2017 Polaris Slingshot problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Steering (2) · Seats (2) · Electrical System (2)
Safety recalls (9)
Electrical System:wiring:fuses And Circuit Breakers 2019-10-18 · campaign 19V750000 · 31,987 vehicles
Defect: Polaris Inc. (Polaris) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Slingshot motorcycles. Excessive electrical current may damage the battery fuse holder terminals.
Risk: Damaged terminals may result in the loss of forward and rear lighting, instrument cluster gauges, or power steering assist. Any of these scenarios increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Polaris will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the battery fuse block terminals and relocate the 50 amp chassis fuse, free of charge. The recall began October 24, 2019. Owners may contact Polaris customer service at 1-855-863-2284. Polaris's number for this recall is T-19-01.
Seat Belts:front:retractor 2018-08-15 · campaign 18V531000 · 10,658 vehicles
Defect: Polaris Industries, Inc. (Polaris) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Polaris Slingshot S, Slingshot SL, Slingshot GT LE, and Slingshot SLR motorcycles. In the event of a crash, the seatbelt retractor on the side opposite of the impact may separate, preventing the seatbelt from locking.
Risk: In the event of a crash, if the seat belt does not lock, the occupant may not be properly restrained, increasing their risk of injury.
Fix: Polaris will notify owners, and dealers will install a kit that prevents the retractor from separating in the event of a crash, free of charge. The recall began August 28, 2018. Owners may contact Polaris customer service at 1-855-863-2284. Polaris' number for this recall is T-18-03.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:pedals And Linkages 2018-05-16 · campaign 18V321000 · 4,342 vehicles
Defect: Polaris Industries, Inc. (Polaris) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Polaris Slingshot, Slingshot SL, Slingshot SLR, Slingshot SL Icon, and Slingshot GT LE motorcycles. The brake pedals may have been incorrectly installed, allowing the brake pedal to separate from the brake master cylinder.
Risk: If the brake pedal separates from the brake master cylinder, it would cause a loss of braking ability, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Polaris will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engagement of the brake pedal retaining clip and reassemble it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began on June 5, 2018. Owners may contact Polaris customer service at 1-855-863-2284. Polaris' number for this recall is T-18-02.
Seats 2018-03-26 · campaign 18V195000 · 24,235 vehicles
Defect: Polaris Industries, Inc. (Polaris) is recalling all 2015-2018 Polaris Slingshot motorcycles. The driver-seat and passenger-seat seat belt and seat back anchoring bracket may have been improperly welded. Additionally, differences in the seat assembly may prevent proper latching of the seat slider, allowing the driver's seat to move unexpectedly.
Risk: If the seat belt buckle or seat back detach from the seat base, there would be an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash. If the driver's seat unexpectedly moves, it can cause the driver to lose control of the motorcycle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Polaris will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the seat belt bracket and seat back welds, and the seat slider latching function. If the weld is missing or incomplete, or if the slider doesn't latch properly, the seat bases will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began on April 16, 2018. Owners may contact Polaris customer service at 1-855-863-2284. Polaris' number for this recall is T-18-01.
Traction Control System 2017-06-01 · campaign 17V357000 · 8,962 vehicles
Defect: Polaris Industries, Inc. (Polaris) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Slingshot vehicles. The affected vehicles previously had their rear swingarms replaced during the remedy of NHTSA recall number 16V-255. The replacement swingarms may have been installed without the sealing grommets installed, potentially resulting in road debris contaminating the rear wheel speed sensor.
Risk: Contamination of the rear speed sensor will disable the ABS and Traction/Stability Control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Polaris will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the swingarms for missing grommets, installing them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began June 13, 2017. Owners may contact Polaris customer service at 1-888-704-5290. Polaris' number for this recall is T-17-04.
Suspension:front 2017-03-10 · campaign 17V158000 · 254 vehicles
Defect: Polaris Industries, Inc. (Polaris) is recalling certain 2017 Slingshot, Slingshot SL, and Slingshot SLR vehicles. Three of the bolted connections between the steering and the front suspension may have been insufficiently tightened, possibly resulting in a reduction of steering and/or front suspension performance.
Risk: Reduced steering and/or suspension performance can affect vehicle handling, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Polaris will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected nuts and bolts, tightening them correctly, free of charge. The recall began on March 23, 2017. Owners may contact Polaris customer service at 1-855-863-2284. Polaris' number for this recall is T-17-01.
Power Train:driveline 2016-10-19 · campaign 16V755000 · 17,572 vehicles
Defect: Polaris Industries, Inc. (Polaris) is recalling certain model year 2015-2017 Slingshot motorcycles manufactured March 4, 2014, to September 7, 2016. The affected vehicles may have been manufactured with a swing arm that has insufficient strength.
Risk: Due to the insufficient swing arm strength, the swing arm may fracture resulting in a loss of momentum or vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Polaris will notify owners, and dealers will inspect, and repair or replace the swing arm, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began December 2016. Owners may contact Polaris customer service at 1-855-863-2284. Polaris' number for this recall is T-16-06.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic 2016-10-18 · campaign 16V752000 · 6,860 vehicles
Defect: Polaris Industries, Inc. (Polaris) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Slingshot motorcycles manufactured December 28, 2015, to April 27, 2016. The brake pressure switch may have been over tightened in the affected motorcycles.
