2008 CAN-AM SPYDER Complaints

TODAY WHILE DRIVING MY 2008 CAN-AM SPYDER ROADSTER, I NEEDED TO EXERT A FORCE GREATER THAN EXPECTED TO INITIATE THE TURNING OF STEERING THE HANDLEBAR OFF CENTER IN ORDER TO CORRECT VEHICLE DRIFT FROM A STRAIGHT LINE PATH. THIS HIGHER THAN EXPECTED STEERING CONTROL INPUT COULD HAVE EASILY RESULTED IN AN UNEXPECTED DEVIATION OF THE VEHICLE FROM MY INTENDED PATH. IT FELT LIKE THE STEERING WOULD LOCK UP OR WANT TO CONTINUE TO THE LEFT AND WHEN I APPLIED A GREATER PRESSURE THAN NORMAL, IT FELT LIKE IT WOULD "BREAK FREE" FROM THE LOCKED POSITION. IT WAS A VERY UNPLEASANT EXPERIENCE AND A LESS EXPERIENCED DRIVER COULD HAVE EASILY OVER CORRECTED AND AN ACCIDENT COULD HAVE RESULTED. MY CAN-AM SPYDER ROADSTER RECENTLY HAD THE MANDATORY RECALL COMPLETED FOR THE STEERING ISSUE. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM. *TR

I WAS RIDING WITH MY WIFE ON A STRAIGHT SINGLE LANE ROADWAY DOING ABOUT 50MPH WHEN , WITH NO WARNING , THE VEHICLE TOOK A TURN TO THE LEFT, CAUSING IT TO ENTER THE OPPOSING TRAFFIC LANE. HAD THERE BEEN TRAFFIC IN THE OTHER LANE A HEAD ON COLLISION MIGHT HAVE OCCURRED. I WAS ABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL. THIS INCIDENT RE- OCCURRED AT LEAST TWICE BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO GET HOME. I HAVE NOT USED THE VEHICLE SINCE BECAUSE OF THE SCARE THIS HAD GIVEN ME. CAN-AM (BRP) HAD A RECALL TO REVISE THE VEHICLE SOFTWARE. IT HAS MADE THE PROBLEM WORSE FOR MANY OWNERS WHO HAD THE UPDATE DONE. THE MANUFACTURER CHOSE A "CHEAP INEFFICIENT FIX" THAT DIDN'T CURE THE DANGEROUS PROBLEM !! ALL SPYDERS SHOULD BE PULLED OFF THE ROAD UNTIL THE PROBLEM CAN BE CORRECTED. ( BY THE WAY, A CAN-AM ROADSTER IS A 3 WHEEL TRIKE AND SHOULD BE LISTED UNDER MOTORCYCLES, NOT CARS AND TRUCKS.) *TR

I WAS RIDING MY 2008 CAN-AM SPYDER ROADSTER ON THE INTERSTATE AT APPROXIMATELY 70MPH WHEN I NOTICED THAT IT BEGAN DRIFTING INTO THE NEXT LANE ALL ON ITS OWN, WHEN I TRIED TO CORRECT BACK INTO MY LANE THE STEERING FELT STUCK AND WHEN I PULLED HARDER TO CORRECT IT THEN IT WOULD SUDDENLY OVERCORRECT AND SHOOT OVER INTO THE LANE ON THE OTHER SIDE. THIS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES AND AS I SLOWED TO MERGE ONTO ANOTHER HIGHWAY I HEARD A LOUD POPPING SOUND AND THE FRONT WHEELS STARTED TURNING LEFT AND RIGHT ALL BY THEMSELVES AND CLICKING AND POPPING. I WAS BARELY ABLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE AND GET IT OUT OF HEAVY TRAFFIC AND OFF OF THE ROAD. I HAD LITTLE TO NO CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE'S TRAVEL DIRECTION. THE CONSOLE SHOWED NO ERRORS OR CODES. THE STEERING CONTINUED TO ACT THIS WAY THE ENTIRE TIME I WAS EASING DOWN THE EMERGENCY LANE AND EXITING THE HIGHWAY. I HAVE TOWED THE BIKE TO THE DEALER AND THEY ARE IN THE PROCESS OF DIAGNOSING THE PROBLEM. *TR

