2000 Sea-Doo GTX (947 2-stroke) — Should You Buy One?
Typical asking price: $1,500–$4,000. There are 2 high-severity known issues you need to know before handing over a check.
Kestrel Take
A classic two-stroke Sea-Doo runabout — cheap, powerful for its day, and beloved-then-cursed for the Rotax 947 (951) engine's quirks. As a dirt-cheap lake toy it can be great, or a project. Compression, corrosion, and the notorious carbon-seal and rotary-valve issues are the whole story.
What we checked
Not checked against public records
Personal watercraft fall to the Consumer Product Safety Commission rather than NHTSA. Its recall feed rarely names a specific model year, so we have not wired it in — matching on the brand alone would attach other people’s machines to this page. 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 2000 Sea-Doo GTX (947 2-stroke)
Ranked by wallet impact. These are documented, recurring problems — not freak accidents. How we decide that.
The 951 two-stroke is powerful but known for carbon rotary-valve seal wear and top-end issues. A compression test and knowing the rebuild history are essential.
Repair cost (estimate): $500-$2,000 — around 73% of what this car is typically worth
Source: not yet checked against public records.
A 20-plus-year-old ski, especially in salt, can be heavily corroded internally and externally.
Repair cost (estimate): $300-$2,000 — around 73% of what this car is typically worth
Source: not yet checked against public records.
Old two-stroke carbs and fuel lines deteriorate; expect a rebuild.
Repair cost (estimate): $150-$600
Source: not yet checked against public records.
The aging MPEM module and gauges fail and are pricey to replace.
Repair cost (estimate): $200-$800 — about 29% of what this car is typically worth
Source: not yet checked against public records.
Walk-Away Red Flags
- ✗Low or uneven compression
- ✗Heavy corrosion
- ✗No rebuild history on a 20+ year ski
- ✗Dead MPEM
Good Signs
- ✓Strong, even compression
- ✓Documented top-end and seal work
- ✓Freshwater use, running electronics
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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.
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