Risk: Over tightening of the brake pressure switch may damage the seal, allowing brake fluid to leak, resulting in reduced brake performance, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Polaris will notify owners, and dealers will install new brake pressure switch seals, free of charge. The recall began December 2016. Owners may contact Polaris customer service at 1-855-863-2284. Polaris' number for this recall is T-16-02.
Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings 2016-10-18 · campaign 16V754000 · 17,795 vehicles
Defect: Polaris Idustries, Inc. (Polaris) is recalling certain model year 2015-2017 Slingshot motorcycles manufactured March 4, 2014, to October 7, 2016. The affected vehicles may have insufficient clearance between the fuel line and the hood structure.
Risk: The insufficient clearance may allow the fuel line to rub against the hood until it leaks fuel. A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Polaris will notify owners, and dealers will replace the replace the engine fuel line, and inspect the retention clips to reduce the risk of interference, free of charge. The recall began December 2016. Owners may contact Polaris customer service at 1-855-863-2284. Polaris' number for this recall is T-16-03.
Service bulletins (35)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Engine 2026-09-26 · SLG-9.25.2026 · Other
this ask polaris article provides information regarding engine valve guide wear inspection and measurement for slingshot vehicles.
Electrical System 2026-08-11 · Team Tip 2026-03 · Service Campaign
submitting a debug report immediately after a digital wrench ii incident is strongly recommended. digital wrench ii errors may be caused by vehicle module issues, software or equipment malfunctions, or interruptions during updates and flash procedures. common causes include poor internet connectivit
Engine 2026-06-19 · SLG-6.18.2026 · Other
this ask polaris article provides information to systematically identify the root cause of excessive exhaust smoke by distinguishing between oil consumption, coolant intrusion, and fuel-related conditions.
Electrical System 2026-06-06 · SLG-6.5.2026 · Other
this slingshot help center article provides information regarding battery maintenance on model year 2019 and older slingshot vehicles.
Engine 2026-06-02 · SLG-6.1.2026 · Other
this ask polaris article provides information about how to perform a leakdown test on polaris slingshot vehicles.
Power Train 2026-02-05 · T-26-02-01 · Other
a new input shaft seal, pn 3610429, has been released for model year 2015-2026 slingshot right angle drives for improved leak resistance. vehicles produced after 11/10/2025 have the updated seal. when installing, this seal requires a lower pinion rolling torque specification. improper pinion rolling
Showing the 6 most recent of 35 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2022-07-27 · Seats“seat backs on both driver and passenger sides are coming off frame. the screws/bolts are falling out no way to put them back in and secure the back of the seats to seat frame. have only 3600 miles on a 2017 slingshot has not been used much. the back of the seat screws are fallin out making the seat backs come off frame. have asked other people in o…”
2022-03-31 · Seats“both the driver and passenger seat back screws shrouds have broken off under normal conditions and operation while operating the vehicle. when coming to a stop or while driving, the seat back moves, pushing the driver and passenger up against the steering wheel and dash with an increased risk of failure and accident with absolutely no warning. the …”
2022-02-11 · Service Brakes“after braking a few times the “brake failure” light will come in the dashboard disabling the cruise control. after researching online i found this article tsa-18-02 that states that it is a known problem! this should be a recall and not just an ”service advisory”…”
2021-06-07 · Seat Belts“the drivers side seat belt won't extend. while viewing the polaris slingshot forum, this has been a reoccurring problem.…”
2020-10-06 · Electrical System“there has been a recall t-19-01 2015-2019 slingshot s/sl/slr/gt battery fuse block inspection & chassis fuse relocation (operating vehicle without recall is risk to riders that steering & lights may quit) for the past year. i have been trying to get it fixed & have contacted polaris many times. all the dealers around me say they can't get the par…”
2020-06-30 · Electrical System“tl* the contact owns a 2017 polaris slingshot. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 19v750000 (electrical system) however, the parts to do the recall repair was not yet available. the contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. an unknown dealer was contacted and confir…”
2019-12-02 · Steering · 100 mi“tl* the contact owns a 2017 polaris slingshot. while operating the vehicle, the headlights, rear brake lights, and instrument panel lighting randomly shut off. also, while making a left turn into the driveway, the power steering seized and the steering wheel could not be turned in either direction. the cause of the failures was not determined. the …”
2019-09-10 · Wheels · 13,000 mi · 💥 crash“tl* the contact owned a 2017 polaris slingshot. while driving 75 mph with the cruise control activated, the front driver's side wheel and spokes detached from the vehicle. as a result, the vehicle traveled across the highway from the far right lane, crashed into a wall, ricocheted off the wall, and landed on the shoulder. there were no warning indi…”
2018-06-04 · Vehicle Speed Control · 4,774 mi · 💥 crash“on may 5, 2018, i was involved in an accident where i was lost control of my vehicle while driving the street within speed limits as i was attempting to enter 2nd gear. the gas pedal felt strange when i depressed it, since it went to the right. just then the vehicle spun to the left and hit a parked vehicle, repeatedly. the vehicle kept accelerat…”
2017-03-06 · Steering · 5,000 mi“tl* the contact owns a 2017 polaris slingshot. while accelerating from a stop, the abs warning indicator illuminated. in addition, the traction control and steering ability failed, which caused the vehicle to pull more to the right. the dealer diagnosed that the control module failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired; however, a w…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.