Field guide · 2025
Fitness equipment recalls: check before you buy gear
Fitness equipment recalls are listed on Product Safety Australia, a free site operated by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). A search takes under a minute. Do it before you buy a treadmill, bike, weights or any other gear, and again for anything you already own.
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How to search the recalls database
Go to the recalls page on productsafety.gov.au. It has a search box and filters. Type the brand or the product name, such as "treadmill" or "exercise bike". You can also set a date range, or pick a topic such as Sports and recreation.
Search a few ways. Try the brand name alone. Try the product type alone. Try the model name if you have it. Recall notices do not always use the words you expect, so one search can miss what another finds.
Each notice lists the supplier, the model, where and when the product was sold, the defect, the hazard and what owners should do. The sale dates matter. They tell you whether the gear in your hand could be part of the recall.
What a fitness recall notice looks like
A real example shows how the notices read. Kogan recalled its Fortis T2 foldable treadmill, model FST2JOGPADA. The notice says the treadmill did not have the required warning label. It was sold nationally online from 19 December 2019 to 4 April 2020.
The notice explains the hazard in plain words. Without the label, users may not know the risks, and a child or bystander could suffer severe friction burns from the moving belt. Owners were to be contacted in writing and sent a copy of the label with a leaflet. They were asked to send Kogan a photo of the label once it was attached.
Not every recall ends with a refund. Some are fixes, like a label or a replacement part. Read the "What should consumers do?" section so you know which one applies.
Know the rules for treadmills and exercise bikes
Some gear has a mandatory safety rule. For treadmills, the rule is the Trade Practices (Consumer Product Safety Standard) (Treadmills) Regulations 2009. It requires a permanent warning label that is easy to see while you use the machine. The label must read: keep young children away from this machine at all times, and say that contact with the moving surface may cause severe friction burns. It must be separate from any other label.
Look for that label when you inspect a treadmill in a shop or at a seller's home. If it is missing, ask why. The ACCC also advises buying a treadmill with a safety stop switch and following the maker's instructions.
For exercise bikes, the ACCC says older or poorly built models can cause serious injury. It advises choosing one with guards over moving parts such as the flywheel and chain.
Check second-hand gear with extra care
Second-hand gear is a common place to meet a recalled product. The old owner may never have heard of the recall. A listing will not mention it either.
Before you pay, note the brand, the model and any serial number or date on the label. Search the recalls database for those details. Ask the seller for the manual and for proof of where it was bought.
Know your rights too. If you buy from a business, you have the same consumer guarantees as for new goods, including that the product is safe and free from defects. For private sales between two people, most guarantees do not apply. Only title, undisturbed possession and no hidden debts or charges do. Keep the listing, the seller's contact details and your proof of payment.
What to do if your gear is recalled
The ACCC gives three steps. Stop using the product. Keep it out of reach of children. Contact the supplier for a repair, replacement or refund, and do not delay.
To hear about new recalls, you can subscribe to the ACCC email updates. Suppliers also advertise recalls on their websites, on social media, in store and in the media, and may contact you directly if they have your details.
If a supplier will not give you a repair, replacement or refund, or if a shop is still selling a recalled product, you can report it to the ACCC through the Report an unsafe product page.
A quick checklist
- Search the brand, the product type and the model on the recalls database.
- Check the sale dates in any notice against your item.
- Look for the treadmill warning label, and guards on exercise bikes.
- Ask second-hand sellers for the model, the manual and proof of purchase.
- Subscribe to recall email updates.
- If recalled, stop using it and contact the supplier.
Our own limit: the editors read what the regulator publishes. We do not test equipment or run a laboratory.