Hello my name is Tim Taylor. This is a letter that I wrote to Polaris Industries. Read it it is interesting.

I am very upset and most of all very angry. I purchased one of your Polaris Trail Blazer 250 ES in 1997. I thought that I was getting a quality ATV from one of the top companies. Only to find out that I bought a lemon. The first ride that I took it on the chain snapped in half. Completely embarrassed I had to be towed out of the woods. We then took the ATV to All Around Power in St. Johnsbury only to find out that the warranty ran out. Needless to say my father was very upset. I did the math and found out that I have rode the ATV 144 hours a year. To explain: 6 months * 4 weekends each month = 24 weekends * 6 hours a weekend = 144 hours a year. Now that is for 1997 and 1998. In 1999 the ATV has broke down more than ridden.
Now back to my current problems with the ATV. Spencer Hudson who represents you in St. Johnsbury (Vermont) was very rude to my father and me. He said that these things happen. We agreed that it could have been a stone or something else. So when he said to just replace the link in the chain my father asked if it would hurt the sprocket or the transmission because the chain was slightly bent. Spencer said that it would be fine and that we shouldn't have any trouble. RIGHT! So after we replaced the chain I and a few friends decided to go for a ride that I usually go on with the ATV. So about half way in the ride I came to a hill. I usually was able to make it and proceeded like any other time. About half way up the hill the ATV started to slip and I knew something was wrong by the sound it made. So I didn't dare to ride it home for my own safety. So once again I was pulled home. Only this time it took me 5 hours to get home. On behalf of the other riders on that trip I want to say THANKS! That was sarcasm. Oh yeah. I almost forgot that my ATV has another problem. It's charging system has a malfunction in it. Instead of charging the battery it drains it. I have replaced the battery one time so far. Spencer told me that he could fix the charging system with a part that cost $45.00 then an additional $50.00 to have it installed. This problem goes back to the first day I got it. I took it out of the truck and the taillight blew. Just thought that you should know all of the defects of the ATV.
I then took it back to All Around Power to see what was wrong with it this time. Spencer Hudson said "the front sprocket was gone." I thought he said that the chain wouldn't affect the sprocket???? Interesting??? At that time Spencer offered my father $2500.00 for the ATV. My father knew that it was my ATV and thought that he should ask me first. I said that if it was only the front sprocket then we could fix it and I would ride it. So we bought a front gear for $30.00 and put it on the ATV. After 3 hours of work I tried the ATV only to find out that it wasn't the problem. So we went back to All Around Power and told Hudson the news. He looked at it and said "well then the transmission was gone." He is a good employee, keep hold of him! More sarcasm. He tells me that it will cost over $300.00 - $700.00 to fix depending on what gears were gone. Keep in mind this isn't a 1983 Polaris here, this is a 1997 ATV! Sick of all the trouble I told my father to sell it. I went back to accept the offer of $2500.00 from Hudson. To my father's surprise Spencer Hudson said that he never made the offer of $2500.00 he said that he said $1500.00. Please I know I am only 15 but my father was right there, come on this is horrible! We paid $3895.00 for this ATV in May 1997 because it was financed I still owe $1800.00 on it. Spencer could easily buy it for $1500.00 put $300.00 into it and sell it again for a good $2500.00 - $3000.00. Now I ask you is that fair? My father had had enough of this foolishness. He asked right to Hudson's face "where is the next Polaris dealer?" Spencer was upset and said that if we took it somewhere else it would cost $700.00 at the minimum or higher to fix! He still hasn't given us an answer to the question that he avoided. We definitely weren't getting anywhere there so we brought it home. Then when we were about to leave Hudson had the nerve to say that we had an $18.00 bill that we had to pay. WHAT FOR? When my father got there all they did was take two bolts off and then they took the foot brake off. Then they didn't even have it back together when my dad went to pick it up.
This whole ordeal is ridiculous. The whole reason why I bought this new ATV, which is at my home in my garage because I don't have the money to fix it, is so I wouldn't have to work on it all the time. I want someone to know that even if I did fix it I don't think I would ride it! I am now AFRAID to ride my ATV. I am worried something else will go wrong and I will either go of in the woods and hit a tree or it will completely blow up some day. For all of the pain and long hours spent repairing my ATV instead of riding it, I believe we should have some contact with someone I know I am not going to get it at All Around Power with Spencer Hudson. So I am going to give Polaris one more chance to redeem itself. I know that there is a lemon law for cars. I am currently looking in on a lemon for ATV's. Lets see, $300.00 - $700.00 for a transmission, $45.00 for a new charging system and also $90.00 to install, $30.00 for a new front sprocket, $50.00 for a battery and an $18.00 bill for having him look at it. If you do the math Spencer expects us to put $500.00 - $550.00 into a brand new ATV. CAN YOU SAY L-E-M-O-N?
I do thank you (whoever read this) for whatever amount of time that you took to read this.

