Product Recalls

Hoverboards recalled for fire and explosion risks — again

Brett Molina
WATCH LIVE
Tech Drift self-balancing scooter
Source: CPSC

The Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled hoverboards from several companies over concerns the devices could catch fire or explode.

The series of recalls affects roughly 16,000 hoverboards from brands including iHoverspeed, Sonic Smart Wheels, Tech Drift, iLive, Go Wheels, Drone Nerds, LayZ Board and Smart Balance Wheel.

All the brands of self-balancing scooters share a common problem: lithium-ion batteries that could potentially overheat and cause a fire or explode.

More from USA Today:
How to find hard-to-get, out-of-stock gifts without getting ripped off
The best Black Friday deals you can get right now
Study: Buying all '12 Days of Christmas' gifts is still a deal

The agency is advising owners to stop using the hoverboards immediately and return them to the appropriate company for a replacement.

Consumers can visit the CPSC website for details on the recalls and how to contact companies for replacements.

In a statement released Tuesday, the CPSC urged owners of the LayZ Board self-balancing scooters to stop using them after the hoverboard was implicated in a fire that destroyed one townhouse and damaged four others.

In May, the agency issued a warning about the LayZ brand following a house fire in Pennsylvania in March that killed two girls.

The self-balancing scooters have been popular gifts during the holidays since 2015, but plagued with issues of overheating batteries leading to potential fires and explosions.

Two years ago, several big airlines banned hoverboards due to safety risks. In January of last year, Amazon offered full refunds to consumers who purchased hoverboards.