STEERING FELT LIKE IT WAS LOCKED. AS I APPLIED MORE (SIGNIFICANTLY) FORCE TO CORRECT THE STEERING IT SUDDENLY JERKED AND STEERED IN THE DIRECTION I WAS TRYING TO GET IT TO GO. IT WOULD STEER IN QUICK JERKS AND IT WAS DIFFICULT TO KEEP IT IN THE LANE OF THE ROAD. EVEN WHILE GOING IN A STRAIGHT LINE IT FELT LIKE IT WAS TRYING TO STEER LEFT ON ITS OWN. I HAD TO HOLD A LOT OF PRESSURE ON THE HANDLE BARS TO KEEP IT GOING IN A STRAIGHT LINE. AT ONE POINT I ALMOST RAN INTO A CAR ON MY RIGHT AS THE ROAD WAS CURVING AND THE STEERING WAS LOCKED. I FELT I COULD ONLY MAINTAIN SOME CONTROL BELOW 40 MPH. ONCE I GOT STOPPED AND SHUT IT OFF FOR A BIT , IT DID NOT ACT UP AGAIN WHEN I RODE IT FOR ABOUT 15 MORE MILES HOME. I NEVER HAD ANY WARNING LIGHT INDICATIONS. BIKE IS AT DEALER NOW AND VIN IS NOT READILY AVAILABLE TO ME. I CAN PROVIDE THIS AT A LATER TIME. *TR

BESIDES A NUMBER OF MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WITH MY CAN AM SPYDER THAT HAVE BEEN FIXED UNDER WARRANTY, THE WORST EPISODE WAS WHEN MY POWER STEERING BECAME INTERMITTENT. I WAS HUNDREDS OF MILES FROM HOME WHEN IT WENT OUT ON ME TWICE. I WAS MOVING AT ABOUT 35 MPH WHEN THE SPYDER PROCEEDED TO STEER TO THE RIGHT ALL ON IT'S OWN AND IT TOOK A BIT OF MUSCLE TO STEER IT BACK TO CENTER TO AVOID HITTING A TREE. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED. A DAY LATER THE SAME THING HAPPENED AT AROUND THE SAME SPEED. A BRP TECH LOOKED AT IT (WITHOUT TEST DRIVING IT) AND DOWNLOADED SOME "UPDATE" INTO MY SPYDER BUT SINCE THEN I'VE BEEN AFRAID TO RIDE IT, FEARING THAT THIS WILL HAPPEN AGAIN. IT WAS HARD TO STEER IT BACK INTO CONTROL AND IT MADE A "CLICKING" NOISE WHEN I DID BOTH TIMES. A NUMBER OF OTHER OWNERS HAVE HAD THE SIMILAR PROBLEM, EVEN AFTER THE UPDATES WERE INSTALLED SO I DO NOT PERSONALLY BELIEVE THAT A SOFTWARE PATCH IS GOING TO REMEDY THIS PROBLEM. I AM NOT GETTING ANY CLEAR ANSWERS FROM BRP WHO MAKES THIS MACHINE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BOMBARDIER BOMBARDIER PRODUCTS CAN-AM SPYDER ROADSTER. WHILE PULLING INTO THE GARAGE, THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. HE GRABBED THE CLUTCH AND PUSHED THE VEHICLE OUT OF THE GARAGE, WHERE IT CAUGHT FIRE IN THE DRIVEWAY. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AND FILED A REPORT. HIS HOME SUSTAINED HEAT DAMAGE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 36,500. UPDATED 05/26/09 *BF UPDATED 05/29/09.*JB

