Stop Sale Issued as Thousands of Snowmobiles May Pose Fire Hazard

Powersports manufacturer Polaris on Tuesday issued a stop ride/stop sale for some of its snowmobiles due to risk of fire.

"Polaris has determined that with degraded fuel and especially after extended storage, Model Year 2021-2023 MATRYX, 2015-2022 AXYS, and select Model Year 2013-2014 Trail Performance (Pro-Ride) snowmobiles may pose a risk of fire due to electrostatic discharge (ESD) inside the fuel tank. Under specific conditions, vapors may be ignited inside the fuel tank, posing a potential injury hazard to consumers," Polaris said in the statement.

The company added that around 230,000 vehicles were impacted globally and identified a number of incidents, including 30 reports of fuel tank ruptures, 16 incidents of fire and one injury.

The manufacturer asked consumers to "immediately stop" using the impacted snowmobiles as it prepares for an action plan to address these concerns for free.

"Polaris sent a Safety Stop Ride notification to owners affected by this issue. 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," a company spokesperson told Newsweek. "Once we have a validated solution, we will release it to our dealers and notify affected owners so they can schedule a free repair."

Polaris also said that it will contact affected customers once its plan is finalized and warned consumers not to attempt to repair the affected snowmobiles themselves.

"If a rider needs to start their snowmobile, they must make sure the fuel tank is full and, if it is not, then they need to add fresh gasoline to fill the tank," the company added. "Polaris is notifying dealers and contacting registered owners directly."

"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," the company spokesperson told Newsweek.

Newsweek reached out to Polaris for additional information and comment.

Over the past few months, a number of products from other manufacturers were recalled for posing some form of risk to consumers in North America.

Concerns About Other Products Posing Risks

Earlier this month, power tools manufacturer DeWALT recalled around 1,364,000 of its 12-inch sliding compound miter saws in the United States and Canada, according to the U.S. Consumer Protection Safety Commission. DeWALT received 571 reports of the rear safety guard assembly or components breaking or separating, according to the CPSC. In addition, nine people reported laceration injuries.

"The miter saw's rear safety guard can break or detach, posing an injury hazard due to projectiles that can strike the user and bystanders and a laceration hazard to the user, who could come into direct contact with the saw blade," the CPSC said in its recall announcement.

Meanwhile, in a separate recall last month, Family Dollar, a national variety store, recalled hundreds of products due to issues related to storage temperatures. Those products included deodorants, toothpaste, sunscreen and mouthwash. The 11-page list of all recalled products can be found here.

Over 700,000 Insignia air fryers were recalled in the U.S. and Canada in April after several reports of the device melting or catching fire. At least one child was injured.

Update: 8/31/22, 4:07 p.m. ET: This article has been updated to include comments from Polaris.