2013 Can-Am Spyder RT problems & reliability
102 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2013 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.
15 complaints report injuries (16 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel/propulsion System | 58 | 57% |
| Engine | 42 | 41% |
| Structure | 20 | 20% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 12 | 12% |
| Seats | 9 | 9% |
| Service Brakes | 9 | 9% |
| Electrical System | 7 | 7% |
| Unknown OR Other | 5 | 5% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 4 | 4% |
| Power Train | 3 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 2,000 miles (middle 50% between 975 and 5,000 miles), based on 68 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Excess heat has melted the brake line twice, master cyl. Melted, braks get soft and inhibit stopping power, electrical wiringis degrading from excess heat, gas tanl get so hot the gas starts to boil, panels are melting and warping from excess heat. The unit has been declared un safe to ride. Brp refuses to address the…”
Electrical System · filed Jul 28, 2018
“While riding on the highway in motion, during a clear day on july 16 2016. The subject vehicle suffered a blown rear tire leaving a large center strip of blended steel and rubber shaped as a wide belt that extended past the rear of the bike. See the multiple photos attached in (exhibit p). While attempting to bring…”
Structure · filed Feb 21, 2018
“See the attach nhtsa_complaint.pdf the vehicle was in motion. Can am spyder serial/vin # [xxx], model # 000b9dc00. I have put that I was going 75 miles per hour, not sure of the number as this is a bike. My goal is to keep up with traffic. However the speed limit on the highway is 75 mph. Information redacted pursuant…”
Seats · filed Nov 30, 2017
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Motorcycle Fires
Preliminary Evaluation PE14025 · opened Aug 4, 2014 · closed May 22, 2015 · led to recall 15V095000
Technical service bulletins
59 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2013 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
Possible inverted wires at the vehicle accessory port. Functionality issue with GPS support kit and the LED floorboard lights kit
TST 138823 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 28, 2021
Not shifting when engine gets warm.
A2013-SE5 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 3, 2016
Technical Service Tip (TST): A very limited quantity of vehicles may have been produced with incorrectly routed electrical wires and brake lines. Dealerships has received the specific instructions concerning the…
40182 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 16, 2015
Fuel pressure regulator noise.
A120183 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 5, 2015
Inquiry about noticed complaints in the public Spyder forums that some customers are noticed that their fuel pumps get louder since they got 2013-10 safety campaign done. Reference to the Technical Setvice Tip( TST)…
POSTING NOISE · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 18, 2015
Electric parking brake not holding when applied.
D-94530 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 14, 2015
Service procedure: if the customer declines the recall repair 2013-10, dealer has to make sure that customer fully understand the consequences (under very hot ambiance conditions and at low speed riding, the temperature…
117416 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 17, 2015
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 2013 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 2013 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.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 2,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.