RECALL ALERT: Self-Balancing Hoverboards Recalled by 10 Manufacturers

They were the gift of Christmas 2015. More than 500,000 self-balancing hoverboard/scooters were sold everywhere from Big box stores to Amazon.com. Now, 10 firms have recalled self-balancing scooters/hover boards due to fire hazard, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

“After months of excellent, around-the-clock work by our engineers, investigators and compliance customers’ officers, CPSC has secured the recall of more than a half-million hoverboards by 10 different companies,” CPSC Chairman Elliot F. Kaye said in a statement. “This is a major recall that families and consumers across the country should respond to — immediately.”

Click here for a full list of the more than 500,000 scooters being recalled, along with links to what response the recalling companies are taking.

The major manufacturers of hoverboards, including Swagway and Razor, are offering refunds, repairs or replacement hoverboards, depending on the model.

Southern California mother Shandel Willis’s 10-year-old twins use their Razor hoverboards daily. Now, she is activating their return online with Razor.com

“The kids are always jumping on their hoverboards,” mother Shandel Willis said. “Their uncle got them their scooters for Christmas. He ordered them off of Amazon.com.”

When she learned of the recall, Shandel immediately checked the serial number against the recall list. All three of her family's Razor-sold hoverboards were affected.

Willis noticed the scooters would get warm when her kids were riding them a lot, when the motor would heat up, but she had never seen them smoke. Just like any other new toy, they just stay in the garage, plugged in and ready to ride.

“Their uncle bought that brand because there had been no recalls mentioned,” she said. “He is a ‘top shelf’ kind of buyer. It never even crossed my mind that they could explode.”

Willis contacted Razor.com, submitted her recall forms for the three hoverboards and is awaiting her free return cartons. The company reports that replacement boards would be returned within 7 to 10 days of receipt.

Shandel Willis's family is not alone in this massive recall effort.

Due to the unpredictable nature of the lithium-ion battery packs, manufacturers are asking owners to stop using the recalled products immediately. Reports from CPSC state that 60 hoverboard fires were investigated in 20 states, resulting in more than $2 million in property damage.

“Consumers should immediately stop using these recalled products and contact the recalling company to return their hoverboard for a full refund, a free repair or a free replacement depending on the model,” Kaye said. "To prevent another fire and possibly a death, I am urging consumers to take advantage of this recall."

A full list of manufacturers is available on the CPSC website.

The massive recall affects hoverboards and self-balancing boards that were sold by mass merchandisers nationwide and online retailers from June 2015 through May 2016. They retailed for between $350 and $900.

According to the CPSC, the commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with the use of thousands of types of commercial products under the agency’s jurisdiction.

Razor scooters, such as those purchased for Christmas gifts by the Willis family, need to be returned directly to the manufacturer.

“Consumers should immediately stop using these recalled products and contact Razor to return their hoverboard for a free replacement hoverboard that will comply with Underwriters Laboratories UL-2272,” Razor stated on the website.

Razor sold more than 28,000 hoverboards under the Hovertrax brand self-balancing scooters between December 2015 and May 2016 at Big 5, Scheels, Toys R Us and other nationwide stores. They were also sold at Amazon.com, Razor.com, Target.com, Walmart.com and other websites. The cost of each was between $600 and $700.

Many other self-balancing scooter brands are affected by the recall. Be sure you check to see if yours is affected.

According to Razor, there have been two reports of battery packs in the self-balancing hoverboards catching fire, exploding or smoking. No injuries or personal property damage has been reported as of yet.

“If you find your product has been affected by this recall, fill out the online form or call toll free line,” Razor stated. Customers who need to return their recalled scooters will be sent a pre-paid carton to return the boards, and replacements will be sent upon the receipt of the recalled scooter.

According to Kaye, hoverboards put people at real risk.

“They were made and sold without a safety standard in place,” he said. “Two hazard patterns quickly developed, one involving falls — which could have been anticipated — and another involving fires, which definitely was not.”

Kaye stands behind the message he delivered in February, when he advised:

“Do not use a hoverboard that does not meet UL’s electrical safety requirements for these products (UL-2272).”

He went on to commend UL for developing test requirements to address the electrical system and battery pack problems and said there is much more work to do to address the fall hazards.

“These fall injuries are serious, and I have spoken for many months on our concerns with the instability of certain self-balancing scooters,” he said. “For your own safety, please respond to this hoverboard recall announcement right away.”

For more information on recalled products, follow www.cpsc.gov

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