Peloton recalls treadmills, apologizes after fighting gov't safety alert

May 5 (UPI) -- The Consumer Product Safety Commission on Wednesday announced a voluntary recall of Peloton treadmills that has drawn an apology from the company's top executive.

The recall involves Peloton's Tread+ and Tread treadmill machines, which have been linked to a number of injuries and the death of a child.

"The decision to recall both products was the right thing to do for Peloton's members and their families," Peloton CEO John Foley said in a statement issued by the CPSC.

For weeks, Peloton didn't acknowledge the link between the machines and injuries to more than two dozen children and the death, and fought a CPSC alert last month that cautioned owners to stop using the machines.

"I want to be clear, Peloton made a mistake in our initial response to the Consumer Product Safety Commission's request that we recall the Tread+," Foley added. "We should have engaged more productively with them from the outset. For that, I apologize."

Foley said Peloton is working with the CPSC to increase safety awareness.

"I am pleased that the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Peloton have come to an agreement to protect users," CPSC Chairman Robert Adler said.

"The agreement ... requires Peloton to immediately stop selling and distributing both the Tread+ and Tread products in the United States and refund the full purchase price to consumers who wish to return their treadmills."

The recall covers about 4,300 machines.