2013 CAN-AM SPYDER Complaints

SMELL GAS VAPORS IN THE GARAGE AND HOUSEBAFTER DRIVING IT. SEAT FRONT TOP WHERE IT MEETS THE BODY(STORAGE COMPARTMENT) TO HOT TO TOUCH OR SIT ON WITHOUT A SHEEPSKIN PAD AND STILL VERY UNCOMFORTABLE AND LIKELY DANGEROUS. RIGHT FOOT GETS SO HOT FROM THE MOTOR YOUR CAN'T KEEP YOUR FOOT IN PLACE. HAVE TO WEAR HEAVY BOOTS. HAVE HAD THE RECALL AND ELECTRONIC UPDATES. *TR

VEHICLE GIVES OFF SUCH A STRONG FUEL ODOR AFTER A RIDE, WE NOW PARK THE VEHICLE OUTSIDE OUR ENCLOSED GARAGE FOR A FEW HOURS SO THE ODOR WILL NOT BE OVERWHELMING IN OUR GARAGE. ALSO, THE VEHICLE'S FUEL TANK IS VERY HOT TO THE TOUCH WHEN RE-FILLING WITH GAS. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED BMP DEALERSHIP ABOUT THE STRONG FUEL ODOR AND THEY DID NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. *TR

I PURCHASED A CAN AM SPYDER RT 2013 ON AUGUST 23, 2013. FROM DAY ONE I'VE HAD EXCESSIVE FUEL SMELLS AFTER RIDES,ALSO GAS BOILING IN FUEL TANK AFTER RIDES. YOU CAN ACTUALLY HEAR AND SEE THE GAS BOILING IN THE TANK. THERE IS EXCESSIVE HEAT COMING OUT FROM AROUND THE GLOVE BOX AREA AND ALSO AROUND THE PASSENGER RIGHT FOOT REST. NEEDLESS TO SAY ALL THIS HEAT MAKES FOR AN EXTREMELY UNCOMFORTABLE RIDE. I HAVE HAD ALL RECALLS AND UPDATES DONE TO DATE. SEPTEMBER 2013 TOLD MY DEALER OF EXCESSIVE FUEL SMELLS WHILE THE BIKE WAS IN HAVING THE HEAT SHIELDING RECALL WORK PERFORMED. HE SAID THAT HE DID NOT SMELL THE FUEL COMING FROM THE BIKE. I WENT BACK A WEEK LATER TO HAVE WORK DONE TO THE AIR RIDE SUSPENSION THAT WAS BROKEN UPON RECEIVING MY NEW BIKE. WHILE HE WAS WORKING ON THE BIKE REPAIRING THE AIR RIDE SUSPENSION HE NOTICED THE SMELL AND REPLACED MY EVAP.CANISTER. THIS WAS AFTER I HAD THE RECALL DONE. HE HAD TO REMOVE THE RECALL WORK AND REPLACE MY EVAP CANISTER AND THEN REINSTALL THE RECALL WRAPPING. TODAY OCTOBER 28, 2014 WENT FOR A RIDE FUELED UP ON THE WAY HOME.I RODE HOME APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES. WHEN I PARKED THE BIKE I COULD HEAR THE FUEL BOILING AND COULD SEE IT IN THE TANK. OBVIOUSLY ALL THE UPDATES AND RECALLS ARE NOT HELPING. I ALSO HAD HANDLING ISSUES WITH THE BIKE FROM BRAND-NEW. THAT I HAD TO HAVE CORRECTED WITH MY OWN MONEY SPENT. *TR

ON FRIDAY, 24 OCTOBER 2014I RODE THE SPYDER TO THE DEALER, WHERE THE TECHNICIAN, [XXX], CONNECTED IT TO THE B.U.D.S. COMPUTER. I AM ALSO SENDING [XXX]. A COURTESY COPY OF THIS EMAIL. THE COMPUTER OBTAINED INFORMATION THAT POINTED TO A PROBLEM WITH THE PURGE VALVE AND VAPOR RECOVERY CANISTER, AS WELL AS A PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECM). THIS IS IN ADDITION TO HEAT AND GAS VAPOR ISSUES WHEN THE AMBIENT OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE IS 75 DEGREES AND ABOVE. YESTERDAY AFTERNOON 27 OCTOBER 2014, I TOOK THE SPYDER ON A RIDE YESTERDAY OF ABOUT 30 MILES ON LOCAL ROADS. AFTER I RETURNED HOME AND SHUT OFF THE SPYDER BRIEFLY TO OPEN THE GARAGE DOOR, IT DIDN'T WANT TO START. THE STARTER TURNED THE MOTOR OVER, BUT THE MOTOR WOULD NOT START. AFTER 4 ATTEMPTS, I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO GET IT STARTED. I AM FORTUNATE THAT THIS DID NOT HAPPEN OUT ON THE ROAD. THE SPYDER HAD A STRONG GAS VAPOR SMELL, WHICH WAS STILL EVIDENT THE MORNING IN MY GARAGE. I CHECKED THE SPYDER THIS MORNING AND IT STARTED WITH NO PROBLEM. I SUSPECT THE ECM AND PURGE VALVE CODES THAT THE B.U.D.S. COMPUTER DETECTED ARE TO BLAME, BUT THE HEAT ISSUE IS SOMETHING THAT BRP NEEDS TO ADDRESS. I, ALONG WITH MANY OWNERS OF THE CAN-AM SPYDER, HAVE CONCERNS WITH SAFETY AND HEAT ISSUES. I WILL SAY THAT I ENJOY THE SPYDER, BUT I WOULD ENJOY IT FAR MORE IF MY CONCERNS WITH SAFETY AND RELIABILITY ARE ADDRESSED. MY SPYDER IS STILL UNDER BRP ORIGINAL WARRANTY, AND I'D LIKE THESE PROBLEMS TO BE ADDRESSED BY BRP UNDER THOSE TERMS AND NOT AT ADDITIONAL COST TO ME, BECAUSE THE SPYDER IS NOT INEXPENSIVE TO BUY. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

