2023 R4 cracks starting

[mike6681]

Bought a new 23 R4 we put 89 hrs on it this summer. Been a great so far having some little stuff addressed under warranty next week. Has anyone else noticed fiberglass gelcoat cracks underneath where the front seats rest. Hardly ever have any one up front my 7 and 9 girls from time to time. But just concerned about the cracks right where the back of the seat and the bottom rest on the fiberglass on both sides of the boat are cracking.

[dsthomas]

There have been a lot of us with fiberglass spider cracks. I've had two that were repaired and under warranty on my 22 R8S. Mine were on the outside gunwale just above the rub rail on the port and starboard side. I haven't noticed any inside the actual boat. I look for them like a hawk now that I had the two pop up.

[Krob1114]

It seems to me like most of these types of issues have been post-covid.

[dsthomas]

It seems to me like most of these types of issues have been post-covid.

Yes the grand majority of the ones I've heard about have been on model year 2021 and newer.

[Sumgai]

It seems to me like most of these types of issues have been post-covid.

well, in 2022 Cobalt ran a few help-wanted advertisements: May 16, June 22 and July 12, 2022. I'm sure these new folks will build 'em as good as the old hands, in a couple of years or so. Or, Malibu may just move the entire Cobalt plant to Tennessee (instead of just the small Cobalts) as announced this month

The company announced Monday it will invest $75 million and create 770 jobs over the next five years. Malibu Boats will locate some of its Cobalt boat brand production operations to an existing facility in the Roane Regional Business and Technology Park. Production and hiring are anticipated to begin in the first quarter of 2024.

We live in interesting times.
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