We just got a rude awakening on the Polaris lifetime belt warranty. I posted a thread recently titled "wheel noise on sp 500". We took it to the dealer and it seems the noise was actually the drive belt comeing apart. My dealer now says that polaris will only cover the belt if the belt actually comes apart due to a manufacturing defect. The mechanic says my friends belt showed signs of flat spots in the belt from getting stuck in the mud or some other reason. He says polaris will only cover a belt that has been flat spotted (1 time ), and only then after the dealer educates the consumer on the proper use of low gear, etc. etc . We go back quite a ways with this mechanic and he has done things for me in the past that have went above and beyond the call, rides with us too, so it's not a case of him being a jerk. He says that when they replace a belt, they have to send the old belt back to polaris to get reimbursed for for the defective belt, and polaris policy "NOW" is what I have just stated. He has replaced the belt on my sp 700 and a different sp 500 in the past without a whimper, so it seems that polaris has decided to change their policy. Ask your dealers about this change and get back to everyone on the forum if you have experienced a change in policy. A lifetime warranty to me means just what it says. If the belt goes bad, it gets replaced. PERIOD. Before anyone gets the idea that we take the quads back for a new belt all the time , let me assure you that is not the case. They have not replaced the belt (on the same machine) more than once.

 

If the belt breaks or wears out, they should replace it. If it's flat spotted, I'm with Polaris on this one. If the rider abuses the machine and flat spots a belt, they're lucky to get it replaced once! Polaris shouldn't have to replace a flat spotted belt at all!

 

It is highly unlikely that even an OEM belt will come apart or start separating. That is the reason why they give a lifetime warranty. The belts are going to be made by a good company such as Gates or Dayco, but you have to put yourself as being the manufactor of them and then deciding if you would cover hundreds or even thousands of belts coming back supposedly as defective when they were not. People need use some common sense on situations like this. Bubba

 

I saw a SP700 with a broken belt this fall. It only had a few hundred miles, but the owner said he had abused the machine severely the day before.

 

I was hesitant in posting my thread on the belt because I anticipated the replies implying that the machine had been abused. I don't feel the atv was abused, but than MYSELF and the RIDER would be the ONLY ONES that would know that for sure. I sure didn't mean to start a pi$$ing contest on polaris's warranty (or lack there of) procedures. I thought these forums were to share share knowlege of problems, fixes, so on and so forth. I posted what I thought was a concern that the rest of the forum should know about, But your certainly entitled to your opinion or to draw your own conclusions. The common sense I should have used is when Polaris advertised their belts as having a "LIFETIME WARRANTY", I should have known better. With the issues of the belt now brought to light, I think any prudent person would agree that mabey, just mabey, Polaris should have advertised their belt as having a "LIMITED LIFETIME WARRANTY". If I'm going to put myself in anyones place, It's going to be in the CONSUMERS place, not the MANUFACTURER. Forgive me for sounding a little selfish or self centered here. Is this not what makes this such a wonderful world. If everyone thought the same, it sure would be a damn dull place to live in.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-mad.gif[/img]

 

Well, it is very hard for me to see this from a consumer standpoint. I manage a Sears repair facility dealing with alot of lawn & garden repair. My wife manages an O'Reilly's automotive store. Now I know things do happen sometimes and we have to see past all of that when making decisions. But the fact is the world is full of idiots who do abuse items (even without knowing it sometimes) and then want warranty to cover it. That is all that I am saying. I definitely did not want to start a pi$$ing contest about anything. And yes Polaris should stipulate better on the warranty for the belt. Personally I think they shouldnt even give any warranty specified or implied on the belts due to they are a high wear item. Again sorry if I sounded offensive on the first comment, but it has to be frustrating to be the dealer or maunfacturer in alot of cases. Bubba

 

It's frustrating to the consumer too. I can assure you that I'm not one of the idiots your referring to. Not to get into my life's story, but we take very good care of our possessions. Between myself and my two son's, we have owned 6 polaris atv's. Including the first sp500 in 1996. The friend that had the belt problem has owned three. Belts have always been a problem on polartis atv's since day one. I can only speculate that they advertised their belts to have a lifetime warranty so as to address this issue and to keep sales up. You are right in saying that they shouldn't have warranted the belts in the first place. BUT THEY DID!" If your gonna talk the talk, than you gotta walk the walk". I'm not trying to sound like an a$$hole but you being a manager at a Sear's Facility, I can see why it might be a little hard for you to see things from a consumer standpoint. I only hope that you have a little more open attitude towards the consumer when your on the job. Even though I'm sure that you do. If you have a customer that ran his lawnmower with no oil, do you just assume that the next customer did too?? I'm sure your grasping my point. This topic is starting to take up way too much of my time. If the belt issue doesn't concern you that much, than I'm happy for you and I wish that I had your patience and understanding, but I don't and I tend to hold people to their word. Again, I just wanted to give everyone a little heads up on the belt issue because the belt you may think is warranted, really may not be. One scenario: If polaris had 100 belts returned under warranty??? How many of those belts would you think, Polaris would cover as being a manufacturing defect??

 

Very Picky I'm with you on this one. I for one am tired of getting screwed by manufactures. I had a 2002 Kawi 650 and they would not honour their warranty, this machine was only four months into a six month warranty. So now I PROUDLY own a Polaris.

 

It's tough to pick a side in this situation only because, if there was a flat spot on the belt, then what else could have caused that besides rider error? And YES Polaris DOES need to call it a "LIMITED Lifetime Belt Warrenty" instead of just a "Lifetime Belt Warrenty." Polaris seems pretty boneheaded to me if they are going to falsly advertise or be unclear, whichever you want to call it.

 

If they dont want to do anything for him, tell him to order a Gates belt #19AT4090 from an auto parts store who can get Gates. It is the Kevlar belt and will hold up to alot of punishment. I run it on my race mod (around 80+ HP) and give it he11 ALL the time. Hope that helps. And verypicky, it is tough after almost 7 years to see the consumer side, but I always will see their side first before jumping to conclusions and I have a ton of patience. Bubba