Peloton Recalls Its Tread+ and Tread Treadmills After They're Linked to Serious Safety Hazards
The company will no longer sell either product and is offering owners full refunds
Update: On Oct. 18, 2022, Peloton and the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced that consumers would be able to get a full refund for a recalled machine through Nov. 6, 2023, a one-year extension from the date initially set.
On Aug. 16, 2021, Peloton and the CPSC announced that a repair option is now available for the touchscreen on the recalled Peloton Tread treadmills. See details below. There is still not a repair option for the recalled Peloton Tread+.
This article was originally published on May 5, 2021.
Peloton has recalled its Peloton Tread+ and Peloton Tread treadmills, according to an announcement from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the government agency that oversees most household products, citing safety hazards. This is a reversal for the company, which refused to recall its product last month after coming under fire from the CPSC.
The Peloton Tread+ has been linked to dozens of injuries to children and one death. The recall notice states that “Peloton has received 72 reports of adult users, children, pets and/or objects being pulled under the rear of the treadmill, including 29 reports of injuries to children such as second- and third-degree abrasions, broken bones, and lacerations.”
The company also notified the CPSC that its newer Peloton Tread’s touchscreen can detach and fall, posing a risk of injury to consumers.
Consumers should immediately stop using the treadmills and contact Peloton for a full refund.
The Peloton Tread+ (previously called the Peloton Tread) has been on the market since 2018. A smaller treadmill, also called the Peloton Tread, was slated to go on sale May 27, with 1,000 units already sold in the U.S. as part of a friends-and-family presale.
The recall comes after the CPSC took the unusual step in April of warning consumers with small children or pets at home to immediately stop using the Peloton Tread+. The company initially refused to recall its popular $4,300 exercise machine, according to a CPSC spokesperson, stating that the product was safe as long as users followed operating instructions.
The warning was based on reports of 39 incidents in which a person, a pet, or an object (such as an exercise ball) was sucked under the machine, leading to injuries in both children and adults, many of them serious. “These are more severe injuries than you would imagine with a treadmill,” the CPSC spokesperson told Consumer Reports at the time, adding that the agency had not seen these types of injuries with other treadmills.
Recall Details
Product recalled: Peloton Tread+.
Sold at: The Peloton Tread+ was available at onepeloton.com and at Peloton showrooms from September 2018 through April 2021 for about $4,300.
Units sold: About 125,000 Peloton Tread+ treadmills.
The problem: The Peloton Tread+ has been tied to the death of a 6-year-old child who was pulled under the rear of the treadmill. In addition, Peloton has received 72 reports of adult users, children, pets, and/or objects being pulled under the rear of the Peloton Tread+. These included 29 reports of injuries to children, such as second- and third-degree abrasions, broken bones, and lacerations.
The fix: Consumers who own the Peloton Tread+ should immediately stop using it and contact Peloton for a full refund until Nov. 6, 2023. Those who return the Tread+ treadmill after that date will receive a partial refund. For those who don’t want a refund, Peloton is offering to move the treadmill free of charge to a room where children or pets can’t access it. The company is also making software improvements that will automatically lock the Tread+ after each use and prevent unauthorized access. A four-digit passcode will be required to unlock it.
Product recalled: Peloton Tread.
Sold at: The Peloton Tread was available via limited invitation-only release at onepeloton.com and at Peloton showrooms from November 2020 through March 2021 for about $2,500.
Units sold: About 1,050 Peloton Tread treadmills (in addition to about 5,400 in Canada).
The problem: The Peloton Tread’s touchscreen can detach and fall, posing a risk of injury to consumers. To date, the company is aware of 18 reports of the touchscreen loosening and six reports of the touchscreen detaching and falling. While no injuries have been reported in the U.S., there have been reports of minor injuries, such as abrasions, minor cuts, and bruises, in Canada and the U.K.
The fix: Consumers who own the Peloton Tread should immediately stop using it and contact Peloton for a full refund. For those who don’t want a refund, Peloton is offering the option of waiting for a free inspection and repair that will secure the touchscreen to the treadmill.
How to contact the manufacturer: Contact Peloton at 866-679-9129 or go to its website.
To report a dangerous product or product-related injury, go to SaferProducts.gov.
Editor’s Note: On May 7, 2021, after CR’s inquiry to Peloton about the absence of the recall notice on the homepage, the company updated it with a “Product Recalls” link at the bottom of the page. The notice is still not as prominent as CR advocates would like given the severity of the associated safety hazards.