We handle Polaris RZR Fire Cases Nationwide

10 Recalls and Counting: Polaris' Pattern of Negligence

Between 2013 and 2018, Polaris issued ten separate recalls for fire hazards in RZR off-highway vehicles. That's far more recalls than any of its competitors issued during the same period.

Despite this alarming pattern, Polaris has repeatedly insisted that RZRs are safe. Even with videos of burning RZRs all across the internet, the company continues to downplay the danger.

Multiple lawsuits contend that Polaris sought to conceal its knowledge of these defective products. Internal testimony and engineering analysis reveal a corporation that prioritized profits over safety, ignored its own safety director's warnings, and issued inadequate recalls that failed to fix the fundamental design flaw.

But how did things get so far out of hand?

The Core Design Defect

Mark Arndt is a mechanical engineer who has served as a consultant for several Polaris lawsuits. In his role as a consultant, Mark has reviewed RZR design documents directly. According to his reviews, the fundamental flaw is a “super hot spot” between the exhaust header and the back seat.

This area has poor airflow, causing extreme heat to build up in a confined space. Over time, this heat can erode key components. When fuel leaks from a ruptured fuel line, cracked fuel pump, or failed fuel rail injector, it sprays directly onto this super hot spot. The result is instant ignition.

The super hot spot can also ignite the plastic panel behind the seats or debris that gathers nearby. The fires erupt with terrifying speed, often giving passengers just seconds to escape. For many, this is not nearly enough time.

Internal Warnings the Company Ignored

The evidence against Polaris doesn’t just come from outside the company. During lawsuits against Polaris for RZR fires, the company's own former safety director, Ken d'Entremont, testified under oath that internal battles took place as Polaris management prioritized sales over safety.

D'Entremont stated clearly: "It was my heartfelt feeling and belief that the vehicle should be recalled."

Despite his position as safety director, management ignored his calls for a safety recall. D'Entremont parted ways with Polaris in 2012, explaining: "It was no longer possible for me to continue working there ethically."

After insisting on a recall, d'Entremont was kept out of safety meetings. In his deposition, he testified that the RZR "was the big money maker for Polaris, so people were hesitant to put the brakes on."

This testimony exposes the corporate calculation at the heart of Polaris's negligence: the RZR was too profitable to stop, even when the company's own safety director warned that lives were at risk.

The Charge Against Polaris

In 2016, Polaris eventually admitted that the fire hazard on RZRs was worse than it had previously reported to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The company acknowledged that RZRs "can catch fire while consumers are driving."

Polaris offered no explanation for why it had downplayed the danger for years. No explanation for why it took reports of over 160 fires, 19 burn injuries, and one death before issuing the first mass recall. No explanation for why its safety director had to resign in 2012 after management refused to act.

Tragically, the admission came too late for victims who had already been burned. Children had already suffered third-degree burns covering more than half their bodies. Families had already lost loved ones to fires that Polaris knew were happening.

Worse still, while Polaris acknowledged aspects of the danger, the core problem has remained unsolved. To this day, Polaris still markets RZR models with the fundamental design defect still in place. So far, they have only attempted minor recalls that often do nothing to remove the real threat.

Recalls That Failed to

Fix the Problem

One of the major recalls came in April 2018, with Polaris attempting to provide fixes for over 100,000 RZRs due to a fire hazard involving a fuel pump flange. The recall was supposed to eliminate the fire risk.

It didn't work. Fires continued to be reported on those same models after the attempted fix.

This pattern has repeated across multiple recalls. Polaris replaces a component, but the fundamental design flaw remains. The super hot spot is still inches from fuel sources. The forward-facing exhaust header still points directly at the passenger compartment. The extreme heat still builds up with inadequate airflow.

As long as that design exists, any failure in the fuel system can cause a catastrophic fire. Replacing fuel pumps or fuel lines without eliminating the super hot spot is like putting a band-aid on a bullet wound. The underlying injury remains.

The CPSC's Failed Promise of Voluntary Standards

In 2019, the CPSC claimed it was working with industry groups to develop a voluntary standard that would address thermal (fire) hazards for off-road vehicles.

Federal law bars the agency from introducing a safety regulation if an adequate voluntary industry standard exists. This means manufacturers can avoid mandatory safety regulations by promising to police themselves through voluntary standards.

As of early 2026, no such voluntary industry standard has been issued. The promise of self-regulation has not materialized. RZRs continue to catch fire. Victims continue to suffer catastrophic burns.

The CPSC's reliance on voluntary compliance has failed to protect consumers. Without mandatory regulations, manufacturers like Polaris face no legal requirement to redesign dangerous vehicles. The company can continue issuing inadequate recalls while selling new models with the same fundamental design flaw.

A Clear Pattern of

Corporate Negligence

When you look at the full timeline, Polaris's negligence is undeniable:

The company's own safety director warned that RZRs should be recalled. Management ignored him and pushed him out. The RZR was too profitable to stop.
Polaris issued ten recalls for fire hazards, far more than competitors. Yet the company continued insisting RZRs were safe, even as videos of burning vehicles spread across the internet.
In 2016, Polaris finally admitted RZRs "can catch fire while consumers are driving," but offered no explanation for years of downplaying the danger.
The company issued recalls that replaced individual components without fixing the fundamental design defect. Fires continued after recall repairs.
In 2018, Polaris paid a record $27.25 million civil penalty to the CPSC for failing to report defects. This was the largest fine in the agency's history at that time.

Victims Deserve Accountability

Children have been burned. Families have lost loved ones. Survivors face years of reconstructive surgeries, permanent disfigurement, and psychological trauma.

These injuries were preventable. Polaris knew about the fire risk as early as 2012. The company's own safety director called for a recall. Engineering experts identified the super hot spot as the core design defect.

Despite all this knowledge, Polaris chose inadequate band-aid fixes over a genuine redesign. The company continued manufacturing and selling vehicles with the same dangerous forward-facing exhaust header. Ten recalls and counting, yet the fundamental problem remains.

Victims of RZR fires deserve justice. They deserve compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost wages, and permanent disabilities. They deserve to hold Polaris accountable for a pattern of negligence that has spanned more than a decade.

If You’ve Been Hurt,

We Can Help

If you or a loved one were injured in a Polaris RZR fire, we can help. Our legal team has over nine years of experience pursuing RZR fire cases in Minnesota and across the country. We understand the technical details of these defects, the recall history, and the pattern of corporate negligence. We know how to hold Polaris accountable.

Schedule a free consultation today, and we’ll be happy to answer all your questions. We can speak over the phone or Zoom, so you don’t have to go anywhere. We work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay nothing upfront and no fees unless we recover compensation for you.

Ten recalls have not stopped the fires. Polaris's pattern of negligence continues. But you don't have to face this alone.