2021 Polaris Slingshot R 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 2021 Polaris Slingshot R, 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
- Brakes240.0%
- Powertrain (other)240.0%
- Electrical120.0%
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
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
While driving the 2021 slingshot R it will randomly be thrown into neutral! I was on the side roads and then got onto highway and it slammed into neutral when I had a F350 right on my butt and almost killed me!
During a 150-mile ride, I experienced that while braking for a stop or a traffic slowdown, this unit shifted into neutral, and all of the dash warning lights came on at the same time. This happened 5 times during the ride. I had to coast to the side of the road, shut down, and restart the engine. Once, almost being rear-ended by a vehicle, and I didn't have the power to get to the side of the road. Once this occurs, the unit will not allow you to shift it at all without a shutdown and restart, it is stuck in neutral until this is done. To me, this is creating a dangerous situation of possibly being rear-ended in traffic by not being able to get out of the way because of no propulsion. This bike has had electrical issues since new with the ride command system, which has been worked on several times and is still not fixed to this day, Polaris has replaced the radio head and amplifier under a goodwill adjustment.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
While driving the 2021 slingshot R it will randomly be thrown into neutral! I was on the side roads and then got onto highway and it slammed into neutral when I had a F350 right on my butt and almost killed me!
During a 150-mile ride, I experienced that while braking for a stop or a traffic slowdown, this unit shifted into neutral, and all of the dash warning lights came on at the same time. This happened 5 times during the ride. I had to coast to the side of the road, shut down, and restart the engine. Once, almost being rear-ended by a vehicle, and I didn't have the power to get to the side of the road. Once this occurs, the unit will not allow you to shift it at all without a shutdown and restart, it is stuck in neutral until this is done. To me, this is creating a dangerous situation of possibly being rear-ended in traffic by not being able to get out of the way because of no propulsion. This bike has had electrical issues since new with the ride command system, which has been worked on several times and is still not fixed to this day, Polaris has replaced the radio head and amplifier under a goodwill adjustment.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
During a 150-mile ride, I experienced that while braking for a stop or a traffic slowdown, this unit shifted into neutral, and all of the dash warning lights came on at the same time. This happened 5 times during the ride. I had to coast to the side of the road, shut down, and restart the engine. Once, almost being rear-ended by a vehicle, and I didn't have the power to get to the side of the road. Once this occurs, the unit will not allow you to shift it at all without a shutdown and restart, it is stuck in neutral until this is done. To me, this is creating a dangerous situation of possibly being rear-ended in traffic by not being able to get out of the way because of no propulsion. This bike has had electrical issues since new with the ride command system, which has been worked on several times and is still not fixed to this day, Polaris has replaced the radio head and amplifier under a goodwill adjustment.
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 .