2020 Mirage Drive Recall

I was at CCK yesterday and was informed at Hobie is recalling 2020 mirage drives due to a welding issue.

Don’t have too many other details yet.

I was at CCK yesterday and was informed at Hobie is recalling 2020 mirage drives due to a welding issue.

Don’t have too many other details yet.

There's no hobie recall listed on CPSC recall website.

I was at CCK yesterday and was informed at Hobie is recalling 2020 mirage drives due to a welding issue.

Don’t have too many other details yet.

What part on a mirage drive is welded?

I was told it’s for the new kick up fins

I was told it’s for the new kick up fins

Yeah this is for the new kick up fins.

What part on a mirage drive is welded?

Apparently there is a welded section that is not visible from the outside. It is fully contained inside the plastic casing.

Any more info on this? Just curious as to what the problem was and how it was resolved?

I picked up one of the first 2020 Revos to be sold by CCK.  A couple weeks later they called and informed me that there was a recall on the drive.  Yes, it is a weld issue with one of the parts, a pin I believe, in the new Kick-Up Fins Mirage Drive.   A call to Hobie confirmed this.  Not sure if the pin wasn't welded in the first place or the weld failed.

The customer service from Hobie and CCK was outstanding.  First, CCK told me that they were receiving a shipment of updated drives form Hobie and when they were in I would receive a call and be able to exchange my drive for a new one.  They would ship postage free if necessary.
 
Within a couple of days of CCK calling I received a letter from Hobie with notification of the recall and instructions for an exchange.  I went online and confirmed the my info with Hobie.  Less than a week later I received a shipping box with prepaid postage to send my recalled drive back.  The accompanying letter said that I would receive the updated drive within a week of them receiving my recalled drive.  This wasn't necessary as I received a call from CCK letting me know that they had the updated drives in the shop.  Of course I went straight down and made the exchange.  Easy peasy!

As far as the issue with the drives I was told that they had two drives fail prompting he recall.  They were not failures of drives that had been sold and being used by consumers.  These drives were being tested under arduous conditions and had many hours of intentional abuse.  The rep at Hobie told me that the correct remedy for the situation was to initiate a recall even though they didn't anticipate drive failures in the consumer world. 

That being said, a couple drives failed so never say never.  ALWAYS carry a spare paddle when peddeling or paddling.

Either way, if you have a recalled drive, the exchange should go smoothly.  As I stated before the customer service and turn around time were exceptional.

Hope this helps,
Pau

Thanks Numba for the Link. Here's how you can tell if you are affected.

Step 2: There is a cavity on the underside of the Boom that is exposed when the fin is folded back. Check directly underneath Boom in the cavity. If you see red dot and/or an “A” embossed under either of the fins, no further action is needed (see image below). If there is not a red dot or an embossed “A”, please register your 2020 Hobie kayak here: https://www.hobie.com/product-registration/ and we will contact you to make arrangements to update your Drive. More details below on the process to send your existing Drive to Hobie for updates.

Thanks Numba for the Link. Here's how you can tell if you are affected.

Step 2: There is a cavity on the underside of the Boom that is exposed when the fin is folded back. Check directly underneath Boom in the cavity. If you see red dot and/or an “A” embossed under either of the fins, no further action is needed (see image below). If there is not a red dot or an embossed “A”, please register your 2020 Hobie kayak here: https://www.hobie.com/product-registration/ and we will contact you to make arrangements to update your Drive. More details below on the process to send your existing Drive to Hobie for updates.

I picked up my Outback last month, and already had replaced kick-up fin.
When you get the kickup fins (non 360), make sure to register your drive and check the red (or A) mark on the drive.

Naoaki

Thanks for the information.  I bought my 2020 Outback on January 13th.  Just inspected my drive and I have the red dot and "A" on the cavity. 

Really glad to hear that Hobie stands behind their product.

It's kinda weird they called it an update and not a recall. There are some videos I encountered while doing research of kayaks with the new drives where the fins become loose after some use from customers. They also talk about the process of exchanging the drive in the video.

thanks for posting this.  I just got my 2020 revo 13 and seems I need to get the drive fixed.