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U.S. public vehicle records

2015 Polaris SLINGSHOT: complaints, problems and recalls

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

36 owner complaints analyzed

9 distinct recall campaigns

2,050 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2015 model year. Data snapshot: . 17 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Engine is the most frequently named component, appearing in 8 of 36 complaints (22.2%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
TopicMatching reportsShare of complaints
Transmission and shifting822.2%
Braking behavior616.7%
Steering behavior411.1%
Electrical and battery issues12.8%
Fuel system concerns12.8%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Engine
8
Power Train
6
Vehicle Speed Control
6
Service Brakes
5
Suspension
5
Electrical System
4
Fuel/Propulsion System
4
Steering
3
Component breakdown data
CategoryCount
Engine8
Power Train6
Vehicle Speed Control6
Service Brakes5
Suspension5
Electrical System4
Fuel/Propulsion System4
Steering3

Engine: 8; Power Train: 6; Vehicle Speed Control: 6; Service Brakes: 5; Suspension: 5; Electrical System: 4; Fuel/Propulsion System: 4; Steering: 3

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000
16
25,000 to 49,999
1
50,000 to 74,999
0
75,000 to 99,999
0
100,000 to 149,999
0
150,000 and above
0
Reported problems by failure mileage data
CategoryCount
Under 25,00016
25,000 to 49,9991
50,000 to 74,9990
75,000 to 99,9990
100,000 to 149,9990
150,000 and above0

Under 25,000: 16; 25,000 to 49,999: 1; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0

Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (16). 19 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2015
9
2016
8
2017
10
2018
3
2019
4
2020
1
2021
1
Complaints over time data
CategoryCount
20159
20168
201710
20183
20194
20201
20211

2015: 9; 2016: 8; 2017: 10; 2018: 3; 2019: 4; 2020: 1; 2021: 1

Pattern summary

Engine leads the component reports. Transmission and shifting appears in 8 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 6 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 4 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Examples from the source records

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10678915 · 2015-01-26 (January 26, 2015)

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 POLARIS SLING SHOT (N/A). THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, THE TRACTION CONTROL WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHERE IT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25.

Owner-reported narrative. 25 miles reported. Look up ODI 10678915 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10704009 · 2015-04-06 (April 6, 2015)

WE TOOK OUR SLINGSHOT SL BACK TO OUR DEALER TO HAVE THEM REMOVE AND CHECK FRONT WHEEL RIMS FOR CRACKLES DUE TO RECENT REPORTS OF OVER 10 OTHER SLINGSHOT OWNERS HAVING THEIR WHEELS RIMS FAILURE DUE TO CRACKS WHILE DRIVING. THE DEALER WOULD MULTIPLE CASTING IMPERFECTIONS AND ONE LARGE CRACK APPROX 1 INCH IN LENGTH AND 0.1 ML IN WIDTH (WIDE ENOUGH TO PUT A FINGERNAIL). POLARIS WAS CONTACTED BY THE DEALER AND BY US - AT THIS TIME POLARIS IS REFUSING TO ALLOW DEALERS TO REPLACE THESE DEFECTIVE CRACKED WHEEL RIMS. THE SECOND SAFETY ISSUE THIS M…

Owner-reported narrative. 1,067 miles reported. Look up ODI 10704009 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10704198 · 2015-04-07 (April 7, 2015)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 POLARIS SLINGSHOT. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS:15V022000 (STEERING) AND 15V020000 (STRUCTURE); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIRS WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. UPDATED 5/18/15*CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE MOTORCYCLE WAS REPAIRED. UPDATED 06/02/15*JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10704198 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10713598 · 2015-04-29 (April 29, 2015)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 POLARIS SLINGSHOT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MOTORCYCLE ACCELERATED SUDDENLY WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO STOP THE MOTORCYCLE BY SHIFTING DOWN THE CLUTCH AND TURNING THE KEY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. WHEN THE CONTACT PICKED UP THE VEHICLE, THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE CRUISE CONTROL STOPPED WORKING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,000.

