Polaris Agrees To Pay $27M Over Late Defect Report Allegation

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – The vehicle maker Polaris has agreed to pay a $27.25 million civil penalty to settle charges that it failed to promptly report defects in ATV models.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced the agreement Monday, saying that the charges involved Polaris' RZR and Ranger vehicles.

The CPSC alleges that Polaris had received dozens of reports of vehicles starting fires before the company contacted officials, as it is required to do immediately by federal law.

One of the reported fires that resulted from a defective RZR left a 15-year-old girl dead. Another from a similar model left 10 acres of land burned.

Also on Monday, Polaris issued a recall of certain RZR vehicles. More information on the recall can be found here.