Bowflex Recalls Nearly 800,000 Fitness Machines
Second Bowflex Recall This Year
POSTED: Tuesday, November 16, 2004
UPDATED: 10:30 am EST November 16,
2004
WASHINGTON -- The makers of a popular fitness machine are recalling nearly 800,000 machines because of injuries to users.
It is the second large recall this year of Bowflex equipment.
The latest recall includes 680,000 Bowflex Power Pro systems and 102,000 Bowflex Ultimate Fitness Machines, manufactured by The Nautilus Group, of Vancouver, Wash.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says the machine's seat can unexpectedly break on the Ultimate model and Power Pro with "Lat Tower."
The CPSC says there were 46 reports of such incidents and two of those were serious injuries requiring stitches to the head.
The CPSC says another failure involves the machine's backboard bench unexpectedly collapsing when it is in the incline position on Power Pro models without the "Lat Tower."
There were 42 reports of the bench collapsing and subsequent injuries to the back, neck and head. None of the injuries were serious.
The recalled machines were sold at fitness stores and through informercials and direct mail nationwide from January 1995 through April 2004 for between $1,200 and $1,600.
Consumers should stop using the incline support mechanism and contact Bowflex to receive a free repair kit.
Consumers who participated in the Bowflex safety recall earlier in 2004, and owners of Ultimate units do not need to call Bowflex for a repair kit, as they will receive one automatically.
Nautilus is contacting owners of affected machines by direct mail where the name is known to the firm.
Consumers can call Bowflex at (800) 820-8604 to receive the repair kit.
Consumers can find more recall information at the company's
Web site.
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