Future Motion Recalls 300,000 Onewheel Skateboards After 4 Deaths

What: Onewheel Electric Skateboards (all models)

Who: Future Motion Inc., of Santa Cruz, California

Why: The skateboards can stop balancing the rider if the boards’ limits are exceeded, posing a crash hazard that can result in severe injury or death.

When: The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Future Motion issued the recall on September 29, 2023. 

Where: The recall applies to all Onewheel Electric Skateboards sold nationwide.

How Customers Can Identify the Recalled Product: For all models affected by the recall, customers can find the model name on the side of the skateboard, as well as the Onewheel logo printed on the rail of the skateboard. 

In collaboration with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on September 29, 2023, Future Motion Inc., of Santa Cruz, California, announced the recall of 300,000 Onewheel Self-Balancing Electric Skateboards. The recall comes after the company received dozens of reports of incidents involving the electric skateboards. The incidents reported included four deaths between 2019 and 2021 and other injuries such as traumatic brain injury, concussion, paralysis, upper-body fractures, lower-body fractures, and ligament damage. 

According to Future Motion, the four deaths resulted from head trauma, and in at least three of those incidents, the rider was not wearing a helmet. Upon inspection of the electric boards, the company discovered that the electric skateboards can stop balancing the rider if the boards' limits are exceeded. As a precaution, the company has issued a statement informing their consumers they should immediately stop all use of the recalled Onewheel electric skateboards. The affected Future Motion electric boards include the following Onewheel Electric Skateboards models: 

• Onewheel
• Onewheel+
• Onewheel GT
• Onewheel Pint X
• Onewheel Pint
• Onewheel+ XR

The recalled Onewheel Electric Skateboards were manufactured in the United States and distributed by Future Motion Inc., of Santa Cruz, California. They were sold from January 2014 through September 2023, and customers could purchase the boards online and other websites as well as in independent retailers nationwide for between $1,050 and $2,200.

Future Motion Customers May Be Eligible for Refunds or Repairs

Depending on the Onewheel Electric Skateboard model you own, you may be eligible to recover one of two remedies. Consumers with the Onewheel GT, Onewheel Pint X, Onewheel Pint, or Onewheel+ XR electric skateboards are eligible to update their skateboards with the new safety alert feature called "Haptic Buzz" Future Motion has developed. According to the company, the Haptic Buzz is a "tactile and audible warning system that provides the rider with a buzzing sensation and sound when nearing the board's limits or when in low battery or error states." 

Essentially, working with the existing pushback safety feature, the Haptic Buzz will help riders further recognize when they should lean back and slow down to reduce the risk of crashing. In order to download the updates, customers are instructed to download the Onewheel app onto their device; then, customers should opt to update the firmware on their board to include Haptic Buzz alert functionality. According to Future Motion, the firmware update for the Onewheel GT will be available within one week of the recall notice, and the firmware update for the Pint X, Pint, and XR will launch within six weeks.

Those consumers with the Original Onewheel or Onewheel+ model are not eligible for the firmware update, and the company warns that the skateboards should not be used in any capacity. Customers can visit their website to arrange for a pro-rated refund in the form of a store credit. In order to receive the credit, customers must first verify their skateboard is affected by entering the 10-digit serial number into their "Check Eligibility" form.

Upon confirmation and proof of disposal, customers will then receive a pro-rated discount credit of $100 toward the purchase of a new Onewheel. For more information about the recall, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has listed it under the number 23-299. Customers who have suffered injuries due to the use of a Future Motion Onewheel Electric Skateboard can also contact a Morgan & Morgan attorney to learn more about what their legal options are. Contact an attorney today by completing our free, no-obligation case evaluation form.