Peloton recalls treadmills in US over safety concerns after child dies
The fitness company Peloton is recalling its two popular treadmills in the US over safety concerns after the death of a child and dozens of other injuries. Peloton has apologized for pushing back against federal safety officials who warned the public last month of the dangers of using them.
The recall is a major reversal for a company that insisted its Tread and Tread+ treadmills were safe, despite reports by users.
“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+,” Peloton’s chief executive, John Foley, said in a statement issued on Wednesday. “We should have engaged more productively with them from the outset. For that, I apologize.”
Foley said the company would work with the CPSC to “to set new industry safety standards for treadmills”.
According to CNBC, shares in Peloton fell 14% on news of the voluntary recall. Peloton said production of its Tread+ line was halted and sales ceased while a hardware modification to ensure its safety was being worked on.
The original Tread treadmills, the company said, were sold by invitation only between November 2020 and March 2021, and repairs would be offered to owners in the coming weeks. Consumers could also return the treadmills for a full refund, Peloton said.
The CPSC issued its warning in April after receiving multiple reports of children and a pet being pulled and pinned beneath the rear rollers of the Tread+ treadmill.
The most serious incident involved the death of a child, but there were at least 40 other incidents resulting in fractures or scrapes, prompting the agency to advise the public to refrain from using the equipment. A disturbing video accompanying the warning showed a child becoming trapped underneath a treadmill while it was still running.
At the time, Peloton pushed back, calling the guidance “inaccurate and misleading”, and issuing a statement saying the company “knows that the Tread+ is safe for the home when used in accordance with warnings and safety instructions”.
“CPSC was unwilling to engage in any meaningful discussions with Peloton before issuing its inaccurate and misleading press release,” it said.
The Tread+ is only sold in the US, but the company is also recalling the Tread in the UK, after the CPSC said its touchscreen can detach and fall.
Peloton’s US press office clarified the recall in a subsequent statement to the Guardian. “Peloton is taking corrective action in the US, UK, and Canada, including repairing the Tread and offering a refund to those consumers who do not wish to wait for a repair,” it said.
“The repair will not be available for US consumers until the CPSC has approved Peloton’s proposed repair.”
Information on the company’s UK website referenced “reports of minor injuries such as abrasions, minor cuts, and bruises in Canada and the United Kingdom” involving Tread treadmills, and linked to the same recall information published on its North American site.
Wednesday’s climbdown follows weeks of backlash to its original position and negotiations between safety regulators and Peloton’s leadership leading to the recall deal.
“The agreement between CPSC and Peloton is the result of weeks of intense negotiation and effort, culminating in a cooperative agreement that I believe serves the best interests of Peloton and of consumers,” the company’s acting chairman, Robert Adler, said.
According to CPSC figures, an estimated 22,500 treadmill-related injuries were treated at emergency rooms in the US in 2019, the most recent year for which statistics are available. Children under the age of eight accounted for 2,000 of them.
Corporate communications expert Ronn Torossian, meanwhile, was critical of Peloton’s response to the crisis.
“Peloton’s lack of immediacy was their blunder. The death of one child should have been enough for the recall, but the delay appears they value profits more than their customer’s lives,” said Torossian, founder and chief executive of New York’s 5WPR and a brand and communication consultant for a number of blue chip companies.
“Building a brand name to the kind of fame Peloton has achieved is no easy feat, and at this level in the game they can’t afford to inflict one ounce of doubt into the public.
“It will be interesting to see how their recovery plan plays out. They aren’t the only company making at-home treadmills and spin bikes.”
