Home Forums Gear Horses and ATV's Artic Cat atv dependability ?

Anyone running an Artic Cat atv ? How is it holding up ?

2002 500 still running GREAT

AC is kind of like Cam-Am. I hear that they aren't as good as others and have lots of problems but when I ask for specifics, there never are any. It's all hearsay.

Last year a friend went to look at an AC on Craigslist. It was being sold by a widow who's husband had just died. He'd bought it the year before and hadn't hardly used it yet. My friend bought it and was going to go back with his trailer. When he got there, the lady said the rest of the stuff for it was in the barn. What 'rest of the stuff'? It turned out to be a brand new set of snow tracks, still in the packaging. She wouldn't accept any more money for it. That was a $5000 bonus.
Then my friend took his wife out in it. Too noisy, too dusty. She'll never ride in it again.

I have a 2003 250 4x4 so far 1 starter rebuilt carb only drawback does not like real cold weather tough to keep running without choke

We like ours.

2004 500 auto
2005 500 manual
2005 400 auto


I’ve replaced 2 starter solenoids, one for the 500m and the 400, and a voltage regulator on the 500m. Batteries, bushings, cv’s, etc as normal.

The 400 and 500 autos have been ridden, the 500m has been beat on and it just keeps on working. The 500m has around 3,000 miles, the 400 has just over 4,000 miles and the 500 auto has almost 4,000 miles on it.

What year and model are you looking at?

The 2002 500 auto is a tank. The 2003 400auto FIS had magneto and stator wire problems but those have been fixed by now. Had 9,000 miles on mine when I sold it. The 2009 utility 150 worked when used as it was designed. Of course kids don't do that so it needed a new transmission.

None of the brands are all good or all bad anymore. They are modeland year dependent. Sometimes they are even VIN range dependent due to a substitute line worker that week.

I have a 2006 650 v twin that I just picked up about 6 months ago. It only has 800 miles on it and it runs great. I got a great deal on it and so far it has been great! Forgot to mention that the 650 twin has a Kawasaki engine and trans.

I have a 2014 550 limited and love it. No major issues with as well!

I bought my 2011 700 EFI H1 after talking to bearcat about the AC 4 wheelers and doing some other research. It appears these engines are great and some guys have put 12,000+ miles on them. So I took the plunge. I'm very happy with it and think it was a very well spent $2,300.00. Came with a Warn winch that works and still looks like new. The 4 wheeler itself still looks great and everything functions on it. I did replace the headlight bulbs with some brighter LED's, but that's the only thing it needed. Took it for a 50 mile ride yesterday and couldn't be more happy:

I have a 2012 ac 450efi with 5500 miles on it that ive been pretty damn abusive to both recreating and plowing and its still problem free. Good machine. That being said im thinking of replacing it this year and im leaning towards yamaha just based off of looking at current offerings from both online.

Have a 2003 500 very reliable BUT the brakes are junk

I would say AC is like #4...maybe #5 in sales

Honda.....Yamaha...Kawaski top three on my turf

For a reason

I'm glad they are cheap. I think I'll get my $2,300.00 out of it..