Malibu Sunsetter
The Malibu Sunsetter is a 22-foot boat, with model years from 1988 to 2004 in the listings we track. Across 22 listings we have observed (model years 1988–2004), the median asking price is $11,000, with most boats asking $5,500 to $14,000. The engine we see most often on this model is Mercury Verado / V8 FourStroke (250–400).
BoatVerdict market snapshot
These are asking prices. No free or public source publishes US used-boat transaction prices, so nobody — us included — can honestly show you what these boats sold for. What we can show you is what 22 sellers are asking, which is the number you are actually negotiating against.
22 priced listings across 11 states. Enough for a range, not enough to be precise about any single year.
Method: Asking prices from active listings, de-duplicated so a re-posted boat counts once (80 raw listings collapsed to 22 distinct boats). Quartiles, not averages, so one outlier cannot move the band. Rounded to $500.
Coverage: Model years 1988–2004, 11 states, 18 metro areas. New-boat listings excluded.
Sources: BoatVerdict market observations (craigslist + boatcrazy) · US state vessel registries (5,999 registered Malibu hulls)
Looking at a Malibu Sunsetter for sale?
Paste the listing and we will score that specific boat against everything on this page: asking price versus our observed range, engine and hours risk, the known issues for its model year, and a negotiation position. The verdict is free.
Get the free verdict →No account needed. The paid Deal Report is optional and comes after.
The BoatVerdict take
- BoatVerdict listing data
Asking prices vary widely: the middle half of listings runs $5,500 to $14,000, a 2.5x spread. On this model the year and the condition matter far more than the badge, so a headline price tells you very little until you place the specific boat on the year table below.
- Recall (USCG/CPSC)
16 federal recall campaigns on file touch this builder. Check the specific hull against the recall list below before you put money down; remedies are free but only if the work was actually done.
Each point is tagged with the evidence behind it. Nothing here is a claim we cannot trace back to a counted listing, a federal record, or a named analyst judgement.
Malibu Sunsetter prices by model year
Show the numbers by model year
| Model year | Boats | Middle half of asks | Median ask |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 1 | too few to show | - |
| 2001 | 1 | too few to show | - |
| 2000 | 2 | too few to show | - |
| 1999 | 1 | too few to show | - |
| 1995 | 1 | too few to show | - |
| 1991 | 1 | too few to show | - |
| 1990 | 1 | too few to show | - |
| 1989 | 1 | too few to show | - |
| 1988 | 3 | $6,000 to $7,000 | $7,000 |
12 distinct boats, listed now or since taken down, re-posts counted once. Years with fewer than 3 boats show a count only. Asking prices, not sale prices.
What a used Malibu Sunsetter is worth
We have seen 12 distinct Malibu Sunsetter boats for sale between Jun 14, 2026 and Nov 4, 2026, model years 1988 to 2004, in 8 states. The median ask is $8,500 and half of all asks sit between $6,000 and $12,500. Asking prices fall about 6% for each year of age (27% over five years), measured on these 12 boats and steadied with the 5.2% rate we measure for the class.
Of 10 ads we watched come down, 10% came down within 14 days of posting.
What moves the price of a Sunsetter
- Horsepower. Doubling the power for the same class and length adds about 16% to the ask.
- Engine hours.Higher hours than typical for the age lower the ask.
- Region.West +12%, Midwest +5%, South +2%, Northeast -1% against the national level.
- Brand.Malibu boats in this class ask about 16% more than the class average for the same age and length.
Fitted on 1,042 distinct boats in this class (log asking price on age, length and brand; refit nightly, last on 2026-11-14). These are effects on asking prices.
