Update on my 2010 F5 A-Arm Failure: I am pleased to report that my Cat Dealer Contacted me on Friday 01/28 and informed me that my new A-Arm and Recall Kits were in. I picked up my sled Saturday morning and put about 35 miles on it. Everything seems to be great. I am very pleased with Arctic Cats’ timely response regarding this matter. Hats off to my Arctic Cat Dealer who went out of his way to see that my sled got fixed as soon as possible so I could get out and ride. My dealer is sending off the failed A-Arm with the accompanying piece that broke off to Cat. It should make for a great specimen to perform metallurgy testing to determine cause of failure.

first of all randy arctic cat doesnt make the a arms they arm farmed out, so tone the drama down a few notches. this sort of thing happens all the time when manufacturers are trying to build the lightest most profitable machines while still being competitive. there have been less than a hundred out of 16000 sleds affected so they definitely jumped on it quick, i personally have seen it on tv and got a certified in the mail stating the recall info.the last thing any of us need are kneejerk reactions by a bunch of jonnycomelately yuppys wrecking this sport for everyone else, no offence intended. toyotas are still more dangerous LOL

I recently purchased a Arctic Cat 2010 F5 LXR Snowmobile on January 18th, 2011. On Saturday 1/22/11 I went out for my first ride to break in my new sled. Our group spent the whole day riding trails and put approximately 100 miles on my new sled. Mind you, I was not aware of any recall at this point. In any case at the end of the evening when loading my sled on my trailer I noticed a small black piece of metal (clam shell shaped) on the bed of the trailer. When I got home and thawed the sled out in the garage, I discovered the piece that broke off was from the lower control arm and that the control arm was disconnected from where it is supposed to be fastened. Worried and angry, while thanking God that I was still alive, I contacted my dealer where I purchased my sled, and he informed me that there had just been a re-call bulleting from the Consumer Safety Board regarding the steering and lower control arm. My dealer looked up the parts list for my sled and the area where the failure was and we discoverd that this is the exact area of the recall bulletin. I really cannot believe this. Whats more perplexing to me is why in the world artic cat would make this material so thin in this area. That piece that broke off appears to be very thin to begin with. I happen to be a material specialist and realized that this is a fatigue failure and appears to be bad metallurgy. The piece that broke off was not in the welded area but in virgin material albeit, certainly in the heat affected zone. In any case I am very upset, out of commission for God knows how long. So far the dealerships in my area have not recieved the recall parts to start fixing the problem. I have also noticed that Arctic Cat website has not posted the recall either. This is my first snowmobile I have bought in years and I paid in excess of 7,000.00 for my new F5. I am sorely dissapointed and angered. I cant believe in the name of making snowmobiles lighter that Artic Cat would skimp on material thickness etc, especially when it comes to steering and suspension. When I tell you that I am thankful to be alive, is an understatement. I have a wife and 5 year old that I might have not come home to last Saturday. To God be the glory.