How to check an AODES (or any ATV or side-by-side) for safety recalls in Canada

Recalls are easy to miss on a work machine. It might have been bought used, the original owner's address might be out of date, or a notice might have gone to the dealer and not to you. Here's how to check an AODES PathCross, WorkCross or TrailCross, or any other ATV or side-by-side, for safety recalls in Canada.

Which off-road machines Transport Canada covers

Transport Canada created a "restricted-use vehicle" class that has been in force since February 4, 2021. It covers ATVs, dirt bikes and utility terrain vehicles (side-by-sides) manufactured on or after that date and designed to go faster than 32 km/h. These vehicles have to meet the applicable Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and carry a bilingual label saying they're restricted-use vehicles. Side-by-sides made before February 4, 2021 aren't subject to these requirements.

So whether a federal safety recall can apply depends partly on when the machine was built and how fast it was designed to go. Your machine's labels and owner's documents will tell you its build date.

How to check for recalls

1. Find the VIN. It's on your registration and bill of sale, and stamped on the machine itself. The owner's manual shows where to find it on your model.
2. Search Transport Canada's motor vehicle recalls database. Transport Canada's defects and recalls page links to the database and to a lookup by VIN. You can also search by make, model and year.
3. Ask the manufacturer or a dealer. Transport Canada also suggests the manufacturer's own VIN tool, or asking a dealer to run the VIN.
4. Check again from time to time. Recalls can be issued at any point in a vehicle's life, and Transport Canada recommends checking the database regularly.

If you'd rather call, Transport Canada's defects and recalls line is 1-800-333-0510, Monday to Friday, 8 am to 4 pm Eastern time. The same page has a form to report a safety defect you think the manufacturer should know about.

What the database showed for AODES on October 29, 2026

When we queried Transport Canada's public recall data by the make name "AODES" on October 29, 2026, it returned no recall records. That's a snapshot of one search on one day, not a clean bill of health for any machine. A recall could be listed under a different make name, or issued after that date. Always search your own VIN before you rely on it.

Before you buy a used machine

Transport Canada's advice for used vehicles applies to ATVs and side-by-sides too:

• Check the VIN against the recalls database, the manufacturer's VIN tool, or with a dealer, before you buy.
• Ask the seller whether any recall work has been done, and for paperwork showing it.
• After you buy, register the machine with the manufacturer under your name. That way the manufacturer can reach you if a recall is issued.
• If you move, tell the manufacturer your new address.

Getting recall work done

Transport Canada says recall repairs are almost always done free of charge, and that recalled vehicles should be repaired because the defect can affect your safety and others'. Contact an authorized dealer for the brand to book the work. Keep the work order with your service log. Our guide to AODES break-in and service points covers what else to record.

A recall isn't a warranty claim

A safety recall is a campaign by the manufacturer to fix a safety defect across a group of vehicles. A warranty claim is a repair under the manufacturer's coverage terms, which set limits by part, time and type of use. AODES Canada's warranty, for example, treats commercial use differently from personal use. Our guide to the AODES Canada warranty chart explains what it covers.

This is general information, not legal advice. Recall data changes, so check Transport Canada's database for your own VIN.