Peloton is recalling nearly 2.2 million of its exercise bikes due to safety concerns.
The problem involves a defective seat and affects Peloton exercise bikes sold from January 2018 through May 2023 in the United States, the company said in a publication Posted Thursday.
A message on the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s website said the bike’s seatpost assembly “may break during use, posing a risk of fall and injury to the user,” and warned owners to stop using the bike “immediately.”
The commission added that it had received 35 reports of the seatpost breaking and detaching from the bike during use, with 13 of the reports involving injuries including a broken wrist, lacerations and bruises caused by falling off the bike.
A recalled bike can be identified by its PL-01 model number on the label located on the inner front fork (near the flywheel), the red “P” logo followed by the white Peloton brand name on the bike’s frame, and by its non-rotating screen , the company said.
Instead of returning the bike to the seller or to Peloton itself, the company said those affected will be sent a free replacement seatpost that can be installed at home without the need for a service call. Customers can begin the process of getting a new pole by visiting this webpage.
Peloton has created a video and a set PDF instructions shows how to install the new seatpost.
To be clear, the recall only applies to the original Peloton bike sold in the United States. This case does not affect international and North America Bike+ or international Peloton original bikes.
Peloton enjoyed a boom during the height of the pandemic, when restrictions forced gyms to close, prompting people to train at home instead.
But the company also faced controversy when it emerged in 2021 that it had failed to timely report a defect in one of its treadmills that led to the death of a child and more than a dozen injuries. Earlier this year, Peloton agreed to pay a fine of 19 million dollars to settle a charge brought by the Consumer Product Safety Commission in connection with the incident.
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