The popular snowmobile cited instances of fire and injury from the defect.
Nearly 140,000 Polaris snowmobiles pose a potential safety issue for owners, the company announced on Nov. 17. In total, Polaris Industries Inc. issued a recall for about 138,000 snowmobiles sold nationwide and another 60,000 in Canada.
The recall, published on the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission‘s website, notes that electrostatic discharge in the fuel tanks can cause vapors to ignite, potentially rupturing the tank and resulting in a fire.
The recall impacts the following snowmobiles:
2021-2023 MATRYX
2015-2022 AXYS
2013-2014 Pro-Ride
Affected models retailed at Polaris dealers around the U.S. from Oct. 2011 through Aug. 2022, for between $5,300 and $21,500 each.
Incident Reports and How to Proceed
Polaris said it has received 30 reports of fuel tanks bursting. Among those incidents, six caused fires and one resulted in a second-degree burn. In August, the company recalled 230,000 snowmobiles after degraded fuel resulted in 16 reports of fire.
Company officials advised consumers to immediately stop using the recalled snowmobiles. Also, owners should contact Polaris or an authorized Polaris dealer to schedule a free repair, which consists of replacing the fuel tank assembly.
You can reach Polaris at 800-765-2747 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, or online via its Product Safety Recalls portal. If you’re concerned that you own a recalled snowmobile, you can enter your VIN into the website to find out if yours is included.
