2.2 million Peloton bikes are recalled as government urges people to 'immediately stop using them'
Amelia Jones
Featured Image Credit: Maridav / Alamy Stock Photo The Bold Bureau / Alamy Stock Photo
Peloton users are being advised by the U.S. government to get out of the saddle and 'immediately stop using' some 2.2 million exercise bikes.
The recall concerns Peloton model PL01, which was sold from January 2018 until this month when the problem was detected.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said in a statement that spin devotees were advised to immediately stop using the bike before it can be fixed - and to contact Peloton Interactive for a free repair.
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The company first identified a defect with the seat post earlier this month on their entry-level bike, which costs $995 (around £800), but said it wasn't immediately stopping sales.
It affects the seat post (the part that attaches the saddle to the bike's frame), breaking at the weld joint.
This massive structural flaw has led to 13 known injuries - 'including a fractured wrist, lacerations and bruises due to falling from the bike', the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) said in their recall notice.
Peloton has vowed to provide new seat posts that users can install themselves at home before getting back in the stationary saddle.
There were 35 reports of a problem (as of the end of April) out of 2.4m units sold since the bike's US and Canada launch.
This marks the fourth time Peloton has disclosed a product defect.
The decision to disclose the seat-post concern contrasts with how Peloton handled previous product recalls, such as the Tread+ in 2021 (under different management), when a child died after being swept underneath and the company claimed a recall wasn't necessary.
Peloton has since apologised for their approach.
It remains off the market two years later and refunds are still being offered as they work on fixing the safety issue.
This current defect does not affect international models to its Bike+ model.
Shares of the fitness empire fell approximately 7.6% to $6.96 (£5.57) in premarket trading in New York.
Concerned customers can get more information on the recall via Peloton's website.
Peloton said in a press release: "Our commitment to Member safety is unwavering. For Peloton, it was important to proactively engage the CPSC to address this issue. We worked cooperatively with them to identify today’s approved remedy."
This recall comes after Tesla revealed in February that it has had to recall a whopping 3,800,000 cars since 2018 for a myriad of reasons, from software glitches to steering issues.
Although it's had some struggles in recent months, the Elon Musk-led company is the largest electric vehicle seller on the market.
Musk's company recalled more than 362,000 of its US vehicles due to issues with its Full Self-Driving Beta software.
The software was allowed vehicles to 'exceed speed limits or travel through intersections in an unlawful or unpredictable manner increases the risk of a crash' according to the The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).