Polaris Issues Stop Use/Sale Order On 2013-2023 Snowmobiles

2023 Polaris snowmobiles

In perhaps one of the most stunning recall-related notices we’ve ever seen, Polaris today issued a “stop ride/stop sale” order on the vast majority of its snowmobiles built over the last 10 years.

The cause: A potential for degraded/old fuel to ignite in certain circumstances related to electro-static discharge. According to the official Polaris announcement, there have been 30 reports of fuel tank ruptures in that decade-long period, including 16 with fire and one with an injury, but the number of vehicles affected by this announcement is an amazing 230,000 snowmobiles. That includes all Matryx and Axys chassis sleds plus trail-performance Pro-Ride sleds from 2013-14.

Separate from the official announcement that is posted below, a Polaris official emailed the snowmobile media today and said the following:

“As with all our stop rides, owners of affected snowmobiles should not ride until we can provide a validated solution and they get work completed with a Polaris-authorized dealer on the repair. If the snowmobile must be started, we are telling customers they must first make sure the fuel tank is full and, if it is not, then they need to add fresh gasoline to fill the tank.” 

The email continued: “We recognize the importance of the upcoming winter season. Our teams have identified a solution and are currently validating that fix, so our riders can get full enjoyment out of the upcoming riding season. We understand and apologize to our dealers and riders for this inconvenience, but safety is the driver behind our decision, and we are committed to making this right.”

The “identified a solution” part of the statement, plus the fact that it’s currently August, gives us some hope that none of the season will be lost. That said, we’re sure Polaris-owning sledheads will be nervous about this until their actual snowmobile is serviced/updated.

Here’s the announcement from Polaris, as posted on their website:

Polaris Issues Stop Ride / Stop Sale for Model Year 2021-2023 MATRYX, 2015-2022 AXYS, and select Model Year 2013-2014 Trail Performance (Pro-Ride) snowmobiles

Polaris has determined that with degraded fuel and especially after extended storage, Model Year 2021-2023 MATRYX, 2015-2022 AXYS, and select Model Year 2013-2014 Trail Performance (Pro-Ride) snowmobiles may pose a risk of fire due to electrostatic discharge (ESD) inside the fuel tank. Under specific conditions, vapors may be ignited inside the fuel tank, posing a potential injury hazard to consumers. 

Number of affected vehicles: Around 230,000 units globally

Number of incidents: Polaris has identified 30 reports of fuel tank ruptures, including 16 incidents of fire and one report of injury.

Consumers should immediately stop using the impacted units. Polaris is currently evaluating a comprehensive action plan to correct this concern at no cost to consumers and will contact affected consumers once determined. DO NOT attempt any repairs yourself. If a rider needs to start their snowmobile, they must make sure the fuel tank is full and, if it is not, then they need to add fresh gasoline to fill the tank.

Polaris is notifying dealers and contacting registered owners directly. Polaris has reported this matter to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

To search off-road recalls by model or vehicle identification number (VIN) to see if your unit is affected by any recalls, visit the Off-Road Safety Recalls page or call Polaris at 800-765-2747.

14 thoughts on “Polaris Issues Stop Use/Sale Order On 2013-2023 Snowmobiles

  • Avatar for Jason

    Polaris should have a recall on the main wiring harness on SBS Polaris 900 ranger as well. My 2015 900 XP been sitting in the garage for a year now. Not a good product for spending over 18000 grand and having wiring problem lease that 3 year after purchase.

    Reply
  • Avatar for Billy

    Polaris is mostly garbage, you get the odd one out of em that work!

    Reply
  • Avatar for Russell Abernathy

    Polaris builds junk they always have . Tons of recalls and especially fire issues including all their products. Instead of don’t ride and stop sell they need a don’t buy on all their products

    Reply
  • Avatar for peter cunningham

    I SNOW CHECKED A 2022 XCR 650 I MADE IT 13 MILES CRANKSHAFT PTO BEARINGS LOCKED UP HAD A BATTLE WITH POLARIS TO GET REPAIRED I SPOKE WITH THE POLARIS WARRENTY TEAM AND TOLD THEM MAINE HAS LAWS AGAINST BEING SOLD DEFECTIVE PRODUCT, POLARIS DIDNT REPLACE THE MOTOR THEY HAD THE DEALER PATCH UP THE SEIZE MOTOR CRANK PISTONS GASKETS ECT. THE FUEL PUMP WAS BAD 6 IN A HALF MONTHS BEFORE POLARIS HAD STOCK TO REPLACE THE PUMP IT ALSO HAD A RECALL FOR THE THROTTLE CABLE STICKING AND NOW THERES A RECALLL FOR STATIC IN THE GAS TANK AND MY CATCH FIRE S-22-09 RECALL NUMBER ITS A GOOD THING THEY PUT 4 YEAR WARRENTY ON IT.DONT BELEIVE ALL THE ARTICLES YOU READ ON HOW GREAT OF A SLED IT IS / I GOT 13 MILES OUTOF MINE AND LOST A HOLE SEASON OF RIDING AND SPENT 15K QUALITY CONTROL IS AT A ALL NEW LOW

