KUAT Complaints

The affected product is a Kuat Sherpa 2.0 hitch-mounted bicycle rack (2-bike, [1.25" / 2"] receiver), purchased new in January 2023, mounted on a 2022 Subaru Forester. On two occasions in the past several months, the front ratchet/hook arm that secures the front wheel released on its own while the vehicle was in motion, allowing the bicycle to come off the tray. On July 17th 2026, at approximately 15 mph on a gravel driveway, the bike released and was retained only by the rear wheel strap. On August 26th 2026, at approximately 15 mph, the bike released again and was retained only because a supplemental lock cable was attached; the bike ended up on the ground behind the vehicle with the rack still mounted and deployed (photo attached, timestamped 8/26/26 21:56). The rack was installed and used per the manufacturer's user guide: correct hitch class, provided hitch pin, torqued to spec, genuine unmodified parts, and within the stated weight limit. There was no crash, curb strike, or overloading. No injury or property damage to other vehicles occurred, but a bicycle detaching from a rack at highway speed presents a clear risk of a crash to following traffic. Note for investigators: NHTSA recall campaign 24E044 addressed a similar carrier-drop failure on Kuat's Transfer v2, in which a pivot mechanism could disengage and let the carrier/bike drop while driving. The failure I experienced on the Sherpa 2.0 is the same class of failure. I have not seen a recall covering the Sherpa 2.0.

Kuat notified me of a recall on this bike rack. I submitted a claim immediately after being notified, and they mailed me a part that arrived 2 weeks later. The part arrived with incomplete instructions, but I figured out how to remove the old part and install the new part. The new part is loose and rattling, making it look and sound less stable than the old part they claim was unstable. I am not confident using the rack with this new, inferior part. I have tried tightening it as much as possible with the included tools, but I am a [XXX] and hand-tightening the part is extremely difficult. I have asked them for a refund since i only bought the rack 4 months ago (denied because i bought it from a licensed retailer instead of directly from them). I have now asked them to send me a new rack with the part correctly installed, and I have not heard back on this request. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2022 Toyota Highlander equipped with a Kuat Transfer V2 Bike Rack. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 MPH, the contact noticed that the bicycle was lowering from the rear windshield. The contact inspected the bike rack attached to the vehicle and noticed that the shorter tray where the second wheel had turned in a vertical direction had caused the bike's wheel to drop. Additionally, the bike rack's second tray did not have any screws to secure the tray in an horizontal position. The contact also noticed that the second tray was significantly shorter than the first tray, resulting in less space for the bike tire to rest appropriately. The contact was unable to secure the second tray after several attempts. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and provided the contact with a new second tray. No further information was provided. The vehicle mileage was 15,000.

Hi, While transporting my bike, the rack failed to secure it and dropped it backwards, basically it didn't hold the horizontal position and both, the rack and the bike dropped/fell backwards, the bike hit a wall and got damaged. Now Kuat posted a note related to a recall for the Kuat transfer v2 (my rack) and I have submitted multiple requests to Kuat using their form, called them and had no answer after a month trying to get their assistance. Per their instructions, you can help us get their assistance. What I do not want is that rack anymore, I need Kuat (or this Administration) to reimburse me for the rack and helped with the damaged to my bike. Thanks so much for your attention and help.