List of Issues You've Had with your Nitro/Tracker

[NitroAdmin]

Please list all the issues you have had with your Nitro/Tracker, it would be helpful too if you listed the year/model too.

Doesn't have to be part failure either, could be your own fault or just dumb luck.

 

[NYBassman]

Since I've owed my 1993 Tracker Magna 17 DC, it's been relatively trouble free. But it's 30 yrs old and issues have popped up. Worst was trailer frame broke and had to be welded together. It lives outdoors and takes on water and snow load. I know the Vro pump went twice before me, speedo never worked, start switch, which is discontinued went bad, starter this year. Biggest complaint is plywood gave up last year, gotta replace when it warms up outside and boat has sagged over the years, walk through windshield no longer closes properly.

 

[Loafer]

2019 V19 Tracker Tournament Edition
Cracks near windshield on both consoles.
Lower locker gets wet during rain.
Decking screws need to be tightened all the time.
Pedestal for seat gets stuck in base.
Glove compartment always leaks when raining.
Screws stripped were jump seat platform screws into back deck along hinge.

 

[Timmer]

I have a 2021 Nitro ZV19 Sport Pro. The only issue I have had is the main control panel buttons going dark and not working. The main power button still works. The problem can last minutes to hours but always works eventually. I have had the problem for 2 years and looked at it numerous times - followed all wires and made sure there were no kinks, reseated all conections, checked the power source, etc. The replacement part isn't cheap so I'm going to see if it was magically resolved in storage over the winter. I highly doubt it of course.

The only real complaint I have with my boat is that pulling wire for any additional accessories is nearly impossible. They must build it with the top hull apart from the bottom hull. There is no slack in any wiring or cables. For example, I can take the screws off my throttle handle panel but I can only crack it open a centimeter and slide it back an inch or two towards the back fo the boat. I can't get into it open enough to disconnect anything or gain access to the space for pulling wire. Further, in the future, should anything fail, I have no idea how me or anyone else will be able to fix it.

 

[T-Raven0u5]

The only issue that I’ve had with my 2022 Tracker 175 TXW is the little push light on the console works intermittently. It’s been a great boat. Scalloped and fished for nearly every freshwater fish in my area.

 

[SuthernBoy]

2022 Nitro Z19 Sport. Only issue is speedo never works. Ive unclogged the hole on motor. Helped a little.

Only regret is not getting a bass boat instead of the sport as I fish more than I have kids or friends on boat. Will trade in eventually.

 

[Z-Man 21XL]

2022 Z21Xl--I've had 2 minor issues with the actual boat itself. (The little horn and power button covers flew off going across the lake. It was a nightmare for my local tracker shop to track down the exact parts which the cover are the same but there is also a decal that goes on it for both. On the trailer I had both left rear brake caliper guide bolts fall out causing damage to the wheel with the caliper making contact with it. I suspect that no lock-tight was placed on the threads at the factory as the cause. Other suspension and hub issues that others have reported were averted by upgrading the suspension to HD aftermarket parts and swapping out the junk plastic hub caps with metal ones.

 

[92 Nitro 190dc Owner]

I have a 1995 Nitro 190 dc with a 1992 Evinrude 150hp. The only issues that I have had is that some of the compartment lids fit too tight and the oil injection on the engine was beginning to cause the engine to run poorly. I replaced the oil injection with a standard setup with oil added to the gas tank. Any other issues are caused by the previous owner or normal wear and tear. The trailer is another story... the axle caused excessive wear on the inside of each tire and one wheel bearing consistently would fail after two years. I replaced the axle.

 

[DONAOL]

Please list all the issues you have had with your Nitro/Tracker, it would be helpful too if you listed the year/model too.

Doesn't have to be part failure either, could be your own fault or just dumb luck.

First off Thank you for giving us a chance to post our boat problems or quality issues. I own: 2021 NITRO Z19 SPORT. 1. Damaged Passenger Side Dash, Hole in the dash. Also scratches. 2. Damaged Bimini Top Frame. Also screw missing. 3. Gasoline Blows Back Out of gas filling line when gas cap is opened. Fire and Explosion Hazard. 4. Water pressure gauge lens fell off. 5. Mercury Stainless Steel Prop Rusting one month old. No salt water use. 6. Radio slides down out of place. Exposed wires hang down near floor. 7. Wires hanging down under driver’s side. 8. Motor Oil leaking from lower engine seal. 9. Over spray. Black paint on white dash both sides. 10. Water leaking into hull. Live well hose clamp loose after serviced. 11. Rear carpets Not flat on floor. Trip Hazard. 12. 3 Cup Holder Rings fell off. 13. Mooring Cover leaks. No Waterproofing done. 14. Large amounts of debris in hull of boat. Both fiberglass, plastic and metal. Especially around the bilge pump. 15. Boat still leaking after repairs. 16. Lost money on boat repairs and testing by service center. 17. Carpet molding in bow coming off. 18. Trailer Frame Rusting from day one. 19. Carpet screws pulled out of floor. 20. Boat letters and numbers wrinkled. 21. Center boat plastic cover warped. Trip Hazard. 22. Rusting Trailer Wheels all. 23. Rod locker dose not open high enough. 24. Radio and Battery Charges Manuals missing. 25. More over spray paint issues. 26. Alternator gauge not working. 27. Radio trim ring peeling. 28. Ski Locker Hatch cover piston broke off. 29. Rug snap ring pulled thru rug. 30. Glove box cover now rattling after passenger dash replaced. 31. Fuel level gauge broken. 32. Water leaking into bilge again at higher speed. 33. Paint bleeding thru. Thin layer white over black. Have picture of most of the problems. Also was sold a 150 mercury that I thought was new and turned out to be 1 year and 3 months older. That’s a lot of problems for a 3 year old $40,000 boat. Spent my own money fixing some of these problems with no compensation. Had so many issues in the first two months I asked Nitro for a new boat. No reply on that request. By the way. The Tracker Center nicknames these boats “PANDEMIC BOATS “ because of all the problems with them.

