AI Damage2010 CAN-AM Spyder RS: common problems
Owners of the 2010 CAN-AM Spyder RS filed 8 complaints with NHTSA, most often about steering and vehicle speed control. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 8
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Steering 38% of all complaints
- 2 Vehicle speed control 38% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 25% of all complaints
- 4 Exterior lighting 25% of all complaints
- 5 Electronic stability control 13% of all complaints
- 6 Engine 13% of all complaints
- 7 Engine and cooling 13% of all complaints
- 8 Fuel/propulsion system 13% of all complaints
- Steering: 3 complaints (38% of all).
- Vehicle speed control: 3 complaints (38% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 2 complaints (25% of all).
- Exterior lighting: 2 complaints (25% of all).
- Electronic stability control: 1 complaints (13% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 8 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steering | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 1 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
My power steering wasn't working at the time and I called brp on july 3 to ask them if it was still under warranty because it was replaced in april of 2011. They told me it was. So I had the accident two weeks later now brp wont pay for my power steering unit.
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 can-am spyder rs motorcycle. The contact stated while attempting to accelerate from a traffic stop, the vehicle accelerated at a high rate of speed. The contact was unable to control the vehicle and fell over and slid a few inches with the motorcycle.
It now only has 5,000 miles on it. I got the dps error and took it to the can-am dealer they said it is going to cost me 2500 to get it fix (and that this error isn't one that could be put off). I asked if it is covered by warranty or a recall system they said no that my vin # didn't fall in that category.
I went ahead and removed the gas cap, at which point gasoline and/or gas vapors spewed out of the gas tank, knocking the gas cap from my hand and hitting me in the face, neck and shoulders, and sprayed over the gas pump at which I parked and rained down on my brother's motorcycle where he had parked to purchase fuel.
Left dealer got on freeway and went about 3miles cluster lit up and bike went into limp mode. Returned bike. More parts to order. Spark plug wire grounded to head. Another week picked up bike after repair. Service mgr. Said they had done a cluster update (file 215800215) temp. Bar graph - engine temp.
While traveling on highway at appx. 70 mph, my cruise control dropped out reducing vehicle speed to such a degree to be a danger to me and any following vehicles. I pulled off the highway in attempt to determine problem; I was unsuccessful. It happened several more times so I quit using cruise control.
The vss fault light came on and the engine began running rough as if it was not hitting on all spark plugs when I went into a turn. I pulled over and shut off the engine, waited a few minutes, and restarted the vehicle. This allowed the computer to reboot. This has occurred three times since.
The contact stated that the headlights exhibited three different colors and would continuously flash while on low beam. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the lights were changed but did not correct the failure.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 11,896 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 32% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Spyder RS has 9 complaints (8 years in the data). This year has 8, about average.
What to check before buying
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2010 CAN-AM Spyder RS?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: steering, vehicle speed control, electrical system. Total complaints: 8. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: steering or power steering problems (25%), warning lights, check engine (25%), headlights and tail lights (13%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2010 CAN-AM Spyder RS?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2010 CAN-AM Spyder RS from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2010 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.