Over the 2015 Christmas holidays, self-balancing scooters and hoverboards proved popular, but potentially dangerous gifts. After multiple incidents of the products catching fire – including one blaze that destroyed a Louisiana home – product safety recalls were issued for several brands. Now, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced another batch of recalls, warning that the lithium-ion battery packs in them can overheat, posing a risk of the products smoking, catching fire or even exploding.
Thus far, at least 99 reports of scooter or hoverboard battery packs overheating, sparking, smoking, catching fire and/or exploding, causing burn injuries and property damage, have been reported to the CPSC. The recalls affect some 501,000 units made or sold by the companies and marked with these brand names:
Company: Digital Gadgets LLC, of Monroe, N.J.
Model: Hover-Way/Model # HWSBB601-R
Company: Hoverboard LLC, of Scottsdale, Ariz.
Model: Powerboard
Company: Hype Wireless, of Edison, N.J.
Model: Hype Roam
Company: Keenford Ltd., of Lynbrook, N.Y.
Model: iMoto
Company: PTX Performance Products USA of Irvine, Calif.
Model: Airwalk Self Balancing Electric Scooter
Company: Razor USA LLC, of Cerritos, Calif.
Model: Hovertrax
Company: Swagway LLC, of South Bend, Ind.
Model: Swagway X1
Company: Yuka Clothing, of Miami, Fla.
Models: Wheeli, 2Wheelz, Back to the Future, Mobile Tech, Hover Shark, NWS, X Glider and X Rider
Company: Boscov’s, of Reading, Pa.
Model: Orbit
Company: Overstock.com, of Salt Lake City, Utah
Model: All
Recalled units sold for $350 to $900 from June 2015 through May 2016.
If you or your children own one of these products and have suffered no injuries or losses, contact the seller or manufacturer for a refund or replacement. If an injury or property damage or loss has occurred, keep the product intact as it may be used as evidence in a product liability lawsuit. Call Jacksonville’s Harrell and Harrell at 800-521-1111 to find out if you have a case.