Just to play Devil's Advocate, what is the most unreliable atv that you know of?
Everyone knows somebody who has an atv that is a big piece of crap.

 

I venture to say once you get past the cheap chinese made atv's, a lot of problems were caused by bad owners and not the atv itself.

 

Chinese ATVs and pre 2000ish American quads. They've all come a long way since then except for the Chinese quads.

 

Another post would be reliable ATV that you seen screw up, Years back I was riding with a 97 400 Honda Foreman 4x4 that was in gread shape and the top end blew,no warning nothing we were all in shock. Needed a total top end with only 3000 miles on it.

In ATVs I had a Yamaha 87 250 moto 4, Yamaha 89 350 Big Bear 350 4x4 ,a 2000 450E.S Foreman all were great, I just never got stuck with a bad one yet ,bought them all used.

Sold the 350 and 450 to friends I still ride with today, even the Foremans dreaded E.S shifter never screwed up yet.

 

The chinese quads have come a long way. Most of that way being towed, but still a long way.

 

My friend bought a Yamaha Breeze for one of his kids and it was a POS. It was being worked on more than it was ridden.

 

My neighbor has a 125 Breeze, I think it's a 2000 or a 2001, and he has had it since it was new. It has been handed down to his brother, and now to his little sister. Other than brakes, tires and a battery, the Breeze has been bullet proof. It still works great, maybe your friend just got a lemon, or if he bought it 2nd hand it could have been abused or neglected. My buddy now has a 2006 650H1 Arctic Cat which has been nothing but a complete nightmare.
It is always broke down, it's hard to start, handles like crap, burns oil and antifreeze, he can't keep a battery in it as they always die, and he just had a head gasket put in to solve the oil and AF problem, he also had the valves done twice in the last year, and it's still hard to start. to top that, on our last run he blew the motor and the bike doesn't even have 1200 miles on it yet. The bike looks good, sounds good and pulls hard but it always overheats and it is the biggest POS it have seen in my 25 plus years of trail riding.

 

A chinese quad. Maybe they are improved now but i had a new one around 2005 and its was okay when it worked right but everyother ride you had to work on it or something broke. Luckly i know how to weld or it would of been done months after i bought it.

 

All of my bikes have been reliable my 2010 Polaris Sportsman 500 HO has had zero problems it has 1500km's, my 2005 Arctic Cat 650 V2 has had 0 problems it has 4400km's its just hard to start in the cold, my 2001 Suzuki King Quad 300 has had carb problems when I first bought it got that all fixed. It had 1900km's when I bought it it now has 3200km's its running solid won't break down on me its always there when I need it but its starting to burn oil I need to change the oil rings soon. My buddys 05 Kodiak 450 has some belt drive problems sometimes it will only go 5mph then sometimes wont even move just rev up, it only hits 32mph top speed then starts backfiring like crazy. We changed the belt not to long ago and still acts up.

 

its all how you take care of them....except for the off brands. they be junk!!