Can-am Spyder Gs

Model Spyder Gs made by Can-am got 40 consumer complains as well as 4 recalls. Consumer complaints with reference, among others things, to brakes and electrical system. There were some recalls concerningfuel system, gasoline and service brakes, hydraulic.

Model 2008

Recalls


CampaignManufacturerManufacturing dateType# of units affectedDate Owner notified MfgRecall Initiated byManufacturers of recalled vehicles/productsReport Recieved DateRecord Creation DateRegulation Part NumberFMVSS Number
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
12V581000Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. V (Vehicle)960012/26/2012MFRBombardier Recreational Products Inc.12/12/201212/13/2012
Defect SummaryBombardier recreational products inc. (brp) is recalling certain model year 2008-2009 can-am spyder gs and model year 2010 can-am spyder rs vehicles. fuel vapors may exit the fuel vapor canister vent hose in the enclosed engine compartment.
Consequence SummaryFuel vapors in the presence of an ignition source could result in a fire and personal injury.
Corrective SummaryBrp will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the fuel vapor canister vent hose and replace and re-route it, as necessary, free of charge. the safety recall began on december 26, 2012. owners may contact brp at 1-888-638-5397.
NotesOwners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - STORAGE - TANK ASSEMBLY - FILLER PIPE AND CAP
12V582000Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. V (Vehicle)33700MFRBombardier Recreational Products Inc.12/12/201212/13/2012
Defect SummaryBombardier recreational products inc. (brp) is recalling certain model year 2008-2012 can-am spyder gs, rs, and rt series vehicles. the fuel cap may not fit onto the fuel tank filler neck, preventing it from sealing properly.
Consequence SummaryIf the fuel cap does not seal properly, it may leak fuel vapors. fuel vapors in the presence of an ignition source could result in a fire and personal injury.
Corrective SummaryBrp will notify owners and send them a replacement fuel cap, free of charge. the safety recall is expected to begin in mid-january 2013. owners may contact brp at 1-888-638-5397.
NotesOwners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
07V561000BOMBARDIER RECREATIONAL PRODUCTS INC.from 09/18/2007 to 11/19/2007V (Vehicle)47611/21/2007MFRBOMBARDIER RECREATIONAL PRODUCTS INC.12/12/200712/12/2007
Defect SummaryOn certain passenger vehicles, there is a presence of an abnormal quantity of air in the hydraulic circuit of the front brake. also some vehicles may have one or two brake fluid reservoir caps that are sealed and this could create a vacuum which could lead to adsorption of air into the brake circuits. the brake pedal may go almost to the floor when depressing.
Consequence SummaryA driver may be unable to stop the vehicle as expected increasing the risk of a crash.
Corrective SummaryBrp has notified each owner informing them of this problem and scheduling a pick-up time to retrieve the vehicle. dealers will inspect and perform a bleeding of the brake system is needed. the brake fluid reservoir caps will be replaced and the brake system pressure will be validated. the recall began on november 21, 2007. owners may contact brp at 1-888-864-2002.
NotesBrp recall no. 2008-0001.customers may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration
STEERING
09V162000BOMBARDIER RECREATIONAL PRODUCTS INC.from 07/04/2007 to 11/17/2008V (Vehicle)993207/17/2009MFRBOMBARDIER RECREATIONAL PRODUCTS INC.05/19/200905/18/2009
Defect SummaryBombardier recreational is recalling 9,932 my 2008-2009 can-am spyder roadster gs motorcycles. a condition may exist where the operator of an involved vehicle may need to exert a force greater than expected to initiate the turning of the steering handlebar off center in order to correct vehicle drift from a straight line path. this higher than expected steering control input torque may cause a steering angle overshoot and an unexpected deviation of the vehicle from the operator's intended path.
Consequence SummaryIf this occurs, it can lead to a temporary out of lane excursion of the vehicle which increases the possibility of a crash with other traffic and or a drive off the road.
Corrective SummaryDealers will inspect and replace/repair the appropriate components free of charge. the recall is expected to begin on july 17, 2009. owners may contact bombardier recreational at 1-866-767-0707.
NotesOwners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov .

