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CPSC Penalty

The $27.25 Million CPSC Penalty: Polaris's Failure to Report Fire Hazards

Since 2011, Polaris RZR off-highway vehicles have been catching fire. Not from crashes or rollovers, but during normal use on trails and sand dunes. Passengers have suffered catastrophic burns and too many deaths.

In April 2018, Polaris paid a $27.25 million fine to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. It is the largest fine in the agency's history. The penalty was not for the fires themselves. The penalty settled charges that Polaris knew about the danger and chose not to report it.

That was eight years ago, and the fires have not stopped. RZRs continue to catch fire, and victims continue to suffer catastrophic burns. The fundamental design flaw remains unchanged in models 900s, 1000s, and Turbos sold today.

The RZR Violations:

150 Fires Before Reporting

Between 2013 and 2016, Polaris manufactured and sold approximately 133,000 RZR 900 and RZR 1000 models. These vehicles had a dangerous design flaw that caused them to catch fire while people were driving: The extremely hot exhaust header was inches from fuel lines. If these lines were ruptured, it could easily spark a fire.

Polaris knew about it, too. They had received reports. Fire after fire. Polaris knew its RZRs were burning.

Despite this, Polaris did not immediately report the defect to the CPSC as federal law requires. The company waited. And while Polaris waited, more fires broke out, and more people were hurt.

By the time Polaris finally told federal safety regulators, the company had already received reports of 150 fires. One of these fires had killed a 15-year-old passenger. Others had caused burn injuries. One had consumed ten acres of land.

An April 2016 recall eventually addressed over 133,000 vehicles. But the recall did not fix the design flaw. Fires continued even after that. How many fires could have been prevented? How many burn injuries? Could that 15-year-old still be alive if Polaris had reported the problem immediately and actually fixed the design?

The Charge Against Polaris

Under the Consumer Product Safety Act, manufacturers must immediately report to the CPSC when they learn that a product contains a defect that “could create a substantial product hazard" or "creates an unreasonable risk of serious injury or death."

Immediately means within 24 hours.

This law exists to protect people. When manufacturers report defects promptly, the CPSC can issue recalls and warn consumers before more people get hurt.

Delayed reporting means families keep buying and using products the manufacturer knows are dangerous.

The CPSC charged that Polaris violated this duty. Not once, but repeatedly.

The Fires Did Not Stop

The CPSC penalty addressed allegations that Polaris had failed to report defects that led to recalls in 2016 and 2017. But RZR fires have continued. Over 675 total burndowns have been reported as of mid-2025. Additional recalls followed in 2022, 2023, and 2024.

None of these recalls fixed the fundamental design problem. The exhaust header is still inches from fuel sources.

In 2018, Polaris paid $27.25 million to settle charges that it failed to report fire hazards as required by law. But that penalty did not force Polaris to fix the design. The same fundamental flaw exists in RZRs today.

Why This Fine Was

Record-Breaking

Before Polaris, the largest CPSC penalty had been $15.45 million against Gree Electric Appliances in 2016. The $27.25 million fine against Polaris nearly doubled that record.