CAN-AM Spyder Complaints

491 consumer complaints on file.

#10322756March 30, 2010
STEERING
2008 CAN-AM SPYDER DISPLAYED DPS AND VSS ERRORS. RESET ERROR BY TURNING OFF AND LETTING SET FOR A FEW MINUTES. THEN DROVE FOR 40 MILES ON HIGHWAY. UPON EXITING THE HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 40 MPH THE BIKE'S STEERING STOPPED WORKING. THE VEHICLE WANTED TO DRIFT TO THE RIGHT ONLY. IT COULD NOT BE STEERED EVEN WITH GREAT FORCE APPLIED TO THE HANDLE BAR. AFTER ABOUT 10-15 SECONDS THE ABILITY TO STEER KICKED BACK IN. THE SAME SYMPTOMS OCCURRED AGAIN 6-7 TIMES IN THE NEXT 1.5 MILES. BIKE WAS LATER TOWED TO THE CAN-AM DEALER IT WAS PURCHASED FROM. THEY REPLACED THE DPS MODULE WHICH AFTER ONLY 60 MILES IS STILL WORKING FINE.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10322914March 30, 2010
STEERING
WHILE RIDING ALONG ON A LONG SWEEPING LEFT TURN THE STEERING LOCKED AND I NEEDED TO PHYSICALLY FORCE IT TO UNLOCK. I SINCE RETURNED IT TO THE DEALER AND I'M AWAITING FOR A STEERING PART NEEDED FOR REPAIR.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10313660February 24, 2010
STEERING
DYNAMIC POWER STEERING (DPS) UNIT FAILURE ON MY 2008 CAN AM SPYDER. DID NOT APPEAR UNTIL THE SOFTWARE UPDATE WAS INSTALLED AS PART OF THE MANUFACTURER'S RECALL WHEN I TOOK IT IN FOR THE 12000 MILE SERVICE JUST BEFORE THE 2 YEAR WARRANTY EXPIRED. UP UNTIL THEN I HAD NO SYMPTOMS. THE DEALER HAS ORDERED A REPLACEMENT DPS UNIT FROM BRP. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10312985February 23, 2010
STEERING
STEERING FAILURE IN MY 2008 CAN AM SPYDER. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10313310February 23, 2010
STEERING
FOLLOWING RECALL SERVICE WORK RELATING TO THE DYNAMIC POWER STEERING I IMMEDIATELY NOTICED SMOOTHER POWER STEERING ACCOMPANIED BY A SMALL "BUMP" OR "HICCUP" WHEN STEERING WHICH APPEARS TO BE A PRELUDE TO POWER STEERING FAILURE. FOLLOWING AN 18 MILE TRIP AFTER THE RECALL WAS DONE THE UNIT BEGAN TO DISPLAY CODES INDICATING PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE STABILITY SYSTEM AND THE DYNAMIC POWER STEERING (DPS) INCLUDING "VSS FAULT", "CHECK ENGINE", AND "DPS FAULT". I WAS FORCED TO "LIMP" MY UNIT BACK TO THE DEALER FOR FURTHER TESTING AND REPAIR. PRIOR TO THE RECALL I HAD NO CODES OR ENGINE ISSUES. THE UNIT HAS APPROXIMATELY 22,700 MILES. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10311061February 16, 2010
STEERING
I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND WENT TO ADJUST MY POSITION WITHIN MY LANE BUT THE HANDLEBARS HAD TO BE FORCED TO THE LEFT (STEERING SEEMS TO BE LOCKING UP). THIS OCCURS CONSTANTLY AND REQUIRES ABNORMAL FORCE TO CORRECT OR HAVING TO BRAKE TO A STOP SO AS NOT TO VEER INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN TO A CAN-AM DEALERSHIP FOR A POWER STEERING RECALL ALONG WITH AN ECM UPDATE RECALL AND A DPS UPDATE PER MANUFACTURER. THE RECALLS AND UPDATES WERE DONE BUT THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10308893February 12, 2010
STEERING
STEERING LOCKS UP WHILE DRIVING. OVERCOMING THIS LOCKED UP CONDITION REQUIRES ABOVE NORMAL FORCE. WHEN THE APPLIED FORCE OVERCOMES THE LOCKED UP STEERING THE MOTORBIKE THEN VEERS IN AN UNCONTROLLED MANNER. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10298215January 4, 2010
STEERING
WHEN TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY, SPYDER DRIFTED TOWARD TO THE RIGHT. TRIED TO CORRECT DRIFT, BUT STEERING WAS LOCKED. HAD TO APPLY EXCESSIVE FORCE TO CORRECT DRIFT, THEN STEERING BROKE LOOSE AND SHARPLY JERKED TO THE LEFT. NO ON-COMING TRAFFIC BUT IT WAS ENOUGH TO ENTER THE ONCOMING LANE. THIS CONTINUED TO OCCUR AND SCHEDULED A STEERING UPDATE WITH DEALER. AFTER THE DEALER INSTALLED THE UPDATE, ON THE WAY HOME (APPROX. 50 MILE TRIP) THE SAME THING BEGAN TO OCCUR, ONLY WORST. BY THE TIME I GOT HOME, IT WAS BEGINNING TO BE SO SEVERE THAT IT WAS DIFFICULT TO JUST STAY IN MY LANE OF TRAFFIC. CALLED THE DEALER WHEN I GOT HOME AND WAS INFORMED TO JUST BRING IT BACK AGAIN. THIS STEERING ISSUE IS BEGINNING TO BE A SEVERE SAFETY HAZARD AND SOMEONE WILL EVENTUALLY BE SERIOUSLY INJURED OR CAUSE A FATALITY. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10297704December 31, 2009
