Ever since the invention of the car, people have been trying to find ways to get from point A to point B as fast as possible and with the least expense possible. Bicycles and traditional scooters monopolized the market for a very long time, but once batteries improved enough to allow for long distances in smaller vehicles all bets were off and Segway scooters took over the market.
This has been the case for years, and while many have reported that they are unsafe and unreliable, we have not had any substantiated proof until now. This week the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a recall of almost a quarter million Segway scooters due to safety hazards.
The new Segway scooter recall
Of course not all models are affected by the recall, after all, many years after they were released to the market most o the safety concerns have been addressed and most people that use them regularly have learned to know what they are doing, but there are a couple of models that have some additional flaws that compromise the safety of their users more than usual and that is where the CPSC stepped in.
The recall in question affects approximately 220,000 units of two Segway kickscooter models: the Ninebot Max G30P and Max G30LP, both of which have been returned to the manufacturer because of a faulty folding mechanism. The notice that announced the recall explained specifically in what way the mechanism failed and how it posed a danger to users, explaining “The folding mechanism can fail and cause the handlebars or stem to fold while the scooter is in use, posing a fall hazard to consumers.”
And this was not a one time thing that could have been explained by misuse of the product, Segway received 68 reports of folding mechanism failures many of which resulted in serious injuries like abrasions, bruises, lacerations and broken bones. In all fairness, there were not that many injuries, only about 20 people reported being injured because of these malfunctions, but it is still an unacceptable number of injuries considering the reason is a faulty mechanism.
In a statement detailing the recall, the CPSC advised consumers that had purchased one of these models to “Immediately stop using the recalled scooters and contact Segway to receive information to determine whether the folding mechanism needs adjustment and to receive a free maintenance kit. The kit includes tools and instructions for checking and tightening the folding mechanism and keeping it properly maintained”.
In the recall the CPSC details which scooters in particular caused the incidents and their manufacturing details. The affected scooters were manufactured in China and Malaysia and imported by Segway Inc. of Los Angeles, California. After arriving in the country, they were then sold from January 2020 to February 2025 at major retailers including Best Buy, Costco, Walmart, Target and Sam’s Club, as well as online, directly from Segway.com and Amazon.com. The reported price of these scooters was between $600 and $1,000, so not a cheap investment.
If you are still unsure of whether the model that you prucahsed is part of this recall or not, the two models that have been mentioned have some very specific characteristics that could help you identify them. The Max G30LP is gray in color with yellow accents, it measures 46 inches long, 19 inches wide, 47 inches high and weighs 42 pounds. The Max G30P is black in color with yellow accents and measures 44 inches long, 19 inches wide, 45 inches high and weighs 39 pounds. As an additional marker, the brand name “ninebot” appears on the foot platform and the top of the handlebars with the model number being located on a label on the side of the foot deck.