Onewheel recall: Deaths, crash hazard, what to do if you have an electric skateboard
Future Motion Inc., the maker of Onewheel self-balancing electric skateboards, has announced a recall of its products after four deaths were linked to the devices. Here’s what you need to know.
What’s happened?
Future Motion has announced a voluntary recall of all Onewheel electric skateboards in conjunction with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The reason for the recall is that the affected models can stop balancing the rider, leading to a crash hazard.
Have riders been injured?
Unfortunately, yes. The CPSC says Future Motion received “dozens of reports” of injuries between 2019 and 2021. Those injuries included “traumatic brain injury, concussion, paralysis, upper-body fractures, lower-body fractures and ligament damage.”
And there were also fatalities?
Yes. Four deaths have so far been reported. Those deaths resulted from head trauma. In three of the four cases, the riders were not wearing a helmet.
Which Onewheel electric skateboard models are included in the recall?
All of them. The recall covers 300,000 units and includes the following models:
The Onewheel electric skateboards were sold at the company’s online store and at various retailers and other websites nationwide from January 2014 through September 2023. The various models cost between $1,050 and $2,200.
What should I do if I have a Onewheel?
Stop using it immediately.
Newer models: If you have a Onewheel GT, Onewheel Pint X, Onewheel Pint, or Onewheel+ XR model, you should update its firmware as soon as the update is available. It may take as long as another six weeks before the firmware is available for download, depending on your model. Do not use your Onewheel until then. The firmware will add a new Haptic Buzz alert functionality. “Haptic buzz is an alert riders can hear and feel when experiencing certain situations that can result in a crash,” the company said on its recall page.
Older models: The Original Onewheel and Onewheel+ models will not get the updated firmware and should not be used again. However, if you own one of those models, you could be eligible for $100 credit toward the purchase of a newer model.
Where can I find more information?
Onewheel electric skateboard owners should read the full CPSC recall notice here and follow all its instructions. Owners should also read Onewheel’s recall notice on its website, where they can find the full instructions for updating the firmware on select models.
Owners of models that cannot be updated will receive a prorated discount credit of $100 that can be used toward the purchase of a new Onewheel. Onewheel says you should not use Onewheels that are not updated to the new firmware or that are not eligible for the firmware update.
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