​10 Most Common Questions About The Can-Am Defender

Question 1: What is a Can-Am Defender?

Answer 1: The Can-Am Defender is a line of off-road utility vehicles (side-by-side vehicle or SSV) manufactured by the Canadian firm Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP) in Juarez Mexico. The Can-Am Defender and its various editions (including the 4-door Defender MAX, the Defender XMR / Limited, and the Defender HD7 / HD8 / HD9 /HD10) are commonly used for farm and ranch activities, property management, groundskeeping, and around work sights, but they can also be used as a means of off-road and on-road transportation for fishing, hunting, running errands, or the pure love of off-road exploration! With a Can-Am Defender, you’ll get precise handling, unfettered performance, and cutting-edge technology with a fit and finish that's second to none!

Question 2: Is the Can-Am Defender street legal?

Answer 2: The Can-Am Defender does not come with the requisite parts / components to make it legal on public roads. You can, however, get non-OEM Can-Am Defender street legal kits from the aftermarket to make your rig compliant under the law! To learn more, check out this other blog we put together about making your Can-Am side-by-side street legal!

Question 3: Are there any common issues with the Can-Am Defender?

Answer 3: If you’re nice to your Defender and use your head while riding, you won’t encounter many of the issues experienced by riders who rip hard and heavily modify their machines. That being said, however, there are still a few wide-scale problems with the Can-Am Defender that owners frequently complain about.

Although the reverse chain on a Can-Am Defender is much stouter than that of a Polaris Ranger, it is still known to break (especially when you put giant tires on your UTV). To avoid snapping your reverse chain, take it easy when backing up, and if you need to reverse hard, build up the RPMs gradually and avoid smashing the accelerator. You should also never pull someone out while going in reverse, and if you’re running big tires without a portal gear reduction, be careful when reversing out of bad mud holes.

A/C issues are also common with the Can-Am Defender Limited, and the switches BRP uses can get gunked up and stop working. You can clean the connectors on your switches every couple of months or so to avoid this, and you apply electrical grease to your switches to help prevent corrosion. Alternatively, you can also swap out your Can-Am Defender switches and / or their respective wiring harnesses to cut the voltage down so the switches don’t arc as bad.

Like with the Polaris Ranger, turf mode on the Can-Am Defender can also be problematic at times. But similar to the reverse chain, the turf mode components usually break while users are reversing under a load (i.e trying to pull someone else out of the mud).

Question 4: How wide is a Can-Am Defender?

Answer 4: The width of the Can-Am Defender ranges from 62 inches to 65 inches depending on the model, with the HD10s being 64”, the base Defender and HD7-HD9 being 62”, and the DPS cab / Limited being 65”. Follow this link to see the other size and dimension specs for the Can-Am UTV lineup!

Question 5: Where is the battery on a Can-Am Defender?

Answer 5: The Can-Am Defender battery is under the passenger-side seat. To access it, simply flip the seat up, take out the toolbox underneath, and remove the access panel.

Question 6: Is the Can-Am Defender belt driven?

Answer 6: Yes, the Can-Am Defender has a belt-driven transmission.

Question 7: What is a Can-Am Defender XMR?

Answer 7: The Can-Am Defender XMR edition is the mud machine of the Defender lineup, which comes stock with a number of upgrades and mud-specific accessories straight from the factory. Starting in 2021, both the Limited Defenders and the XMR Defenders received “bolstered” seat cushions, with the only difference being the seat covers – the Limited seats have a leather look to them, while the XMRs have black vinyl-like seat upholstery. The Can-Am Defender XMR also comes with a snorkel setup, larger mud tires, and a Smart-Lok front differential. And the 2018 XMR is particularly sought after by riders because it was the only year that didn’t include turf mode and a reverse chain.

Question 8: How much is a Can-Am Defender?

Answer 8: Before any surcharges, taxes, or fees are added, the base model of a new 2023 Can-Am Defender costs $12,399, with the Defender DPS, the Defender XT, and the Defender DPS cab costing $13,899, $18,499, and $22,699 respectively. The 2023 Can-Am Defender limited starts at $28,799, while the Can-Am Defender XMR comes in at $23,199. Among the most expensive Defender editions are the Defender Pro Limited, the Defender 6x6 Limited, the Defender MAX limited, and the Defender MAX Lone Star Cab – with respective price tags of $31,099, $31,899, $31,899, and $34,899.

Question 9: How long is a Can-Am Defender MAX?

Answer 9: The Can-Am Defender MAX is 153.4 inches long (or 389.6cm).

Question 10: What is the top speed of a Can-Am Defender HD10?

Answer 10: The top speed of a Can-Am Defender HD10 is approximately 66 miles per hour (62 MPH for the 6x6 HD10 Defenders).