Peloton Concedes to Recall Treadmills after a Child Dies

When the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) first issued its urgent warning to consumers to stop using Peloton’s Tread and Tread+ treadmills last month, Peloton refused voluntarily to recall its products. The company even went so far as to call the CPSC’s warning “inaccurate and misleading”. However, in response to the whirlwind of negative publicity surrounding 72 reported injuries and the death of one child who were pulled or pinned under Peloton’s Tread+ treadmills, the company is now complying with the CPSC by recalling approximately 125,000 units. Peloton is also recalling a small amount of its Tread treadmills in response to other user concerns.

While it is good news that Peloton has agreed to pull its dangerous products from the consumer market, the bad news is that it took longer than it should have and that consumers were unnecessarily endangered in the time it took for them to comply with the CPSC’s urgent warning. The CPSC is urging consumers who purchased either the Tread or Tread+ treadmills to immediately discontinue use and to contact Peloton for a refund or other type of qualified remedy.

Peloton’s Tread+ Recall

So far, Peloton has received at least 72 reports of user incidents or injuries involving its Tread+ treadmills. The incident reports involve adult users, children, pets, and/or objects being pulled under the rear end of the treadmills. Of these 72 reports, 29 involve severe injuries to children, such as second and third degree abrasions, lacerations, and broken bones. In the most severe reported case so far, a 6-year-old child died after being pulled under the exercise equipment. These injury reports highlight how Peloton’s Tread+ is not just dangerous when a child has unsupervised access to it, but also while an adult is actively using it.

In light of the recall, Peloton has put a halt to all sales and distribution of its Tread+ machines. Peloton sold its Tread+ treadmills directly to consumers via showrooms and online through the company’s website. They were initially called “Tread” (Model No. TR-01) prior to being renamed as Tread+ in September 2020. The company says they are committed to continuing to make critical hardware modifications in order to better guarantee consumer safety when using Peloton products.

The Peloton Tread Treadmill Recall

Peloton is also recalling slightly over 1,000 units of its Tread treadmills. Although they sound quite similar, the Tread treadmills are actually different than the Tread+ models. One of the most marked differences between the two models is that the Tread+ is longer, higher and wider than the Tread. Peloton sold Tread units during a limited, invitation-only release through Peloton’s website and consumer showrooms between November 2020 and March 2021.

This recall is the result of an issue with the treadmill’s touchscreen console, which can detach and fall, therefore creating injury risks for consumers. Although there have been no injury reports in the U.S. so far (though there have been several reports of the touchscreens detaching and falling), there have been reports of minor injuries like cuts, bruises, and abrasions in the United Kingdom and Canada. Similarly to owners of Peloton’s Tread+ units, the CPSC is urging consumers who own Tread models to immediately discontinue use and to contact Peloton for a full refund or other qualified remedy to mitigate the safety concerns.

Manufacturer Responsibility for Safe Products

There is no other way around it: manufacturers are legally obligated to make and distribute safe products. In many cases, however, manufacturers disregard their obligations and put profits over consumer safety. If a product causes an injury because of an unsafe design, the failure to provide proper instruction, or because of a manufacturing or design defect, the injured victim can file a products liability lawsuit. To learn more, contact a representative online now.

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