Recent Malibu Sunsetter asking prices
| Year | Model | Length | HP | Hours | State | Asking | Seen | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Sunsetter | - | - | - | CA | $5,000 | Sep 20, 2026 to Nov 4, 2026 | taken down Craigslist |
| 2000 | Sunsetter | 23 ft | - | - | AZ | $15,000 | Jun 14, 2026 to Nov 3, 2026 | taken down (32 posts) Craigslist |
| 1995 | Sunsetter | - | - | - | NV | $10,000 | Jun 14, 2026 to Oct 29, 2026 | taken down (3 posts) Craigslist |
| 2000 | Sunsetter | - | - | - | NY | $12,000 | Sep 10, 2026 to Oct 25, 2026 | taken down Craigslist |
| 1989 | Sunsetter | - | - | - | CA | $2,200 | Sep 1, 2026 to Oct 16, 2026 | taken down Craigslist |
| 2004 | Sunsetter | - | - | - | NE | $14,995 | Sep 15, 2026 to Oct 4, 2026 | taken down Craigslist |
| 1988 | Sunsetter | - | - | - | CA | $6,750 | Jul 28, 2026 to Sep 23, 2026 | taken down (3 posts) Craigslist |
| 1988 | Sunsetter | - | - | - | CA | $7,000 | Aug 1, 2026 to Sep 15, 2026 | taken down (16 posts) Craigslist |
| 1990 | Sunsetter | - | - | - | MI | $3,500 | Jul 11, 2026 to Aug 25, 2026 | taken down (2 posts) Craigslist |
| 1999 | Sunsetter | - | - | - | CA | $15,500 | Jul 11, 2026 to Aug 25, 2026 | taken down (8 posts) Craigslist |
| 2001 | Sunsetter | - | - | - | LA | $6,000 | Jun 17, 2026 to Aug 3, 2026 | taken down (4 posts) Craigslist |
| 1991 | Sunsetter | - | - | - | WI | $11,000 | Jun 14, 2026 to Jul 27, 2026 | taken down (2 posts) Craigslist |
The 12 most recently seen of 12 distinct boats. These are asking prices, not sale prices: no free source publishes US used-boat sale prices. A boat re-posted several times counts once, at its latest ask. "Taken down" means the ad disappeared; that can be a sale, a seller who gave up, or an expired post.
Malibu recalls and accident record
Of 875Malibu boats in USCG accident records: fire or explosion 4%, flooding or swamping 9%, capsizing 5%, total loss 7%, at least one death 4%. The rate counts accidents in Texas and New York waters from 2014 to 2023 (46) against 5,983 Malibu boats registered in those two states, the only states that publish boat-level registrations. Accident records reflect how and how much boats are used, not only how they are built. Only accidents above the USCG reporting threshold are recorded. Personal watercraft are left out.
These numbers are for the builder, not this model. Check the specific hull with a HIN lookup for recalls and reported accidents.
Recalls affecting Malibu
16 federal recall campaigns on file. Recalls are issued against hull-identification ranges, so a campaign listed here may or may not cover the specific boat you are looking at — check the HIN. Remedies are free from the builder, but only if the work was actually performed, and there is no central database that proves it was.
- ⚠ Recall
060087T9/29/2006FUEL SYSTEM
- ⚠ Recall
180015T9/12/2018ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
- ⚠ Recall
080029T8/8/2008ELECTRONIC ENGINE CONTROL
- ⚠ Recall
20SD00127/7/2020FUEL SYSTEM
- ⚠ Recall
190036T6/4/2019FUEL SYSTEM
- ⚠ Recall
26MF03056/25/2026 - ⚠ Recall
25MF02174/25/2025 - ⚠ Recall
23MF06124/24/2025 - ⚠ Recall
TC-transport-canada-warning-public-risk-injury-related-bow-seats-boats-designed-malibu-west-inc2023-07-18 - ⚠ Recall
140006T2/26/2015FUEL SYSTEM
- ⚠ Recall
21SD00012/19/2021Other
- ⚠ Recall
850140S11/13/1985LEVEL FLOTATION
Method: Matched to the builder by normalized company name and MIC. A campaign is shown when it touches this builder; the model and year columns say how narrowly it applies.
Sources: US Coast Guard recall database · CPSC recalls
Engines we actually see on the Sunsetter
- Mercury Verado / V8 FourStroke (250–400)
Modern Mercury V8/V10 FourStroke and supercharged Verado are strong, smooth, and well-supported, a clear step up from the OptiMax era. Slightly behind Yamaha on resale trust but closing fast, and often better integrated (joystick, digital throttle).