    Reply
  • Avatar for Edwin Hermanson

    BS ! Ive owned them all and they ALL have issues. The Cat I owned totally cured me of EVER buying another. Also 4 strokes suck and are boat anchors plus sound terrible

    Reply
  • Avatar for Matt

    All brands outsource their parts to the cheapest bidder. They all have recalls/problems and there is no brand exempt from these issues. I’ve owned Yamaha, Skidoo and now Polaris and all of them have had recalls. My Yamaha’s especially had numerous recalls affecting everything from steering collectors to ignition problems to defective piston rings and clutch components. Are sleds are put together by many people of various skill levels, its insane to think that nobody screws up from time to time. Even companies with stellar quality control slip up every now and then.

    Reply
    • Avatar for Andre Rochon

      You’re absolutely correct. The lowest bidder gets the job.ongoing quality control is Polaris’s responsibility.

      That being said, my 2022 650 Assault just had the fuel pump upgrade. That Snowcheck sled showed up in May. We received the Don’t use recall, top up the fuel tank, etc. my dealer gave it to me with 1/4 tank, which I thought was weird.
      I filled it and brought it in with 100 % full, after the fuel pump upgrade I now have 85% fuel. Where did the 15% fuel go? I was also told to wait for the Polaris OK that the job was well done. So much for the hour, hour and a half of work. Yes, I’ve had shitty sleds in the past. Not just Polaris issues.

      Reply
  • Avatar for David Buell

    Snow mobiles have always been fix or repair daily. It is a hobby nothing more. When I was a kid back in the 70s, we were always working on snowmobile’s for one thing broke or another all that’s happened is more high-tech. They were easier to work on years ago people want all the comforts of life on their snowmobile instead of just enjoying them for what they are.

    Reply
  • Avatar for Leon mcintire

    Gee that’s funny because the majority of every machine I saw that burnt was a ski doo

    Reply
    • Avatar for Chris B

      You’re full of it! You’re obviously an Arctic Chicken rider! I’ve owned 6 Ski-doo sleds & never had a problem, EVER!!! I put 4,400 miles on each winter. And I beat the hell out of them. I piped 2 of them (myself) shaved the heads,changed jets & weights in the clutches 194 studs in the tracks all the work done myself.I blew one belt. Only issue I ever had was 1 of the 2 screws in the throttle came out (dual stage throttle) I always carried a tow rope for all the Arctic Chickens that broke down! My brother in law & I both bought new sleds the same year. He bought a Cat,I bought a Ski-doo. I put 4,400 miles on mine,he almost got 200 on his because it was in the repair shop several times that winter, mainly for break downs,once because he was crying to the dealer who told him he would beat my Ski-doo in a race! I beat him by several hundred feet,so he took it back & had it clutched,jetted,aftermarket pipes & then he could almost run even with my stock Ski-doo. His parents saw how the 2 sleds ran all winter & they snow checked 2 Ski-doo’s for the next winter. They’ve bought nothing but Ski-doo’s for the last 7 yrs now.Yes all sleds have issues but Arctic Cat has by far had the most that I’ve seen. They’ve been so desperate to compete with Ski-doo in sales & wins in the Sno-cross races that they’ve run into reliability issues by tweaking too much looking for more H.P. & have only managed to have repair shops backed up with piles of junk!!! Since 1995 Ski-doo has dominated sales,race wins,etc… the people in Thief River Falls have had their tails between their legs ever since.

      Reply
  • Avatar for That Old Guy

    All I can say is Polaris supply issues caused our local dealer of 40 years to close. They were working through the carry over but customers sleds were sitting months waiting for parts for common repairs like clutches and piston rings and bearings. This led to bad word of mouth. In this small town, bad news travels fast. It’s crazy when you can go online and find engine parts for a 45 year old vintage TX within an hour, but parts for a three year old machine are NA? I hear similar stories from other manufacturers. Not good!

    Reply
  • Avatar for Ken

    Safety first! Kudos to Polaris for prioritizing customers by addressing potential issues. Responsible actions like these make the snowmobiling community safer for everyone. 🛷👏

    Reply
  • Avatar for Monarch Honda

    Polaris’ proactive step regarding the 2013-2023 Snowmobiles is commendable. Safety should always come first, and their decision shows their commitment to their customers’ well-being.

    Reply
  • Avatar for Tilbury RV

    It’s reassuring to see Polaris taking proactive measures. Appreciate the heads-up about the stop use/sale order. Stay informed, stay safe.

    Reply

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