Peloton to offer rear safety guard for recalled Tread+ treadmill
A detailed View of the new Tread+ Safety Guard. (Credit: Peloton/CPSC)
NEW YORK - Peloton on Thursday announced the approval of a new rear safety guard for its recalled Tread+ treadmill that will be offered free of charge.
The approved rear guard, which was announced jointly with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, comes after 125,000 Tread+ treadmills were recalled in 2021 after being linked to a child’s death and other injuries.
U.S. safety officials warned how adult users, children, pets, and objects could be "pulled underneath the rear roller, posing a risk of injury or death," and customers were told to stop using the product.
Since the May 2021 recall, there have been 279 additional reported incidents and 61 additional reports of injuries, Peloton said in a joint statement with the CPSC.
The new safety guard features a breakaway design that pivots away from the treadmill when it comes into contact with a person or object, shutting off power to the unit and decelerating the belt, Peloton and the CPSC said.
The guard is still being manufactured and is expected to be available in the fall, but customers can register in advance for the free repair online at www.onepeloton.com and click on "Product Recalls" at the bottom of the page or by clicking here.
Once available, Peloton said the safety guard will be professionally installed, free of charge.
The company added how customers who still wish to return their Tread+ for a full refund can do so until Nov. 6, 2023.
"After that date, we will permit returns for a partial, pro-rated refund based on the date the unit was purchased," Peloton states on its website.
Peloton experienced incredible sales growth during the height of the coronavirus pandemic. The New York-based company’s share price multiplied by more than five times in 2020 amid lockdowns that made its bikes and treadmills popular among customers who pay a monthly fee to participate in its interactive workouts.
But sales began to slow in 2021 as the distribution of vaccines drew many people out of their homes and back into gyms.
Since then, Peloton has been in the process of a corporate reorganization. In October the company announced it was cutting about 500 jobs. That announcement came after the company said in August that it would cut 784 jobs, close its North America distribution network and shift delivery work to third-party providers.
Earlier this month, the company also said it was recalling more than 2 million of its exercise bikes in the U.S. because the bike’s seat post assembly can break during use, posing fall and injury hazards.
The bikes were sold in the U.S. from January 2018 through May 2023 for about $1,400.
Peloton has received 35 reports of the seat post breaking and detaching from the bike during use, including 13 reports of injuries including a fractured wrist, lacerations and bruises due to falling from the bike.
Consumers in the U.S. were similarly advised to immediately stop using the recalled exercise bikes and to contact Peloton for a free repair. Peloton is offering a free seat post that can be self-installed.
This story was reported from Cincinnati. The Associated Press contributed.