I TOOK A TRIP TO GEORGIA ON OCTOBER 24, , AND ON SUNDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 26, WHEN I STARTED THE SPYDER TO LEAVE, IT BEGAN TO STALL AT IDLE, IT CUT OFF REPEATEDLY, AND IDLED ROUGH. IT WOULDN'T MAINTAIN THE NORMAL IDLE RANGE OF 1200-1300 RPM. I FINALLY WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT OFF, AND AS I RODE, THE IDLE WAS ROUGH FOR A FEW MILES, BUT AFTER I GOT IT ON THE FREEWAY, IT SEEMED OKAY. ONCE AGAIN, THE HEAT ISSUE AND FUEL SMELLS BECAME EVIDENT AS I RODE BACK TO ALABAMA, AND THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE ROSE. IT SEEMS THAT ANY OUTSIDE TEMPERATURES ABOVE 70 DEGREES AND THE HEAT FROM THE VEHICLE BECOMES WORSE WITH THE RESULTING FUEL SMELL AND A LOT OF HEAT COMING FROM THE ENGINE AND FUEL TANK WHEN GOING TO FILL UP. I WAS A BIT WORRIED BEING SO FAR FROM HOME, BUT I GOT BACK OKAY. *TR

I WAS RIDING ON HIGHWAY 291 IN LEES SUMMIT MO TRAVELING AT 65 MPH. THE DAILY TEMP WAS BETWEEN 92 - 95 DEGREES. THE FAN WAS BLOWING THE HOT AIR OUT FROM THE BIKES RADIATOR AREA AND WITH THE BIKE BEING IN MOTION THE HOT AIR WAS BEING ROUTED ONTO MY RIGHT LEG AND I COULD FEEL MY LEG GETTING HOT TO THE POINT THAT I WAS UNABLE TO KEEP MY FOOT ON THE FOOT PEG FOR LONGER THAN 10-15 SECONDS AFTER WHICH, I NEEDED TO KEEP SHIFTING THE LOCATION OF MY FOOT ON THE FOOT PEG. I ALSO NOTICED THAT THE RIGHT SIDE PANELS AND THE AIR COMING FROM UNDER THE SEAT WAS UNCOMFORTABLY HOT. ALSO WHEN REFUELING THE GAS TANK FILLER NECK WAS TOO HOT TO TOUCH. DURING THE FIRST LONG TRIP ON THIS BIKE (WEEKEND OF OCT 25-26) FROM GRAIN VALLEY MO TO EUREKA SPRINGS AR (540 MILES ROUND TRIP). TEMPS WERE IN THE 70'S DURING THE TRIP TO AR AND WHEN REFUELING I NOTICED THAT THE GAS TANK FILLER NECK WAS OVERLY WARM. THE RETURN TRIP, WITH TEMPS IN THE MID 80S, THE HEAT ON MY RIGHT LEG WAS BECOMING UNCOMFORTABLE, THE RIGHT SIDE PANELS WERE HOT AND THE HEAT UNDER THE SEAT WAS OVERLY WARM. REFUELING, THE GAS TANK FILLER NECK WAS ALMOST TOO HOT TO TOUCH. *TR