STEERING
WHILE OPERATING MY 2009 CAN AM SPYDER, THE POWER STEERING UNIT LOCKED UP CAUSING ME TO VEER ACROSS 2 LANES OF TRAFFIC. THIS HAPPENED 6 TIMES IN A 1 HOUR PERIOD AND THEN 2 TIMES WHILE RIDING BACK HOME. THIS ISSUE HAPPENED ONCE BEFORE ON AUGUST 10TH BUT THE EFFECTS WERE NOT AS STRONG AND I ATTRIBUTED THIS TO THE ROAD CONDITIONS. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10296176December 16, 2009
STEERING
'08 CAN AM SPYDER. WHEN RIDING IN HIGH CROSSWINDS, STEERING WOULD INTERMITTENTLY "STICK" WHEN CORRECTING BACK INTO CROSSWIND. HAD BRP'S 2ND SOFTWARE UPDATE DONE AND NOW STEERING "STICKS" ALL THE TIME JUST OFF CENTER TO THE LEFT. THE STEERING DOES NOT COMPLETELY SEIZE, BUT DEFINITELY TAKES EXTRA EFFORT TO TURN. HAVE ALMOST GONE INTO THE DITCH A FEW TIMES AS IT CAUGHT ME UNAWARES. NO PARTS REMOVED AND REPLACED AT THIS TIME. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10292524November 17, 2009
STEERING, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
RIDING MY 2008 CAN-AM SE5 SPYDER I WAS TRAVELING NORTH ON I95 AT 75MPH ATTEMPTING TO PASS A SEMI WHEN THE SPYDER STARTS TO BUCK, & LOSE POWER AND THE DASH LIGHTS UP. ENGINE LIGHT, VSS LIGHT AND DPS PROBLEM SCROLLING. TERRIFYING TO ALL OF A SUDDEN HAVE NO POWER WHILE ALL AROUND U ARE DOING 70 AND YOUR 3 LANES AWAY FROM A TURN OFF W/ LITTLE POWER AND ERRATIC STEERING.. I GOT OFF TO THE SIDE AND TURNED EVERYTHING OFF AND BACK ON & FAULT WAS STILL THERE. DID IT AGAIN & IT WAS GONE, SO I CAUTIOUSLY GOT BACK ON THE FREEWAY, ONLY TO HAVE IT HAPPEN AGAIN 20 MILES LATER. AGAIN SURROUNDED BY SEMIS. PULLED OVER. TURNED IT OFF & BACK ON. EVERYTHING OK. THIS TIME IT DIDN'T HAPPEN AGAIN, BUT JUST IN CASE I STAYED IN THE RIGHT LANE SO I COULD GET OFF IN A HURRY IF I HAD TO. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10291824November 11, 2009
STEERING
2008 CAN-AN SPYDER MODEL SE5 POWER STEERING PROBLEMS :POWER STEERING LOCKS UP OR CATCHES AND EXTRA EFFORT IS REQUIRED TO TURN THE HANDLE BARS. WHEN THE BARS DO RELEASE THE EXTRA EFFORT CAUSES VEHICLE TO SWERVE MAKING OF A VERY DANGEROUS CONDITION. ALSO MOTOR SURGES WHEN SHIFTING, BACK FIRES WHEN SLOWING AND QUITS AT RED LIGHTS ....EVEN THOUGH THE INCIDENT DATE IS STATED AS 10-17 THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM FROM DATE OF PURCHASE,AND THERE HAVE BEEN 2 UPDATES DONE BY CAN-AM BUT THE PROBLEMS REMAIN. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10291394November 8, 2009
SUSPENSION, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
WHILE DRIVING MY CAN AM SPYDER SM5 ON THE FREEWAY ON 11/7/O9 IT PULL TO THE RIGHT INTO THE OTHER LANE IT FELT LIKE IT LOCK UP AND VERY HARD TO STRAIGHTENED WHEELS, IT HAPPEN ABOUT SIX TIMES IN FIVE MILE RADIUS. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10290264October 29, 2009
STEERING
WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH ON MY CAN-AM SPYDER, I NOTICED THAT THE BIKE HAD DRIFTED TOWARDS THE RIGHT OF THE ROAD. NORMAL DRIFT, NO PULLING. TRIED TO CORRECT IT BUT THE HANDLEBARS WOULD NOT MOVE, THEY FELT AS IF THEY WERE LOCKED IN POSITION. AFTER 3 TRIES TO CORRECT BEFORE LEAVING THE ROAD, IT FELT AS IF IT BROKE LOOSE MAKING ME ABRUPTLY LOSE LANE POSITION ENDING UP IN THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC LANE. NO INJURIES OR ACCIDENT OCCURRED. ALSO AFTER RETURNING HOME, AT A STOPPED POSITION AND THE BIKE RUNNING, THE STEERING WOULD NOT TURN LEFT OR RIGHT ON GRASSY SURFACE. THIS SEEMED TO FREE UP AFTER THE BIKE WAS IN A ROLLING MOTION. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10290285October 29, 2009
