The Used Car Index

2015 Polaris Slingshot problems

NHTSA lists 36 complaints for the 2015 Polaris Slingshot, 4 of them mention a crash and 2 mention a fire. 5 complaints mention an injury, with 5 injuries and 3 deaths reported.

Data build 2026-10-10.

NHTSA lists this vehicle as POLARIS SLINGSHOT.

At a glance

Complaints
36
With crash
4
With fire
2
With injury (complaints)
5
Injuries
5
Deaths
3
Recalls
9
Do not drive recalls
2
Park outside recalls
0
Recall potential units (maximum)
31,987
Investigations
2
Open investigations
0
Manufacturer communications
41

Complaints per 100k sold unavailable. No sales source is available for this record.

Where the complaints are

Top systems
SystemComplaintsShare of this vehicle's complaints
ENGINE822.2%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL719.4%
POWER TRAIN616.7%
SUSPENSION616.7%
SERVICE BRAKES513.9%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM411.1%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM411.1%
STEERING38.3%
SEAT BELTS25.6%
STRUCTURE25.6%
Top subsystems
SystemSubsystemComplaints
STRUCTUREBODY1
SUSPENSIONFRONT1
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROLCRUISE CONTROL1

One complaint can name several systems, so shares can add to more than 100 percent.

Model-generated complaint tags

These labels are model-generated, not NHTSA data.

Failure modes
LabelCountShare of taggedMean confidence
loss of control1130.6%0.77
unclear822.2%0.95
mechanical failure616.7%0.82
electrical electronic513.9%0.78
fire or overheating38.3%0.78
restraint or airbag25.6%0.96
structural or corrosion12.8%1.00
Severities
LabelCountShare of taggedMean confidence
low1541.7%0.72
moderate1438.9%0.81
critical411.1%0.97
high38.3%0.78

Model: typesafe/jev-1.13-20260917; schema version: tag-v1. 36 tagged complaints of 36 complaints (100.0%).

Confidence is the model's own probability for the label it chose (0 to 1), not accuracy.

Model-generated labels on tagged complaints only. Model years 2013 and newer are tagged in full; 2012 in part (see tagged_share); earlier model years have no tags. NHTSA's own flags remain separate in the complaints block.

Recalls

See new recalls and investigations this week.

9 recalls.

19V750000

Date: 2019-10-18. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.

Defect: Polaris Inc. (Polaris) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Slingshot motorcycles. Excessive electrical current may damage the battery fuse holder terminals.

Consequence: 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.

Remedy: 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.

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

18V809000

Date: 2018-11-15. Systems: BACK OVER PREVENTION.

Defect: Polaris Industries (Polaris) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Polaris Slingshot, Slingshot SL and Slingshot SL LE motorcycles equipped with a backup camera. The back-up camera may fail internally, possibly melting the voltage regulator and blowing the fuse for that circuit, thereby preventing the taillight from functioning properly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of F (excerpt)

Consequence: The melted voltage regulator can increase the risk of a fire. The loss of a tail light can increase the risk of a crash. (excerpt)

Remedy: Polaris will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the back-up camera, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 2, 2019. Owners may contact Polaris at 1-855-863-2284. Polaris' number for this recall is T-18-04. (excerpt)

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

18V195000

Date: 2018-03-26. Systems: SEAT BELTS, SEATS.

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. (excerpt)

Consequence: 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. (excerpt)

Remedy: 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 (excerpt)

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

17V357000

Date: 2017-06-01. Systems: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM.

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.

Consequence: Contamination of the rear speed sensor will disable the ABS and Traction/Stability Control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: 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.

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

16V755000

Date: 2016-10-19. Systems: POWER TRAIN.

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.

Consequence: 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.

Remedy: 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.

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

16V754000

Date: 2016-10-18. Systems: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE.

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.

Consequence: 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.

Remedy: 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.

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

15V777000

Date: 2015-11-20. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING.

Defect: Polaris Industries, Inc. (Polaris) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Slingshot motorcycles manufactured April 21, 2014, to October 22, 2015, Slingshot SL motorcycles manufactured April 28, 2015 to October 23, 2015, and Slingshot SL SE motorcycles manufactured December 15, 2014, to October 22, 2015. In the affected motorcycles, the headlight relay may fail and result in a loss of headlight (excerpt)

Consequence: A loss of headlights can reduce driver visibility, increasing the risk of a crash. (excerpt)

Remedy: Polaris will notify owners, and dealers will replace the single headlight relay with a circuit that uses two headlight relays, free of charge. The recall began on December 3, 2015. Owners may contact Slingshot customer service at 1-855-863-2284. Polaris' number for this recall is SLI-15-05. (excerpt)

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

15V022000

Date: 2015-01-21. Systems: STEERING.

