Hi:
Even though my partner and I have had every single thing go wrong with our machines (pod explosion, bad coil, mis-tuned from the factory for depth and a pinpoint depth problem) all have been fixed professionally and quickly(we both got brand new V3s overnighted, wow) from the factory. Also, most if not all of these problems have either probably or definitely been fixed in the new versions.
The point is, that despite these problems which can almost be expected with such a leap in technology, we love our V3s. The data that you get is just awesome, even if you don't need to use it for every target you dig. It is such a fun machine to learn and while I am happy that I feel like I am getting great hunting out of it now, I am even happier that I know I can still grow with the machine for years to come.
Combine that with the fact that you can call whites or come to this forum anytime day or night to learn more and the experience has been very positive.
I think that if I can feel this way, despite all that went wrong at first, it must have been even better for people without the problems. And you can rest assured that in the off chance that you get a problem machine (unlikely with later production) whites will handle it like no other company. I got a brand new V3 from them and so did my partner.
If the only reason you are considering NOT buying is the technical/production glitches, you can put that out of your mind because you will NEVER be stuck with a problem machine. Whites will take care of you. Its worth the very minor risk. Even if you buy a used one, the 2 year warranty has you covered.
Tater.