Owner-reported narrative. 5,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10713598 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10717459 · 2015-05-20 (May 20, 2015)

GAS PEDAL REVVING BY ITSELF BETWEEN 1-2-3-4 GEARS WHEN TAKING FOOT OFF THE PEDAL I REPORTED THE PROBLEM TO DEALER AND THEY HAD NO RECALL FORM POLARIS. I CALLED THE COMPANY AND DEALER 3-4 TIMES AND THEY HAD NO ANSWER FOR ME. THE GAS PEDAL VEVVS 500 TO 3000RPM WHEN I RELEASE THE THROTTLE GAS PEDAL .I JUST WENT TO THE DEALER FOR A CHANGE OF MICRO CLUTCH SWITCH WITH NO SUCCESS ON MAY19-2015. YOUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION WOULD BE APPRECIATED. THE SLINGSHOT FORUM FOR OWNERS HAVE HAD MANY MANY COMPLAINTS WITH NO RESULTS. [XXX] [XXX] THERE IS A SLINGSH…

Owner-reported narrative. 500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10717459 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10726812 · 2015-06-23 (June 23, 2015)

FROM DAY ONE IVE EXPERIENCED OCCASIONAL TO FREQUENT ENGINE FLARES, WHICH IS, WHEN I PRESS THE CLUTCH ALL THE IN WHILE TAKING MY FOOT OFF OF THE THROTTLE, THE ENGINE RPM WILL HANG AT IT'S CURRENT VALUE AND WILL SOMETIMES INCREASE 500-1000 RPMS AND REMAIN THERE FOR SEVERAL SECONDS BEFORE REDUCING ON IT'S OWN. AT TIMES I CAN GO THROUGH SEVERAL SHIFTING EVENTS TO HOURS OF NORMAL OPERATION WITHOUT PROBLEMS BUT, THE FLARING HAS ALWAYS HAPPENED ON EVERY RIDE IVE BEEN ON. ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO HE RE-FLASHED THE ECU WHICH MADE THE ENGINE RUN SMOOTHER …

Owner-reported narrative. 100 miles reported. Look up ODI 10726812 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10743395 · 2015-07-24 (July 24, 2015)

THE WHEEL BEARINGS FAILED AT 1500 MILES... UPDATED 12/08/2017*CN

Owner-reported narrative. 1,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10743395 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10785285 · 2015-10-22 (October 22, 2015)

THROTTLE STICKS WHEN SHIFTING GEARS--AND SOMETIMES THE ENGINE WILL REV REAL HIGH WITH FOOT OFF GAS. GOING INTO TURNS ON BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY-I TAKE FOOT OFF GAS AND IT KEEPS GOING AS IF I HADN'T--SCARY!!

Owner-reported narrative. 2,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10785285 at NHTSA ↗

Recall history

9 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.

15V020000 · Structure

Reported: 2015-01-20 (January 20, 2015)

Polaris Industries, Inc. (Polaris) is recalling certain model year 2015 Slingshot motorcycles manufactured August 26, 2014, to December 16, 2014, and 2015 Slingshot SL motorcycles manufactured August 18, 2014, to December 15, 2014. The affected motorcycles may be equipped with roll hoops that do not meet hardness specifications.

Consequence: If the roll hoops do not meet strength specifications, in the event of a rollover crash they may not provide proper protection, increasing the risk of a personal injury.

Remedy: Polaris will notify owners, and dealers will replace the roll hoops, free of charge. The recall began on January 30, 2015. Owners may contact Polaris customer service at 1-651-408-7579. Polaris' number for this recall is SLI-15-01.

NHTSA campaign record ↗
15V022000 · Steering

Reported: 2015-01-21 (January 21, 2015)

Polaris Industries, Inc. (Polaris) is recalling certain model year 2015 Slingshot motorcycles manufactured August 26, 2014, to January 9, 2015, and 2015 Slingshot SL motorcycles manufactured August 18, 2014, to January 10, 2015. In the affected motorcycles, the upper pinion bearing may fail on the steering rack assembly, resulting in the pinion gear disengaging from the steering rack.

Consequence: If the steering pinion gear disengages from the steering rack, a loss of steering control could result, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Polaris will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering rack assembly, free of charge. The recall began on January 30, 2015. Owners may contact Polaris customer service at 1-855-863-2284. Polaris' number for this recall is SLI-15-02.

NHTSA campaign record ↗
15V777000 · Exterior Lighting:Headlights | Electrical System

Reported: 2015-11-20 (November 20, 2015)

Polaris Industries, Inc. (Polaris) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Slingshot motorcycles manufactured April 21, 2014, to October 22, 2015, Slingshot SL motorcycles manufactured April 28, 2015 to October 23, 2015, and Slingshot SL SE motorcycles manufactured December 15, 2014, to October 22, 2015. In the affected motorcycles, the headlight relay may fail and result in a loss of headlights.

Consequence: A loss of headlights can reduce driver visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Polaris will notify owners, and dealers will replace the single headlight relay with a circuit that uses two headlight relays, free of charge. The recall began on December 3, 2015. Owners may contact Slingshot customer service at 1-855-863-2284. Polaris' number for this recall is SLI-15-05.

