Product Failures
Specialized 2007 FSR XC Chain Stay Cracks at the Weld
August 17, 2008, while riding some rough, undulating single-track in the North Carolina Piedmont, this left chain stay cracked at the weld seam near the pivot wishbone. The terrain there is chock full of roots and rocks, but this was unexpected. The rider weighs under 200 pounds, but also recently had to replace the rear suspension linkage on the same frame due to a stress fracture after riding in the Virginia mountains. Specialized did replace the linkage free of charge, but we’ll see how they deal with this latest failure. Technically speaking, their frames are protected under lifetime warranty, but Specialized defines the frame as the front triangle only. Thus the warranty excludes the rear linkage, chain stay and seat stay. We’ll keep you updated on this one.
Update: August 27, 2008. Specialized shipped a replacement FSR chainstay for $60. No warranty coverage.
 
Okay Now Check This Out...Same Specialized Model, Different Bike, Different Year
 This 2005 FSR Model (also Specialized) broke in the exact same place two years after the above failure. This chainstay cracked at the wishbone as the weld failed in the same place. We already know from the same failure above that Specialized won't make up for this obvious defect in workmanship thru a warranty replacement chainstay (it's going to cost at least $60 and a headache). A picture's worth 1,000 words.
Incidentally, this failure occured during a leisurly fireroad spin on February 19, 2010. That's 5 years after the frame was built/welded. It might be interesting to see which frame welder Specialized was using between 2005 and 2007 where the two failures here eminated. This is pretty serious, though, since the defective workmanship seems to span a period of at least two years.
2005 Specialized Enduro Chain Stay - Same Weld Crack
 This picture was sent in by somone who got a great deal on a Specialized Enduro that had been repaired by a local professional welder. As can be seen, however, the crack appears to have taken place in the same place as the two models above - the left chain stay seam where the stay meets the wishbone.
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