Safety commission issues warning over scooters made by South Bend company
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The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has issued a warning to consumers to immediately stop using an electric scooter made by South Bend-based Swagtron.
The commission cited fire and burn hazards related to the company’s SG-5 Swagger 5 Boost Commuter Electric Scooters.
Sold in black or silver colors with “SWAGGER 5” printed in large lettering on the stem of the handlebars, the commission said it had received seven reports of the electric scooters overheating, smoking, melting or igniting.
One case of ignition resulted in a fire causing a burn injury and substantial property damage to a residential apartment building in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in November 2023, the commission said in a news release.
CPSC said it has requested information regarding the product to no avail and had also requested that Swagtron recall the product but has yet to get a response from the company. Inside INdiana Business reached out to the company on Friday but also did not receive a response.
The local Better Business Bureau (BBB) serving northern Indiana has an alert out for Swagtron due to the company’s history of falsely stating BBB accreditation. On its website, the BBB said it had closed 83 complaints regarding Swagtron in the last three years and 47 complaints just in the last year alone.
Other Swagtron products have also resulted in 139 reports of fire or other thermal incidents, CPSC said in the release.
Consumers have been advised by the commission to consider the reported incidents, the lack of information regarding compliance with voluntary safety standards and the company’s failure to provide requested information when deciding whether to buy or use the company’s products.
The electric scooters are sold at Tractor Supply, Best Buy, Walmart, Sam’s Club and online at Swagtron’s website, as well as Amazon, eBay and other retailers.
CPSC is urging consumers to immediately stop using and charging the electric scooters and dispose of them following local hazardous waste disposal procedures. Lithium-ion battery disposal should be done according to local and state ordinances because of potential hazards, the commission said.
The commission said consumers can report incidents involving the electric scooters, or any product-related injury, online.