Buyer Research

2021 Yamaha WaveRunner FX HO — Should You Buy One?

Typical asking price: $11,000–$15,000. This is one of the more reliable vehicles in its class — here's what to watch for anyway.

Kestrel Take

The luxury touring WaveRunner with the naturally aspirated 1.8L HO engine — big, stable, loaded with features, and no supercharger to maintain (unlike its SVHO sibling). One of the best used touring skis you can buy. Hours, flushing, and the electronics package are the inspection.

What we checked

No public record to reconcile against

We don't yet have a public record to check this one against. Boats and personal watercraft are not in NHTSA’s database — that is the Coast Guard, which publishes recalls but no owner-complaint record. 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 2021 Yamaha WaveRunner FX HO

Ranked by wallet impact. These are documented, recurring problems — not freak accidents.

Salt corrosion from poor flushingMedium

Verify use and flushing habits on a saltwater ski.

Repair cost (estimate): $300-$2,000

Source: not yet checked against public records.

Electronics and connected-features faultsMedium

The feature-rich touch dash and connected systems can fault; verify all functions.

Repair cost (estimate): $200-$1,000

Source: not yet checked against public records.

Battery and storage issuesLow

Storage kills batteries and gums fuel.

Repair cost (estimate): $50-$300

Source: not yet checked against public records.

Walk-Away Red Flags

✗Salt use with no flushing
✗Dash or electronics faults
✗Worn wear ring
✗High hours, no service

Good Signs

✓Freshwater or flushed
✓All electronics working
✓Naturally aspirated HO — no supercharger

Found a specific Yamaha WaveRunner FX HO?

This page covers what goes wrong on the 2021 Yamaha WaveRunner FX HO in general. The Kestrel report covers this specific car— the asking price vs. market, the photos, the seller's description, and a BUY / NEGOTIATE / WALK AWAY verdict with a negotiation script.

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Not ready to pay for one? The free read is instant and needs no card — it checks the asking price against the market and names the top issues for this year. It stops short of the verdict, because that needs the photos.

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.