2024 RT L back at the dealer for the 9th time in 3 months!! How long until you give up?

KX5062 said:

I would suspect that most of the laundry list of problems you listed could be traced to a single source. Electrical issues with a CANBUS system can be caused by a single issue. I've seen it in the car world. A single issue can cause a cascade effect showing fault codes and other issues that don't truly exist. For example, if your alternator is faulty and sending erratic voltage levels out, it could cause other issues that show as faults when none truly exist.

I would suggest that possibly the dealer doesn't have a tech on board who is experienced in CANBUS related electrical gremlins.

So, this is my way of saying the problems may not be as bad as they first appear to be.

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I agree. This could very well be a single source creating all the drama.

You would think the dealership would look to voltage issues as a first possibility. Bad batteries are well known for creating this kind of scenario. Low voltage can give the ECU a stroke. Which means you can't trust anything it does or reports as the reason things are not right.

If the voltage is good across the board (very suspect with the multiple jump start events). Then the ECU itself needs to be swapped out to see if that corrects the situation. All basic 'Fix It 101' stuff.

Still, it's easy to armchair quarterback. I hope they find the problem and get it corrected before your riding season is over.

Put your spyder on a trailer with a large cardboard cutout of a lemon strapped to it and park it across the street from the dealership. A gentleman in my town had a similar issue and received immediate attention by using that tactic. After a couple of days, he was given a new car in exchange for the lemon he had displayed on his trailer. Good luck, and I feel your pain.

I can definitely feel your pain and dissappointment. I just had issues with the saddle bag latches on my 2021 and I was ready to throw in the towel. I can only imagine the frustration that you must feel. Good luck on what ever you decide and hopefully you will not loose too bad on this deal.

2dogs said:

Put your spyder on a trailer with a large cardboard cutout of a lemon strapped to it and park it across the street from the dealership. A gentleman in my town had a similar issue and received immediate attention by using that tactic. After a couple of days, he was given a new car in exchange for the lemon he had displayed on his trailer. Good luck, and I feel your pain.

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He'll get some attention alright, but it may not help his rapport with the dealership down the road! The sad part with dealing with BRP is nothing moves fast, and by what I sense from talking to a local dealer here in Maine, everything happens with email, and it may take days to get a reply, so this back-and-forth crap slows things down and the parts train, well let's not talk about that!! All I can say is that if you have a GOOD shop who you're using, you want to keep them close and happy, not piss them off! It's hard finding a good one!!!!

GRADERMAN, You have been through a lot of CRAP in a short time with this Spyder, Dumping it is one choice but keeping it another.
If you decide to keep it make sure the dealer gives you 3 years of BRP Best warranty on top of the original 2 years for the total of 5 years.
Right now is the time for BRP and the Dealer to step up
T.P.

Mikey said:

He'll get some attention alright, but it may not help his rapport with the dealership down the road! The sad part with dealing with BRP is nothing moves fast, and by what I sense from talking to a local dealer here in Maine, everything happens with email, and it may take days to get a reply, so this back-and-forth crap slows things down and the parts train, well let's not talk about that!! All I can say is that if you have a GOOD shop who you're using, you want to keep them close and happy, not piss them off! It's hard finding a good one!!!!

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At this point, who cares if you pi$$ off the dealer? "9 times", and Graderman is still stuck with a non operable Spyder after spending what we know is a lot of money, and for what, something he can't use or depend on. What a horrible sinking feeling over what is supposed to be an enjoyable experience after retirement. As far as I know emails move at light speed and Graderman is not the first spyder owner to have received this kind of treatment from BRP or one of their dealers.

I have had three new spyders since 2020 and from two different dealers. No issues on any. Adding “accessories” can sometimes cause some unintended consequences. The bike can get a little quirky.

Local news. Have you tried contacting them and getting them to do one of those eye news investigation type stories? Sometimes a little bad press will shame folks into doing right by you. Also, in this day and age social media can get the ball rolling with the same effect. If you're able to get on Instagram or Facebook and complain loud enough, people will notice and results may be quickened.
The issue may not be anything out of this world. I had a very simple problem on my '20 RT (passenger heated seat didn't work). I took it to the dealer lots of times. I left it for a week. They told me they fixed, but didn't. Then, they told me they can get me a new seat, but it's on back order. It was on back order for well over 6 months. They finally said they'd swap the seat with a unit they knew worked from a showroom unit.
Still didn't work. All the while they're telling me BRP isn't doing this and BRP isn't doing that. The dealer is pretty big with multiple locations. I'm not mechanically inclined, but I know when something isn't adding up.
I took it to another dealer to get the laser alignment done and happened to mention the seat situation. They immediately said they could get the new seat and have it there in 2 days and could have one of their techs look at the machine. I told them no I didn't want to cause any issues.

About 2 weeks later, the 1st dealer told me they figured it out... someone has to be on the passenger seat for it to activate the heat. Ehhhh... what?
Anyway, the seat from the unit on the floor wasn't working on my Spyder either. So, they tried to get over on me. They let it sit in the sun and told me the seat was warming up. I went to check it and thought to myself, these folks will try and say anything.

Long story short, I went back to the other dealer and asked them to have a tech check it out. He found the issue in less than 5 minutes. The previous dealer was connecting the wire for the seat to the harness for the passenger heated grips instead of the harness for the seat.

