Are Polaris' Reliable? Hear One Owner's Story and Submit Your Own! - Dude, I Love My Ride @Home

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[jamesmccausland]

When shopping for a SxS, I had heard about the issues Polaris owners were having with their machines, I bought a Honda Pioneer and have no regrets

[hamiltoncouple]

Had my Polaris for a over 3 years and have absolutely zero issues. Runs as perfect as the day I first bought it. Power is very nice from a twin and very comfortable. 4x4 system (all wheel drive) is superior. I tried Honda and it was inferior to Polaris. I don’t regret purchase and strongly recommend it. I will be purchasing another one in the near future. Tough, reliable, powerful and absolutely great value.

[rangerx]

I have a 2015 Polaris Ranger 800 6x6. I bought it new in September of 15 and added the Polaris steel cab with tip out windshield, heater and wipers and 4500 pound winch. It's been a great machine no complaints. I use it for plowing Lake Erie lake effect snows, hunting and ground maintenance. With everything I paid around $25K for the machine and no regrets.

[kapperoutdoors]

Hate hearing that stuff with Polaris! I have 2 of them now, my Northstar had some issues, but they took care of it on warranty right away, otherwise love the machines! Best of luck with getting it sorted out! Thanks

[rhull]

Had a 07 sportsman 700 for two years. I rode it hard. I put 9 OEM rear axles in it. 9! Sold it. I still have a brand new axle in the garage if anyone wants it. As a comparison, I had an 08 Yamaha big bear before this and literally sunk it to the point where the cylinder hydro locked. Took it home, pulled the plug and changed the oil twice, cranked it with no plug to make sure the water was out and then it fired right up and ran perfectly.

[getlosttoday]

I have a 04 sportsman 700 efi twin. Have a sensor, cv shaft, solenoid and battery replacement. Still have original tires that are starting to be weathered. Plow snow, buried up to seat in mud and joy ride in country. Love my Polaris!

[jadosa]

Nice Ranger Eric. Hopefully it turns out to be a good machine for you. The issue you’re having with the jerky, lunging start I’ve had happen on one of my snowmobiles. If yours is caused by the same thing changing the belt will only work for a little while and it’ll happen again if it sits for a while without use. Good news is it’s an incredibly easy fix that costs nothing. Take you clutch cover off, remove your belt and clean you clutches with compressed air. Be thorough. That fixed my issue entirely. Can’t guarantee it’ll work for you but it costs nothing but time to try

[jimjettjr.]

I just turned 60 years old and I started riding when I was 5 years old, a taco 3 1/2 h.p. lawnmower engine mini bike. I raced Amateur, Semi - Pro and Pro and won National championships. I've rode everything from a odessa, Fenton, Jawa, Maico, Yamaha, Suzuki Polaris, etc. This subject is about side by sides but you mentioned quads also. Honda has come along ways over the years and there's no denying they're the best built overall today. I'm talking reliability and dependability. Honda's R & D department is 2nd to none. I like Honda's but I'm a Suzuki guy. I ride a 2007 LT450R sport quad which is the only quad ever made race ready off of the show room floor. The LT450R is a awesome machine stock. Here's all I need to tell everyone about Polaris. Park a Polaris quad beside a Suzuki LT450R or any Honda quad and you don't have to do a walk around, just look from 20 ft. away and if you can't tell the difference you don't have a clue about S/S or Quads. Polaris is cheap made. There frames are nothing like a Honda or Suzuki, there suspension setup is totally different. I've tested a few Polaris quads over the years and as far as I'm concerned Polaris doesn't manufacture a real quad. Reliable, dependable, handles very well, fast? None of the above. Polaris has a Scrambler XP 1000 S quad they advertise as the best and fastest quad there is today. It's a 4 stroke, twin cylinder engine with a automatic A racing quad with a automatic transmission? This machine wouldn't get out of its own way. Without a manual clutch ( transmission) that speaks volumes in racing and fast. I've got a 1987 Suzuki LT 500R Quadzilla engine ( 2 stroke single cylinder engine)in a 1987 LT250R frame, 540cc, 46 mm Lectron carb, running on 116 octane fuel, to much to list that I'll tie a rope to the front of a Polaris Scrambler XP 1000 S and I'll pull it so fast it'll burn the wheel bearings out of it. Bottom line stay away from Polaris products period. Nothing but problems and headaches poorly built. Polaris reminds me of them Chinese pit bikes you can purchase for $129.00

[daveodo]

I’ve had good luck with the Polaris utvs I’ve owned. The first was a 2014 rzr 1000. I had a problem with a break switch which was covered by warranty. After the warranty period was over I had a problem with the voltage regulator and Polaris covered the cost of the repair any way. The second is a 2019 general. It has been a great machine without a single issue.

