More than 500,000 hoverboards recalled

SAN FRANCISCO — If you got a hoverboard more than two months ago, it’s a danger and you should return it. That’s the message from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, which on Wednesday announced the recall of more than 500,000 hoverboards from ten companies.

“This is a major recall that families and consumers across the country should respond to — immediately. Many of the industry’s major players, including Swagway and Razor, are offering refunds, repairs or replacement hoverboards, depending on the model,” said Commission chairman Elliot Kaye.

The self-balancing, battery-driven scooters have a disconcerting tendency to burst into flames due to problems with poorly-designed lithium batteries packs overheating.

There have been at least 99 incident reports of the battery packs in hoverboards catching fire or exploding, according to the Commission. It has investigated more than 60 hoverboard fires in 20 states, which together resulted in more than $2 million in property damage.

Hoverboards may be seized or recalled due to fire risk

Check for UL certification

The only safe hoverboards are those certified by UL, previously known as Underwriters Laboratories, a company that sets safety standards for many consumer products.

However, few of the hoverboards currently in use meet the standards, which were issued in February, after millions had been sold.

The first UL-certified hoverboard, the Ninebot model N3M320, didn't go on sale until May 10 of this year.

Anything without UL certification is unsafe and should be returned or safely disposed of, the Commission says.

"Let me be clear about this — all of the hoverboard models included in this recall were made with fundamental design flaws that put people at real risk. They were made and sold without a safety standard in place," said Kaye.

The list of recalled hoverboards can be found on the Commission's website.

"If you have a hoverboard that is not part of this recall, contact the manufacturer or retailer and demand that they give you your money back," said Kaye.

Hoverboards were a popular holiday gift in 2015.

However, problems with the board's lithium batteries catching fire quickly surfaced. In December, the U.S. Department of Transportation issued a safety alert, saying transporting the popular devices as cargo without complying with hazardous materials regulations is illegal.

U.S. airlines have banned hoverboards because of the hazards the batteries present.

While lithium batteries are generally safe when manufactured and handled properly, hoverboard designs often featured multiple batteries linked together in unsafe ways.

The Hoverboard Industry Alliance, based in China, could not immediately be reached for comment.