CPSC Announces Repair for Tens of Thousands of Recalled Peloton Treadmills

Dozens of injury reports and one death have been linked to recalled Peloton treadmills, indicating they can pull people under the device’s treads and cause severe injuries.

Following a recall issued for more than 150,000 Peloton treadmills in 2021, the manufacturer and federal safety officials have finally announced a repair program that will address a dangerous design defect, which has allowed children and pets to be pulled under the rear roller, causing severe injuries and at least one child death.

In a statement released last week, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) indicated that it has approved a Peloton Tread+ recall repair, which will provide consumers with free installation of a guard to cover the exposed rear roller.

Peloton Tread+ Treadmill 2021 Recall

The CPSC issued a rare warning to consumers to stop using Peloton Tread+ treadmills in April 2021, after Peloton refused to issue a safety recall, despite dozens of reports children and pets being pulled into and trapped under the rear roller of the machines.

Peloton maintained that their machines were equipped with features designed to ensure consumer safety and prevent entrapment underneath the treadmill, and refused to cooperate with the agency on issuing a recall. The athletic equipment company even released a statement, calling the agency’s warning “inaccurate” and “misleading,” despite having knowledge of dozens of reports of injuries to consumers and the death of a six-year-old child who became entrapment under the machine.

The agency discovered that a video had been taken of the child being pulled under the treadmill while attempting to retrieve a ball next the machine’s rear roller, which resulted in his death, prompting them to issue an administrative subpoena requiring Peloton to disclose the child’s name and the family’s contact information to inquire into the event.

A Peloton treadmill recall was finally issued in May of 2021, following at least 72 reports of injuries linked to Tread+ models. In addition to the death of the six-year-old, who was pulled into and trapped under the treadmill, at least 29 of the incidents resulted in serious injuries, including broken bones, and second or third degree abrasions.

The initial recall affected approximately 150,000 Peloton Tread+ treadmills. A second, smaller recall of an additional 6,450 Peloton treadmills followed a short time later, after reports of the touchscreen detaching and falling away from the treadmill while in use, resulting in multiple injuries.

Peloton Tread+ Repair Program

According to the repair announcement, the new rear roller guard is designed to swivel away from the treadmill in the event that the machine encounters a person or object, which will extinguish power to the unit and decelerate the belt.

Peloton expects the new Tread+ rear roller guard will be available to consumers in the fall of 2023. While the improved guard is being manufactured, consumers can register for their free repair online at   www.onepeloton.com or https://support.onepeloton.com/hc/en-us/articles/360060722012. The company is also offering consumers the option to request a full refund until November 6, 2023, or a prorated refund afterwards.

Consumers can contact Peloton with questions about the recall toll-free at 866-679-9129 from 6 a.m. to 12 a.m. ET, any day of the week.

Peloton Tread+ Class Action Lawsuit

Following the agency’s safety warning to consumers, a Peloton class action lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court or the Northern District of California on April 20, 2021, in which the plaintiff claimed Peloton breached their warranty contract, violated the California Consumer Legal Remedies Act, violated California’s business and professional code, and practiced unlawful business acts.

The lawsuit accused Peloton of intentionally misleading consumers through advertisements and false statements that their machines were safe and seeks class action status for owners who paid thousands of dollars for the treadmills, as well as large subscription fees.

To date, Peloton has received 351 reports of consumers being pulled under the treadmill, which includes approximately 90 reports of consumer injuries.