CAN-AM Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BOMBARDIER, 400 OUTLANDER MAX. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE; HOWEVER, THERE WAS A ROUGH IDLE AND AN EXTREMELY LOW REDUCTION IN ENGINE POWER. THE ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE VOLTAGE REGULATOR CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CONTACT HAD CONCERNS OF THE SAFETY RISK INVOLVED. THE SYSTEM COULD NOT IDENTIFY THE VIN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE UNKNOWN.

ON AUG. 4, 2009 I TOOK MY CAM-AM SPYDER TO THE DEALER TO HAVE A SAFETY RECALL ADDRESSED. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT INSTALLED THE REQUIRED SOFTWARE UPDATE AND RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO ME. AS I WAS LEAVING ABOUT A HALF BLOCK FROM THE DEALER THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SMOKE. I TURN THE TRIKE AROUND AND RETURNED TO THE DEALER. WHEN I GOT OFF THE TRIKE I LOOKED TO SEE WHERE THE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM AND NOTICED THE TRIKE WAS IN FLAMES. I RAN INSIDE THE SHOP TO GET A FIRE EXTINGUISHER TO PUT THE FIRE OUT. I THEN CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER(BRP) TO TELL THEM OF THE PROBLEM AND WAS TOLD THAT I HAD TO FILL OUT A ACCIDENT REPORT. I FILLED OUT THE REQUIRED PAPERWORK AND RETURNED IT TO THE MANUFACTURER (BRP). THEY TOOK A COUPLE OF DAYS TO INVESTIGATE AND RETURNED A VERDICT. "THE FIRE WASN'T MY FAULT AND NEITHER THEIRS(BRP) BUT THEY ARE WILLING TO REPAIR THE DAMAGE" SAID BRP REPRESENTATIVE. *TR

I HAD SMELLED BURNING RUBBER COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT OF MY 2009 CAN AM SPYDER FOR 2-3 DAYS PRIOR TO INCIDENT. ON 8/4/09 I HAD JUST PARKED THE SPYDER IN MY GARAGE AFTER DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AT AROUND 5:15 PM. THIS IS APPROXIMATELY A 2 MILE DRIVE. AFTER TURNING OFF THE SPYDER I NOTICED THE SMELL AGAIN AND SAW SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE VEHICLE IF YOU ARE FACING THE FRONT OF IT. THE SMOKE LASTED ABOUT 2-3 SECONDS AND THEN DISSIPATED. POSSIBLE SMALL FIRE ACCOMPANYING THE SMOKE. *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

ON 10/19/2008, WHILE DRIVING EASTBOUND ON IH40 IN OKLAHOMA (ON A STRAIGHT-A-WAY), THE CAN AM SPYDER'S POWER STEERING ABRUPTLY PULLED ME INTO THE LANE TO THE LEFT. THIS HAPPENED TWICE WITHIN A PERIOD OF MINUTES. THANKFULLY, IT WAS AN EARLY SUNDAY MORNING WITH LITTLE TRAFFIC. ON 11/15/2008, WHILE RIDING SOME "TWISTIES" IN NORTH TEXAS, THE SPYDER AGAIN EXHIBITED MULTIPLE STEERING MALFUNCTIONS... THIS TIME PULLING THE BIKE TO THE LEFT AND THE RIGHT. IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE STEERING PROBLEMS, THE GEAR SELECTION INDICATOR ALSO SHOWED EITHER THE WRONG GEAR OR AN "E", FOR ERROR. ON THIS OCCASION, I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED AND DISABLED THE POWER STEERING BY REMOVING THE ASSOCIATED FUSE. NO PROBLEMS OCCURRED AFTER DISCONNECTING THE SYSTEM. BECAUSE OF THE SECOND SET OF OCCURRENCES, I RESEARCHED THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE GEAR POSITION SENSOR AND THE POWER STEERING AND DETERMINED THAT THE GEAR POSITION SENSOR PROVIDED (ALONG WITH ABOUT SIX OTHERS) DIRECT INPUT INTO THE COMPUTER STEERING LOGIC. I ORDERED AND REPLACED THE GEAR POSITION SENSOR ($90+) AND HAVE HAD NO PROBLEMS SINCE. THE CAN-AM SPYDER'S ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IS A CAN-BUS TYPE WHERE MULTIPLE AND DIFFERENT SENSORS, LIGHTS, ETC. SEND INPUT ALONG ONE WIRING ROUTE. FROM WHAT I CAN PIECE TOGETHER ON MY OWN (AND I AM NO EXPERT), THE GEAR POSITION SENSOR WAS FAULTY (HAS SUBSEQUENTLY BEEN REPLACED BY ANOTHER PART NUMBER BY CAN-AM) AND SENDING "CONFUSING SIGNALS" TO THE STEERING SYSTEM. BASED ON MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, THIS IS AN EXTREME SAFETY HAZARD AS A RIDER MAY NOT BE ABLE TO RECOVER, OR ACTUALLY "OVER RECOVER", IN THE EVENT OF THE MALFUNCTION. BTW, THE SPYDER SHOULD BE LISTED IN THE "MOTORCYCLE" SECTION, NOT AUTOMOBILE. *TR