HARRISBURG, Pa. – Three hundred thousand self-balancing electric skateboards have been recalled due to a crash hazard and four reported deaths, according to the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
The reason for the recall is that the skateboards can stop balancing the rider if the board’s limits are exceeded, which poses a crash hazard that can cause serious injuries or death.
Manufacturer Future Motion has received dozens of reports of incidents involving the recalled skateboards, including four deaths that were reported between 2019 and 2021. The deaths were a result of head trauma — three of the riders were not wearing helmets.
Injuries such as traumatic brain injury, concussion, paralysis, upper body fractures, lower body fractures, and ligament damage have also been reported.
The recalled Onewheel Electric Skateboards were sold online at www.onewheel.com, other websites, and at independent shops nationwide from January 2014 through September 2023 for between $1,050 and $2,200.
Consumers are advised to stop using the skateboards. Those with the Onewheel GT, Onewheel Pint X, Onewheel Pint, or Onewheel+ XR electric skateboards should download or update the Onewheel app, and update the firmware on their board to include Haptic Buzz alert functionality.
Haptic Buzz is a tactile and audible warning system that provides the rider with a buzzing sensation and sound when nearing the limits of the board or when in low battery or error states. The USCPSC says that the firmware update for the Onewheel GT should be available within one week, while the update for the Pint X, Pint, and XR will be launching within six weeks.
Riders are also being encouraged to wear a helmet and other protective equipment.
Consumers with the Original Onewheel or Onewheel+ model should arrange for a pro-rated refund in the form of a store credit upon confirmation of disposal of the product.
Future Motion can be contacted online at https://recall.onewheel.com or at https://onewheel.com, as well as by phone at 800-283-7943 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. PT Monday through Friday.