2008 CAN-AM SPYDER POWER STEERING IS INTERMITTENTLY TURNING 'ON' AND 'OFF' AND 'LOCKING UP' CAUSING DRIVER OF MOTORCYCLE TO FIGHT STEERING TO KEEP BIKE ON ROAD. THIS ONLY STARTED TO OCCUR AFTER I HAD AROUND 5,000 MILES ON THE BIKE. THIS IS HAPPENING ON MY OWN SPYDER, AS WELL AS MANY OTHERS I HAVE SPOKEN TO IN VARIOUS ONLINE FORUMS. THERE HAS BEEN 1 DEATH IN TEXAS THAT MAY BE DUE TO THIS FAILURE. THERE HAS BEEN 1 SERIOUS ACCIDENT IN CALIFORNIA WHERE THE RIDER HAS STATED THIS STEERING PROBLEM WAS THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT. THE MANUFACTURER (BRP-CAN-AM CANADA) AND THEIR DEALERS DO NOT SEEM AWARE OR WILLING TO TAKE ACTION AND PERFORM A RECALL. THIS ISSUE IS VERY SERIOUS AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. I WENT FOR A RIDE TODAY AND THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. ALMOST LOST CONTROL ON A TURN DUE TO FIGHTING THE POWER STEERING - ONLY TO HAVE THE POWER STEERING KICK BACK ON WHILE PUSHING HARD ON THE HANDLEBARS--- THUS CAUSING THE BIKE TO OVER-STEER THE TURN. *TR

I OWN A 2008 CAN-AM SPYDER GS. I WOULD LIKE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE POWER STEERING (VSS) I AM NOT SO GOOD AT THESE THINGS, SO I WILL JUST SAY IT LIKE IT IS. IT LOCKS TO THE LEFT. AND PULLS THE VEHICLE TO THE LEFT. THIS HAPPENS BETWEEN 40-55 MPH I ALMOST CRASHED ON THE ON RAMP OF THE 405 FREEWAY BECAUSE THE BIKE WOULD SIMPLY NOT TURN TO THE RIGHT AND I HAD TO FIGHT WITH IT TO GET IT TO TURN. I STOPPED 2.5 FEET BEFORE CRASHING IN TO THE WALL. I KNOW OF 3 PEOPLE THAT HAVE ALREADY CRASHED AND BRP (THE MANUFACTURER WILL NOT REPLY TO US) THERE WAS A LADY THAT LOST HER LIFE DUE TO A LOW SPEED CRASH, BUT WE HAVE NO WAY OF ASKING HER WHAT HAPPENED AND NOW EVERYONE IS WORRIED IT IS BECAUSE OF THIS. HERE IS A LINK TO A FEW POSTS ABOUT PEOPLE EXPERIENCING THIS HTTP://WWW.SPYDERTALK.COM/FORUMS/INDEX.PHP?SHOWTOPIC=9212 AND ONE PERSON WHO HAD TO BE HOSPITALIZED DUE TO THIS. *TR

VEHICLE IS A 2008 CAN-AM SPYDER ON 2/20/2009 WHILE MOVING THE VEHICLES STEERING LOCKED COMPLETELY. I WAS UNABLE TO MOVE THE STEERING EITHER LEFT OR RIGHT. WHILE TRYING TO TURN I FELT A "POP" AND THE VEHICLE STEERING RETURNED. THIS HAS HAPPENED BEFORE WHILE SITTING STILL BUT NEVER WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. *TR

I HAVE A 2008 CAN-AM SPYDER (NEW STREET DRIVEN 3 WHEELER) AND I WAS DRIVING 70MPH ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE STEERING FELT STUCK AND THE SPYDER STARTED DRIFTING LEFT. I TRIED TO GENTLY PULL THE STEERING RIGHT, BUT IT KEPT GOING. THEN ALL OF THE SUDDEN THE STEERING FREE'D UP AND IT JERKED RIGHT. THIS ALMOST CAUSED ME TO LOSE CONTROL ON THE HIGHWAY IN TRAFFIC WITH OTHER CARS! APPARENTLY I AM NOT THE FIRST TO EXPERIENCE THIS AND EVEN ONE SPYDER OWNER CRASHED AND WAS FLOWN TO THE HOSPITAL WITH SERIOUS INJURIES! HERE IS HIS STORY: HTTP://WWW.SPYDERTALK.COM/FORUMS/INDEX.PHP?SHOWTOPIC=9212&ST=0 BRP - THE MANUFACTURER OF THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN TIGHT LIPPED ABOUT THIS AND TO DATE IS OFFERING NOTHING IN TERMS OF DIAGNOSIS OR RECTIFICATION OR EVEN SIMPLE ACKNOWLEDGMENT. *TR