Consumer Complaints


Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
BRAKES
07/04/20114200
 My 2008 can am spyder was parked with the emergency brake on. the vehicle rolled down my driveway narrowly missing my children and it finally came to rest in my neighbors fence. i have taken the vehicle into the dealer 4 times now for the emergency brake not holding and the vehicle rolling backwards or forwards. the vehicle has no warning system to tell you the brake is not holding. this is the only thing that holds this 1000 pound vehicle.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
02/11/20123800
 On mutiple occasion due to the problems while traveling at highway speeds the vehicle lost power and i was nearly rear ended. as of 5/1/12 brp has failed to return my emails all repairs including towing has been paid out of pocket and the bike is under warranty until 2013.
08/08/20105500
 I ride a can am spyder which is a 3 wheeled motorcycle and on 8-8-10 it spontaniously caught on fire, thank goodness someone was able to get a fire ex. and put out the fire but none the less it melted a lot of parts. it is now at a dealer waiting for parts to come in the be replaced. i have read on several web sites that this has happened before, maybe a recall is in order. no one was hurt.
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL
11/16/200954221
 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
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
05/20/20081001
 Since purchasing brand new in 2008, this unit has had terrible gas fumes when riding, and a terrific buildup of raw gas fumes in the garage upon parking. this has been an ongoing problem. several trips to the (now defunct) dealer, visits to different dealers, several e-mails to brp in canada, and no solutions. nobody wants to address this problem, and most owners of these motorcycles have the same complaint: gas smell, carbon monoxide, lack of dealer support, and no solutions. it is not right that every time we ride our motorcycle, we get headaches and our clothing stinks like gas fumes and exhaust. this is an unhealthy, dangerous situation, which needs your attention. this motorcycles have a design problem that is being ignored by can-am (brp). thank you very much for your help! *tr
05/20/2008100
 Since purchasing brand new in 2008, this unit has had terrible gas fumes when riding, and a terrific buildup of raw gas fumes in the garage upon parking. this has been an ongoing problem. several trips to the (now defunct) dealer, visits to different dealers, several e-mails to brp in canada, and no solutions. nobody wants to address this problem, and most owners of these motorcycles have the same complaint: gas smell, carbon monoxide, lack of dealer support, and no solutions. it is not right that every time we ride our motorcycle, we get headaches and our clothing stinks like gas fumes and exhaust. this is an unhealthy, dangerous situation, which needs your attention. this motorcycles have a design problem that is being ignored by can-am (brp). thank you very much for your help!
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
08/08/20105500
 I ride a can am spyder which is a 3 wheeled motorcycle and on 8-8-10 it spontaniously caught on fire, thank goodness someone was able to get a fire ex. and put out the fire but none the less it melted a lot of parts. it is now at a dealer waiting for parts to come in the be replaced. i have read on several web sites that this has happened before, maybe a recall is in order. no one was hurt.
STEERING
12/01/20101
 Consumer writes regarding recall on can-am bombardier spyder concerning the computer software *tgw the consumer stated he received another recall regarding the power steering unit. the consumer stated he has been unsuccessful at getting the recalls taken care of. the power steering unit malfunctioned which caused the motorcycle to veer into oncoming traffic. *jb
05/30/201011606
 Three wheeled cycle steering locked/binded at about 45 mph. operator lost control and ran off the road causing property damage. this was the fourth time the steering binded while traveling straight at freeway speeds.
04/30/201011367
 Vehicle - 2008 brp can am spyder. while riding at approximately 60 mph on a 2 lane highway in the rain after dark the dynamic power steering (dps) seized up and i was unable to steer the unit with the normal amount of pressure on the handgrips. when enough pressure was applied to the handle bar to overcome the resistance excessive over steering resulted. the over steering caused me to drive into the opposing lane and alternately on to the shoulder. the only way i was able to prevent the steering from locking up in any one position was to continuously move the handlebar from left to right
02/18/20103640
 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.
03/04/20106700
 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.
02/23/2010128001
 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
02/20/2010227001
 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
02/18/201085001
 Steering failure in my 2008 can am spyder. *tr
02/01/201085001
 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
02/03/2010370001
 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
11/22/200980001
 '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
11/16/200954221
 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
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
05/30/201011606
 Three wheeled cycle steering locked/binded at about 45 mph. operator lost control and ran off the road causing property damage. this was the fourth time the steering binded while traveling straight at freeway speeds.