Complaint Review: PRECISION MARINE

I purchased a 9.9 Johnson outboard engine from Precision Marine on Feb 6th, 2006. After 15 hours of operation I brought it back to Precision Marine for servicing in accordance with the users manual. The engine ran fine when I left it with them.

I picked up the engine on Saturday May 13th at about 10 AM and paid $74.68 by credit card. I had assumed that the engine would be in better condition when I picked it up thatn it was when I delivered it to them. The engine was loaded into the trunk of my car and I went to Beaufort, NC where my boat is docked.

When I got to my boat I installed the engine and started it up. I immediately noticed that the engine was not pumping water through the cooling system. I immediately called Precision Marine, but they close at noon on Saturday. I attempted to telephone Mr. Pulley at home 3 times, but there was no answer. I knew they would not be open on Sunday and I did not want to disturb the Pulleys on Mothers Day so I called them Monday morning.

I spoke with Mr. pulley regarding the cooling system and he alleged that I must have run the engine aground and gotten sand in the cooling system. This was obviously an excuse since I had not even run the engine. If the water pump worked when it was delivered to Precision Marine, the it should have worked when it was returned to me. I followed Mr. pulleys instruction and ran a wire throught the water tube. This made no difference. Mr. Pulley stated that maybe an obstruction broke loose and lodged in the cooling system. In my car trunk and hour after it was picked up? I find this excuse to be a convenient explanation.

I contacted Precision Marine again a few hours later and spoke with Robin. She stated that she would "pull my work order and call me back". I have not heard from her since.

After realizing that Precision Marine was not going to stand behind their work, I took my engine to about 6 different repair shops in Morehead City. When I told them the excuse that Mr. pulley had given me thay just laughed and shook their head. It took me most of the evenning to find a marina that had the time and qualified persons to inspect the engine. According to the repairman, the engine water pump was damaged. The impeller shaft had melted. According to the repairman this is the result of the engine being cranked out of the water.

When I dropped this engine off it ran and pumped water fine. I surely did not crank the engine while it was in my trunk on the way to Beaufort, NC. I don't own an engine dolly, and the only way I have to crank this engine is while it is mounted on the transom. There is no way possible that I could have damaged the water pump. The water pump was already damaged prior to me starting it for the first time. The reason I know this is because it NEVER pumped water. In fact, when I removed the runner tube from the pump, the inside of the tube was dry. Had water been circulating thru the system and the pump failed, the inside of the tube would have been wet.

I took my engine back to Precision MArine because I believe in customer loyalty. I bought the engine from Precision Marine. It certainly would have been much easier for me to have the engine serviced at a marina in Morehead City, where my boat is. Instead, I drove 70 miles to have it sercviced at what I thought was a qualified repair center.

Anthony
GOLDSBORO, North Carolina
U.S.A.