Hummelstown, Pennsylvania – Around 300,000 self-balancing electric skateboards are being recalled due to a crash hazard and the report of four deaths.
The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission has initiated the recall because the skateboards are at risk of imbalance if their limits are exceeded, posing a potential crash hazard leading to serious injuries or fatalities.
The manufacturer of the skateboards, Future Motion, has received numerous reports of incidents involving the recalled products, including the tragic deaths of four individuals between 2019 and 2021. These deaths were caused by head trauma, and three of the riders were not wearing helmets.
In addition to the fatalities, the USCPSC has also received reports of injuries such as traumatic brain injury, concussion, paralysis, upper body fractures, lower body fractures, and ligament damage caused by the skateboards.
As a precautionary measure, consumers are advised to discontinue use of the recalled products and to download or update the Onewheel app. They should also update the firmware on their boards to include the “Haptic Buzz” alert functionality, which is a tactile and audible warning system.
The firmware update for the Onewheel GT is expected to be available within one week, while the update for the Pint X, Pint, and XR models will be launched within six weeks.
Riders are also encouraged to wear helmets and other protective equipment. Furthermore, consumers with the Original Onewheel or Onewheel+ model can arrange for a pro-rated refund in the form of a store credit upon confirmation of disposal of the product.
The recalled Onewheel Electric Skateboards were sold online at www.onewheel.com and other websites, as well as at independent shops nationwide from January 2014 through September 2023, ranging in price from $1,050 to $2,200.
For more information or to arrange for a refund, consumers can contact Future Motion online or by phone. They can visit https://recall.onewheel.com or https://onewheel.com, and reach out by phone at 800-283-7943 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. PT Monday through Friday.