Service reality: 100-hour service; supercharged Verado adds the supercharger oil interval. Check for corroded battery cables and the SmartCraft harness on saltwater boats.
Full Mercury Verado / V8 FourStroke (250–400) reliability profile →
Method: Engine family matched from the listing's engine fields and title text against BoatVerdict's engine-family profiles. Prevalence is share of our sample, not factory fitment rates.
Sources: BoatVerdict market observations · BoatVerdict engine-family profiles
Malibu Sunsetter specifications
| Length (median listed) | 22.0 ft | Our listing data |
|---|---|---|
| Model years traded | 1988–2004 | Our listing data |
| Malibu hulls in US registries | 5,999 | TX + NY open data |
Rows marked "our listing data" are measured from listings, not published by the builder, and will differ from a brochure. Rows without a source we can name are not shown at all.
What to inspect on a used Malibu Sunsetter
- Mercury Verado / V8 FourStroke (250–400): 100-hour service; supercharged Verado adds the supercharger oil interval. Check for corroded battery cables and the SmartCraft harness on saltwater boats. Seen on 1 of the 22 Sunsetter listings we track.
- Get the hour meter reading and divide by the boat's age. Above 150 hours a year is heavy use for a Mercury Verado / V8 FourStroke (250–400). Threshold from BoatVerdict's engine-family profile for Mercury Verado / V8 FourStroke (250–400).
- Assume saltwater service unless the seller can prove otherwise: pull the engine cowling and look at the powerhead, check trim-cylinder rams for pitting, and open the battery and fuse boxes for green corrosion. 67% of the listings we observed for this model are in coastal states.
- On the older hulls, core moisture is the deal-breaker: sound the transom and the deck with a plastic mallet, and treat any soft or dull-sounding area as a survey-stopper rather than a bargaining chip. We observe listings back to 1988, so boats over 38 years old are actively traded in this model.
This list is specific to this model: analyst items for the hull, plus items driven by the engines and the regions we actually observe on Sunsetter listings. It is not a generic pre-purchase checklist, and it does not replace a surveyor.
What a Sunsetter costs to own
$3,750 – $10k per year
- 22 ft hull, the median observed length for this model
- Saltwater berth, based on where most listings we see are located (CA)
- Includes insurance, storage, routine service, fuel at moderate seasonal use, and a reserve for wear items
- Excludes loan payments, major engine replacement, and refit work
This is a modelled band, not observed spend. Real cost swings hard on where you keep the boat and how much you use it.
Method: The same ownership-cost model BoatVerdict's paid Deal Report uses: boat class and length set the base band, then saltwater berth and size adjust it.
Sources: BoatVerdict ownership-cost model
Where Sunsetters are for sale
- CA 6
- AZ 4
- LA 2
- TX 2
- NY 2
- WA 1
- NJ 1
- SD 1
- WI 1
- MI 1
Counts of distinct boats we observed per state, from 22 listings in 18 metro areas. We publish the distribution, not the listings themselves.
What else buyers cross-shop
- Malibu Wakesetter 23 LSV
- Malibu 23 LSV
- Malibu Response LX
- Bayliner VR6
- Sea Ray 220 Sundeck
- Sea Ray 220 Select
Chosen by measured similarity — same builder first, then comparable length — and limited to models whose own page meets our evidence bar. No paid placements, no filler links.
Malibu Sunsetter FAQ
How much does a used Malibu Sunsetter cost?
Are there recalls on the Malibu Sunsetter?
What engine does the Malibu Sunsetter come with?
What does it cost to own a Malibu Sunsetter per year?
Looking at a Malibu Sunsetter for sale?
Paste the listing and we will score that specific boat against everything on this page: asking price versus our observed range, engine and hours risk, the known issues for its model year, and a negotiation position. The verdict is free.
Get the free verdict →No account needed. The paid Deal Report is optional and comes after.