WASHINGTON (AP) — A recall has been issued for 300,000 self-balancing electric skateboards following reports of four deaths and numerous injuries associated with the product. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has identified a crash hazard as the reason for the recall, citing a risk of serious injuries or death when the skateboards stop balancing the rider due to exceeding the board’s limits.
The manufacturer, Future Motion, has reported multiple incidents involving the recalled skateboards, including the four deaths reported between 2019 and 2021. The deaths resulted from head trauma, with three of the riders not wearing helmets. Additionally, injuries such as traumatic brain injury, concussion, paralysis, upper and lower body fractures, and ligament damage have also been reported.
The Onewheel Electric Skateboards in question were sold between January 2014 and September 2023 for prices ranging from $1,050 to $2,200. Consumers are urged to stop using the skateboards and download or update the Onewheel app to include ‘Haptic Buzz’ alert functionality through a firmware update.
The firmware update is expected to provide riders with a tactile and audible warning system to alert them when nearing the limits of the board, low battery, or error states. Moreover, the manufacturer is offering a pro-rated refund in the form of store credit for original Onewheel or Onewheel+ model owners upon disposal of the product.
Future Motion can be reached online or by phone for further assistance. For more information, consumers can visit https://recall.onewheel.com or contact the manufacturer at 800-283-7943 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. PT Monday through Friday.