Repair event cycle times (RECT) at U.S. marine dealerships continued to improve in August, with the average dropping to 27 days.
- This represents a one-day decrease from July’s 28-day average, extending the industry’s positive momentum through the heart of the boating season.
- August’s average was also a day faster than August 2025 and marked the quickest August average since 2018, highlighting the progress dealerships have made in reducing repair cycle times.
- This month’s gains suggest dealerships are sustaining the operational improvements that began earlier in the summer while keeping repair times near their lowest levels in recent years.
The RECT for the main bottlenecks, warranty coverage and out-of-stock parts, showed mixed results in August.
- Work orders with warranty coverage averaged 49 days, a slight increase from July, though they continue to be the most significant contributor to extended repair timelines.
- Out-of-stock parts work orders averaged 43 days, improving slightly from July and remaining below warranty-related repair timelines.
What This Means for Dealers
- Ongoing momentum: Overall RECT improved for the third consecutive month, falling from 36 days in June to 28 days in July and 27 days in August.
- Warranty is an existing challenge: Warranty coverage work orders increased slightly from July and continue to be the largest source of extended repair timelines.
- Parts delays stay manageable: Out-of-stock parts work orders improved modestly and remain below warranty-related cycle times.
- Higher view: Year-over-year gains were modest, but reaching the quickest August average since 2018 suggests dealerships are making meaningful long-term improvements in service efficiency.
Takeaway
The August data shows that marine retailers are sustaining the service gains achieved earlier in the summer. Warranty-related repairs remain a key opportunity for improvement. However, the industry’s quickest August repair cycle time since 2018 suggests more dealerships are successfully improving throughout, reducing delays and getting boats back to their customers faster.
