I recently purchased a Minn Kota Edge 70# bow mount motor.  I used it for about 2 months and the unit went out.  Stop working completely.  I took it back to Academy and they replaced it for me.  Now I am having another issue with it.  The foot pedal and motor seems to get stuck when trying to turn.  I have to move it back and forth till it finally gives and lets me turn.  I can here a scratchy or cracking noise when the motor gets stuck and it seems to becoming from the top of the unit or the shaft.  The prop works just fine on all speeds.  I went back to Academy and they don't want to replace it anymore.  I have to call Minn Kota for repairs.  Any suggestions?  I have been thinking of buying another Minn Kota with IPilot but now i am debating that because of the problems I have with this motor. 

I've owned MK motors for many, many years with virtually no problems.

Skip the power drive auto pilot models though.  They have never been TM's made for bass fishing. 

I absolutely love my powerdrive. I have an older late 90's model powerdrive with autopilot but the autopilot feature doesn't work and didn't work when I bought it used about a year ago. Yes the turning is slower than cable drive but I can deal with that by trying to anticipating my next move. I have the wireless model and I love not having any wires or cables on my front deck and I love being able to move the foot pedal to either side of the deck to be able to cast to one side or the other. It does have it pros and cons but for $60 I'll take it. The only problem I have had with it are the batteries in the wireless unit going dead, but that was my fault they sat out in freezing temperatures. I had a backup set and I was good to go after switching them out. Just to let you know the foot pedal is different on these than cable driven. You have to press down left and right to move left and right not front and back like cable driven trolling motors.

Love my MinnKota. Had a Powerdrive V for the last 6 years never an issue. I upgraded to a Powerdrive V2 I-Pilot this season. No issues so far. Plus I still got a good buck for the original Powerdrive when I sold it.

My partner has the Edge, I have a Maxxum.  I would not buy an Edge.  The release gets stuck and it is hard to deploy.  He broke the rope in the first couple months.  It has only 5 speeds and it eats batteries on a windy day.  Both are 70lb units but my Maxxum is better in all ways.

I recently purchased a Minn Kota Edge 70# bow mount motor. I used it for about 2 months and the unit went out. Stop working completely. I took it back to Academy and they replaced it for me. Now I am having another issue with it. The foot pedal and motor seems to get stuck when trying to turn. I have to move it back and forth till it finally gives and lets me turn. I can here a scratchy or cracking noise when the motor gets stuck and it seems to becoming from the top of the unit or the shaft. The prop works just fine on all speeds. I went back to Academy and they don't want to replace it anymore. I have to call Minn Kota for repairs. Any suggestions? I have been thinking of buying another Minn Kota with IPilot but now i am debating that because of the problems I have with this motor.

For the money they charge for these I would be screaming right now.  It's your money,  and I know I work hard for mine,  keep screaming until someone makes it right!

I recently purchased a Minn Kota Edge 70# bow mount motor.  I used it for about 2 months and the unit went out.  Stop working completely.  I took it back to Academy and they replaced it for me.  Now I am having another issue with it.  The foot pedal and motor seems to get stuck when trying to turn.  I have to move it back and forth till it finally gives and lets me turn.  I can here a scratchy or cracking noise when the motor gets stuck and it seems to becoming from the top of the unit or the shaft.  The prop works just fine on all speeds.  I went back to Academy and they don't want to replace it anymore.  I have to call Minn Kota for repairs.  Any suggestions?  I have been thinking of buying another Minn Kota with IPilot but now i am debating that because of the problems I have with this motor. 

When you say you hear scratchy/crackling noises, it suggest to me that there are loose/shorting wires with some arcing going on somewhere inside the "control module".  That would explain why the unit is cutting out intermittently.   Check that.  It might be an "easy" fix.  Just a thought.

Exactly why I will only fish a hand operated motor. Too many lost hours of fishing fighting the issues with the switches and cables on the foot operated models. I just never have that problem, ever.