[Seattle]

Hi everyone...

I just received notification that there will be a recall notice sent to all 2008/2009 Spyder owners for a steering component failure, which will require all dealers to replace all affected parts at no cost to the customer.

Click HERE to see certified letter sent in by BRP

Report Date: June 14, 2009 at 10:16 PM
NHTSA Campaign ID number : 09V162000

Vehicle Make / Model: CAN-AM / SPYDER ROADSTER
Model Year(s): 2008-2009
Manufacturer: BOMBARDIER RECREATIONAL PRODUCTS INC.
Mfr's Report Date: MAY 08, 2009
NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 09V162000
NHTSA Action Number: N/A
Component: STEERING
Potential Number of Units Affected: 9932

Summary: BOMBARDIER RECREATIONAL IS RECALLING 9,932 MY 2008-2009 CAN-AM SPYDER ROADSTERS. 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: IF 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.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE/REPAIR THE APPROPRIATE COMPONENTS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON JULY 6, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BOMBARDIER RECREATIONAL AT 1-866-767-0707.

Notes: OWNERS 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

The following is the confirmation posted on BRP's own website regarding the official nature of this recall:

June 12, 2009, Spyder Announcements

“SPYDER RECALL – UPDATED INFORMATION – JUNE 12TH, 2009”

Dear SpyderRyder!

You may already have heard or read that the US National Highway Safety Traffic Administration (NHTSA) published on their official website a draft document from BRP regarding a forthcoming safety recall related to the Dynamic Power Steering (DPS) of the Can-AmTM SpyderTM roadster.

As an update, we can confirm that we have submitted the final documents for approval to NHTSA this morning and will be completing testing of the solution over the next 2-3 weeks.

If you have questions regarding this matter, please call 1-866-767-0707 where we will provide you with the most recent information on the subject and update you as soon as more details become available. This dedicated line is in service between 8 AM and 6 PM, Monday through Thursday, and from 8 to 9.30 AM and 10.30 AM to 5.30 PM on Friday, Eastern Standard Time; you will be able to speak to a BRP Representative if you wish to stay on the line after hearing the recorded information.

Thank you for your support of the Can-Am Spyder roadster and participation in the Spyder Community.

 

[Spyderman]

Thanks for posting this one!

 

[rat95dynaguy]

First off, thanks for the posting!
I contacted my dealership immediately and they began the process of looking up what SN's are affected. For some reason they claim BRP did not have that info available on their site.
Does anyone know a site we can link to which provides the SN's affected by the recall? My dealer told me only certain numbers are in need of this "voluntary recall", which is not only Canadian-sold models but exported ones also.

Thanks for the update!

Mike

 

[burg650]

I called BRP in May and I was told that dealer will not be getting the official notice till first or second week of this month and I was also told that BRP will be sending a letter to all the owners that spyder's are affected.

 

[rat95dynaguy]

My dealer called me today and claimed the "fix" consists of installing new software which gets rid of the problem of the steering "hump".

It was explained to me that the units affected are ones which are being pushed beyond their designed use, ie: racing. The riders are experiencing a brief moment of very hard steering at the beginning of the turn. The mechanical linkage is not affected, just the computer's input, hence the new software.
BRP says this is a voluntary recall but they are offering it to all owners just in case.

Nowthen, take the above dealer statements with a grain of salt because, as we all know, dealers seem to give different info at different locations.
Ah, the joys of recalls...

Mike

 

[Spyderman]

Recall Update

July 9, 2009, Spyder Announcements
Update on Spyder DPS Recall

July 9, 2009

Dear SpyderRyder Subscriber,

The purpose of today's entry is to update you on the forthcoming safety recall related to the Dynamic Power Steering (DPS) of the Can-AmTM SpyderTM roadster as reported on the official website of the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

We will be requiring more time to finalize testing but we continue to plan for launch of the campaign as soon as possible.

Our dedicated toll free line, 1-866-767-0707, is still in service if you have questions regarding this matter. This line is open between 8 AM and 6 PM, Monday through Thursday, and from 8 to 9.30 AM and 10.30 AM to 5.30 PM on Friday, Eastern Standard Time; you will be able to speak to a BRP Representative if you wish to stay on the line after hearing the recorded information.

Thank you for your patience and your support of the Can-Am Spyder roadster.

