Off-road vehicles recalled over alternator cable that can short and ignite
About 5,130 Polaris Ranger XP 1000 NorthStar off-road vehicles are being recalled because an improperly routed alternator cable can short against the battery; six incidents include one fire.
What this means for you
Illness, injury, or structural failure has been reported. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.
Our severity reasoning: Scored 4 because six incidents have been reported including one fire, which the rubric treats as significant incident reports.
Plain-English summary
Certain VINs of Polaris model year 2025-2026 Ranger XP 1000 NorthStar and Ranger Crew XP 1000 NorthStar recreational off-road vehicles are being recalled. They were sold in black, blue, bronze, brown, camouflage, gray, orange, red and white, in three and six-seat configurations, with "POLARIS" stamped on the front grille and the VIN printed on the left rear frame.
An improperly routed alternator cable can become damaged and contact the negative battery post, resulting in an electrical short and posing a fire hazard and risk of serious injury. The firm has received five reports of sparking, smoking or melting and one report of fire. No injuries or property damage have been reported.
About 5,130 units were sold, with about 460 more in Canada, at Polaris dealers nationwide from March 2025 through August 2025 for between $28,000 and $38,000.
Consumers should immediately stop using the vehicles and check the Polaris recall page to see whether their VIN is in scope. Polaris is providing instructions for continued operation until repair, or owners can contact an authorized dealer for a free repair.
The recalled product
- Product
- Model Year 2025-2026 Ranger XP 1000 NorthStar and Ranger Crew XP 1000 NorthStar Recreational Off-Road Vehicles (ROVs)
- Manufacturer
- Polaris Industries Inc., of Medina, Minnesota
- Hazard
- fire
- electrical-short
- wiring-routing
- incident-reported
- Affected units
- 5,130
Distribution
Distributed nationwide across the United States.
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