Deaths Prompt Yamaha Off-Road Recall

Roughly 120,000 Off-Highway Recreational Vehicles After Two Models Linked To 46 Fatalities

(AP)  Yamaha Motor Corp. USA recalled about 120,000 off-highway recreational vehicles for repairs Tuesday, after two models were involved in 46 deaths.

The two-passenger vehicles are designed for drivers over 16 years old with valid drivers licenses, although some reported deaths involved younger children who were passengers or who operated the vehicles against recommendations, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which announced the recall.

All Rhino 450 and 660 model vehicles were recalled for repairs designed to prevent accidents that resulted in 46 deaths and hundreds of injuries. The reported deaths occurred between the fall of 2003, when the vehicles were first distributed, through this year.

More than two-thirds of the incidents were rollovers. According to the CPSC many of these involved turns on level ground at relatively slow speeds. A number of incidents also involved riders not wearing seat belts.

The repairs are designed to reduce rollover risk, as well as to improve handling and keep riders' limbs inside the vehicles.

Rhino 450 and 660 owners should stop using these vehicles and call their local dealer to schedule an appointment for repairs. They can also receive a free helmet.

Sales of these vehicles have also been suspended for repairs.

This is the first government recall of this category of recreational vehicle.

For more details, call Yamaha at 800-962-7926.

[kkibodeaux]

You know the comment above is right. Just tired off money hungry lawyers and people needing money due to hard economic times so they attack whatever they see. Just like the idiots who burned there self on coffee and got s bunch of money, come on people do we have common sense or are we just freaking idiots. Those money hungry lawyers are eating this up and getting rich off of your stupid lawsuits and destroying a very safe and popular vehicle that has won many prestigious awards. The media listens to one side and prints the story, when mass amounts of truth is swept under the carpet.

First of all there is not a recall.There is a voluntary repair program offered by Yamaha at your local dealers which very few rhino owners have participated in.

The Rhino is very safe and out of all of these stories I can almost say that it was rider error. Hurt your leg, hand, or foot its because you put it out the vehicle. You roll it because your drunk, under the influence of other substances than you deserve what you get.

It has been proven in many cases that a very, very large majority of these accidents happen due to someone being stupid while riding. If you turn a car or truck to sharp it will roll over but, does that make it the vehicles fault. No its called being an idiot and not following warning labels.

Read and follow the labels, warnings etc. and you will not have aproblem. Drive like your an idiot because you want to impress some young kids in your group and thats when the trouble starts.

[brianashby1]

Ok this is just flat our retarded. The rhino is as safe as its driver is. I even searched up a video on this site that shows some dumb dumb flipped one... ON PAVEMENT IN A PARKING LOT TRYING TO MAKE A HARD SHARP TURN!!! Most people drive this thing with no respect of that its intended for. I have had my rhino for along time now and know what its capable of. I have never even broke a bone while riding it. The Rhino is getting a bad rep because a bunch of people drive it around without respecting it. They need to put the people on the news that do stupid things on them and give it a headline of "dumb people get what they have coming..."