It was bound to happen, and now it is. More than 500,000 hoverboards are being recalled due to safety concerns related to overheating and damage to property.
The United States government previously stated hoverboards were not safe. The Carolina Panthers and Minnesota Twins agreed, banning them from team areas. The Consumer Product Safety Commission said 99 reports of hoverboards having battery packs explode or catch fire are on record, which ultimately led to the recall. Those who own hoverboards are advised to seek a full refund, free repair or a free replacement for the device that can cost roughly $900.
Swagway has recalled the most hoverboards (267,000) according to The Mercury News, after 16 people were injured using their hoverboards.
While not technically a hoverboard the way we were once led to dream about thanks to Back to The Future Part II, the two-wheeled motorized scooters burst on the scene over the last year or so and quickly led to video after video of people falling off their new prized possessions like a kid with no skating experience trying to roller blade for the first time. And it was not just the everyday Joes out there falling on their faces and looking silly. Even Mike Tyson failed to ride one.
Perhaps there is an extra scene from Back to The Future in which Marty and Doc go to 2016 and see hoverboards have been recalled. That would have been heavy.