2011 Can-Am Spyder RT problems & reliability
29 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2011 Can-Am Spyder RT, alongside 2 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
5 complaints report injuries (5 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine → | 11 | 38% |
| Fuel/propulsion System → | 10 | 34% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 5 | 17% |
| Power Train | 4 | 14% |
| Electrical System | 3 | 10% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 2 | 7% |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 7% |
| Structure | 2 | 7% |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 3% |
| Steering | 1 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“This vehicle emits raw fuel fumes under pressure while driving and after parked for up to 45 minutes. Sometimes can her the fuel boiling in the fuel tank. If parked n a garage and any spark is near the vehicle will blow up. If parked outside the fumes are overpowering and if someone drops a cigarette nearby there will…”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed Aug 9, 2023
“While driving vehicle it will randomly shift into reverse. It first happened 8/ 2021 Dealer replaced reverse actuator It was returned the following week for the same problem, We got it back and a month later and it has done it again BRP has acknowledged the problem because there was another vehicle that has had the…”
Power Train · filed Dec 1, 2021
“I completed the first oil change on my 2011 rt trike (motorcyle) (I purchased it from a dealer used so it may be the first oil change ever performed since it only has 3500 miles. I found a small screw( like a hex screw) part inside the oil pan magnet. See the attached photo. No aware that the engine is self destroying…”
Power Train · filed Apr 3, 2020
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
29 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2011 Can-Am Spyder RT. The 10 most recent:
Electric Throttle Actuator Replacement The Electric Throttle Actuator (ETA) is now available for spare part. In case of any ETA defect, it is not necessary anymore to replace the complete throttle body assembly.
Service Bulletin 2016-7 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 15, 2025
Revision of TST 140875 P0730 Active Fault Fault code can be triggered if the unit has the wrong rear sprocket or a different wheel size. The cluster will stop displaying the gear indication and check engine light came…
TST 140875 Rev · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 18, 2024
Missing or damaged scavenge pump components could lead to poor engine performance on 1330 engines.
TST 140654 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 6, 2022
Electric parking brake not holding when applied.
D-94530 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 14, 2015
Technical service tip (tst): customer may complain of excessive heat felt in the engine compartment in certain riding conditions. The solution is to install the air scoop kit. Note that this will not reduce heat felt on…
112333 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 26, 2015
Brp mc: on certain motorcycles, when riding. The windshield will drop and a high windshield refurbish kit is now available to address this issue. *pe
TST-219-800 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 5, 2014
Trailer module may fail.
D109338 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 12, 2014
ECM Software update. (optional).
B2012-14 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 23, 2014
Brp: some motorcycles experience damage to throttle body actuator, leading to limp home mode or fault codes when starting engine; the tcm and ecm software needs updating due to sensitive calibration warning display in…
SB-2012-8 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 23, 2014
Roadster: for some motorcycles, informational procedure is provided regarding the ecm software update, which is optional and not under warranty. *pe
SB-2012-14 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 23, 2014
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2011 Can-Am Spyder RT has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2011 Can-Am Spyder RT?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.