MasterCraft X-Star

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 38 sellers are asking, which is the number you are actually negotiating against.

The BoatVerdict take

• BoatVerdict listing data

  Pricing is tight: the middle half of listings sits between $23,000 and $35,000, only a 1.5x spread. A boat asking well outside that band needs a reason, and "it is loaded" is usually not enough of one.

• BoatVerdict listing data

  Supply is national: we saw listings in 15 states. You can shop this model without flying somewhere, and you will not be the only boat on the market when you sell.

• BoatVerdict listing data

  Between the 2001 ($21,500 median) and the 2020 ($119,000 median) asking prices fall about 9% a year. The steepest part of that curve is behind any boat more than five years old, which is where the value sits.

• BoatVerdict analyst

  Flagship wakeboarding boat; premium wake boats hold value remarkably well when ballast/electronics are documented.

• Recall (USCG/CPSC)

  4 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.

MasterCraft X-Star prices by model year

Known problems on the MasterCraft X-Star

• Medium Ballast pumps and plumbing fail with age and hard use — full ballast system replacement is costly.
  Repeated owner reports TeamTalk MasterCraft forums
• Medium Surf-system (Gen 2 / DTX) electronics and actuators are expensive to repair out of warranty.
  BoatVerdict analyst

Severity is BoatVerdict's rating of what the fault costs to put right and how likely it is to end a deal, not a manufacturer classification. Recalls are listed separately below because a recall is a federal record and a known issue is not.

Recalls affecting MasterCraft X-Star

4 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.

• ⚠ Recall030148T9/18/2003

  STEERING

  Year:2004Units:546
• ⚠ Recall990151T8/26/1999

  FUEL TANK CHAFING

  Model:MARISTAR; PROSTAR; X-STARYear:1999Units:424
• ⚠ Recall21SD00088/16/2021
• ⚠ Recall20SD002612/8/2020

  [RESERVED]

Engines we actually see on the X-Star

• Mercury Verado / V8 FourStroke (250–400) 8 listings · 21% of our sample

  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 →

• PCM / Indmar ski-wake inboard (GM-based) 4 listings · 11% of our sample

  Direct-drive / V-drive GM-based inboards in MasterCraft, Malibu, Nautique, and Tige. Reliable powerplants; the risk in a wake boat is the ballast/surf system and hard wakesurf-RPM use, not the engine block. A documented, regularly-serviced wake boat is a safe engine bet.

  Service reality: Impeller, transmission fluid, and V-drive oil on schedule. The engine usually outlives the boat's electronics — focus the inspection on ballast pumps and surf actuators.

  Full PCM / Indmar ski-wake inboard (GM-based) reliability profile →

MasterCraft X-Star specifications

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 MasterCraft X-Star

1. Fill and drain every ballast tank on the water; confirm pumps and timers work. Model-specific item from BoatVerdict's MasterCraft X-Star profile.
2. Test the surf/wake-shaping system through its full range. Model-specific item from BoatVerdict's MasterCraft X-Star profile.
3. 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 8 of the 38 X-Star listings we track.
4. 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).
5. PCM / Indmar ski-wake inboard (GM-based): Impeller, transmission fluid, and V-drive oil on schedule. The engine usually outlives the boat's electronics — focus the inspection on ballast pumps and surf actuators. Seen on 4 of the 38 X-Star listings we track.
6. Get the hour meter reading and divide by the boat's age. Above 120 hours a year is heavy use for a PCM / Indmar ski-wake inboard (GM-based). Threshold from BoatVerdict's engine-family profile for PCM / Indmar ski-wake inboard (GM-based).
7. 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. 79% of the listings we observed for this model are in coastal states.
8. 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 2001, so boats over 25 years old are actively traded in this model.
9. Work the 2 known issues listed above into the sea trial, not the walkaround. Most of them only show up under load. BoatVerdict analyst profile for 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 X-Star listings. It is not a generic pre-purchase checklist, and it does not replace a surveyor.

What a X-Star costs to own

$3,750 – $10k per year

• 23 ft ski wake, the published 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

Where X-Stars are for sale

• CA 12
• TX 5
• TN 3
• NC 3
• MN 2
• VA 2
• WA 2
• NE 2
• LA 1
• NY 1

Counts of distinct boats we observed per state, from 38 listings in 26 metro areas. We publish the distribution, not the listings themselves.

What else buyers cross-shop

• Bennington 22 SSBX median ask $28,500 · 22 ft · 45 listings
• Bayliner VR6 median ask $33,500 · 22 ft · 57 listings
• Sun Tracker Party Barge 22 DLX median ask $26,000 · 22 ft · 28 listings
• Yamaha 200 median ask $20,000 · 22 ft · 32 listings
• Sea Ray 220 Sundeck median ask $20,000 · 22 ft · 28 listings
• Cobalt 226 median ask $19,000 · 22 ft · 27 listings

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.