Eli's Rant
Don't Call It A Recall!!
Recently Yamaha Motor Corporation has been under attack since announcing the voluntary repair program for the Rhino 450-700 models in cooperation with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Many people have been calling this a "recall" when in all actuality it is not. Yamaha still stands behind the fact that its Rhino models are as safe as they were four years ago. Because a small fraction of owner/operators have been involved in some type of incident, the CPSC has made the recommendation that wheel spacers be added to the rear wheels and the rear sway bar be removed to increase the stability of the machine. This is a "recommendation" that Yamaha is going along with to ensure customer satisfaction and possibly minimize any future incidents.
Because this repair program is taking place, people might think the action admits liability when it does not. I believe that the Rhino line of side-by-sides are some of the safest, if not the safest, on the market and have yet to experience any incidents while driving or being a passenger in one. I am also a person who has been driving off-road vehicles since a very young age and knows what my limits are, and I wear the proper safety equipment when I'm operating any kind of recreational vehicle. These repairs will hopefully prevent unskilled operators from doing any harm to themselves or others.
What more can a company do to ensure that operators wear the proper safety equipment and operate the machine in a safe manner? They already put warning labels and safety recommendations in plain view of both driver and passengers. In addition to this, owners who take their units in for the repair program will have the opportunity to watch a safety video that was already issued to them when they first purchased their unit. Once the repair procedure has been completed and the customer has signed off on viewing the video, they will receive a $100 voucher toward a new helmet of their choice. What companies have ever done anything like this in the past?
Is my rant a pro-Yamaha rant? It absolutely is, but it's also a pro-SxS rant because these kinds of problems will eventually start to trickle down to all of the other companies that make vehicles like the Rhino. I have a possible solution for the problem. The manufacturers should be given the right to make a questionnaire for all potential SxS owners to fill out before purchasing a machine. If any of the answered questions would lead dealers to believe that potential operators are unqualified to handle these machines, they have the right not to sell them to you. While that is all great in theory, it would open another bag of legal problems with discrimination cases.
My point is that we need to support companies that are making great products and prevent them from getting bad reputations from ambulance-chasing attorneys and irresponsible owners who feel they are entitled to compensation as a result of a lack of skill or common sense. Companies like Yamaha put many hours of R&D to make the best-handling, safest and most reliable products on the planet. The Rhino launched a new market of off-road vehicles that not only offer plenty of enjoyment, but also helped boost the economy in numerous areas.
So please remember the phrase "voluntary repair program" and correct anyone who considers it a recall. The Rhino is a perfectly safe and capable machine for 99.99 percent of operators behind the wheel, but it's that .01 percent that can really screw things up for everyone else. If you see someone operating a Rhino or similar vehicle in a way that could get them or people around them hurt, don't be afraid to voice your opinion... They don't seem to care how it might affect you when they hire their lawyers, who only see dollar signs.