NHTSA campaign record ↗
16V754000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings

Reported: 2016-10-18 (October 18, 2016)

Polaris Idustries, Inc. (Polaris) is recalling certain model year 2015-2017 Slingshot motorcycles manufactured March 4, 2014, to October 7, 2016. The affected vehicles may have insufficient clearance between the fuel line and the hood structure.

Consequence: The insufficient clearance may allow the fuel line to rub against the hood until it leaks fuel. A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Polaris will notify owners, and dealers will replace the replace the engine fuel line, and inspect the retention clips to reduce the risk of interference, free of charge. The recall began December 2016. Owners may contact Polaris customer service at 1-855-863-2284. Polaris' number for this recall is T-16-03.

NHTSA campaign record ↗
16V755000 · Power Train:Driveline

Reported: 2016-10-19 (October 19, 2016)

Polaris Industries, Inc. (Polaris) is recalling certain model year 2015-2017 Slingshot motorcycles manufactured March 4, 2014, to September 7, 2016. The affected vehicles may have been manufactured with a swing arm that has insufficient strength.

Consequence: Due to the insufficient swing arm strength, the swing arm may fracture resulting in a loss of momentum or vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Polaris will notify owners, and dealers will inspect, and repair or replace the swing arm, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began December 2016. Owners may contact Polaris customer service at 1-855-863-2284. Polaris' number for this recall is T-16-06.

NHTSA campaign record ↗
17V357000 · Traction Control System | Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip:Wheel Speed Sensor/Tone Ring

Reported: 2017-06-01 (June 1, 2017)

Polaris Industries, Inc. (Polaris) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Slingshot vehicles. The affected vehicles previously had their rear swingarms replaced during the remedy of NHTSA recall number 16V-255. The replacement swingarms may have been installed without the sealing grommets installed, potentially resulting in road debris contaminating the rear wheel speed sensor.

Consequence: Contamination of the rear speed sensor will disable the ABS and Traction/Stability Control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Polaris will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the swingarms for missing grommets, installing them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began June 13, 2017. Owners may contact Polaris customer service at 1-888-704-5290. Polaris' number for this recall is T-17-04.

NHTSA campaign record ↗
18V195000 · Seats | Seat Belts

Reported: 2018-03-26 (March 26, 2018)

Polaris Industries, Inc. (Polaris) is recalling all 2015-2018 Polaris Slingshot motorcycles. The driver-seat and passenger-seat seat belt and seat back anchoring bracket may have been improperly welded. Additionally, differences in the seat assembly may prevent proper latching of the seat slider, allowing the driver's seat to move unexpectedly.

Consequence: If the seat belt buckle or seat back detach from the seat base, there would be an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash. If the driver's seat unexpectedly moves, it can cause the driver to lose control of the motorcycle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Polaris will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the seat belt bracket and seat back welds, and the seat slider latching function. If the weld is missing or incomplete, or if the slider doesn't latch properly, the seat bases will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began on April 16, 2018. Owners may contact Polaris customer service at 1-855-863-2284. Polaris' number for this recall is T-18-01.

NHTSA campaign record ↗
18V809000 · Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera

Reported: 2018-11-15 (November 15, 2018)

Polaris Industries (Polaris) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Polaris Slingshot, Slingshot SL and Slingshot SL LE motorcycles equipped with a backup camera. The back-up camera may fail internally, possibly melting the voltage regulator and blowing the fuse for that circuit, thereby preventing the taillight from functioning properly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment.

Consequence: The melted voltage regulator can increase the risk of a fire. The loss of a tail light can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Polaris will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the back-up camera, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 2, 2019. Owners may contact Polaris at 1-855-863-2284. Polaris' number for this recall is T-18-04.

NHTSA campaign record ↗
19V750000 · Electrical System:Wiring:Fuses And Circuit Breakers

Reported: 2019-10-18 (October 18, 2019)

Polaris Inc. (Polaris) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Slingshot motorcycles. Excessive electrical current may damage the battery fuse holder terminals.

Consequence: Damaged terminals may result in the loss of forward and rear lighting, instrument cluster gauges, or power steering assist. Any of these scenarios increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Polaris will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the battery fuse block terminals and relocate the 50 amp chassis fuse, free of charge. The recall began October 24, 2019. Owners may contact Polaris customer service at 1-855-863-2284. Polaris's number for this recall is T-19-01.

NHTSA campaign record ↗