MEDINA, Minnesota — Polaris Industries has issued a stop ride/stop sale order for two lines of snowmobiles that involves increased risk of fire, especially after extended storage.
The order involves 2021-2023 MATRYX, 2015-2022 AXYS and select Model Year 2013-2014 Trail Performance (Pro-Ride) snowmobiles. A spokesperson for Polaris said in a news release that under specific conditions, machines with degraded or old gas could start on fire due to electrostatic discharge igniting vapors inside the fuel tank, especially following extended storage.
Around 230,000 sleds globally are involved in the Stop Ride order. Polaris has identified 30 instances where fuel tanks ruptured, including 16 reports of fire and one injury. The company says it is working with the Consumer Product Safety Commission
Snowmobile owners are just weeks away from pulling their machines out of storage, and will be anxious to fire them up before the snow flies.
"We recognize this is frustrating and an inconvenience for our dealers and customers, but safety is the driver behind our decision and we are committed to making this right," said Polaris spokesperson Jess Rogers. "Our team has identified a solution and we are currently validating that fix, so our riders will be able to maximize the upcoming winter season."
Rogers says Polaris is notifying owners impacted by the issue, and urging them not to ride until the company can provide a solution to the problem and a mechanism to get machines repaired for free at an authorized dealer.
If a snowmobile must be started, Polaris is telling customers they must first make sure the fuel tank is full and, if not, they need to add fresh gasoline to fill the tank.
Watch more local news:
Watch the latest local news from the Twin Cities in our YouTube playlist:
