Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
1 owner complaints analyzed
4 distinct recall campaigns
Not available median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2016 model year. Data updated: . 0 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.
Owner-reported patterns
Most common problems
Unknown Or Other is the most frequently named component, appearing in 1 of 1 complaints (100.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.
Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic
Matching reports
Share of complaints
Engine operation
1
100.0%
Electrical and battery issues
1
100.0%
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
Unknown Or Other
1
Component breakdown data
Category
Count
Unknown Or Other
1
Unknown Or Other: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
Under 25,000
0
25,000 to 49,999
0
50,000 to 74,999
0
75,000 to 99,999
0
100,000 to 149,999
0
150,000 and above
0
Reported problems by failure mileage data
Category
Count
Under 25,000
0
25,000 to 49,999
0
50,000 to 74,999
0
75,000 to 99,999
0
100,000 to 149,999
0
150,000 and above
0
Under 25,000: 0; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
No usable failure mileage is recorded. 1 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
2021
1
Complaints over time data
Category
Count
2021
1
2021: 1
Pattern summary
Unknown Or Other leads the component reports. Engine operation appears in 1 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 1 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
When driving my GEM on the street it just stalls, quits unexpectedly. The dealer replaced the wiring harness a short time ago and ran without problems for about six weeks before starting to stall again. It is a dangerous, unsafe vehicle that could get you killed if it stalls when a car or truck is behind you. These GEM models should be recalled and the consumer's money refunded. The dealer will not respond to my messages and so I am left with an unsafe, undriveable vehicle. You are my only avenue to redress of this unfair situation.
4 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
16V884000 · Electrical System
Reported: 2016-12-08 (December 8, 2016)
Polaris Industries, Inc. (Polaris) is recalling certain 2016-2017 GEM E2, E4, E6, and ELXD electric vehicles manufactured May 29, 2015, to November 18, 2016. The drive mode switch can send an incorrect signal, causing the vehicle to go in the opposite direction than intended.
Consequence: If the operator intends to go forward, but the vehicle reverses instead, there would be an increased risk of a crash.
Remedy: Polaris will notify owners, and dealers will replace the drive switch, free of charge. The recall began on December 28, 2016. Owners may contact GEM Consumer Service Department at 1-855-743-3436. Polaris' number for this recall is L-16-01.
Polaris Industries, Inc. (Polaris) is recalling certain 2016-2017 GEM E2, E4, E6, and ELXD electric vehicles, equipped with steel wheels. The lug nuts on the front wheels may loosen, potentially resulting in a front wheel detaching from the vehicle.
Consequence: If a wheel separates from the vehicle, it can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GEM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the lug nuts, and inspect the wheels. The recall began June 8, 2017. Owners may contact GEM Consumer Service Department at 1-855-743-3436. Polaris' number for this recall is L-17-01.
Polaris Industries, Inc. (Polaris) is recalling certain 2016-2017 GEM E2, E4, E6, and ELXD vehicles. The drive mode switch can send an incorrect signal, causing the vehicle to become inoperative or go in the opposite direction than intended.
Consequence: If the operator intends to go forward, but the vehicle reverses instead, there would be an increased risk of a crash.
Remedy: Polaris will notify owners, and dealers will replace the drive mode system with one that has separate inputs for each position (forward, neutral and reverse), free of charge. The recall began November 28, 2018. Owners may contact Polaris customer service at 1-855-863-2284. Note: This recall supersedes recall 16V-884. Vehicles previously repaired under that campaign need the repairs covered by this campaign as well.
Polaris Industries, Inc. (Polaris) is recalling certain 2011-2016 GEM E2, E2L, ELXD, and EL electric vehicles. The lower main frame tube may crack which can result in failure of the secondary upper cab frame.
Consequence: If the upper cab frame fails, it can increase the risk of injury or crash.
Remedy: Polaris will notify owners, and dealers will install an additional frame brace to the lower frame tubes, free of charge. The recall began December 18, 2018. Owners may contact Polaris customer service at 1-855-743-3436. Polaris' number for this recall is L-18-03.
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
1 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-10-01.
0.0%Usable mileage0 / 1 records
100.0%Valid incident date1 / 1 records
100.0%Valid filing date1 / 1 records
100.0%Ordered incident and filing dates1 / 1 records
Missing, zero and invalid mileage is excluded. Dates after the snapshot are excluded. Examples are limited selections, not a representative sample.
Problems by model year
Model-wide comparison of the eight most reported components across the model. Cells show counts and shares within each model year. Open a cell for source examples.
Component complaint heatmap
Component
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2022
2023
2024
2025
Electrical System
0Unavailable
No examples available for this selection.
0Unavailable
No examples available for this selection.
0Unavailable
No examples available for this selection.
0Unavailable
No examples available for this selection.
0Unavailable
No examples available for this selection.
00.0%
No examples available for this selection.
3100.0%ODI 10959793 · 100 mi
THE GEM E2 HAS 2 ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS. 48 VOLTS FOR THE DRIVE SYSTEM, AND 12 VOLTS FOR HEADLIGHTS ETC. WHEN DRIVING ON A CITY STREET DOWN A HILL OF APPROXIMATELY 1 DEGREE OR MORE AND YOU APPLY THE BRAKES, ALL HEADLIGHTS, TAILLIGHTS, AND THE SPEEDOMETER AND DOME LIGHTS WILL ALL SHUT DOWN. AFTER RELEASING THE BRAKES, THE 12 VOLTS SYSTEM WILL RESET ITSELF. THIS HAS NOT HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING ON A FLAT SURFACE OR UPHILL. THE GEM E2 HAS REGENERATIVE BRAKING. IF I USE THE EMERGENCY/PARKING BRAKE TO STOP THE VEHICLE, WHILE DRIVING DOWNHILL, THIS DOE…
When driving my GEM on the street it just stalls, quits unexpectedly. The dealer replaced the wiring harness a short time ago and ran without problems for about six weeks before starting to stall again. It is a dangerous, unsafe vehicle that could get you killed if it stalls when a car or truck is behind you. These GEM models should be recalled and the consumer's money refunded. The dealer will not respond to my messages and so I am left with an unsafe, undriveable vehicle. You are my only avenue to redress of this unfair situation.
Darker cells indicate a larger share of submitted complaints. Components overlap. This measures complaint composition, not failure probability.
Failure mileage by component
Median and middle 50% of usable owner-reported mileages. Ranges require at least five records.
Component failure mileage distribution
Component
Mileage range (25th–75th percentile)
Median
Usable records
Examples
No usable records for this analysis.
Complaint and recall timeline
Explore monthly filing activity alongside recall announcements. Up to ten years of monthly history is available.
Solid line: filed complaints. Dashed amber lines: recall announcement dates for this vehicle selection; markers include all recall components. The latest month is partial. Temporal proximity does not establish causation.
Monthly counts, recall campaigns and complaint examples
Monthly complaint and recall timeline
Month
Complaints
Campaigns announced
Examples
2024-11
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2024-12
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-01
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-02
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-03
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-04
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-05
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-06
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-07
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-08
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-09
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-10
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-11
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-12
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-01
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-02
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-03
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-04
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-05
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-06
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-07
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-08
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-09
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-10 (partial)
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
Emerging complaint spikes
Complete months in the latest six months with at least 10 complaints, at least twice the preceding 12-month average, and at least three square-root deviations above that average.
This is a descriptive screening rule, not a statistical defect finding. Publicity and reporting changes can increase submissions.
No complete months meet the spike thresholds for this selection.
Equal-age model-year comparison
Model-wide cumulative reports during the first three or five calendar years, starting with the model year (age 0). Only fully elapsed windows are compared.
2022: 0 complaints · 2023: 0 complaints
Equal observation windows
Model year
Through age 0
Through age 1
Through age 2
2022
0
0
0
2023
0
0
0
Date coverage across each selected cohort
Date basis for all complaints in selected model years
Year
Incident dates used
Filing date fallbacks
Excluded dates
2022
0
0
0
2023
0
0
0
Incident date is preferred when valid and no later than filing; otherwise filing date is used. Model year approximates age. Equal observation time does not adjust for sales, distance driven or reporting delays. One complaint linked to multiple model years can appear in each cohort.
Components reported together
Each cell counts unique complaints naming both components. Open a nonzero cell for examples.
Component co-occurrence matrix
Component
Unknown Or Other
Unknown Or Other
—
Co-reporting does not establish that one component caused another concern.
Recurring narrative patterns
Specific keyword mentions beyond broad component labels. Matching includes negations and comparisons and does not confirm a diagnosis.
1 patterns with matching reports.
Stalling or loss of power
1 mentions · 100.0% of complaints
Median mileage: Unavailable (0 usable records).
ODI 11441822
When driving my GEM on the street it just stalls, quits unexpectedly. The dealer replaced the wiring harness a short time ago and ran without problems for about six weeks before starting to stall again. It is a dangerous, unsafe vehicle that could get you killed if it stalls when a car or truck is behind you. These GEM models should be recalled and the consumer's money refunded. The dealer will not respond to my messages and so I am left with an unsafe, undriveable vehicle. You are my only avenue to redress of this unfair situation.