Peloton today announced that it will be cooperating with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), agreeing to two voluntary treadmill recalls for the Tread+ and Tread versions of its home treadmill system.
Those who have purchased the systems can contact the connected fitness company for a refund. CEO John Foley offered a contrite statement to go along with the news, after initially pushing back on the CPSC’s decision to go public with its findings.
“The decision to recall both products was the right thing to do for Peloton’s Members and their families,” Foley says. “I want to be clear, Peloton made a mistake in our initial response to the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s request that we recall the Tread+. We should have engaged more productively with them from the outset. For that, I apologize. Today’s announcement reflects our recognition that, by working closely with the CPSC, we can increase safety awareness for our Members.”
The voluntary recalls are a response to on-going safety concerns around the fitness equipment. The CPSC cites more 70 incidents in total, including the death of a young child. Previous reports put the number at 39, including 23 incidents involving children, 15 with objects and one with a pet.
The recall includes some 125,000 Tread+ (the older system, renamed with the arrival of a new budget device) and 1,050 Tread models in the U.S., along with an additional 5,400 in Canada. The warning issued alongside the Tread+ recalls states, “Adult users, children, pets and objects can be pulled underneath the rear of the treadmill, posing a risk of injury or death,” while the Tread’s notes, “The touchscreen on the treadmill can detach and fall, posing a risk of injury to consumers.”
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