The Recall Desk
Our severity:SevereCPSC·04073·Announced 2004-01-29

Bowflex Power Pro Fitness Machines Recalled for Bench and Lat Tower Hazards

CPSC recalls Bowflex Power Pro systems because the backboard bench can collapse and the Lat Tower can fall, causing injuries.

What this means for you

Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 4/5 (Severe).

The hazard poses a serious risk of illness, injury, or structural failure. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves significant injury reports, including injuries requiring stitches, which aligns with the rubric criterion for 'significant injury/property-damage reports' under the Severe classification.

Plain-English summary

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Nautilus Direct (doing business as Bowflex) are recalling Bowflex Power Pro XL, XTL, and XTLU fitness systems equipped with the "Lat Tower" attachment. The recall involves approximately 420,000 units sold nationwide via infomercials and specialized retail stores between January 1995 and December 2003 for prices ranging from $1,200 to $1,600.

The recall is issued due to two specific hazards: the backboard bench can unexpectedly collapse and break when used in the incline position, and the "Lat Tower" attachment can rotate forward and fall during use. These defects pose a risk of injury to users. Nautilus Direct and CPSC have received at least 70 reports of the backboard benches breaking, resulting in at least 59 back, neck, and shoulder injuries. Additionally, there have been at least 18 reports of the "Lat Tower" rotating forward and falling, causing at least 14 injuries to the back, neck, shoulder, teeth, nose, and head, some of which required stitches.

Because Nautilus Direct is no longer in business, the original recall remedy is no longer available. Consumers should stop using the backboard bench in the incline position and the "Lat Tower" immediately. The CPSC advises consumers to discard the product and not donate or resell it. For more information, consumers can call the CPSC hotline at 800-638-2772 (TTY 301-595-7054).

The recalled product

Product
Bowflex Power Pro XL, XTL and XTLU systems with the "Lat Tower" attachment
Category
Consumer Product — Fitness Equipment
Hazard
Affected units
420,000

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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