Can Am frames are weak and very vulnerable to buckle and bend.

After a close inspection today I found there is truth to the concern about Can Am's single spar frames bending. I'm not just referring to a dent in the bottom from rocks, I'm talking about the frame actually buckling behind the front differential after having bumped into a tree on the edge of the trail at only a few mph. Can Am Please please fix this weakness. I love my Renegade and would buy another one if I knew this was reinforced so that it would not happen again. I was on a very narrow tight trail and had just clipped a tree that was just outside of the rut I was following. I didn't think I was traveling fast enough to bend or break anything, and I definitely wouldn't have thought I hit it hard enough to bend the frame. This is absolutely ridiculous for an ATV that is used in off road tight trails, and until this problem is addressed I will no longer suggest anyone buy Renegades or Outlanders because of this. In fact I will outright tell people not to because of the cost that a consumer will have to incur to have it fixed. I haven't even found out what mine is going to cost, I'm afraid to ask.

It is absolutely necessary for information like this to get out to the public especially to those thinking about purchasing one. If enough people are aware of this problem, they will not buy Can Am ATV's and the company will be forced to correct these structural flaws. I didn't believe all the stories I heard, and now I'm seriously regretting it. Do not buy Can Am ATV's until the company fixes this design. My incident was very minor and the frame did in fact buckle behind the front differential. I did not hit a concrete wall at 40mph, I was traveling at fairly normal pace through a tight trail when I clipped a tree that caused the frame itself to bend. I can't stress this enough. Do not recommend to anyone to buy these until they fix the weak frames. I have heard and read about countless others who have experienced this and dismissed them assuming they happened from reckless and negligent abusive riders. There was absolutely nothing abusive about my incident and the damage caused by this relatively simple incident is simply ridiculous.

Spread the word the folks at Can Am shouldn't sell another single ATV until this is corrected. It happened to me, it will happen to others, maybe you.  

I agree with you, problem is so many people take it as a personal attack if you tell them the truth about a machine that they bought.

if the word gets out that they are junk hopefully people wont buy them.

as for me, i own a cycle repair shop, so i get to see first hand which atv's are junk or have serious defects.
so for me it has to be Yamaha, or Honda, or suzuki or kawasaki.
these companies have been building atv's long enough to know that we americans wont put up with junk atv's and dirtbikes.
so they do build them with higher quality standards than the others.  
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That's a very good point. Everyone who replies, well a lot of people anyway, try to argue the validity of the fact that the frames are in fact weak.  I for one love my Renegade otherwise.  I've posted simlar blogs on http://www.can-amtalk.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=2963 and http://forums.atvconnection.com/messageview.cfm/catid/6/threadid/535519

I feel like I have to convince people who have them but swear their's is fine and it was the incident I had that caused the damage.  I wouldn't expect the frame to bend on my car after hitting anything at 5-7 mph and I don't expect the frame on my Renegade should bend any easier.  Feel free to contribute to the other forums.  

I agree that these frames need to be beefed up.  Ive got a Can Am 800 xt camo.  I live in Louisiana and don't have to deal w/the rocks just stumps, sticks and downed trees to cross.  After reading alot about these frames on several forums I looked underneath mine.  I do have a couple of minor dents but nothing serious.  Point is that these frames need to be stronger and as much as we spend on these quads Can Am needs to beef it up just a bit even if it means adding a few pounds to it.  

Bfree:
I agree that these frames need to be beefed up.  Ive got a Can Am 800 xt camo.  I live in Louisiana and don't have to deal w/the rocks just stumps, sticks and downed trees to cross.  After reading alot about these frames on several forums I looked underneath mine.  I do have a couple of minor dents but nothing serious.  Point is that these frames need to be stronger and as much as we spend on these quads Can Am needs to beef it up just a bit even if it means adding a few pounds to it.

Some people just don't want to believe there is a problem with them after spending so much money on them.  Not that I can blame them, because I didn't want to believe it either, but you're absolutley right, they should be improved.  Take a look at the pic of where mine buckled, and you'll notice it bent right behind where it's reinforced.  Hmmm not able to load a pic on here and don't have them loaded elsewhere to access.  

