Future Motion, Inc. has issued a voluntary recall for roughly 300,000 Onewheel Self-Balancing Electric Skateboards due to crash hazards linked to at least four deaths and several severe injuries.
Coordinated and announced with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), this Onewheel Electric Skateboard recall was issued on September 29, 2023, after Future Motion received dozens of accident reports, some dating back to 2019.
The intent is to warn consumers about the crash risks associated with Onewheel electric skateboards while attempting to prevent further injuries. Still, this recall has left many with serious questions about the dangers of these boards, what to do next, and what their legal options are. To share some answers, here is more on:
- Why Were Onewheel Electric Skateboards Recalled?
- Onewheel Electric Skateboard Recall: Models Affected
- Onewheel Recall Response Includes New Safety Feature: “Haptic Buzz”
- What to Do If You Own a Recalled Onewheel Electric Skateboard
Why Were Onewheel Electric Skateboards Recalled?
Onewheel electric skateboards have been recalled due to a balancing flaw. Specifically, the “self-balancing” feature of Onewheel skateboards will reportedly stop working if the “limits” of the board are exceeded. Future Motion and the CPSC have not specified whether weight limits and/or speed limits are involved here.
Nevertheless, the potential loss of the self-balancing feature in these boards has posed a serious risk of life-threatening accidents. In fact, dozens of riders have reported sustaining severe, catastrophic injuries like (and not limited to):
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Paralysis
- Bone fractures
- Serious ligament damage
These injuries and at least four deaths have been reported to federal authorities and Future Motion, with the fatalities occurring between 2019 and 2021. According to one source, at least three of the four deaths were linked to severe TBIs.
Onewheel Electric Skateboard Recall: Models Affected
All models of Onewheel self-balancing electric skateboards have been included in this recall. That includes the:
- Original Onewheel
- Onewheel+
- Onewheel+ XR
- Onewheel Pint
- Onewheel Pint X
- Onewheel GT
These Onewheels were sold from January 2014 through September 2023 at online stores and various independent retailers nationwide.
To determine what model of Onewheel you have, look on the side of the electric skateboard. The model is printed on the side of the board, aligned with the logo.
Onewheel Recall Response Includes New Safety Feature: “Haptic Buzz”
To address the balancing and crash hazards associated with Onewheels, Future Motion is releasing a new safety feature called the “haptic buzz.” Installed via a firmware update for some models of Onewheel skateboards, the haptic buzz is a safety alert intended to:
- Warn riders about balancing problems
- Provide an “audible and tactile alert” that riders both “hear and feel” when they approach “the operational limits of the board”
- Give riders the chance to slow down, lean back, and potentially prevent a crash
According to Future Motion, the haptic buzz feature and related firmware updates are or will be available for the following models of Onewheels:
- Onewheel+ XR
- Onewheel Pint
- Onewheel Pint X
- Onewheel GT
Here’s what Future Motion has shared about the haptic buzz feature:
Some skeptics have questioned the haptic buzz feature and whether its truly enough to keep riders safe and prevent future Onewheel accidents, injuries, and deaths,.
What to Do If You Own a Recalled Onewheel Electric Skateboard
If you or someone you love owns a recalled Onewheel monowheel skateboard, authorities and Future Motion advise you to immediately stop using the board. The next steps depend on:
- What type of Onewheel skateboard you own: Firmware updates are currently available for some models but not all. These updates install the haptic huzz feature on some monowheel skateboards. While Future Motion expects to have firmware updates available for Onewheel GTs in early October, owners of the Pint X, Pint, and XR will likely have to wait until mid-November 2023 for firmware updates.
- Whether you or a loved one has been hurt on a Onewheel: If you or a loved one has been hurt in a Onewheel skateboard accident, you could have various legal options for taking action, but there won’t be unlimited time to do so.
Here’s more on what to do if you or a loved one own a Onewheel electric skateboard or have been hurt by one.
If You Own an Original Onewheel or a Onewheel+
Do not continue to use these monowheel electric skateboards, and do not expect a firmware update for them. Future Motion has said that, “These models are not eligible for the firmware update.”
Instead, the company is offering the owners of these recalled Onewheel skateboards a $100 voucher that they can use “toward the purchase of a new Onewheel,” as long as they verify ownership through the eligibility checker at the bottom of the recall announcement.
While that voucher may offset the costs of a new electric monowheel skateboard, many have criticized Future Motion for doing the minimum here to compensate owners — and to warn them of the risks of injury and death associated with their Onewheel electric skateboards.
If You Own an Original Onewheel GT, Pint X, Pint, or XR
Do not use your Onewheel skateboard until you have installed the latest firmware update. To do that:
- Download or verify that you have the latest version of the Onewheel app.
- Open the app and walk through the prompts, providing the info requested.
Once you have successfully updated the firmware, Future Motion says you can “resume riding.”
Here’s what Future Motion has to say about the firmware update and how to install it.