Half a million hoverboards recalled, in case you still thought these were a good idea
A recall by the Consumer Product Safety Commission targets devices sold by 10 different companies.
- Author of the award-winning, NY Times-reviewed nonfiction book The Tetris Effect; Longtime consumer technology expert for CBS Mornings
If you've ignored any of the previous reports of unsafe hoverboards that can catch fire, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission would really like you to pay attention now.
In a new product recall alert posted Wednesday to its website, the CPSC warns that the "lithium-ion battery packs in the self-balancing scooters/hoverboards can overheat, posing a risk of the products smoking, catching fire and/or exploding." This latest recall covers products from 10 companies including online retailer Overstock.com and Swagway (not to be confused with Segway), one of the most popular hoverboard brands.
"This is a major recall that families and consumers across the country should respond to -- immediately," CPSC chairman, Elliot Kaye, wrote in a statement posted to the CPSC website. "Homes and apartments have been destroyed because of fires related to hazardous hoverboards. CPSC has investigated more than 60 hoverboard fires in more than 20 states that resulted in more than $2 million in property damage. To prevent another fire and possibly a death, I am urging consumers who have a recalled hoverboard to take advantage of this recall."
Swagway, which is facing a recall of 267,000 units, issued a statement that read in part: "Following concerns about the battery pack in the X1 model only, Swagway has worked closely with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission to voluntarily create a recall and retrofit program that addresses those concerns in the Swagway X1 model."
Update, 10:50 a.m. PT: Adds statement from Swagway.