CAN-AM Complaints

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

AFTER RIDING OUR SPYDER, A VERY STRONG SMELL OF FUEL IS PRESENT. THE SMELL IS SO BAD THAT I AM AFRAID TO CLOSE THE GARAGE DOOR FOR MORE THAN AN HOUR AFTER PARKING. I HAVE TO USE A FAN TO VENT THE GARAGE. I AM AFRAID OF FIRE IF I WERE TO PARK AND CLOSE THE SPYDER INSIDE. *TR

PURCHASED DEMO THE END OF SEPTEMBER 2013. LIMITED RIDING BEFORE PUT AWAY FOR THE WINTER. STARTING IN THE SPRING I STARTED NOTICING A STRONG GASOLINE SMELL AND EXTREME EXCESSIVE HEAT. FUEL CAP IS EXTREMELY HOT AND GAS IS BOILING WHICH MAKE FILLING HARD AS NOZZLE KEEPS SHUTTING OFF. THIS IS OCCURRING IN AMBIENT TEMPERATURES AS LOW 53 DEGREES. THE RECALL AND ALL SERVICE BULLETINS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED AND THE FUEL CANISTER HAS BEEN REPLACED IN SEPTEMBER 2014. WITHIN 200 MILES, THE GAS SMELL RETURNED AND IS NOTICEABLE BY MY HUSBAND RIDING BEHIND ME AT 15 MPH. WHEN STOPPED IN TRAFFIC THE SMELL IS OVERWHELMING. THE EXTREME HEAT CONTINUES AND I TO WEAR EXTRA PROTECTION ON MY LEGS. I HAVE KEPT OUR DEALER ADVISED OF THE HEAT ISSUES. *TR

WENT FOR A RIDE HAD FUEL SMELL WHEN STOP AT LIGHT ,TOOK A BREAK AT FAST FOOD PLACE AND SMELLED FUEL AGAIN LOOK ON DRIVEWAY SAW FUEL VAPORS , WENT HOME PARKS IN GARAGE ,LATER SMELLED FUEL, HAD TO OPEN DOORS AND WINDOWS TO LET THE SMELL OUT , THIS HAPPEN SEVERAL TIMES ,WENT TO DEALER TO FIND OUT WATT GOING ON WITH THE SPYDER THEY WORK ON IT 3 -4 TIMES . THIS BIN GOING BACK TO DEALER ALL SUMMER LONG ABOUT THE HEAT AND SMELL THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT. *TR

I PURCHASED THIS WHEN THERE WAS A LARGE REBATE FOR BUYING THE 2013 SPYDERS. I HAVE BEEN PLAGUED WITH A HOT SEAT AND RIGHT FOOT SINCE THE BEGINNING. I WIND UP HAVING TO MOVE MY RIGHT FOOT TO THE REAR PASSENGER FLOOR BOARD TO ESCAPE THE HEAT AND THERE ARE TIMES WHERE MY INNER THIGHS ARE BURNED WHERE THE HEAT IS COMING UP AROUND THE SEAT. I FOUND OUT THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS BIKE AND WILL BE HAVING THIS DONE AS SOON AS THEY GET THE PARTS IN BUT FROM READING INFORMATION ON A BLOG THAT I SUBSCRIBED TO, IT PROBABLY WON'T HELP. I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS AN INVESTIGATION GOING ON AND WANT TO ADD MY INFORMATION TO IT. THANKS *TR

I WAS TRAVELING IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC WHEN THE SPYDER STARTED PRODUCING EXCESS HEAT FROM UNDER THE MACHINE AND AROUND THE GAS TANK. I STOPPED AT A GAS STATION TO FILL THE TANK AS IT HAD ABOUT AN 1/8 OF A TANK. THE GAS CAP WAS SO HOT IT COULDN'T BE TOUCHED FOR TEN MINUTES. YOU COULD HEAR THE GAS BOILING IN THE TANK. UPON GETTING THE CAP OFF, IT TOOK SEVERAL MINUTES TO PUMP GAS INTO THE TANK AS THE NOZZLE KEPT SHUTTING OFF. THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE WAS 83 DEGREES. IT WAS GIVING OFF A VERY STRONG GAS SMELL. I RETURNED TO MY DEALER AND EXPRESSED MY CONCERNS AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD CONTACT BRP. THE DEALER HAS WRAPPED THE HEADER PIPES AND REPLACED THE EVAPORATOR CANISTER AND PURGE VALVE MANY TIMES. AT THIS TIME MY SPYDER HAS 22500 MILES AND THE GAS CAP CAN'T BE TIGHTENED COMPLETELY BECAUSE IT WON'T UNSCREW IF THE SPYDER IS WARM. I AM STILL HAVING ALL THESE PROBLEMS WITH MY SPYDER AND BRP HASN'T BEEN ABLE TO FIND A SOLUTION. *TR