NOTICED BAD FUEL SMELL FROM DAY ONE OF OWNING THE SPYDER. WOULD LEAVE OUTSIDE WHILE IT COOLED OFF OR PUT A BOX FAN ON IT TO BLOW THE VAPORS OUT OF THE GARAGE. IN AUGUST OF 2013 I NOTICED THE BRAKE LIGHTS STAYING ON, REMOVED SIDE PANEL TO FINED THE WIRES MELTED AND SHORTED TOGETHER. I ALSO NOTICED THE PLASTIC ON THE MASTER CYLINDER SHOWED SIGNS OF MELTING AND OF GETTING HOT. I REPAIRED THE WIRES WITH HIGH TEMPERATURE ELECTRICAL TAPE. I RECEIVED A SAFETY RECALL NOTICE FROM BRP IN SEPTEMBER FOR HEAT RELATED PROBLEMS. THE DEALER FOUND THE FUEL EVAPORATOR CANISTER ALMOST BURNED THROUGH, IT WAS REPLACED AND COVERED IT WITH TIN FOIL HEAT SHIELD. THE DEALER DID NOT THINK THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER WAS MELTED BAD ENOUGH TO WARRANT CHANGING AND COVERED IT WITH TIN FOIL HEAT SHIELD. I HAD THEM TO LEAVE THE WIRING AS I HAD ALREADY REPAIRED IT. THE BAD FUEL SMELL CONTINUED WITH THE NEW FUEL EVAPORATOR CANISTER AND THE FUEL BOILS WHERE YOU CAN HEAR IT AFTER A RIDE. IF YOU LOOK UNDER THE SPYDER AFTER A RIDE YOU CAN SEE FUEL VAPORS SPEWING AND DRIPPING FROM THE VENT LINE, AND IT WILL CONTINUE FOR MAYBE AN HOUR OR LONGER. IT IS SOMETIMES HARD TO PUT FUEL IN BECAUSE IT MAKES THE GAS PUMP NOZZLE KEEP CUTTING OFF. *TR

DURING A TRIP IN SEPTEMBER OF 2013 TO UPSTATE NY, THE BIKE STARTED TO GIVE OFF A STRONG SMELL OF GAS & MELTING PLASTIC. THE BIKE WENT INTO LIMP MODE SO I PULLED INTO A NEAR BY GAS STATION IN ORDER TO GET OFF THE ROAD. I LET THE BIKE SIT FOR ABOUT 15 TO 20 MINUTES SO IT WOULD RESET. WHEN I STARTED THE BIKE UP AGAIN IN REMAINED IN LIMP MODE. I CONTACTED THE NEAREST LOCAL DEALER AND RODE THE BIKE TO THEM FOR SERVICE. UPON INSPECTION THE TECHNICIAN DISCOVERED THAT THE LOWER RIGHT HAND BODY PANEL WAS DAMAGED DUE TO EXCESSIVE HEAT IN ADDITION THE FUEL EVAPORATOR CANISTER HAD MELTED AND HAD DEVELOPED NOTICEABLE HOLE. *TR

THIS IS MY THIRD COMPLAINT REGARDING THIS VEHICLE. IN ADDITION TO THE SEVERE HEAT AND GASOLINE ODOR PROBLEMS WHICH I DESCRIBED IN EARLIER COMPLAINTS, THE VEHICLE HAS BECOME VERY HARD TO START WHEN THE ENGINE IS WARM. NORMAL IDLE RPM IS 1,300 TO 1,400. WHEN THIS CONDITION OCCURS - AS IT HAS ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS - THE RPM DOES NOT EXCEED 500, AND THERE IS LIMITED THROTTLE RESPONSE. THE ENGINE STALLS, AND THERE IS AN OVERPOWERING ODOR OF GASOLINE EMANATING FROM THE VEHICLE AS IF THE THROTTLE BODY IS BEING FLOODED WITH GASOLINE. THE DEALER AND BRP (BOMBARDIER RECREATIONAL PRODUCTS) HAVE BEEN MADE AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM. BRP HAS PROPOSED THAT MY DEALER REPLACE THE PURGE VALVE AND OXYGEN SENSOR TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM, AS WELL AS THE PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED HEAT PROBLEM. I AM WAITING FOR THE DEALER TO OBTAIN THE REPAIR PARTS. I WAS TOLD BY A REPRESENTATIVE FROM BRP THAT IF THESE REPAIRS DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEMS, THERE WOULD BE NOTHING MORE THAT THEY COULD DO TO ADDRESS THEM. I, AS WELL AS MANY OTHERS, BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE MAY DESIGN FLAWS WITH THIS VEHICLE. THE FRAME FOR THE 2013 RT WAS INTENDED TO HAVE A NEW ENGINE, A 1330 CC INLINE THREE CYLINDER RATHER THAN THE 998 CC V-TWIN. THE BRP REPRESENTATIVE ADMITTED TO ME THAT THE NEW ENGINE FOR THIS VEHICLE "WAS NOT READY" AT THE TIME OF PRODUCTION OF THE 2013 MODEL, AND THEY WERE FORCED TO USE THE OLDER ENGINE. THIS ENGINE RUNS VERY HOT, AND BEING FULLY ENCLOSED BY PLASTIC PANELS EXACERBATES THE PROBLEM. IT IS INFURIATING TO SPEND $27,000.00 ON A VEHICLE WHOSE PROBLEMS ARE NOT BEING PROACTIVELY ADDRESSED BY BRP. THE DEALER THAT I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE FROM WAS AWARE OF THESE PROBLEMS, YET MADE NO MENTION OF THEM AT THE TIME OF THE SALE. I URGE NHTSA TO COMPEL BRP TO RECALL THESE VEHICLES, ADDRESS THESE PROBLEMS, AND FIND A COMPREHENSIVE SOLUTION TO THEM. *TR

VEHICLE HAS EXCESSIVE HEAT UNDER LEFT SIDE BODY PANELS AND VERY STRONG ODOR OF GASOLINE FUMES. *TR