US powersports manufacturer Polaris Industries is to recall up to 35,000 ATVs exported to Europe, including the UK, and the Antipodes since the beginning of 2004. These machines are suspected to have asbestos content that violated bans on the substance.
The company has already announced a recall in Australia of a dozen different models. Details of recalls in New Zealand and various European countries are reportedly being finalised. Similar products sold in the US and Canada will not be affected, because it is still legal to use asbestos for items such brake pads and heat insulation in those countries.
According to Polaris spokesman James Fuller, a supplier had inadvertently provided ATV parts containing asbestos, unaware that it was forbidden in many overseas markets. He added that the components had been independently tested and didn’t represent a health risk under US and Canadian regulations.
This latest embarrassment follows an extensive number of recent Polaris ATV recalls to replace defective fuel injection systems.
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