CPSC, Nautilus Inc. Announce Recall to Repair Exercise Benches

Name of Product: Nautilus NT 1020 Exercise Benches

Units: About 10,000

Manufacturer: Daytona Fitness Co., of Xiamen, China

Importer: Nautilus Inc., of Vancouver, Wash.

Hazard: A weld on the bench frame under the seat can crack and separate from the main frame, allowing the bench to collapse and the user to fall and suffer injuries.

Incidents/Injuries: Nautilus has received four reports of the main pivot separating from the exercise bench’s main frame. No injuries have been reported.

Description: The Nautilus NT 1020 is a free-standing exercise bench typically used for free weight workouts. It is comprised of a white steel base with wheels on one end, with a black vinyl bench and back support. The fronts of both the white base and the black vinyl back support are stamped with the name “Nautilus.” A tag affixed to the reverse side of the back support includes “Distributed by Nautilus/Schwinn Fitness Group Inc.” and “Made in China.” At the bottom of the product’s base, near its wheels, is a sticker that includes the words “Production Date Code” and a 4-digit number. The first three digits of the date code identify the day and the fourth digit identifies the year in which the unit was built. Units included in this recall have Production Date Codes from year 2002 that run between code numbers 1952 and 3652, and Production Date Codes from year 2003 that run between code numbers 0013 and 1903. Benches that are white in color and do not have a Production Date Code sticker also are included in this recall.

Sold at: Specialty health and fitness stores nationwide from November 2000 through January 2004 for between $300 and $400.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should stop using these exercise benches immediately and contact Nautilus to receive a free repair kit.