May 5, 2021
On April 17, 2021, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission warned users to immediately stop using the $4,295 Peloton Tread+ treadmill, model TR01, formerly named the Peloton Tread, following reports that 39 children and a pet had been dragged under the machine by its rotating tread. Despite a child being killed, Peloton claimed that the CPSC’s urgent warning was “inaccurate and misleading,” and that it was “troubled” by the public safety warning.
The CPSC has now announced “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”. It warns of the following hazard: “Adult users, children, pets, and objects can be pulled underneath the rear of the treadmill, posing a risk of injury or death.” CPSC has released a video showing how a small child playing near a powered-on treadmill can become pinned underneath it when it unexpectedly lifts off the ground.
Peloton is reportedly a $34 billion company and the Peloton Tread+ has nearly 1.7 million subscribers paying for online exercise classes. Peloton has now respected the CPSC’s warning and launched a “voluntary” recall for which it will offer a refund or the option of instituting safety measures to protect a household from the treadmill’s current dangers. Peloton is also upgrading its software to require a passcode and prevent unauthorized activation. The treadmill itself has been pulled from Peloton’s website.
Rep. Jan Schakowsky, Chairwoman of the Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee, issued the following statement:
“I applaud the aggressive work by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to address serious safety issues with Peloton treadmills despite resistance from the company. Today’s recall of this clearly unsafe product likely would not have happened had the CPSC not issued the rare unilateral warning last month to consumers to stop using the Peloton Tread+ treadmill.”
Peloton CEO John Foley, who previously stated his company had “no intention” of recalling the machine, acknowledged that this was a “mistake” and that he “should have engaged more productively with them [the CPSC] from the outset.”
Undercover of this major recall, Peloton today also announced a voluntary recall of its model TR02. As with the Tread+, CPSC advises that owners immediately stop using this defective product. Fortunately, the TR02 poses a lesser danger in that the touchscreen loosens or detaches, causing lacerations, abrasions, and bruising, Peloton is offering either a refund for this $2,495 machine or an inspection and repair to reduce the risk. Cellino Law invites you to call our attorneys to discuss these dangerous products, the recalls, or your potential to seek compensation if you or a family member have been injured by these Peloton treadmills.
TR01 recall:
Peloton Recalls Tread+ Treadmills After One Child Died and More than 70 Incidents Reported | CPSC.gov
TR02 recall:
Peloton Recalls Tread Treadmills Due to Risk of Injury | CPSC.gov
Peloton refutation:
Peloton Refutes Consumer Product Safety Commission Claims | Peloton Interactive, Inc. (archive.is)
Content checked by the personal injury attorney Ross Cellino. As a family man and a trial attorney, I pride myself on winning cases and serving the community. With over 35 years of experience, I understand the function of a jury, how juries arrive at conclusions, and the role that the jury plays in administering justice. I know how to win cases. You can find us in Manhattan, Buffalo, Melville, Rochester, Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens and other locations throughout New York.