STEERING
STEERING PULLED TO RIGHT TWICE AFTER RIDING BACK FROM DEALER AFTER THEY PERFORMED 3 RECALLS. ONE WAS FOR STEERING ISSUES. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10290075October 28, 2009
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
WE PURCHASED A 2009 CAN-AM SPYDER LAST MONTH. THE VEHICLE IS A SEMI AUTOMATIC MODEL ( SE-5) AS YOU COME TO A STOP THE VEHICLE IS SUPPOSED TO DOWN SHIFT. BUT DOESN'T ALWAYS DO THIS REMAINING IN A HIGHER GEAR SUCH AS 4TH OR 5TH. THE RESULT IS WHEN YOU GO TO TAKE OFF FROM A STOP THE VEHICLE DOESN'T WANT TO MOVE AND SOMETIMES JUST DIES. YOU THEN MUST TURN IT OFF WAIT 60 SECONDS THEN RE-START IT. IF YOU GO TO PULL OUT INTO TRAFFIC THIS CAN CAUSE A ACCIDENT. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10290102October 28, 2009
STEERING
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2009 - WHILE RIDING COUNTRY ROADS IN NORTH TEXAS, THE SPYDER'S STEERING AGAIN BECAME DANGEROUS' IT PREVENTED A LEFT TURN (EVEN A SLIGHT TURN) TO THE LEFT. THERE SEEMED TO BE A 'CATCH' IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STEERING MECHANISM'S WHICH NEEDED QUITE A BIT OF PRESSURE (APPROXIMATELY 20-25 POUNDS) TO OVERCOME. ALSO, WHEN THE 'CATCH' WAS OVERCOME, AN OVERREACTION OCCURRED WHICH CAUSE THE SPYDER TO SUDDENLY STEER LEFT FAR MORE THAN WHAT WAS DESIRED. IN ADDITION, THE STEERING WOULD SUDDENLY OVERCOMPENSATE FOR RIGHT TURNS AND PULL THE BIKE FAR FURTHER TO THE RIGHT THAN WHAT WAS DESIRED OR INPUT BY THE RIDER. AFTER ABOUT FIVE MINUTES, I STOPPED AND PULLED THE 5 AMP FUSE FROM THE FORWARD FUSE BOX. THAT DISABLED THE POWER STEERING AT LEAST PARTIALLY, AND THE OVERREACTION TO RIGHT STEERING STOPPED. HOWEVER, THE MIDDLE 'CATCH' WAS STILL OCCURRING AND REQUIRED ABOUT 25 POUNDS OF PRESSURE TO OVERCOME THE SPYDER'S PREVENTION OF A LEFT TURN. I IMMEDIATELY DROVE (SLOWLY) TO RICHARDSON MOTORSPORTS WHERE JEREMY (THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN) RECOGNIZED A PROBLEM JUST FROM DRIVING IT INTO THE SHOP AND APPLIED A SECOND UPDATE TO THE SOFTWARE AND CLEARED 'A FEW COMPUTER ERROR CODES'. I LEFT RICHARDSON MOTORSPORTS AND DROVE TO MY HOME IN ALLEN, TEXAS, ABOUT 15 MILES AWAY. NO FURTHER STEERING ANOMALIES OCCURRED. MONDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2009 - I AGAIN TOOK TO THE ROAD WITH THE SPYDER TO DETERMINE IF THE FIX WAS, IN FACT, REAL AS I HAD AN ARKANSAS TRIP COMING UP LATER IN THE WEEK. NO PROBLEMS OCCURRED IN THE APPROXIMATELY 50 MILES RIDDEN THAT DATE. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2009 - WHILE ENROUTE TO OUR DESTINATION IN OZARK, ARKANSAS (APPROXIMATELY 375 TOTAL MILES), THE SPYDER'S STEERING AGAIN MALFUNCTIONED AT ABOUT THE HALFWAY POINT. AGAIN, A 'CATCH' IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STEERING (STRAIGHT AHEAD) PREVENTED THE SPYDER FROM TURNING LEFT. AND, AS BEFORE, RIGHT TURNS WERE ASSISTED MORE THAN USUAL REQUIRING A QUICK DRIVER CORRECTION TO THE SPYDER'S OVER-COMPENSATION. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10289975October 27, 2009
STEERING
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
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10289846October 26, 2009
STEERING
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
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10289638October 23, 2009
STEERING
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
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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