Please read if you own a Honda with Power steering

[MCDoig]

To all Honda Riders that own a Quad with Power steering!!!!!!!!!!!!

I own two 2007 Honda Forman FPE the one's with power steering. A group of us where riding a couple of weekends ago and my wife and I had both quads out for the weekend. The first day about half way through the trip she stopped me and said that her Forman wasn't steering and that she almost got thrown off of it, I just thought that she was having a hard time in the mud but when i got one the quad I couldn't even turn the wheels it was like it was frozen stiff. I thought maybe that the steering arms had got something jammed in them but everything look good nothing visually wrong. several of us tried to free it up with no luck so I ended up driving it back to camp it took me 2 hours to go 5km as i couldn't turn corners or anything with it. Got back to camp took the whole front end apart couldn't find nothing wrong with it finally it just seemed to free it self up. Took it for a 2k ride that day everything seemed ok. Next day got 3-4km from camp and same thing steering froze solid doing 30kmph not a very safe feeling at all as I almost hit a tree due to the fact that when it froze i was in the middle of a turn, looked underneath again no visual problems. Again 1+hrs to get it back to camp and it went on the deck and straight to Honda.

So i took it to Honda and told them what was happening and they had never heard of this happening to any machine, and said that the steering should never freeze up and that if the power steering fails that it should just steer like a normal quad does. The dealer checked the quad over and found nothing checked all the service bulletin's and found nothing, so they phoned Honda Tech which told them that they didn't know what was wrong and unless the dealer could reproduce the problem that there is nothing they can do. The dealer asked them if they could change out the power steering system ( $800 part) which the Honda tech guy told the dealer they could not authorize the change out and that the dealer would have to phone Honda's customer relations line to get approval to do so. So after 2 weeks and Numerous phone calls Honda is reluctantly changing out the part at the dealers request and has told me they still don’t know what is wrong and that I am lucky that they are even doing this for me as the dealer can not replicate the problem and that they are not obligated to do this work for free. My response to them was that this is a serious safety issue and could cause someone to get hurt if the steering ever froze up at a time in which they need the steering and also i am concerned being that I have an identical machine to which he said that until I could prove that this was truly happening there was nothing they were going to do about it.

So anyone that has a machine with Power steering in it please be very careful during operation especially at high speeds or in sharp cornering as the steering may freeze solid and cause you to crash!!!!!
I have long been a Honda Supporter and their machine's in the past have been reliable has hell, but I can no longer support Honda after this incident

 

[fat tire]

To all Honda Riders that own a Quad with Power steering!!!!!!!!!!!!

I own two 2007 Honda Forman FPE the one's with power steering. A group of us where riding a couple of weekends ago and my wife and I had both quads out for the weekend. The first day about half way through the trip she stopped me and said that her Forman wasn't steering and that she almost got thrown off of it, I just thought that she was having a hard time in the mud but when i got one the quad I couldn't even turn the wheels it was like it was frozen stiff. I thought maybe that the steering arms had got something jammed in them but everything look good nothing visually wrong. several of us tried to free it up with no luck so I ended up driving it back to camp it took me 2 hours to go 5km as i couldn't turn corners or anything with it. Got back to camp took the whole front end apart couldn't find nothing wrong with it finally it just seemed to free it self up. Took it for a 2k ride that day everything seemed ok. Next day got 3-4km from camp and same thing steering froze solid doing 30kmph not a very safe feeling at all as I almost hit a tree due to the fact that when it froze i was in the middle of a turn, looked underneath again no visual problems. Again 1+hrs to get it back to camp and it went on the deck and straight to Honda.

So i took it to Honda and told them what was happening and they had never heard of this happening to any machine, and said that the steering should never freeze up and that if the power steering fails that it should just steer like a normal quad does. The dealer checked the quad over and found nothing checked all the service bulletin's and found nothing, so they phoned Honda Tech which told them that they didn't know what was wrong and unless the dealer could reproduce the problem that there is nothing they can do. The dealer asked them if they could change out the power steering system ( $800 part) which the Honda tech guy told the dealer they could not authorize the change out and that the dealer would have to phone Honda's customer relations line to get approval to do so. So after 2 weeks and Numerous phone calls Honda is reluctantly changing out the part at the dealers request and has told me they still don’t know what is wrong and that I am lucky that they are even doing this for me as the dealer can not replicate the problem and that they are not obligated to do this work for free. My response to them was that this is a serious safety issue and could cause someone to get hurt if the steering ever froze up at a time in which they need the steering and also i am concerned being that I have an identical machine to which he said that until I could prove that this was truly happening there was nothing they were going to do about it.

So anyone that has a machine with Power steering in it please be very careful during operation especially at high speeds or in sharp cornering as the steering may freeze solid and cause you to crash!!!!!
I have long been a Honda Supporter and their machine's in the past have been reliable has hell, but I can no longer support Honda after this incident

Good on ya !! I am also a honda owner......and* by far the worst customer service at any honda dealership........ they always get ya on the price and always get ya comming and going........had a 2004 that had recalls on the front end....took it to a dealer ( edmonton area) and had them replace the parts that were on recall........as it was* when I checked out my front end before bringing it to the dealer and didn'y really notice any unusual wear on said parts......( I scored them with a file in a specific pattern and repainted over the file marks...And took photos of the act...) well two weeks after the dealer had the quad and called to say* were just about done with it so it will be ready in a few hrs..... go pick it up and asked* them why it took so long they said ohh we had the wrong parts and because of the recall parts were scarce..... so I asked if they had the parts to show me as they had just finished my quad that same day..... they said I dunno sometimes they go in the scrape bin...... I asked* even the recalled parts ?? ...hmmm so they did find me some parts to look at..... I was surprised the file marks weren't on em...... so I asked to speak with the service manager....... and then went to inspect my quad......sure enough file marks and all...Two weeks I waited for this thing.............anyway had* a onesided* discussion with said manager....asked him if there was any mistake made here with these parts...... and asked if the mechanic that worked on the machine was there...... of course he wasn't...... because most every mechanic leaves by* 2 pm............. anyway as my level of enoughness peaked I called BS on the whole setup........ went to the truck parts in hand grabbed my camera...and the pictures told the entire story.......... they went as far as saying the* parts I scored with the file were not the recalled parts....... I rebutted with ..I asked you if there was some mistake here ...because the parts you gave me are exactly the same part in the picture.......needless to say i did recieve a few phone calls from honda and the dealership owner....... long story short I wouldn't own* the new hondas I have now without the big fat manufacture rebate they sent me to forget this* ever happened.... Nice to get a new machine for dealer costs......... and* yeah* they make money off ya even with 2gs off the sticker....... sorry for* my rant* but* don't trust the dealers.....

 

[gotboost]

i hate to tell u it just isnt honda that does this just saying:d

 

[LID]

.... long story short I wouldn't own* the new hondas I have now without the big fat manufacture rebate they sent me to forget this* ever happened.... .....

Looks like you didn't hold up your end of the bargain?

 

[overkill131313]

ya local polaris dealer does the same! I used to work there!

 

[Longhairfreak]

ya local polaris dealer does the same! I used to work there!

And which dealer was that?

 

[OverBore]

Honda generally makes a good product. Power steering does not belong a mans's quad. Women's pink quads maybe.