Defect: Polaris Industries, Inc. (Polaris) is recalling certain model year 2015 Slingshot motorcycles manufactured August 26, 2014, to January 9, 2015, and 2015 Slingshot SL motorcycles manufactured August 18, 2014, to January 10, 2015. In the affected motorcycles, the upper pinion bearing may fail on the steering rack assembly, resulting in the pinion gear disengaging from the steering rack.

Consequence: If the steering pinion gear disengages from the steering rack, a loss of steering control could result, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Polaris will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering rack assembly, free of charge. The recall began on January 30, 2015. Owners may contact Polaris customer service at 1-855-863-2284. Polaris' number for this recall is SLI-15-02.

Do not drive: Yes. Park outside: No.

15V020000

Date: 2015-01-20. Systems: STRUCTURE.

Defect: Polaris Industries, Inc. (Polaris) is recalling certain model year 2015 Slingshot motorcycles manufactured August 26, 2014, to December 16, 2014, and 2015 Slingshot SL motorcycles manufactured August 18, 2014, to December 15, 2014. The affected motorcycles may be equipped with roll hoops that do not meet hardness specifications.

Consequence: If the roll hoops do not meet strength specifications, in the event of a rollover crash they may not provide proper protection, increasing the risk of a personal injury.

Remedy: Polaris will notify owners, and dealers will replace the roll hoops, free of charge. The recall began on January 30, 2015. Owners may contact Polaris customer service at 1-651-408-7579. Polaris' number for this recall is SLI-15-01.

Do not drive: Yes. Park outside: No.

Investigations

2 investigations; 0 open.

PE17005

Opened: 2017-09-18. Closed: 2019-03-25.

Seatbelt Retractor Failure

See attached closing resume summary.

Systems: SEAT BELTS.

Linked campaign numbers: 18V531000.

PE15016

Opened: 2015-04-20. Closed: 2015-10-16.

Front wheel failure

We opened this PE after receiving an allegation of a sudden, catastrophic, right front wheel failure.Since opening it, we have met with dealer service personnel, interviewed owners, monitored various web forums, and requested information from Polaris.We are unaware of any additional wheel failures occurring in the six months since we began investigating this subject.Currently, no actionable defect

Systems: WHEELS.

Linked campaign numbers: None listed.

Manufacturer communications

41 manufacturer communications.

Communications by system
SystemCount
EQUIPMENT18
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM10
POWER TRAIN6
ENGINE3
EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY3
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC3
STRUCTURE3
SUSPENSION3

11034550

Date: 2026-06-19. Type: Other. Systems: ENGINE.

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.

11034549

Date: 2026-06-06. Type: Other. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.

This Slingshot help center article provides information regarding battery maintenance on Model Year 2019 and older Slingshot vehicles.

11034548

Date: 2026-06-02. Type: Other. Systems: ENGINE.

This Ask Polaris article provides information about how to perform a leakdown test on Polaris Slingshot vehicles.

11029832

Date: 2026-02-05. Type: Other. Systems: POWER TRAIN.

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

11025906

Date: 2025-11-21. Type: Other. Systems: EXTERIOR LIGHTING.

This Slingshot help center article contains instructions for inspecting and adjusting your lights for model year 2019 and older Slingshot vehicles.

11024950

Date: 2025-10-17. Type: Other. Systems: POWER TRAIN.

This Slingshot help center article provides information regarding replacing the angle drive fluid on model year 2015-2019 Slingshot vehicles.

11022502

Date: 2025-08-29. Type: Other. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE.

This Slingshot help center article provides information regarding spark plug inspection and replacement on model year 2015-2019 Polaris Slingshot vehicles.

11017412

Date: 2025-04-14. Type: Other. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.

This Slingshot Help Center article provides information regarding fuse replacement for Model Year 2019 and older Slingshot vehicles.

11011511

Date: 2024-11-20. Type: Other. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING.

This Slingshot help center article provides information regarding adjustment and maintenance of the headlamps on Model Year 2019 and older Slingshot vehicles.

10235781

Date: 2023-04-18. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.

This article provides information regarding battery maintenance on MY2019 and older Slingshot vehicles.

Notes on this record

  • Complaints from the API and bulk file are merged and deduplicated by ODI number; the API alone misses records.
  • System and subsystem counts are numbers of distinct complaints, recalls or communications that name them. One record can name several systems, so shares across systems can add to more than 100 percent; a single share never exceeds 100 percent.
  • Recalls are counted once per campaign, investigations once per action and manufacturer communications once per NHTSA id, even when NHTSA lists several model names for the same record.
  • A sales denominator is a calendar-year proxy, not the population of vehicles still in use. Rates are copied from verified pipeline output.

Other names NHTSA uses

None listed.

Matched NHTSA models

Matched labels and complaints
NHTSA model labelComplaints
SLINGSHOT36

Same model, other years

All model years | All Polaris models

Other Polaris models, 2015

Sources

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