2020 Malibu Wakesetter 23 LSV — Should You Buy One?
Typical asking price: $95,000–$135,000. There is 1 high-severity known issue you need to know before handing over a check.
Kestrel Take
One of the best-selling wake boats ever — the 23 LSV makes a huge, adjustable surf wave, seats a crowd, and holds value like almost nothing in boating. It's also six figures used, so the inspection is serious: engine hours, the ballast and surf systems, and the drivetrain, because these get used hard for surfing. Buy on documentation. A well-kept 23 LSV is a superb, high-resale wake machine.
What we checked
Not checked against public records
Boats are the Coast Guard’s, not NHTSA’s. It publishes a Cases and Campaigns file, but its model and year fields are free text and the recent entries are mostly hull-ID and capacity-label paperwork, so we have not been able to join it to a specific boat honestly yet. What follows is our own write-up, and it has not been reconciled against an official record. Treat it as a starting point, not a verdict.
Known Issues for the 2020 Malibu Wakesetter 23 LSV
Ranked by wallet impact. These are documented, recurring problems — not freak accidents. How we decide that.
Wake boats fill and dump huge water ballast constantly; the pumps, bags, and valves fail and leak. Verify the entire ballast and surf system works and check for water damage.
Repair cost (estimate): $500-$3,000
Source: not yet checked against public records.
The surf-shaping tabs, screens, and electronics are complex; verify all function.
Repair cost (estimate): $500-$3,000
Source: not yet checked against public records.
Inboard drivetrain, prop, shaft, and strut wear from hard use; inspect and verify service.
Repair cost (estimate): $300-$3,000
Source: not yet checked against public records.
Walk-Away Red Flags
- ✗Ballast/surf system faults or leaks
- ✗Very high hours with thin records
- ✗Water damage from ballast leaks
- ✗Drivetrain vibration
Good Signs
- ✓Full ballast/surf system working
- ✓Documented service, reasonable hours for age
- ✓Freshwater, well-stored
More from Malibu
Similar boats & watercraft
2019 Nautique Super Air Nautique G23
$90,000–$140,000
2020 Pursuit DC 266
$110,000–$160,000
2019 Cobia 262 CC
$75,000–$105,000
2019 Boston Whaler 240 Dauntless
$70,000–$100,000
2018 Contender 25S
$65,000–$95,000
2018 Everglades 243 CC
$65,000–$95,000
2019 MasterCraft X22
$65,000–$90,000
2019 Supra SE550
$60,000–$90,000
2020 Grady-White Canyon 271
$130,000–$180,000
2019 MasterCraft NXT22
$60,000–$85,000
2018 Formula 280 SS
$55,000–$82,000
Found a specific Malibu Wakesetter 23 LSV?
This page covers what goes wrong on the 2020 Malibu Wakesetter 23 LSV in general. A free read looks at the one you're considering— it checks that seller's asking price against the market and names the issues that matter most for this exact year.
Get a free read on it →Instant, on the page, no card and no account. The year, make and model come with you — you add the asking price and the mileage.
The free read stops short of a verdict, because that needs the photos. The full report — $7.99 takes your photos and the seller's description, does the fair-offer math, and ends in BUY, NEGOTIATE or WALK AWAY with a negotiation script. Delivered to your inbox, usually within minutes.
Known issues on this page are based on documented owner reports, NHTSA complaints, class-action records, and manufacturer technical service bulletins. Individual vehicles vary. A pre-purchase inspection by a trusted mechanic is always worth doing.
No bullshit, no upsells, no affiliate links. One report, one price — we'll never charge you rent for your own thinking.
Think we got something wrong? Tell us — a real person reads every message.