Although many ATV accidents are caused by driver error, some ATV accidents are caused by defects. Defective ATVs suffer flaws in the building process. If a manufacturer is aware of a hazard and does not warn the public, he is guilty of “failure to warn”. Design defects are errors in the product design that make the vehicle dangerous. People are winning defective product lawsuits against ATV manufacturers, and hundreds of thousands of ATVs have been recalled since 2000.
RECALLS
Every year thousands of ATVs are recalled in the United States. We have addressed a few on our website below:
Razor Dirt Quad - Electric Powered Ride-On Vehicles. About 30,000 Razor Dirt Quad's have been recalled. The control module for the throttle can fail and cause the vehicle to unexpectedly surge forward, posing a risk for injury. The recall affects product ID numbers beginning with 103110-01 or 103110-02. If you have one of these products, stop using it immediately and contact Razor for a free replacement controller. - Toll Free 800-813-3155 or visit www.razor.com/recall.
Kawasaki - Brute Force 750 4x4i model ATV - On some pieces, a nut, which secures the front upper suspension arm pivot bolt, could become loose during vehicle use and cause the upper suspension A-arm pivot bolt to back partially out. This would result in a loss of steering control. Kawasaki has received 14 reports of incidents with three minor injuries reported.
Arctic Cat Inc - Prowler XT Off-Highway Utility Vehicle - The recalled units fall within the vehicle identification range (VIN) of 4UF06MPV06T300001 through 4UF06MPV86T300781. The brakes on this ATV can fail. Arctic Cat has received notice of one incident of a brake pad dislodging from the rear caliper, and one incident of foot brake lever flexing. No injuries have been reported.
Bombardier Recreational Products Inc - 2004 and 2005 DS650 ATVs – The recalled units are under model numbers 0003A5A00, 0003A5B00, 0003B5A00, 0003B5B00, 000799700, 000799500, 000771900, and 000771700 The rear axle bearings may have not been sufficiently greased and could make the ATV unstable. Bombardier has received one report of the rear axle bearing breaking leading to a loss of control. No injuries have been reported.
Polaris - Sportsman 700 EFI - Model numbers A04CH68CU, A04CH68AU, A04CH68AP, and A04CH68AQ are part of the recall. There is a problem with the fuel line. The throttle cable may bind when the handlebars are turned full left or full right, resulting in an increase in engine speed and unintended vehicle acceleration. In addition, the fuel line may rub against the vehicle chassis, resulting in a fuel line leak, which could be a fire hazard. There have been 19 incidents (including two minor injuries such as scrapes, bruises, and minor injuries to the leg, knee, and shoulder) involving the throttle cable binding. There have been 31 incidents (but no injuries or fires) involving gasoline leaking from
For additional information on recalled ATVs, visit http://www.consumeraffairs.com type in the search box ATV recalls.