UPDATE: Peloton recalls its treadmills after child death, injuries
Late last month, we discussed an urgent warning issued by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) that Peloton’s Tread+ treadmill could pull in and entrap children and pets. The agency had received at least 39 complaints of objects, pets or children being pulled under the device’s rear roller and entrapped there. One child died because of this entrapment.
The CPSC’s warning urged owners to stop using the Tread+ immediately, unplug it and remove the safety key. If an adult wished to continue using it, however, the agency said it could be used in a locked room where children and pets cannot reach it. However, there had been at least one report of a child being pulled under the roller while an adult was actually using the treadmill, so parental supervision may be inadequate.
Peloton initially rejected the warning, calling it “inaccurate and misleading.” In a news release, it claimed that the Tread+ could be used safely if children, pets and objects were kept away during use and as long as the safety key was removed between uses.
Consumer Reports responded to the CPSC’s warning by pulling its recommendation for the Tread+. This was because user safety is among the five variables the nonprofit uses to evaluate exercise equipment. (The others are ease of use, quality of construction, ergonomics and suitability for a variety of fitness levels.) Consumer Reports called Peloton’s response to the warning “outrageous.”
Peloton retracts its initial response, offers full refund
Now, Peloton has recalled both the Tread and Tread+, pulling the devices off its website. Approximately 125,000 treadmills are included in this recall. Consumers who send their treadmills back to the company will receive a full refund.
To return your treadmill to Peloton, call toll-free at 866-679-9129 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on weekends. Or, go to www.onepeloton.com and follow the Product Recalls link at the bottom of the page.
The company also admitted it had been an error to fight the CPSC’s call for a recall.
“I want to be clear, Peloton made a mistake in our initial response to the CPSC’s request,” said Peloton’s CEO. “We should have engaged more productively with them from the outset. For that, I apologize.”
A spokesperson for the CPSC stated that the recall announcement resulted from weeks of negotiation and that the cooperative agreement achieved serves the best interest of both Peloton and consumers. Peloton’s CEO said the company will work with the CPSC to develop new industry safety standards for treadmills.
During the weeks between the CPSC’s warning and Peloton’s decision to recall the treadmills, the number of injury reports grew from 39 to 70.
Injured people may have legal recourse
When a defective or unreasonably dangerous product harms or kills someone, the manufacturer, distributer and retailer can potentially be held legally responsible for the injured person’s physical injuries, financial losses, and pain and suffering. If you or a loved one has been injured by a Peloton treadmill or any consumer device, talk to an attorney who handles product liability law.