Even the most exciting and seemingly convenient gadgets have a way of bringing unexpected troubles instead, whether that’s smartphones that burst into flames or toys that cause serious safety issues. In some of the worst cases, these products had to be pulled off the shelves entirely because they were much too dangerous! Here are thirteen real gadgets that caused enough controversy to get removed from stores. Whoever thought it’d be okay to ever sell these?!
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Samsung Galaxy Note 7
Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 was quite popular until reports emerged about the phones overheating—some devices even caught fire or exploded due to battery issues. Airlines banned the phone & safety warnings spread worldwide, forcing Samsung to issue a global recall. They pulled the Note 7 from stores to address the problem and keep customers safe.
Hoverboards
Hoverboards were once a huge craze but then came the reports of them catching fire & even exploding because of faulty lithium-ion batteries. Several incidents led to property damage and injuries, which made retailers remove hoverboards from their shelves and companies introduce new safety standards. What was supposed to be a fun gadget turned into a safety hazard almost overnight—the issue was so widespread that numerous hoverboards, including the Hover-1 Helix, were recalled.
Google Glass
Google Glass tried to bring futuristic eyewear to the masses with built-in cameras & displays but people weren’t too keen on the idea of being recorded without their knowledge. Privacy concerns mounted and some places banned the devices entirely, which led to Google eventually pulling the consumer version from the market. They tried to make people forget the complete failure that Google Glass became.
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Peloton Tread+ Treadmill
Peloton’s Tread+ gave people a sleek and connected treadmill experience—until things took a dark turn when reports surfaced of injuries, including the tragic death of a child. The Consumer Product Safety Commission warned users about the risks and, after some initial resistance, Peloton issued a recall. They stopped selling the Tread+ because they needed to deal with the safety issues before thinking about bringing it back to consumers.
Mattel Aristotle Baby Monitor
Mattel planned to launch Aristotle, which was a smart baby monitor that could soothe infants & even order supplies when parents needed them—what’s not to love? Well, quite a lot as privacy advocates raised alarms about constant surveillance & data collection on young children, with some critics arguing it was too intrusive for families. After a huge backlash, Mattel decided to cancel the product and avoided putting it on shelves.
Fitbit Force
The Fitbit Force was quite a popular fitness tracker and users enjoyed tracking their activity until reports emerged of rashes & skin irritation from the wristbands. Complaints flooded in about allergic reactions to materials used in the band, so Fitbit responded by issuing a voluntary recall. They pulled the Force from stores and even gave refunds to those affected while they worked on a solution.
Fitbit Ionic Smartwatch
But that’s not all for Fitbit as their Ionic Smartwatch promised a high-tech fitness tracking experience—yet in 2022, the company received multiple reports of the watch’s battery overheating. Some users experienced burns and Fitbit issued a voluntary recall of the Ionic smartwatches that included giving full refunds to customers. Hopefully they’ve learned their lesson from their products!
Xiaomi M365 Electric Scooter
The Xiaomi M365 electric scooter used to be a rather convenient way to travel in the city until a major safety flaw came to light—the folding mechanism could fail during use and cause riders to crash! Xiaomi initiated a recall for thousands of specific versions of this scooter & pulled them from stores. However, the problem only affected a particular model so you may still be able to buy the safe versions of the M365.
GoPro Karma Drone
GoPro tried to enter the drone market with the Karma Drone, with the aim of creating an immersive filming experience, until problems emerged after its release. Users reported that drones were losing power mid-flight and plummeting from the sky—the issue was traced to a faulty battery latch that caused power loss during operation. GoPro issued a full recall & pulled all units from stores while offering customers refunds or replacements.
Nvidia Shield Tablets
Many gamers like the Nvidia Shield Tablet because of its excellent performance yet things took a turn when reports came out of the batteries overheating & posing a potential fire hazard. The problem affected tablets sold between July 2014 and July 2015—Nvidia didn’t take any chances. They recalled the affected units & pulled them from shelves, giving customers replacements with safer batteries.
HP Laptop Batteries
HP faced a significant issue when laptop batteries in the HP ProBooks and ZBooks lines began overheating, creating fire and burn hazards. As such, HP initiated a worldwide recall and pulled the impacted laptops from retailers, while also providing a battery validation utility on their website. They gave free battery replacements for any laptops affected by the issues.
Microsoft Surface Pro Power Cords
Users of the Microsoft Surface Pro noticed that the power cords began overheating and, in some cases, this led to melting or charring. It particularly affected devices sold before March 15, 2015, and Microsoft issued a recall for the faulty AC power cords. They also advised customers to unplug & exchange them for new, safer cords provided at no cost.
Apple MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2015)
Apple discovered that certain 15-inch MacBook Pro units sold between September 2015 and February 2017 had batteries that could overheat and potentially catch fire. In fact, the FAA even banned this specific model from flights because they were so dangerous! Apple later announced a recall of the affected laptops while also offering free battery replacements, warning customers to stop using the laptops until the batteries could be replaced.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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