Voluntary Recall Affects Handlebar And Steering Assembly

BRP has issued a voluntary recall of its new Spark personal watercraft. In a note to Sea-Doo watercraft owners dated July 15, the Valcourt, Quebec-based company notes it is conducting a voluntary safety recall of “some 2014 Sea-Doo watercraft models” in order to correct a defect in the steering column and handlebar assembly.

“The steering column/handlebar may have been incorrectly manufactured by our supplier and it may break under rough riding conditions,” reads the recall notice. “This could cause the operator to lose his balance and hit the personal watercraft resulting in serious injuries or even death.”

BRP is advising affected owners to return their watercraft to an authorised Sea-Doo dealer to have the parts replaced at no cost.

Introduced for the 2014 model year, the Spark has proven a popular model for BRP. With a retail price of US $4,999 – almost half that of competitor’s entry-level units – BRP’s Q1 results for the 2015 fiscal year note that strong sales of the Spark model have helped offset overall revenue declines in BRP’s seasonal products category, attributed to production delays at its Querétaro, Mexico PWC plant.

While the company will not confirm how many watercraft are affected by the recall, BRP is said to enjoy near 50% market share in the personal watercraft market, with Yamaha and Kawasaki owning approximately 40% and 10% respectively.