Yamaha Rhino Recall Lawyers

USA has recalled about 7,800 2008 Rhino YXR700 and YXR450 side-by-side vehicles. The reason for the recall is that a potential loss of braking and control of the vehicles could pose a serious safety risk to its drivers and passengers. The loss of braking can occur due to a brake caliper on the left front wheel that could have been made incorrectly, allowing leakage of brake fluid.

The popular Utility Terrain Vehicles (UTVs) were distributed nationwide from October 2007 to March 2008. For a list of the recalled vehicles' make, models, and primary identification numbers, please visit the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC) recall alert. Owners of the vehicles are advised to immediately discontinue using the vehicles and to contact an authorized Yamaha Rhino dealer to have the problem fixed free of charge.

But although this is the first recall of the Rhino, the vehicle has been the subject of controversy due to safety concerns since its general market introduction in 2003. Some experts allege that the Rhino contains numerous design flaws that render the vehicle dangerously unstable and prone to tipping or rolling over even at low speeds on flat terrain.

Many experts argue that at least the older models have too narrow a wheelbase and a top-heavy design with a center of gravity that is too high. And to make matters worse, the vehicles lack a protective barrier to prevent occupants' limbs from being crushed in the event a tip or rollover occurs.

Inarguably, however, occupants of Yamaha Rhinos continue to suffer serious injuries. And not only were many of these occupants children, injuries to these children have tended to be more severe than those of the adults. Some children have been thrown from the Rhino and killed after the vehicle fell on top of them.