2013 Can-Am Spyder ST problems & reliability
21 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2013 Can-Am Spyder ST, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
4 complaints report injuries (4 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel/propulsion System | 7 | 33% |
| Engine | 6 | 29% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 14% |
| Service Brakes | 3 | 14% |
| Electrical System | 2 | 10% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 2 | 10% |
| Structure | 2 | 10% |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 5% |
| Seats | 1 | 5% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 14 reported components →Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“2013 can am spyder st-s. Consumer writes in regards to motorcycle brake light remains on after engine is off, cruise control will not set and motorcycle goes into "limp mode"(vss fault). *smd the consumer stated the motorcycle would go into limp mode while riding. *jb”
Service Brakes, Hydraulic · filed Apr 12, 2016
“After riding the spyder st, I started to notice excessive heat coming from the left side panel and heat on my right ankle. The panel is very hot to the touch and it was necessary for me to pull over and allow my spyder to cool off before I could ride it home. When I got home, I found that I had a burn on my left leg…”
Structure · filed Aug 13, 2015
“This complaint is like many others that have, or are, complaining about the heat issue of the engine and being ignored. The problem is so severe that it actually burns the inside of the thigh during operation. This does not happen with other three wheeled vehicles with trike conversions such as suzuki, honda, etc. The…”
Engine · filed Mar 9, 2015
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
47 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2013 Can-Am Spyder ST. The 10 most recent:
Electric Throttle Actuator Replacement The Electric Throttle Actuator (ETA) is now available for spare part. In case of any ETA defect, it is not necessary anymore to replace the complete throttle body assembly.
Service Bulletin 2016-7 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 15, 2025
Not shifting when engine gets warm.
A2013-SE5 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 3, 2016
Air scoop retrofit kits.
REV87480 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 5, 2016
Technical Service Tip (TST): A very limited quantity of vehicles may have been produced with incorrectly routed electrical wires and brake lines. Dealerships has received the specific instructions concerning the…
40182 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 16, 2015
Technical Service Tip (TST) (revision): Customer may complain of excessive heat felt on the lateral panels in certain riding conditions. Steps to install panels. Make sure the unit has the 2013-9 Warranty Campaign ECM…
87480REV · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 10, 2015
Technical service tip (tst): customer may complain of excessive heat felt on the lateral panels in certain riding conditions. Solution is to install the air scoop panel kit. Make sure the unit has the 2013-9 warranty…
87480 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 25, 2015
Technical Service Tip (TST) related to clutch engagement which could chatter or shutter.
Article 68498 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 12, 2014
Technical service tip (tst):instruction to be followed if a customer complains of excessive heat felt on the lateral panels in certain riding conditions. The solution is to make sure the unit has the 2013-9 warranty…
ARTICLE 87480 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 12, 2014
Brp mc: in certain riding condition, excessive heat is felt on lateral panels. Model 2013 rs/st. *pe
TST-000087 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 12, 2014
Brp mc: when brake pedal is resting on hump stop, the brake light remains on, causing drainage to the battery. Model 2013 roadster. *pe
BRP-51492 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 18, 2014
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2013 Can-Am Spyder ST has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2013 Can-Am Spyder ST?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.