The Recall Desk
Our severity:HighCPSC·23713·Announced 2022-12-01

Kubota RTV-XG850 Utility Vehicles Recall for Steering Shaft Failure

Kubota is recalling about 19,500 RTV-XG850 utility vehicles because the steering shaft can shear near the power steering housing, causing loss of steering control. No injuries or deaths have been reported.

What this means for you

Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 3/5 (High).

Real risk of harm even if no illness or injury has been reported yet. Stop using the product and follow the agency's guidance.

Our severity reasoning: This recall involves a structural risk-of-harm defect (steering shaft shearing causing loss of control), but the source text explicitly states no injuries or deaths have been reported. Per the rubric, when a risk-of-harm product has not yet resulted in reported injury, the score is at most 3 (High).

Plain-English summary

This recall affects model year 2018 through 2022 Kubota RTV-XG850 utility vehicles, commonly known as the "Sidekick." The vehicles were sold nationwide through authorized Kubota dealers from June 2018 through October 2022 for between $14,700 and $16,900. Affected vehicles have model numbers and serial numbers ranging from 10001–50018, X0001–X0139, and Y0001–Y1312.

The steering shaft can shear at or near the electric power steering housing, which would cause the driver to lose steering control. This poses a risk of injury and collision. Kubota has received five reports of incidents worldwide involving steering shaft shearing, but no injuries or deaths have been reported to date.

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled vehicles and contact an authorized Kubota dealer to schedule a free inspection and free repair. Kubota is contacting all known purchasers directly. For more information, consumers can call Kubota Tractor Corporation toll-free at 888-458-2682 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, or visit https://www.kubotausa.com/contact/form or www.kubotausa.com/service-support/safety/safety-notices.

The recalled product

Product
Kubota RTV-XG850 Model Utility Vehicles
Category
Vehicle — Utility Vehicle
Hazard
Affected units
19,500

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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