Peloton had a rough week.
The connected fitness company is in hot water over injuries and a death related to its Tread+ treadmill. Peloton has taken heat from consumers and multiple branches of the U.S. government.
Following reports of 39 incidents, one fatal, related to the Tread+, the Consumer Product Safety Commission released a warning saying that the product is not safe for homes with children or pets.
The company is now facing a class-action lawsuit, claiming a lack of safety warnings on the $4,295 machines. Peloton has resisted calls to recall the Tread+, including from Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), chair of the Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee.
“One family will never be the same, and because a new, ‘hot’ company prioritized their brand over human life, other lives were unnecessarily risked,” Ms. Schakowsky said in a statement urging Peloton to recall the product voluntarily.
The outcry does not bode well for Peloton’s planned release of a more affordable treadmill later this year. The company’s stock closed at $101.49 on Thursday, down from a high of $167.42 in January.
