Long post, but I have receipts for everything—please bear with me.
Last month, my wife and I purchased two Apollo scooters at the same time: an Apollo Phantom 2.0 (2025) for me, and an Apollo City Pro for her. Combined, we spent about $4,900. I’m on disability, and this was the largest purchase we’ve ever made for ourselves.
We bought them because I have physical limitations and wanted something we could enjoy together outdoors. Scooters felt like the perfect solution.
The second ride
On April 17, 2026, we rode from North Bay toward Callander using paved bike paths and roads. Conditions were ideal—sunny, dry, and mostly flat terrain. We were riding casually at 10–17 km/h (basically running speed).
While going uphill, my wife applied the brakes and the scooter tipped over. That’s it. Low speed, paved path, second ride.
Here’s the damage from that single fall on a ~$2,000 scooter:
Left brake lever bent → triggered E1 error (scooter completely non-functional)
Left turn signal housing shattered and missing
Handlebar clamp cracked and chipped
Steering limiter damaged → handlebars stiffen, then snap past the stop and rotate far beyond normal range
Steering worsened just from gently moving it at home → now won’t turn past center to the right
My wife was stranded 21 km from home and had to arrange a ride. I rode my Phantom back alone in the dark to get home to her. She was crying—she couldn’t understand how something this expensive could fail this badly at such a low speed.
And to be clear: this wasn’t reckless riding. If someone running dropped a premium scooter designed for real-world use, it should not catastrophically fail like this. That’s not a rider issue—that’s a durability issue.
I have:
App data showing it was her second ride (first ride: 2.8 km total)
GPS data confirming location and distance
Photos of all damage
Weather proof showing perfect conditions
Apollo’s response
To their credit, Apollo responded quickly and communicated well.
However:
They confirmed the steering limiter is damaged and requires a full teardown (deck removal, cable routing, controller access)
They confirmed the E1 error may involve communication cables, meaning DIY repair is uncertain
They offered one goodwill gesture: free one-way shipping to their repair hub
Here’s the estimate they gave:
Parts: ~$222
Labour (3 hours @ $100/hr): ~$300
Return shipping: $150
Packaging costs (I no longer have the original boxes due to limited apartment space): additional out-of-pocket expense
Total: ~$672+ minimum
And that’s best case. They warned costs could increase if additional internal damage is found.
I showed proof of my income ($819/month). They said they sympathize but cannot cover accident damage under warranty.
I understand that crashes aren’t covered. That’s not my issue.
My issue is that a $2,000 scooter sustained this level of structural failure on its second ride, at low speed, under ideal conditions—and that repairing it costs nearly an entire month’s income, with no clear upper limit.
What I wish I had known
I did extensive research before buying—reviews, videos, everything. I chose Apollo largely because of their Canadian support reputation.
What I didn’t come across until now:
Crash damage is entirely on you
Repair costs can be significant
Similar experiences from other users
I had also considered Segway, but chose Apollo for support reasons. I regret that decision.
Where things stand
The scooter is sitting in my apartment. My wife hasn’t ridden since. I don’t have the $672+ to repair it right now—I don’t even have the $20–30 for proper packaging.
We bought these to enjoy the summer together. Right now, I don’t know if that’s going to happen.
I’m not here to be dramatic. I’m here because people deserve to understand what they’re buying into before spending $2,000–$5,000.
The scooters themselves are great—I love my Phantom 2.0. But if something goes wrong—even early, even at low speed—you may be fully on your own financially.
If anyone from Apollo wants to respond publicly, I welcome it.
Ticket #237450818