More than 68,000 Bowflex Ultimate 2 Home Gyms manufactured by Nautilus Inc. were recalled by the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC). The recall was issued after 3 customers complained to Nautilus that they were injured after fasteners on the Bowflex Ultimate 2 Home Gyms came loose.
The <"https://www.yourlawyer.com/topics/overview/bowflex_defects">Bowflex Ultimate 2 Home Gyms were manufactured in China. The home gyms were sold by fitness retailers and direct to consumers for about $2,300. The exercise device is equipped with pulleys, tension rods, and other equipment to permit the user to select from among a variety of exercise routines. “Bowflex” and “Bowflex Ultimate 2” are on the front of the “Lat Tower†and sides of main upright frame structure. Fasteners on the machine can loosen, allowing sections of the equipment to separate and possibly hit someone. Three consumers have complained of bruised arms and soreness as a result of the box holding the gym’s resistance rods separating from the frame.
This is not the first time Nautilus has issued a large scale recall for one of its Bowflex home gyms. In 2004, hundreds of thousands of Bowflex home gyms were recalled because the machine’s backboard bench could unexpectedly collapse when being used in the incline position. There were also problems with the “Lat Tower,” which attaches to the back of the bench and has a metal bar that the user pulled down to strengthen the upper body. At the time, Nautilus said that the frame of the tower can weaken over time, twist forward and fall — hitting the user in the back, head or shoulder. Of the reports received, 59 people suffered injuries when the backboard collapsed. Another 14 were injured by the “Lat Tower.”
In April 2005, Nautilus paid a $950,000 civil penalty to the CPSC for failing to inform the agency in a timely manner about injuries and safety defects on some Bowflex exercise machines. The CPSC alleged that between December 1998 and July 2002, Nautilus knew of 25 injuries to consumers caused by the backboard defect. Between April 2002 and April 2004, the CPSC alleges that Nautilus knew of 32 incidents were people where injured due to the “Lat Tower†defects. Nautilus failed to report these problems to the CPSC within the appropriate time frame. Federal law requires that companies report possible safety issues to the CPSC within 24 hours of learning of them.
