Second problem

October 2025

During 2024, a few reports began to surface of broken output shafts on the Spyder F3 and RT... Both in the USA and in Europe.

Clean fractures that seemed to point to a manufacturing defect in the part...

Now, this is the final transmission shaft where the pulley that drives the belt fits (recall that previously there had already been a pulley problem, later acknowledged by BRP as well).

Some reported that repairs were covered even outside the warranty, while others said they weren’t.

Until finally, in the last semester of 2024, an official note from BRP was released acknowledging the problem. It was related to an improper assembly process at the factory used between 2017 and 2019.

So, all 2018 units were involved, as well as some from 2017 and 2019 (an estimated total of 8,721 vehicles!)... Right on target! The manufacturing date of the Thing is May 2018...

The note also stated that a solution was being studied and that owners of affected units would be contacted in due course to schedule the necessary recall intervention.

Here's the safety recall notice.

At this point I wasn’t too worried, since there was no solution yet, nothing to do for the time being... BRP started by alerting owners in the USA... And then letters quickly began arriving in Europe. Germany, United Kingdom, France, and even Spain... But Portugal got "zilch"... So on November 3, 2024, I decided to question the importer in Maia (namely MILFA). Christmas and New Year passed, and by the end of January I still had no reply... On January 26 I sent another email, earnestly requesting some kind of answer.

I must say that MILFA has never left me without a reply, even if sometimes it comes late and requires some persistence.

Well, the next day they replied with this:

"...you have two warranty campaigns to carry out on your bike. You must contact the dealer where you made the purchase in order to carry out the pending campaigns."

Let’s see... First, it’s not a bike, it’s a Thing... Second, I was already aware of one campaign (the pulley replacement), which I didn’t do because I had recently replaced it at my own expense. But another campaign?... I went searching through the recalls and found that the official recall for the shaft replacement had already been issued... So this must be the one? Would it have been so hard to answer my question clearly and concisely? Whether "the Spyder with VIN X is covered by the output shaft replacement issue"???

Now, consulting the brand’s official recall, there was something strange: it was not only limited by year of manufacture, but also by mileage...

No explanation about this... They seem to conclude that above a certain mileage, if the shaft hasn’t broken, it won’t break... Hard to understand, but the manufacturer must know.

With almost 31,069mi50,000km, the Spyder seemed a sure candidate for this recall.

Anyway... I then turned to Benimoto (where I purchased the Spyder), who checked with the importer about the matter... On February 17 they confirmed that the Spyder was covered by this recall, but that I would have to wait for the arrival of the parts kit... Then, in due course, the shaft replacement would be scheduled, and also the pulley, since these were the only two existing recalls. They also informed me that I could continue to use the Spyder normally... But knowing there was a ticking time bomb, I chose to ride as little as possible.

There was no estimate for the arrival of the parts, but since it was a worldwide recall, I figured it wouldn’t be quick...

I began seeing reports in the USA in February/March of shaft replacements at dealerships, so it was clear it would still take time to reach the old continent, and particularly this lovely corner by the sea.

In fact, only at the end of June did I receive a phone call informing me that the parts had arrived and that we could schedule the intervention for 15 days later.

I ended up leaving the Spyder at Benimoto on July 18... The intervention was expected to take a week, and so it did. I couldn’t pick up the Spyder on the 26th, but it was ready. On August 2 we went to collect the Spyder. I had already been warned at Benimoto that the shaft replacement, according to the brand’s instructions, required removing the engine...

Here is the technical sheet for the recall campaign with the procedures to be carried out.

They provided me with some photos of the operation... which you can’t remain indifferent to...

It was the second Spyder to be serviced at Benimoto... The amount of work involved is insane... Remove engine, remove gearbox, replace shaft, replace pulley, change oil, reassemble everything, goodness knows what else!

I even read reports of dealerships in the USA refusing to do such work, as the compensation offered by BRP was not considered sufficient.

Even so, it must be said that it is commendable for the brand to take responsibility for such a major repair—even if the problem was indeed their fault... Remember, the machine has 31,069mi50,000km on the clock and has been out of warranty for 5 years...

Still, there’s a bittersweet aftertaste... Even trusting the technical skills of the mechanics at Benimoto - who I imagine are used to more refined and sensitive mechanics like competition SSVs - I would have preferred that with 31,069mi50,000km this engine hadn’t been opened... The alternative, however, would have been risking a broken output shaft at my own expense.

I returned home with the Spyder and its new shaft... I immediately noticed that gear shifting was smoother, which I must say is normal after an oil change. In terms of feeling, it seemed exactly the same as before this heavy operation...

I only noticed a knocking sound from the left front suspension, which I later realized was due to a loose stabilizer bar mount.

Other than that, nothing unusual, no leaks, strange noises, or odd vibrations.

An important and unexpected episode in the life of the Coiso, let’s see if the coming year now brings good things and the long-awaited return to the road