Tim Taylor




[This message has been edited by topper_99 (edited 07-16-1999).]

 

Tim,

Sorry about your luck. As I can remember in the old Forum, there were quite a few disgruntled Honda 400EX owners too. I am just saying this as I have a Trailblazer too and have had no problems with it at all. I have severly trashed it, but after I'm done I take care of it. This doesn't say that you didn't, but it sounds like the dealer is a loser. If I were you, I'd find another one pronto! The chain incident sounds like it would have never happened with the installation of a chain tensioner, as I have on both of mine.

Here's hoping for better luck to you in your next quad purchase.

------------------

 

Don't tell them your age!!!!!!!!!!
Now If you try to get your money back, or what ever you deside to do, all they have to do is say you aren't supose to be riding it.

I know something that might help you. Well actualy, it won't help you, but it will ake you fell better. What up to that salesman and give him nice quick, hard kick in the d!*k.

Arctic Cat 500, Now thats one big Kitty

 

It is in my father's name. That is why I tell them I am 15. It doesn't matter.

 

Thats too bad that your experience with your TB has not gone well. I (actually my wife) has a '98. And like Mike, I love to thrash it around, and have never had anuthing go wrong with it (to my suprise).

I really feel that Polaris make a good product, the problem is at the individual dealers who have morons servicing and assembling our ATV's. Next time you go to a particular dealer to purchase an ATV, wether it be Polaris or Honda, go to the service counter and look around for awards and or certificates. My dealer (who unfortunaty shall remain nameless due to certain rules) has a hundred certificates/service awards from all the Manufacturers of brands they sell. I've had my ATV's (and dirtbikes prior) serviced their at least 1X a year. I sincerely believe that does make a difference.

Jerry Goodman '99 400L, '98 TBlazer

 

That is my point!!!!!!!!!!!! Shouldn't I get something back for my troubles? I personaly think that Polaris owes me a brand new ATV!!!

 

Tim,
Just wondering how your chain broke on the first ride and your quad was out of warranty. Did you mean it (The Chain) was not covered by warranty. Otherwise why did you wait 6 months to ride it?
Scott.

 

I should have been more clear. I am in an ATV club. A ride in is about 54 miles long. A good 4-5 hours. I joined the club in the begining of 1998. The warrenty was a year long. I was 12 days too late.

 

In '96 I bought a new Polaris Trail Boss 250. I had two problems this year (3 years old). The first one was the spark plug wire fell off. That's right, it FELL off. Somehow the wire got shorter on its own and was then to short to reach the spark plug. The wire pulled out of the cap on the spark plug. I used two clamps to try to hold it on the best as a I could, but there was a gap in the wire so the spark had to jump. This caused hard starting and poor power. The repair for this would be $50 for a new coil and $48 for the labor charge at my dealer.

Problem #2...

One day I went out to ride and the tranny was locked up! Somehow it ran out of fluid. I have no idea how it happened, it has no leak or anything like that. I got the required special Polaris tranny fluid and put it in. It freed up the tranny. Luckily there was no damage. Even so, why did it happen? My dealer nor Polaris can tell me why either of these things happened.

I sold my Polaris to my uncle for a low price because of what happened. The spark plug is still messed up and the tranny is doing fine so far. I e-mailed Polaris and they didn't bother with doing anything.

Now I own a new Max II and all my ATV problems are over...

 

Hello. I was trying to find out some stuff on my problem. I wanted to see if there were any laws stating that when a person buys an ATV and has multiple problems with it, if there were any certain laws that could help that person. Like the Lemon-Laws on cars. I cant find a damn thing! I need help. Please E-mail me. tltaylor@together.net. Thanks.

Tim Taylor