 

[Spyderman]

July 9, 2009

The purpose of today's entry is to update you on the forthcoming safety recall related to the Dynamic Power Steering (DPS) of the Can-AmTM SpyderTM roadster as reported on the official website of the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

We will be requiring more time to finalize testing but we continue to plan for launch of the campaign as soon as possible.

Our dedicated toll free line, 1-866-767-0707, is still in service if you have questions regarding this matter. This line is open between 8 AM and 6 PM, Monday through Thursday, and from 8 to 9.30 AM and 10.30 AM to 5.30 PM on Friday, Eastern Standard Time; you will be able to speak to a BRP Representative if you wish to stay on the line after hearing the recorded information.

Thank you for your patience and your support of the Can-Am Spyder roadster.



SAFETY RECALL NOTICE

Date: July 17, 2009
Re: Dynamic Power Steering (DPS)
Dear Can-AmTM Spyder Roadster Owner,

This notice is being sent to you in accordance with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, the Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Act and other applicable laws. Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. and BRP US Inc. (“BRP“) have decided that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in certain Can-Am Spyder Roadster models and are conducting a voluntary safety recall.

What is the potential problem?
A situation may occur where you may need to exert a force greater than expected to initiate the turning of the steering handlebar of your vehicle in order to correct its trajectory. At this increased level of force the handlebar may be turned more than you had intended. If this occurs you may steer your vehicle out of lane which increases the possibility of a crash with other traffic or of a drive off the road.

What should you do?
Call an authorized BRP Can-Am Spyder Roadster dealer and make an appointment to have your vehicle repaired. We will re-program the dynamic power steering systems to improve the smoothness of operation. This software update does not involve the replacement of part and should take less than twenty minutes to complete. The dealer will perform this work at no charge to you.
In the mean time be aware that a condition may arise where you need to use more force then expected to steer your vehicle. Stay alert and give yourself enough distance and time to react. BRP encourages you to pass on this information to any other driver of your vehicle.

What to do if you feel this notice is an error?
This notice was mailed to you according to the most current information we have available. If you no longer own this vehicle or some information in this notice is incorrect, please contact BRP at your earliest convenience.

For US residents only
If you believe that the dealer or BRP has failed or is unable to remedy the defect within a reasonable time, you may submit a complaint to the Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue S.E. Washington, D.C. 20590, or call the toll free Auto Safety Hot Line at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safecar.gov.

For Canadian residents only
If you believe that the notification or correction is inadequate, that the manufacturer fails to correct the situation in accordance with the notification or it fails or is unable to correct the situation within 60 days, you may submit a complaint to the Road Safety and Motor Vehicle Regulation Directorate of Transport Canada at 1-800-333-0510.

If you are a vehicle lessor, federal law requires that any vehicle lessor receiving this recall notice must forward a copy of this notice to the lessee within ten days.

If you have questions, need assistance, or to find your nearest authorized BRP dealer:
• Visit Can-Am - ATV ATV - Spyder Roadster | VTT Can-Am - ATV - Can-Am - ATV Spyder
• In the US and Canada: 1-888-638-5397, 8:00 to 18:00 Eastern time


Sincerely,
After-Sales Service Department,
Bombardier Recreational Products Inc.



August 21, 2009, Spyder announcements
SPYDER DPS RECALL UPDATE

It has been one month since the official launch of the safety recall for the Dynamic Power Steering (DPS) of the Can-AmTM SpyderTM roadster and we wish to thank the approximately 6,000 Spyder owners who, to date, have taken the time to have this recall completed.

The campaign has been very successful to date, and we have no reports of any significant steering problems after completion of the software download; however, we do have a few reports of vehicles running rough (i.e. RPM's surging) that we are currently investigating. Although we have only just started to investigate these reports, early indications are that these issues are related to some combination of "juice boxes" (JB's) or similar performance modification electronics, aftermarket air filters and/or aftermarket exhausts; but this is speculative at best and will wait for the outcome of our analysis to conclude anything. In any case, please do not postpone the completion of the safety recall based on the reports of a limited number of vehicles; and trust that we will address this as quickly as possible.

If you have any questions regarding the above and/or the safety campaign in general, please do not hesitate to call BRP at 1-866-767-0707 or email at [email protected]. This dedicated toll free line is open between 8 AM and 6 PM, Monday through Thursday, and from 8 to 9.30 AM and 10.30 AM to 5.30 PM on Friday, Eastern Standard Time.

We will keep you informed on the outcome of our investigations and wish to thank you for your participation in the Can-Am Spyder community.

The Can-Am Spyder After-Sales Support Team