On February 17, 2022, Minnesota-based Polaris Industries, Inc. issued a recall of several models of its Matryx snowmobiles due to reported failures of the throttle release switch. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (“CPSC”) recall notice states the throttle release switch (“TRS”) can fail to disengage when the throttle lever is released. This can lead to a stuck throttle condition when the TRS fails to disengage which can cause the rider to lose control of the vehicle, creating a crash risk. This recall affects the 2022 models of the company’s Matryx RMK, Matryx Indy, Matryx Switchback, Matryx Voyageur, and Matryx Nordic Pro snowmobiles sold between December 2019 and January 2022.
In addition to TRS disengagement failure issue, the CPSC notice also reports that the throttle cable of the 2022 Matryx RMK snowmobiles can be kinked during installation which can lead to damage of the throttle cable during operation and impairment of the throttle function, posing a further crash hazard.
According to Polaris, the affected models are identifiable by the name, printed on the chassis on both sides of the vehicles. Additionally, consumers can find their vehicle’s model year and vehicle identification number (“VIN”) stamped on the right side of the tunnel which they can also enter on the company’s website to determine whether their vehicle is subject to the recall.
Polaris has asked that consumers immediately stop using the recalled vehicles and contact a Polaris dealer to schedule a free inspection and repair. To date, Polaris has received several reports of both the kinked throttle and TRS failure defects.
The experienced trial attorneys at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner have successfully represented victims and families injured as a result of defective products and are available for a free consultation. If you or someone you know has been injured by a defective product, call us at 713-222-7211 or visit our website for your free in-person or virtual consultation.