On May 24, 2022, Bombardier Recreational Products issued a safety recall for most 2015 through 2019 Can-Am Spyder F3 and RT three-wheelers, due to a defective front sprocket. On affected reverse trikes, the front sprocket could wear prematurely and cause the vehicle to lose propulsion over time.
An estimated 30,389 Can-Am Spyder F3 and RTs are believed to be affected. Broken down, BRP says this includes 13,633 Spyder F3s and 16,756 Spyder RTs sold in North America. Affected vehicles were manufactured between April 15, 2014 and April 15, 2019. The company adds that not all MY 2019 VINs are affected—as those produced after April 15, 2019 are not included in this recall. The recall notice does not list a VIN range.
Some customers have reported noises and vibrations from their Spyders, but not all. This is the only warning that BRP has in its records as possibly occurring for owners whose Spyders have this front sprocket issue.
The problem was first raised by Transport Canada, which began an Issue Assessment in August, 2021 and informed BRP of this action. After further evaluation and discussion between TC and BRP, BRP made the decision to issue a worldwide safety recall in May, 2022. So far, in the U.S., BRP has linked 312 service contacts and 434 warranty claims to this issue. Additionally, a single existing National Highway Traffic Safety Administration claim may be related.
The remedy program differs slightly from most other recall remedy programs due to supply chain issues. BRP does plan to repair affected vehicles at no charge to customers. However, because the correct parts are only available in a limited quantity, and this level of availability is expected to remain the case for some time, it is offering what it refers to as an interim repair procedure while the proper part becomes more widely available.
According to BRP’s description, the interim repair procedure will be available through authorized Can-Am dealers after June 30, 2022, and should take less than an hour to complete. They will be tracked with a campaign, but will not be considered to be ‘repaired’ under the recall. Once the appropriate replacement part becomes more widely available, BRP will cease offering this interim procedure, and will instead simply complete the full recall repair procedure and mark it in that vehicle’s record.
Customers that previously replaced their front sprockets for this issue prior to the recall may contact BRP about reimbursement. BRP issued official notifications to dealers about this recall between May 26, 2022 and June 1, 2022. The company plans to notify owners between June 20, 2022 and June 27, 2022.
Owners may contact BRP customer service at 1-888-272-9222. Additionally, owners may contact the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153) or go to www.nhtsa.gov. NHTSA’s campaign number for this recall is 22V-352.