I REFUELED MY MOTORCYCLE, AS I WAS LEAVING I NOTICED MY LEGS GET HOT. I DID NOT PAY IT MUCH MIND UNTIL THERE WAS AN ABSURD AMOUNT OF PAIN THEN I LOOKED DOWN AND I SEEN THAT MY MOTORCYCLE WAS ON FIRE. I THEN PULLED OVER AND CALLED 911 FOR ASSISTANCE AND BE TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL TO GET TREATED FOR MY BURNS. MY MOTORCYCLE WAS DESTROYED. THE ELECTRONICS WERE FRIED, THE PLASTICS WERE MELTED AND IT STUNK OF GASOLINE. I ALSO TAKEN PICTURES OF THE BURNS TO MY LEG AND THE MOTORCYCLE. *TR

I PURCHASED MY CAN-AM SPYDER IN AUGUST OF 2013. THE RECALL FOR THE HEAT ISSUES WAS COMPLETED IN SEPTEMBER OF 2013 BY MY DEALER. OVER THE LAST YEAR I HAVE HAD INCIDENTS OF A GAS SMELL, SOMETIMES VERY STRONG, AND HEAT FROM THE ENGINE AREA. RECENTLY, A BURNING PLASTIC SMELL HAS BEEN OCCURRING. IT IS NOTICED AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS. FIRST INCIDENT WAS AROUND 40 MILES PER HOUR ON A 2 LANE ROAD, NEXT TIME WAS GOING DOWN A FAIRLY STEEP HILL AROUND 30 MILES PER HOUR, AND THE THIRD INCIDENT WAS ON A 50 MILE PER HOUR 2 LANE ROAD. THESE INCIDENTS WERE ON DIFFERENT DAYS. THE BURNING PLASTIC SMELL WAS ALSO NOTICED BY MY RIDING PARTNER BEHIND ME. I AM VERY CONCERNED WITH THE FIRES THAT HAVE OCCURRED WITH THESE MACHINES AND THE INVESTIGATION BEING DONE BY NHTSA. I HAVE BROUGHT THE SPYDER RT TO MY DEALER BUT THEY SAID THEY DID NOT SEE ANY ISSUES THAT COULD BE CAUSING THE BURNING PLASTIC SMELL. *TR

THE WINDSHIELD IS MOUNTED ON THREE STRUTS -- THE MIDDLE ONE CONTROLS THE UP AND DOWN POSITION OF THE SHIELD AND HOLDS IT IN POSITION; THE OUTER TWO MOVE FREELY UP AND DOWN WITH NO RESTRAINT. THE CENTER STRUT BROKE CAUSING THE WINDSHIELD TO SUDDENLY FLY UP AND BACK AND THEN SETTLE IN AGAINST THE FRONT OF THE MOTORCYCLE. IN THAT POSITION, FULL WIND FORCE IS DIRECTED AGAINST THE RIDER AND PASSENGER. FURTHER, THE OUTER TWO STRUTS ARE FREE TO MOVE UP AND DOWN SO ANY PASSING TURBULENCE SUCH AS ANOTHER CAR OR TRUCK CAUSES THE WINDSHIELD TO LITERALLY FLAP IN THE BREEZE. I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT ONLY NOW BECAUSE ON 09/20/2014 I OBSERVED THAT THE NEW REPLACEMENT STRUT WAS CRACKED OVER HALF-WAY THROUGH. THERE ARE APPROX 8475 MILES ON THE NEW REPLACEMENT STRUT (TOTAL MILEAGE ON VEHICLE 37575). I CONSIDER THIS A SAFETY ISSUE AS THE UNEXPECTED TOTAL FAILURE OF THE STRUT AND THE WINDSHIELD SUDDENLY FLYING UP AND BACK COULD EASILY CAUSE THE RIDER TO SWERVE OR REACT IN SOME WAY AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. IT IS APPARENT FROM MY HAVING TWO FAILURES THAT BRP (THE MANUFACTURER OF CAN AM MOTORCYCLES) HAS NOT IMPROVED THE DESIGN, MATERIAL OR MANUFACTURE OF THESE SIMPLE STRUTS. THIS CONCLUSION IS SUPPORTED BY THEIR NOT HAVING CHANGED THE PART NUMBER FOR THE 2011 AND 2012 MODEL YEARS NOR THE PART NUMBER OF THE REPLACEMENT PART FOR THOSE YEARS. THIS CONCLUSION IS FURTHER SUPPORTED BY THE EXPERIENCE OF OTHER RIDERS OF THIS MOTORCYCLE WHO HAVE REPORTED FAILURES ON THE INTERNET FORUMS, IN SOME CASES HAVING FAILURE OF THE REPLACEMENT STRUT AS WELL AS THE ORIGINAL, JUST AS I HAVE. FURTHER SUPPORT IS EVIDENCED BY MY DEALERSHIP TECHNICIAN WHO IS REPLACING THE CURRENT PARTIALLY CRACKED STRUT INFORMING ME THAT HE HAS REPLACED BROKEN STRUTS ON THIS MODEL MOTORCYCLE FOR OTHER CUSTOMERS. I DO NOT KNOW THE EXACT NUMBER AND I DO NOT KNOW IF HE HAS HAD OTHER REPLACEMENT STRUTS FAIL. *TR