[kevinwilliams]

I had two Polaris rzrs, 1st one was worn out at 2200 miles(engine using oil, all bushings worn out, ball joints worn out, cv shafts worn out), second one had problems from the second I purchased it. Sold the second one within a year and switched to Kawasaki and have never looked back. I have a 2017 Teryx 4 and just bought a new Mule Pro Mx and love them. The Teryx 4 has 3000 hard trail miles and is going strong. The Teryx 4 has its faults, but it is built like a tank compared to any Polaris.

[nathanpanter]

Family has a 2011 can am 500 max xt with plenty of hours and miles on it. It’s pulled 500+lb logs out of the woods since the day it was purchased, survived being crushed by a barn and goes through the deepest snow the U.P has to offer and not a single hiccup. Original belt and tires as well. Most machines in the area are can am, Yamaha and Honda for atvs/sxs and Polaris for snowmobiles because if you’re caught stranded on the trail out there, you’re looking at potential death in the winter time (or even warmer months due to the bear population). Can am all the way for sxs and atvs if you want power and reliability. Buy Japanese if you want pure reliability with minimal maintenance and don’t need crazy amounts of power.

[joshhall]

I have a 05 sportsman 400 love it .no issues that aren't expected after 15 years its been great still using it

[guyin]

I thought about a Polaris 900 Ranger briefly, but ended up getting a Can Am Defender. It has been very reliable. I also seriously considered the Honda, but got a really good deal on the Can Am. I really liked the layout of the Yamaha Viking. It was the one I found most comfortable, but the drivetrain in it isn't up to speed with the competition.

[edwilliams]

2019 Yamaha Wolverine X2. 6xx hours. Ridden Tenn, Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Black Hills. Bullet proof. Not one little issue.

[brly]

If you want a reliable off roader get a Yamaha or Honda. Can am, Polaris and cat will never come close

[jamesmcguire]

I am from New Zealand We have Two 2015 Polaris Rangers Mid Size 570s Service every 100-150 Hours, One Had a Problem with Turf Mode to 2WD was broken pulling the Polaris to Left, 26168 / 25026 Ks & 1634.3 | 1627.4 Hours

[aaronbehindbars]

Polaris builds a high performance machine at a value price...i.e. they are built to meet a price point which means you are not getting the highest quality or reliability. They do a great job of filling out a spec sheet to make it look great on paper. When you look closely at how they are put together (weld quality, lack of material in high stress areas like suspension mounts, hardware, paint finishes) combined with reoccurring issues with belts, axles, clutches/transmissions, these are not the best machine if you want something trouble free. People buy them because they have great curb appeal and Polaris is an American company (though not all their machines are made here). As with anything, you do have to maintain and care for something to get good life out of it. A new machine with 12 hours on it should not have these issues.

I can't tell you how many Polaris machines I have seen with roll cages that don't fit, tools found jammed between parts that were left there on the assembly line, and stripped/crossed threads.

After working several years at a dealer that sells Polaris, Can Am, Kawasaki, Honda, and Yamaha UTVs/ATVs, I know what I would and wouldn't buy. The Japanese do not built a truly comparable machine to a full size, big bore crew cab UTV. The Kawasaki FXT is the closest, but many do not like the smaller bed and having to fold the back seats down just to have a bigger bed. The Can Am Defender is a better built machine, but it costs more. They seem to be holding up given what I have seen.

[marklloyd]

I have a Kubota RTV diesel . It’s slow but moves 2000 pound alfalfa bales and dumps them with the steel hydraulic bed. Never a problem ever . If u want gas look at yamaha . Yamaha was rated the absolute most reliable

[ronens]

OMG Eric sounds like Luke Bryant from American idol

[TajRahal]

Have had a ranger 800 crew for 10 years now and hardly had a problem. Worst problem I think battery losing Juice. And I’ve put that thing through some shit, The Can Am’s on the other hand, both the Commander and Maverick I owned had gear issues.