2009 Can-Am Spyder RS Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2009 Can-Am Spyder RS, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Steering1076.9%
- Fuel system17.7%
- Other / unspecified17.7%
- Transmission17.7%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CAN-AM SPYDER ROADSTER. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE POWER STEERING FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE POWER STEERING FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000. UPDATED 06/08/17*LJ *AS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CAN-AM SPYDER ROADSTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK DYNAMIC POWER STEERING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 09V162000 (STEERING) BUT THE REMEDY FAILED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE EXHIBITED SIMILAR STEERING DIFFICULTIES AS BEFORE THE RECALL REPAIR WAS PERFORMED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 799. UPDATED 12/06/2017*CN
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
RIDING ON A TWO LANE RESIDENTIAL STREET WHEN WITHOUT ANY WARNING THE STEERING PULLED HARD TO THE LEFT AND TOOK ME INTO THE ONCOMING LANE. HAD A ONCOMING CAR BEEN COMING IN MY DIRECTION I WOULD HAVE HIT IT HEAD ON AT APPROXIMATELY A 30 DEGREE ANGLE. THIS HAPPENED SO FAST AND I WAS TRYING TO COUNTER STEER BACK INTO MY LANE AND ALMOST FLIPPED WHEN THE STEERING RELEASED. I HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM WITH A 2008 CAN AM SPYDER. THIS PROBLEM WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FIXED ACCORDING TO BRP, BUT IT IS STILL HAPPENING. THIS 2009 SPYDER WAS BOUGHT BAND NEW AND SHOWS THAT THE DPS WAS CHECK AND OR CHANGED BEFORE IT WAS SOLD TO ME. IT IS APPARENT THAT THE NEW UNIT HAS THE SAME PROBLEM AS THE NEW ONE. I ALSO WISH TO REPORT THE RANDOM SMELL OF FUEL WHICH CAUSES ME CONSIDERABLE WORRY SINCE MY 2008 CAN AM SPYDER WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED WHEN IT UNEXPECTEDLY BURST INTO FLAMES AS I WAS LEAVING MY DRIVEWAY. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
I HAVE A 2009 CAN AM SPYDER RS AND IT CAUGHT ON FIRE IN MAY 2014 . MY BIKE ONLY HAS 1900 MILES AND HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR SERVICE FOUR TIMES. IT CAUGHT ON FIRE ON MAY 12, 2014 AT MY WORK FABENSISD. I HAD IT IN THE SHOP FOR 3 RECALLS AND GOT IT BK 3 MONTHS LATER FROM NOV. 2013 TO FEB 2014. DROVE IT TO WORK WHICH IS 5 MILES AWAY. THE SCHOOL HAS IT IN THEIR SURVEILLANCE CAMERA. SANTA TERESA WANTS TO CHARGE ME FOR A PART THAT DOES NOT HAVE ANY WARRANTY. MY COMPLAIN IS WHY SHOULD I PAY FOR ANYTHING WHEN IT WAS THE MANUFACTURES FAULT? SINCERELY [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *JS *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Transmission
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CAN AM SPYDER RS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WOULD INTERMITTENTLY BECOME LOCKED IN GEAR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND THEY STATED THAT THERE WERE NO FAILURES AND THE VEHICLE WAS DESIGNED TO RESPOND IN THE MANNER IN WHICH IT WAS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 1,300.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .