Bowflex Max Trainer M3

SaferProducts.gov consumer incident report 20260220-76EB3-2147323392. Severity: Incident, No Injury. Product: Bowflex (currently owned by Johnson Health Tech) Max Trainer M3 (Brand: Bowflex (currently owned by Johnson Health Tech) Model: Max Trainer M3 Serial Number: 100580PRO20091775 Category: Exercise Equipment / Elliptical-Stepper Hybrid). Incident: 1. What happened that made you want to report? During a standard cardiovascular workout, a factory-installed internal drive bolt (part of the upper drive pulley/crank assembly) suffered a catastrophic mechanical shear. The bolt snapped completely in half while the machine was in motion. This caused an immediate loss of resistance and structural instability, nearly causing a fall. Upon inspection, the bolt shows signs of metal fatigue/failure. The current brand owner, Johnson Health Tech, has been notified but has explicitly refused to acknowledge the safety hazard or provide a remedy. 2. What type of product(s) were being used? Brand: Bowflex (currently owned by Johnson Health Tech) Model: Max Trainer M3 Serial Number: 100580PRO20091775 Category: Exercise Equipment / Elliptical-Stepper Hybrid 3. Who was using the product(s)? A 55-year-old male. 4. How were the product(s) being used? The product was being used exactly as intended for a standard low-impact interval workout. The machine was placed on a level surface and operated within the manufacturer's specified weight limits and speed recommendations. 5. Were there any injuries that happened or may have happened? While no physical injury occurred this time, a significant injury was narrowly avoided. A structural failure of a moving part while a user is at peak exertion creates an immediate risk of a high-impact fall, joint hyperextension, or blunt force trauma if the leg assembly becomes detached. 6. How did any injuries occur? N/A (Potential injury would result from the user losing balance or the machine's moving arms/legs