Peloton’s Safety Issues Take Serious Turn Following Warning Due to Child, Pet Deaths

The safety warnings against Peloton’s high-end treadmill have been escalated following the death of one child, and “dozens” of injuries. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is urging everyone to stop using the Peloton Tread+ and is trying to force a recall of the product. However, according to a report by The Washington Post, Peloton is fighting back.

Peloton’s $4,300 treadmill poses a risk to small children and pets, who can be pulled underneath the machine by its powerful motorized belt. The Consumer Product Safety Commission issued an administrative subpoena this week, requiring the company to disclose the name of the child who died at the hands of one of these machines, as well as the family’s contact information. This is a relatively uncommon move for the commission, who are now trying to ensure that regulators can contact the victims and get the full story.

New broke publicly last month that a child was killed by a Peloton Tread+, and there have reportedly been “dozens” of more reports of injuries caused by the same design flaw. Peloton has issued a public safety warning to new and existing customers, but some regulators reportedly want this machine taken off the market altogether.

The CPSC made that case strongly in a new safety warning published on Saturday morning. It said that the agency has “found that the public health and safety requires this notice to warn the public quickly of the hazard.” It bluntly urges consumers to stop using the Peloton Tread+ for now.

Peloton responded with its own public statement, biting back at the CPSC. It condemned regulators’ “unilateral press release about the Peloton Tread+ because it is inaccurate and misleading.” It argued that the injuries so far are not enough to tell consumers to stop using their treadmills — nor to take them off the market. A company spokesperson told the Post that the company “does not believe that a recall is necessary,” and says that the Tread+ “is safe for use when the warnings and safety instructions we provide are followed.”

“Peloton is still seeking to jointly work with CPSC to urge [its customers] to follow all warnings and safety instructions,” the spokesperson concluded.

The CPSC noted that injuries incurred by this treadmill have included broken bones and head trauma, at rates far worse than other exercise machines. An official told the Post: “This doesn’t happen with other treadmills. It is a different hazard pattern than is typically seen.”

Peloton has quickly grown to become a $34 billion company thanks to its stationary bikes and other home exercise machines, as well as its online subscription service for workout videos. So far, no official recall has been made for the Peloton Tread+ treadmill.