Hi.

I'm considering buying an Outlander 800 Max Ltd, but I would like to know if there has been reliability issues with the Outy 800 (standard or Max).
FI, frame, cv joints, engine, axles, rattling noises, etc.
Do the 800 brakes "whine" when wet like the 400's?

I was the previous owner of an Outlander 400 Max XT and I had a few problems with it, and the portuguese national importer response was not satisfactory at all.
They did not address the issues like they should have and they ignored some my complaints altogether.

So this is holding me back.
If it is prone to having problems, I probably won't get it... [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif[/img]


I know it's an amazing machine, so there is no need to you guys telling me how great it is.

I just want to know if this atv has issues or not.
The standard Outlander also counts, because the Max version is basically the same machine, just "stretched" a bit.



Thanks in advance for the help! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

Every quad has issues. At some time or another, there is something that could use improvement on all quads. The Outty is an excellent quad, just high priced. Its not any more durable than the other quads, and will have as many problems, if you have any. For example, i was told that i would have tranny probs, belt probs, tippiness, and other things with my Cat. Come to find out, after almost 800 miles of hard, beating my quad treatment, i have had absolutley ZERO problems. No flipping, no slipping belts, nothing. And if you maitinence the outty like i did my cat, it should also give you no problems. I went extreme, and put better plugs, wires, synthetic differential oil, synthetic oil change, flushed the radiator, and a new air filter already. And its still like new!! All in all, every quad is going to be as reliable as YOU make it

 

V2rider, thank you very much for your reply.
I understand your point.
But some vehicles, either cars, motorcycles, atvs, etc, sometimes have design flaws and are more prone to breaking down.

When the outlander 400 came out, I read here that most were having some problems, like a clunking noise in the on/off and off/on throttle transitions, and a weird noise that no one knew what it was.

I decided to buy it anyway, thinking that mine would not be affected.
As soon as I left the dealer I immediately noticed the noise (after just 2 or 3 seconds riding it).
Later we found out it was from the springs that hold the collector pipe to the exhaust pipe that, at a certain rpm, vibrated against the pipe.

And the clunking noise was also there, and was very noticeable and annoying. It was like two big metal parts hiting each other. Not nice at all.
I'm sure that after riding quite a few miles I would have some kind of severe problem because of this.

Later on the atv developed some other noises, that came from inside the atv. I sold it, and never found out if these were from the transmission or the engine itself. Imagine moving a bucket up and down with a lot of nails and screws inside it. That's how it sounded.
I was even ashamed of riding it with friends. They were always asking what the hell was wrong with it!

There were also some other minor issues.

But the major problem was that the portuguese importer never gave a damn about my complaints!


I had read here that most owners were having problems with their 400s.
But I decided to buy it anyway.

If people are having reliability issues with the 800, then I will have to think twice about buying one because I know the portuguese importer is not going to solve them!


Everything is prone to develop problems and break down, no matter how good it is and how well you look after it.
But if it has design flaws to begin with, like the outy 400 had, then the probability of the atv that I buy having issues will be much higher, just like it happened to me before.


Despite the issues, I really liked my 400, and I know the 800 is an awesome machine.
I just don't want to go through all that again...

 

A guy i ride with the odd time have problems goin into 4x4 the odd time on the outtie800. But im sure it a isolated problem. But he also sumerge the outtie like a submarine in a pond a couple of timez as well

 

My buddies outy 400 has had its share of problems. First it blew a strut, vr went bad and burned battery, belt slips, plasitc melted, and brakes went after like 800 miles.

 

I guess you should stay away from the 400!! lol. I hear good things about the 800, and 650

 

i have an 800

brakes make noise when wet sometimes..like a squeel or something...

and i blew a water pump gasket...so far thats it..

oh yeah i beat this thing to death evey wkend....huge mud holes completely under water/mud over seat...i jump it and basicaly ride it hard.. about 40-100 miles a wkend...we all have issues..

i wouldnt trade this thing for the world..its a no brainer..everyone is going to have issues sometime so why not get the best...

the handling and power! noone can compare to it...i have ridden with every ute just about and they all are not even in the same catagory

 

Big thanks to every one for your replies.

I found out that one problem with the 800's is the exhaust heat.
Some people have had their pipes ceramic coated.
This is not an option for me because I live on an Island and no one does this kind of coating here.

My question is if I install a pipe and reprogram the injection then this should solve this problem, right?
I mean, the exhaust fumes will be exiting the exhaust system faster, and by not staying so long inside it, it shouldn't get so hot, right?

 

Your worried about exaust heat???? If your trying to get a perfect quad, good luck!! Nobody makes one yet. Dont get me wrong, i wish there was a absolutley trouble free quad myself, but it will never happen.

 

I just sold an Outlander 330 with over 800 miles and it had zero problems. The Outlanders are a bit noisy and at first sounds like something is wrong but I never had problems, you could hear it coming down the trail, thats for sure, aren't gonna sneak up on any deer with one.