Polaris Slingshot recalled because tricycle could turn into two-wheeler

Polaris is recalling 2020-2021 Slingshot models for a potential wheel separation issue.The company reports that some rear axles may have been shipped without the wheel bolts fully pressed into place, which could have caused the wheels to come loose in transit.In extreme cases, the wheels can be completely disengaged.

While the joke might write itself, losing the only rear wheel on atrikeis certainly not a joke.By the time Polaris filed a defect notification with NHTSA, eight customers had filed warranty claims related to the issue.Fortunately, it only seems to affect a subset of slingshots assembled using parts from a specific supplier:

"The difference between a recalled product and a product not included in the recall," Polaris said, "is that the rear axle/stud assembly of the recalled product is more likely to be improperly assembled due to poor maintenance of the supplier's equipment. ."

"Polaris opened an investigation that included links to component suppliers," the company's report said."Polaris has learned that during the supplier's press-fit assembly, a portion of the splines were stripped, which prevented the bolts from being fully pressed/seated during assembly or when tightening the lug nuts. Over time, The lug nuts on the rear wheel can be loosened.”

The recall involves 4,744 vehicles.Owners will be notified if their Slingshot is built with a faulty rear axle, and if found to be out of spec, a Polaris dealer will inspect and replace the entire assembly.Notification should be sent to all owners by mid-October.