I laughed and said thanks. They didn't charge me a dime for that, but they earned my business and respect. They don't have the cheapest prices, but they've been stand up folks. I would've been at the mercy of the 1st dealership and believing what they were saying b\c the made it sound plausible and they seemed like a good dealer.

Well, good dealer doesn't mean good techs! I suggest a 2nd opinion from someone other than the folks that have been working so hard to "do right by you" Even if they result is the same you'll have confidence in knowing there's honesty. If it's not the same result, maybe your lack of trust will shift from the machine and onto the powers that be.

Good luck with whatever decision you make going forward. I'm sorry that you're dealing with this nonsense.

2dogs said:

At this point, who cares if you pi$$ off the dealer? "9 times", and Graderman is still stuck with a non operable Spyder after spending what we know is a lot of money, and for what, something he can't use or depend on. What a horrible sinking feeling over what is supposed to be an enjoyable experience after retirement. As far as I know emails move at light speed and Graderman is not the first spyder owner to have received this kind of treatment from BRP or one of their dealers.

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Sometimes actions will shut down all forms of communications and then what do you have, nothing!! I totally agree with you that he's had a bad rap here, and nether you or I know what he's agents here if this is his only shop to go through then he needs to be a little more diplomatic than making a statement like that! It sounds to me that he has a play in hand, got a bike to use while his bikes laded up and plains on dumping it after fixed!

I would still like to know if the issues have been repaired and was the battery replaced?

Graderman said:

While I do appreciate all the advice given, one thing bugs me... I see, not just in this thread but throughout this whole forum, there's quite a bit of ragging on dealers or at least questioning dealers abilities and practices.
Certainly in the world of power sports there is a lot of work that is done by people that aren't fully qualified. I've seen plenty myself. And I've done plenty myself - (my own machines only).
Where I get a little ornery is when the blame is placed a dealer from someone half a continent away who hasn't dealt with my dealer, hasn't talked to the techs, hasn't seen the shop or had any work done by them.
My dealer has been in business selling only BRP/Can Am products for over 20 years. They are 4.5 stars on Google if that means anything. They have worked hard to resolve my problems but more and more problems surface. I couldn't ask for a better dealer. I have been a champion for my dealer from the start of my issues. Why? They have done right by me. They have fixed my issues but more and more problems keep surfacing.
No, my dealer is not the problem

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Advice taken. There are good dealiers out there with good mechanics. We all know this. But this being said, the negative responses you have been getting have, unfortunately, been well earned. You have people here who both care about you, and sympathize with your situation. It's just advice, it's worth what you paid for it. Don't let it upset you.

Graderman said:

The RT is in the shop. The battery was replaced during a previous repair.

While I do appreciate all the advice given, one thing bugs me... I see, not just in this thread but throughout this whole forum, there's quite a bit of ragging on dealers or at least questioning dealers abilities and practices.
Certainly in the world of power sports there is a lot of work that is done by people that aren't fully qualified. I've seen plenty myself. And I've done plenty myself - (my own machines only).
Where I get a little ornery is when the blame is placed a dealer from someone half a continent away who hasn't dealt with my dealer, hasn't talked to the techs, hasn't seen the shop or had any work done by them.
My dealer has been in business selling only BRP/Can Am products for over 20 years. They are 4.5 stars on Google if that means anything. They have worked hard to resolve my problems but more and more problems surface. I couldn't ask for a better dealer. I have been a champion for my dealer from the start of my issues. Why? They have done right by me. They have fixed my issues but more and more problems keep surfacing.
No, my dealer is not the problem



I bought the Spyder for retirement touring around Canada and the US. You can give me a hundred years of extended warranty, but when a machine keeps breaking down confidence in using it drops to zero. I don't want to take it to the grocery store for fear of it dying on me let alone across Canada.

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Definitely not raging against the dealer or the techs. Just giving perspective and alternatives based on the information provided and experiences we've had and heard/read about.

Your defense of the dealer is similar to someone defending a restaurant. If your order is constantly wrong or causes you upset stomach, but it tastes good and few others have complained about it, does that mean the restaurant is great? Not really...

If the manager/owner of said restaurant gives you a free milk shake and extra fries b/c of your trouble, but your new meal hurts your stomach again, does that mean the cooks are horrible? Not really...

However, even if everyone else goes there and feels fine after eating and never has their order made incorrectly, that doesn't mean that you're being "done right" b/c the managers complain to corporate/the owner(s) or assures you that they're doing everything they can to make sure your food is right and doesn't hurt your tummy.

We're all saying something isn't right here. An alternative to going back to the same restaurant is to try a different restaurant. It may result in the same as the previous place, but it may be a better experience. You won't know if you don't go and that's totally up to you.
I commend your loyalty. I think most people on this forum have had an issue of sorts at some point and the members were there to give advice, support, etc

You don't have to take it, and you may not even be looking for it, it's just the nature of these types of forums. Someone complains, folks chime in.
Someone gives kudos, celebrates someone chimes in.

Most of us enjoy our machines and I think want others to experience the same type of enjoyment. So, we may overstep a bit when advocating for our fellow riders to be able to enjoy the 3 wheels safely, consistently, and confidently. Apologies if I offended you with my previous post.

Cheers

I think if I were the OP, at this point I would try to find a way to make a deal with the dealer to replace the bike with a different one, new or used. Even if it cost me a grand or two out of pocket, it would bring me peace of mind to be rid of the bike that you will always be wary of.
Long term you will be happier I bet.