Peloton has issued a recall of its Tread and Tread+ treadmills following their involvement in a number of injuries and the death of a child. The fitness tech firm has been in the news since mid-March when news of the fatal incident came to light. More incidents subsequently came to light and, after initially refusing to pause sales or issue a recall, Peloton eventually relented, acknowledging it had made a mistake and issuing an apology. Here's how things have played out so far and what happens next.

The first time many people would have been aware of any potential problems with Peloton's treadmills was on March 18 this year when company CEO John Foley wrote to customers advising them of "a small handful of incidents involving the Tread+ where children have been hurt," one of which had resulted in a death. In addition to conveying the company's dismay at the news, Foley reiterated some safety guidance for the use of its exercise equipment. The following day, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a statement saying that it was aware of the incident and was investigating.

On April 17, that investigation culminated in the CPSC warning consumers not to use the Peloton Tread+ due to the danger of "abrasions, fractures, and death" it poses to children and pets. It cited 39 incidents in total and shared a video showing a child being pulled underneath the treadmill but fortunately not seriously harmed. On the same day, Peloton issued a statement refuting the CPSC's claims and again pointing to its safety guidance. A follow-up message from Foley on April 18 argued that the Tread+ was "safe when our warnings and safety instructions are followed" and said: "You may also have read news reports suggesting that CPSC believes that we should stop selling or recall the Tread+. I want to assure you that we have no intention of doing so."

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That combative stance was reversed this week in a joint Peloton and CPSC press release. In it, the recall of the $4,295 Tread+ was announced due to the risk of adult users, children, pets, and objects being pulled underneath, with 72 incidents now cited. In addition, a recall of the cheaper, $2,495 Tread was announced. It was advised that "The touchscreen on the treadmill can detach and fall, posing a risk of injury to consumers," with 18 incidents cited.

Robert S. Adler, Acting Chairman of the CPSC, credited "weeks of intense negotiation and effort, culminating in a cooperative agreement" that he believes "serves the best interests of Peloton and of consumers." For his part, Foley said: "The decision to recall both products was the right thing to do for Peloton’s Members and their families. I want to be clear, Peloton made a mistake in our initial response to the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s request that we recall the Tread+. We should have engaged more productively with them from the outset. For that, I apologize."

What Now For Peloton & Tread/Tread+ Owners?

Woman running on a Peloton treadmill

Consumers who have purchased either the Tread or Tread+ treadmills have been advised to stop using them immediately and to contact Peloton for a refund or remedy to their issues. For the Tread+, the latter will entail it being temporarily disabled for use until Peloton is able to make improvements to the device that ensure its safety. The issues for the Tread are less serious and can be addressed with new screws and washers.

Peloton, meanwhile, has halted the sale and distribution of both treadmills while it works on hardware modifications to ensure the safety of the two products. The repair for the Tread is expected to be offered within a matter of weeks and it's reported that, during its third quarter 2021 earnings call this week, Foley advised it could be back on sale by July. It's thought, however, that it "could take months" to get the Tread+ back on sale.

During the same call, the recall was given an estimated cost to Peloton of $165 million. Given that gross profit for the quarter was given was $444.9 million, the company looks well placed to absorb the figure. What may be more problematic in the long term is any reputational damage that has been done by the safety concerns about its products and the company's slow and contentious response to seeing that they were resolved.

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Sources: Peloton 1, 2, 3, 4, CPSC/Twitter, CPSC 1, 2, 3