 

[Andy D]

2005 Nitro NX-750. Problems with the boat, broke a steering cable at WOT so I replaced it with a Bay Star hydraulic set up rated for 150 HP max. I have owned it for 10 years and am quite pleased. The motor that came on it was a 2006 115 OptiMax and it was grossly under powered. I repowered to a 2014 150 Pro XS this year and all I can say is "DAMN". Full gas, live well, all my stuff, 3 batteries and a passenger doesn't matter, when I hit the throttle she jumps right up on plane. I'm running a CMC 6" manual jack plate and have the prop 4" below the pad. I settled on a 24P Trophy and have hit 65 GPS but have to back off because of chine. I been driving it for about 3 months now and can cruise at 58 and keep it under control. FYI, the 2014 6 cylinder150 Pro XS weighs the same as the 6 cylinder 135 it was rated for.

 

[Airbear72]

Please list all the issues you have had with your Nitro/Tracker, it would be helpful too if you listed the year/model too.

Doesn't have to be part failure either, could be your own fault or just dumb luck.

My 2017 Z21 is having electrical gremlins that I think are related the bus network between the bow panel, console panel and Bilge panel located in the Bilge. All 3 are on one bus that sends signals to lights, pumps, trim, fan, Bilge. There is no way to determine the problem at the board level other than to swap out very expensive parts. Thr actual problem is my big motor would randomly trim up. To stop this I had to remove the blue trim pin from the connector under the console. That was the output to the trim. I am not going to even go into Spyder Controls snd BPS parts not matching and the variations of each module based the boats build year and its serial number within that year. That's my rant, problem and work around.

 

[Duane Mauzy]

Please list all the issues you have had with your Nitro/Tracker, it would be helpful too if you listed the year/model too.

Doesn't have to be part failure either, could be your own fault or just dumb luck.

I bought my 2008 Z7 in 2009 with 19 hours. Powered by a Merc 150 Optimax.
Mechanical problems with the boat and motor has been minimal, just the normal stuff batteries, impeller pump, and general maintenance.

The trailer has been the main issue. The slide bolt for the caliper backed out and fell out. When that happened I hit a pot pole and the caliper popped out against the wheel wiping out tge bearings and damaging the wheel. $750 and two weeks later the new cc axle arrived. My trailer is not the only trailer, My buddies trailer had multple Issues and he finally purchased a aftermarket tandem trailer from Bud’s Motorsports near Conway, MO.

His caliper pin can out but he did not have the issue I had. He has went through multiple bearings, we believe the trailer is underrated for the weight of the boat and gear.

Duane

 

[Larry Davis]

I have a 2007 Nitro 591. Several electrical issues with both the boat and trailer, have completely rewired both. I replaced the trailer bearings several times and finally got rid of the disc brake hubs (brakes never worked worth a darn anyway) and went with a standard hub, no problems since. I agree with the previous writer, I think this boat was too heavy for the trailer provided. Service has NOT been very helpful, keep telling me it's an old boat and parts are not available anymore.

 

[Tim_C]

2018 Z18 single console, 175HP 2-strk. I bought used with just 47 hrs on the motor.
1. the drain plug is loosely fitted and leaks - I have to add teflon tape to stop water coming in.
2. The entire ignition switch came loose, such that turning the key did nothing. Fortunately, I found the ring nut on the floor board and re-installed and tightened it.
3. The trailer brake lock-out solenoid went bad resulting in blowing fuses on my truck. I ordered and replaced the solenoid.
4. One bank of the NOCO 2 bank charger went bad about 2 wks after I got the boat.

 

[Matt Wilson]

Please list all the issues you have had with your Nitro/Tracker, it would be helpful too if you listed the year/model too.

Doesn't have to be part failure either, could be your own fault or just dumb luck.

2018 Z19 Sport 2 stroke 200hp Pro XS red front white back gray interior. Live on a Texas lake- lots of hours but not sure how many (see #1)

My nitro has been amazing, completely reliable with startup barely after key turn. No smoke, hauls ass, paint is perfect, interior has no malfunctions, wires, loose parts, etc. (until #4 in August of 23)

With that said my Keystone Fuzion 419 is a bucket of **** with an unending desire to be at the dealership for repairs - 1 win / 1 loss for me.


