to fix that.

Do you owe more on this boat than its worth ?
 
I had a raw water pump fail I drove the boat 20 knots and sprayed the inside of the engine room with salt water. The impeller did not fail just the seal between the impeller and bearing.
I put in new pump hosed my engine room down with fresh water and all was fine. Manifolds were not effected. Why did I run 20 knots with a seal gone. Rough water. Figure my life was worth more than an engine. In the end we waited 4 days to have two raw water pumps flown in. In all paid $1100 for two pumps. Now I carry a spare. Get a second opinion on the repairs. If the boat is in the dealers yard you will need to be with the independent mechanic when he looks at your boat. Tell the yard he is your guest.
 
Maybe a cordial call to Sea Ray customer service and a follow up with a write-up of the issues you are dealing with??
You stated that you have routine maintenance done as per the manufacturer's requirements; this is also of value to show to SR customer service.
Question - it seems this corrosion issue has been manifesting for some time; do you not frequently check the engines (like before every time you use the boat)? If you don't what has your mechanic been telling you? Seems with the mess you are describing it should have been picked up with simple visual inspection some time ago.
 
So that is the steering pin like Bt Doctor said, it's actually a pretty common thing on BIII's as they get older. The SS steering pin wears the aluminum gimbal ring and eventually it starts leaking into the boat at the steering arm. If Marine Max had been checking the steering pin clamp bolts (the two at the top of your picture) it might not have happened so soon. There are kits to repair it, or the OEM repair is a new gimbal ring and steering pin - not a whole transom assembly. Would like to see some other pictures, but what you are showing here does not look bad. Starting to think you are getting taken for a ride. Like others have said, maybe time to get another shop or mechanic to look at it. Marine Max is a lot like a car dealership, they are only going to replace parts, not really make repairs.
 
Gimbal ring has nothing to do with the swivel pin seal leaking. The seal fails because of the rust that forms on the swivel shaft and then eats up the seal.
The grease fitting that Bt posted keeps the rust from forming.
 
Gimbal ring has nothing to do with the swivel pin seal leaking. The seal fails because of the rust that forms on the swivel shaft and then eats up the seal.
The grease fitting that Bt posted keeps the rust from forming.

Yeah, agree with all that, but on the BIII if the steering pin gets loose it will wear/wallow the hole in the aluminum gimbal, this makes everything in the steering loose and contributes to the whole problem. That's why keeping the clamp bolts tight is important. It's ashame Mercruiser didn't put a $2 grease fitting on this to begin with, would have prevented a lot of problems.

My point is he does not need a new transom assembly, there are other ways to fix it. I am guessing same with some of his other problems. Dealers replace parts, good mechanics fix things - he needs a good mechanic.
 
I received a call from SeaRay inquiring about my issues. They will be in contact with MarineMax and see if they can help out in any way. I will keep everyone posted.
 
My insurance company claims this is a warranty issue.
My extended warranty says this is an insurance issue.

The good news is that Sea Ray is making a good faith contribution. It won't cover all of the costs but it will be a big help. Sea Ray was very understanding.

I still plan on appealing to my insurance company and may even contact the Attorney General. The insurance company says that the manifolds and risers needed to be replaced anyway at 3 1/2 years. The insides of the risers looked great. There was rust and cracks from the salt water coming from the broken sea pump.
 
I would still find another dealer/mechanic .......
 
This is a crazy story..... I'm curious how many hours are on the boat, How often do you check the engine room and how do you use the boat? I'm not accusing you of neglect or anything. I'm just trying to figure out how all this can happen. I have never heard of anyone having this many problems with a boat this new by any manufacturer. I would definitely find a second opinion. I have never had any dealings with Marine Max but something seems fishy to me. I don't have any experience with salt water either but I can't believe that it can cause this kind of damage between routine maintenance and inspections. I would be interested in what Frank Webster and Rusty think about this thread. If I worked on the inside at SeaRay or Marine Max and saw this thread I would be letting someone know that this needs to be investigated. If I was in the market for a new boat and hadn't had any experience with SeaRay and Marine Max I would definitely be looking at a different brand and dealer . SeaRay is the only kind of boat I have owned (4, except for tenders) so I realize this is not normal, but someone else may not know that. I haven't put 30k in repairs to all 4 of my boats put together. Right now I'm leaning more on Marine Max's fault because my experience with SeaRay has been all quality. Please get another opinion.......Good Luck.....I hope it all works out for you
 
I totally agree with “ididntdoit”. I have been doing all of the repairs and maintenance on all of my boats for over 30 years, you are getting screwed. Forget about a lawyer, won’t help and cost will be HUGE attorney fees. Move on, get a good mechanic or spend a couple thousand in tools, scan tools, shop manuals and do it yourself. Most techs at dealers are just there to make their hours and are great R&R guys, but forget about diagnosis, don’t forget, they get paid on how many hours they flag every week. And, the “Service Advisor” gets paid on how many hours he “sells”. So, basically they are not there to be your friend, they are there to extract as much money as possible from you. Until you say enough is enough, they will continue to do it. Get a new mechanic or do it yourself.

Bow tie
 
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