I've had two frames both with the same problem. They buckled in exactly the same place. I have tried in vain to have the problem recognised under warranty. The company insists I have caused this through reckless driving .I have continually explained to them the bike has been used on a farm as a spraying unit and never been over 20 mph per and never hit anything. As far as I'm concerned this is a manufacturing weakness and the company should be held accountable. Wish we couild lobby as a group. The bike has cost me a fortune and I will never buy or recommend this brand ever again  

I just had the same thing happen to mine.  It is at the shop now awaiting the warranty inspector to come out and inspect the bike to see if they will cover it.  Keeping my fingers crossed!!  We'll see....  

i also had my frame bend in the same place. A new frame was 1500 and 15hrs of labour to install (which i could not afford to fix). I bent it straight myself and fish platted it, so hopefully it will hold up. When asking to see if the warranty would hold up i was told that frames are not covered by any means because it is consisdered rider error when this occures. They also told me that they have never seen this before and that it is rare to see one of these frames give out. The warranty would not cover anything so they gave me the option of having a frame donated to me under a "good will" to keep a costumer. The only catch was a family member would have to purchase a Renegade. I am still fighting this and hopefully they will recall this product.  

Hi Guys. Just found this site looking for Can Am frame info. My 2006 650 max is broken right behind the front differential. My dealer ship has pictures and odometer reading. I am waiting for word from Can Am about the warenty issue. I noticed mine while cleaning my machine after a 20km ride, 10 of wich was on the road  comming home, if it had broke while doing 30 or 40 kph while ridding home I would hate to think what would have happened to me. First ride out after my 2000km service at dealership. They admitt they saw nothing. While looking for info about this it seems to be a very common problem with alot of fellow Can Am owners  

Appreciate the info guys!!  I was seriously considering purchasing a 650 outlander as my first ATV and decided to try searching the net for reviews.  I'm glad I found some folks willing to share their expierences.  They sounded like a good machine, but I'll have to pass after hearing about the frame issue.  Thanks!  Searching for reviews on Honda Rincon and Polaris Sportsman next.  

Hi folks aqfter waiting a few weeks I got an answer from Can Am about my frame, and you guessed it no warenty coverage. So I have filled a complaint with Transport Canada who by law must investigate this report. Got a call from the investigator who was shocked at my story and when his investigation is complete I will  talk to Can Am again .I sent the investigator pictures of my frame and all info off of this form and others that I found to prove to him it was not an isolated case but rather a common problem with these ATV's. He came out to my house to look at the frame and was suprised to find the inside of the frame was rusty, probably had something to do with the failure. He must file his report with transport Canada and they will talk with Can Am.  I will keep you up to date when I recieve a copy of the report. At least now it is out to the public and if anything serious does happen to some body Can Am will not be able to say they knew nothing of it  

I have just recently heard about Can Am spar problems. I just went out and checked my 2005 Outlander Max 400, thank goodness no indications of problems. I wonder if the spar failures are related to the higher HP models (heavyer)? When steel prices went out the roof two years ago, I wonder if the quality of steel and or high price affected spar integrity? Any input on if the 2004 and 2005 Outlanders have suffered spar failures?  

I have a 06 Outlander 800 Max and I have read about the weak frames on other forums. There is a great U-Tube video on how to strengthen your Can-am frame. It seems that if it is a big topic forums and a video on how to fix it...then it is a big problem for Can-Am. If there is a website or email address to complain to I would like to know. And yes I'm planning to beef-up my frame as per the video instructions.  

After doing some searching I made a mistake...It wasn't a utube video, here is a link to one of the "fixes" for the Can-AM frame. http://www.nyrocatv.com/techtip.cgi?viewcat=4&viewtopic=328
I just bought the square tubing and will be repairing mine in the next day or so. I really like my 800 max and if this keeps my frame straight I'm all for it. Now I do agree that I shouldn't have too...there should be a recall and the fix done by BRP.  

can ams are junk. if you want a good atv always go with honda or yamaha.