1. No hours meter. Not an issue as requested, but an issue to me
2. Trolling/ electronics battery - I’m on my 3rd battery after the OEM was replaced under warranty. So 5 batteries. Still running with the OEM starter battery. All batteries trickle charged when not in use.
3. Gas blow back when fueling or opening cap. Random, no way to document why. Not currently doing it this season.
4. Entire transmission exploded internally causing boat to only operate in forward regardless of throttle position. Rammed my boat dock at about 10mph (while trying to park) with full boat, luckily no one was injured. Required a new transmission with repair shop saying never seen that before. Some pin at top of gears wriggle out and let the gears loose inside unit.

 

[Matt Wilson]

2018 Z19 Sport 2 stroke 200hp Pro XS red front white back gray interior. Live on a Texas lake- lots of hours but not sure how many (see #1)

My nitro has been amazing, completely reliable with startup barely after key turn. No smoke, hauls ass, paint is perfect, interior has no malfunctions, wires, loose parts, etc. (until #4 in August of 23)

With that said my Keystone Fuzion 419 is a bucket of **** with an unending desire to be at the dealership for repairs - 1 win / 1 loss for me.


1. No hours meter. Not an issue as requested, but an issue to me
2. Trolling/ electronics battery - I’m on my 3rd battery after the OEM was replaced under warranty. So 5 batteries. Still running with the OEM starter battery. All batteries trickle charged when not in use.
3. Gas blow back when fueling or opening cap. Random, no way to document why. Not currently doing it this season.
4. Entire transmission exploded internally causing boat to only operate in forward regardless of throttle position. Rammed my boat dock at about 10mph (while trying to park) with full boat, luckily no one was injured. Required a new transmission with repair shop saying never seen that before. Some pin at top of gears wriggle out and let the gears loose inside unit.

5. Ski door in floor has never worked. Screws from piston strip out. Tried to relocate into better spot just can’t find it.
6. Proposing under load of 4-5 people. Finally figured out how to drive it. Not sure if that my fault or not. But boat is obviously read end heavy under every circumstance.

 

[DONAOL]

Since I've owed my 1993 Tracker Magna 17 DC, it's been relatively trouble free. But it's 30 yrs old and issues have popped up. Worst was trailer frame broke and had to be welded together. It lives outdoors and takes on water and snow load. I know the Vro pump went twice before me, speedo never worked, start switch, which is discontinued went bad, starter this year. Biggest complaint is plywood gave up last year, gotta replace when it warms up outside and boat has sagged over the years, walk through windshield no longer closes properly.

Honestly, considering its stored outside for 30 years looks like your boat has held up really well.

 

[DONAOL]

2018 Z19 Sport 2 stroke 200hp Pro XS red front white back gray interior. Live on a Texas lake- lots of hours but not sure how many (see #1)

My nitro has been amazing, completely reliable with startup barely after key turn. No smoke, hauls ass, paint is perfect, interior has no malfunctions, wires, loose parts, etc. (until #4 in August of 23)

With that said my Keystone Fuzion 419 is a bucket of **** with an unending desire to be at the dealership for repairs - 1 win / 1 loss for me.


1. No hours meter. Not an issue as requested, but an issue to me
2. Trolling/ electronics battery - I’m on my 3rd battery after the OEM was replaced under warranty. So 5 batteries. Still running with the OEM starter battery. All batteries trickle charged when not in use.
3. Gas blow back when fueling or opening cap. Random, no way to document why. Not currently doing it this season.
4. Entire transmission exploded internally causing boat to only operate in forward regardless of throttle position. Rammed my boat dock at about 10mph (while trying to park) with full boat, luckily no one was injured. Required a new transmission with repair shop saying never seen that before. Some pin at top of gears wriggle out and let the gears loose inside unit.

My Z19 Sport blew gas out of the fill line also. The gasoline it me chin high, down my shirt and pants. It only does this when it’s warm or hot out. So I only fill up my boat mostly in the morning when it’s cooler out. Tracker service center replaced some parts in the tank. But now just crack open the gas cap to vent the vacuum air pressure. I would definitely contact White River Marine as I did. It’s a fire hazard. As I stated to them if a car did this there would be a national recall. Email them so notification is documented.

 

[Ltwrangler]

2019 tracker Targa V19 combo with 175 merc.
Gas gauge very inaccurate , still reads full after using 18 gallons
Loose hose clamps in bilge
Battery breaker switch just lying on battery
Pedestal screws always have to be tightened
Seat post are very difficult to remove
Seat post allow the seat to slowly lower and won’t stay at a fixed height
Boat cover starts to come apart after one year
One of the axle bearing had water in it the first year of use
Boat requires a lot of track correction at slow 5 mph speeds

But still love the boat.

 

[South Texas Joe]

2015 Z9 Mercury 250 pro XS. Gas gauge in the dash quit working after a month had it replaced under warranty. Boat would Chine Walk over 70 mph , motor was set 1 inch too low from the factory, raising it solved the issue . Been a great boat overall and still is.