Taken Straight From the Manufacturers' Own Exclusion Lists
Denied claims are rarely a surprise to the manufacturer. Every one of these is written into the documentation, and four of the five are entirely avoidable.
We do not enjoy telling an owner a claim was denied. It is worth understanding that denials are not arbitrary. Each manufacturer publishes an exclusion list, and the same handful of items account for most of what we see.
1. The Engine Was Never Registered
This one is administrative and it is the most avoidable. Mercury states plainly that warranty coverage is not effective until the product is registered with Mercury Marine. Yamaha begins the limited warranty period at registration for the first owner. Volvo Penta treats commissioning and registration as a condition of coverage validity.
If the selling dealer did not complete registration, or a private sale never transferred it, there may be no active coverage at all regardless of the engine's age. Check this first. It takes five minutes.
2. Maintenance Was Skipped, or Cannot Be Proven
Every program requires maintenance on the published schedule, and the burden of proof is on the owner. Volvo Penta's documentation is the most direct about it: written proof of maintenance according to the prescribed schedule is required for program benefits, and the customer is responsible for keeping the records.
Volvo Penta's exclusion list names lack of, insufficient or incorrect maintenance outright. So does Mercury's conditional language on corrosion coverage.
The failure mode here is not usually neglect. It is an owner who did the work and has nothing to show for it. Keep receipts.
3. The Wrong Fuel
All current Mercury gasoline engines are designed for a maximum of 10 percent ethanol, and Mercury states that coverage on a broad range of repairs becomes void on an engine run on fuel above that. Volvo Penta lists fuel contamination, and use of fuel, oil or lubricants not specified in the operator's manual, as an exclusion.
E15 is at pumps across Texas and it is labeled, but it is easy to grab by accident when you are filling jugs at a road station. A 2011 endurance study using three Mercury outboards resulted in the complete failure of a Verado 300 running high-ethanol fuel. This is not a theoretical risk.
4. Improper Storage, Which in North Texas Means Freeze Damage
Volvo Penta's exclusion list is unusually specific here. Improper storage is excluded, and the document names what that includes: gummed cooling or fuel systems, dried and cracking belts, hoses, impellers, bellows and seals, seized components, corrosion and freeze damage.
Freeze damage appears by name in the manufacturer's own exclusions. Mercury's guidance is consistent, stating that damage from improper storage procedures is not covered under the limited warranty policy.
We are in a climate that produces a handful of hard freezes a year and a lot of owners who assume Texas does not freeze. It does, and a cracked block is a five-figure repair that nobody covers.
5. Work Done by the Wrong Shop, or With the Wrong Parts
Warranty repairs have to be performed by a dealer authorized for that brand. Beyond that, Volvo Penta excludes defects caused by use of parts or chemicals other than genuine Volvo Penta parts, and excludes repair work performed by a workshop other than a Volvo Penta business partner. Alterations and modifications, including changes to software or electronic devices, are also excluded.
This does not mean you cannot do your own routine maintenance. It means what you use and who touches the engine matter, which is worth understanding before you start.
One More That Is Not on Most Lists
Running a boat after you know something is wrong. Volvo Penta excludes defects that became worse because the operator failed to take immediate action after the problem became known, or after a warning indicator activated. Their reporting window is fourteen days from when the defect was first observed.
If an alarm goes off, shut it down and call us. Finishing the day on a warning light can turn a covered repair into an uncovered one.
What the Manufacturer Documentation Says
Manufacturer Sources
- Volvo Penta North America Gas Factory Protection exclusions. Volvo Penta
- Mercury Marine limited warranty. Mercury Marine
- Mercury on E15 fuel. Mercury Marine
- Yamaha Owner Resources FAQ. Yamaha Outboards
Coverage terms, exclusions and service intervals vary by model, model year and how the boat is used, and manufacturers revise them. This article is a general guide, not a statement of your coverage. Confirm the details for your engine against your own documentation and serial number, or call our service department and we will pull them for you. Information current as of the date shown.
Not Sure What Coverage You Have Left?
Bring us your model and serial number and we will pull your registration status, remaining coverage and recorded engine hours while you wait. No charge for the lookup.