Yamaha has sent direct mail notifications to owners of the recalled Rhino side-by-side recreational utility vehicle (RUV). However, some people who have changed addresses or purchased a used Yamaha Rhino may still not be aware of this potentially dangerous recall.
We first reported on the Yamaha Rhino recall by publishing a March press release from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Several personal injury attorneys have since notified us that the injuries resulting from these side-by-side rollovers are quite serious, including at least two deaths. Many of the Rhino rollovers involve broken or crushed bones, some even requiring amputation of limbs. Sadly, some of these Rhino rollovers and injuries resulted in badly injured children.
Families often chose the Yamaha Rhino because side-by-side ATVs are supposed to be safer than traditional “four-wheeler” ATVs. However, due to a faulty brake caliper on the 2008 Yamaha Rhino YXR450 AND YXR700 RUVs (which sparked the recall), and alleged design flaws (too top heavy; wheels that are too small, etc.) these heavy-duty machines can rollover even at low speeds and on flat surfaces.
Some Rhino owners may have opted to fix the faulty brake caliper mentioned in the original press release. Please be aware that there are other safety features and design elements in question. Do not continue to drive the Yamaha Rhino RUV while these questions remain unanswered.
I purched a 2007 rhino over a year ago in Hobbs NM and just found out today from another Rhino owner that Yamaha installed two doors and a grab bar free to help in a roll over. The other owner said his dealer ship sent him a recall notice and he took it back to his dealer in Fort Worth and the doors and grab bars were installed free of charge. . I have never herd of this before cause I never received any thing of this problem before. My wife and I are in our late 60’s and never drive our Rhino hard on the trail and have come close to tirning it over several times. If this is true I will turn my Rhino back in which I love a lot cause all Rino owners should be treated the same.
Mountain man Don
all you need to do is take your rhino into any dealer ship and tell the you want the doors and grab bars . They will install them free of charge. I baught mine IL then went KS for work and the dealer there installed them for free mine is a 2007
April 9th, 2009
My husband and I bought a 2007 model and we love it! people out there need to no how to operate it save, its like any other off road atv, side by side and your 4X4 ITS CAllED COMMON SINCE!!!!!!!!! We live up in the mountains, and yes there has been places we couldn’t atemp and we new that! ITS CALLED TAKE A DIFFENT ROUTE! And ruff places take your time ITS NOT A RACE!! We have used ours for everything from loading wood to yard work, and hunting. OH YA! WARE YOUR SEAT BELT THATS WHAT ITS FOR!!!! And if you don’t have doors and the handle take it to a dealer they will put it on. My son bought a 2006 and we gone to visit him out west we told him about it, and we took it down and had them put on. But needless to say that dealer i was upset with! I told them they should of contacted him about the recall. Some dealers ya gotta watch out i don’t care if it does say yamaha. The sales people well some of them don’t give a rats butt just your money. Thats like buying a car or truck, $$$$$$$$ is all they see.
first time i had my rhino out in dec. 05 i watched my buddy roll his rhino while trying to spin mud on us .it was easy to see wider is better we both purchase wheel spacers off ebay i bought a solid set of 3″ alum.spacers 200.00 and he bought lug extentions 55.00 both worked fine for a while then his lug extendtions broke and destoyed a set of aftermarket wheels cheaper is not always better but neither of us have rolled again and i have lifted mine 3″ and add 14″ wheels with wide front a rear tires added a rear seat and still no roll overs just ride smart some of us have to work on monday.
My friend and i were riding my cousins Rino 700. where i live there are alot of sharp corners, but you canet around them if you know how to drift anything with for wheels, a throttle, and a foot brake (the hand brake doesnt work!). now i admit that it wasnt that smartest thing to do while in a Rino… but give us a break, we are teenagers, what else do you expect. Now dont you think that they should make these things albe to handle what teens dish out? Ex: Drifting, shitties, and other stuff like that?
I have a almost 20yr old daughter who was seriously injured in one of these vehicles – and let me tell you with or without all the safety gear you are still at risk – using boots and gloves cannot prevent your limbs from being hurt – in the case of a rollover the vehicles weight would crush a boot along with your leg inside it. My daughter can still not walk un-aid after 2 years and now has two very disfigured legs – Yamaha dealerships in South Africa as far as I am aware have not been informed of the recall program etc as I tested one dealership – and they responded to say we have had no such notifications and wanted to know where I got my information from so I refered them to the websites and the one inparticular truth about rhino’s . I feel this vehicle has not been tested properly with regards to the safety of the occupants where the driver or a passenger in the case of a rollover and suggesting that you do not stick your arms or legs out in the event of a rollover is just redicoulis – who in there right mind can even remember such an event never mind saying to your self during the rollover dont do this and dont do that – it happens so quickly and at that exact moment of the rollover you have no control over your body etc. So I think this vehicle needs more stability and more testing as to the occupants safety – and yes driving like idiots/goofs as one person puts it – puts a person/s at even higher risks – just out or interest sake I sent an email to yamaha from their website truthaboutrhino’s todate I have not had a response from them – all I asked was for them to answer a few questions and clarify/verify one or two points – No Answer – did anyone else get a response from that website?????