Hoverboards are notorious for the battery overheating issues that led to fires in the early days of their popularity. We saw several hoverboard recalls in previous years because of faulty batteries. But it’s not just overheating batteries that can trigger a product recall. Owners of Hover-1 Superfly Hoverboards should be aware of a recall that followed reports of a software malfunction.
The devices can continue to provide power to the motor when the rider isn’t actively controlling it. In turn, this can lead to fall and injury hazards. It’s a serious issue and you need to stop using yours right now if you own one.
Hover-1 Superfly Hoverboards recall
DGL Group is recalling about 93,000 Hover-1 Superfly Hoverboards (H1-SPFY), with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announcement available at this link.
The hoverboards in the recall are 2020 and 2021 models. They were available in black with blue LED lights on the hoverboard deck near the foot pads. The device has Hover-1 printed on the front, while the serial number sits on the bottom of the hoverboard.
The products in the recall feature serial numbers that begin with SPFY-BLK-GO-2008, SPFY-BLK-GO-2009, and SPFY-BLK-GO-2010.
DGL sold the Hover-1 Superfly Hoverboards nationwide at Best Buy stores and online. The hoverboards in the recall were available from October 2020 through October 2021 for about $200.
The company received 29 reports of a software issue that resulted in this Hover-1 Superfly Hoverboards recall. Of those, four reports detailed minor injuries.
The malfunctioning software causes the hoverboard to power the motor even when the rider isn’t actively controlling the device. As a result, the hoverboard can catch the rider off-guard, and this can lead to accidental injury.
What you should do
If you own any impacted Hover-1 Superfly Hoverboard models, you should stop riding them right away. You might not have experienced the software issue, but the hoverboard still needs to be fixed.
DGL urges customers to contact the company for instructions on how to ship the faulty units to authorized repair shops. The company will provide repairs free of charge to remedy the software issue.
Make sure you check out the full recall announcement on the CPSC website, where you’ll find complete contact details for the DGL Group.
Separately, hoverboard owners should save this CPSC Hoverboard Safety page. It goes over all the hoverboard recalls in recent years that followed overheating or fire incidents. Since 2015, the CPSC is aware of more than 250 hoverboard incidents related to overheating or fires. Of those, one incident resulted in the tragic deaths of two children.
The CPSC page also offers instructions on how to safely charge a hoverboard at home and reduce the risk of accidental fires.
