Thule Sprint Recall

IMPORTANT SAFETY WARNING
Stop using your Thule Sprint bike carrier.


SAFETY RECALL NOTICE
May 30, 2016
Dear Thule Sprint bike carrier customer: 

This notice is being sent in accordance with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act.

The Thule Group has determined that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists with all Thule Sprint bike carriers with product numbers 528,569 and 569000, sold since its launch in December 2013.

 

IMPORTANT!

We are instructing consumers to stop using all Thule Sprint bike carriers with product numbers 528, 569 and 569000 that were produced before August of 2016 and to visit the Thule website to arrange for return of your existing carrier and register for a replacement carrier. As of Oct 2017, Thule no longer manufactures the Sprint carrier so consumers will be able to choose an alternate carrier as a replacement.

 

At the Thule Group we take quality very seriously and product safety is our top priority. Unfortunately, we have identified an issue in the clamping mechanism of the Thule Sprint roof mounted bike carrier. The issue can cause the clamping mechanism, which is intended to secure the bike fork to the carrier, to fail. This could lead to the bike not being properly secured to the carrier and the bike coming loose from the carrier during transport.

The issue can be identified when tightening the torque limiting knob on the front of the carrier by noticing that the fork skewers do not properly clamp around the bike fork dropouts. The torque knob can be perceived to be properly tightened, as the user will hear an audible click intended to signify the appropriate clamping pressure, but in an unremediated unit, the bike carrier skewers will not have tightened sufficiently. Moreover, the push block can crack during tightening of the torque knob, but if fatigued it can also crack during driving leading to a failure of the clamping mechanism.

No personal injuries have been reported but the Thule Group is taking this action out of an abundance of caution.

As safety is our highest priority we have therefore decided to withdraw the following products from the market:

Thule Sprint roof mounted bike carrier Product number: 528

Thule Sprint roof mounted bike carrier Product number: 569

Thule Sprint roof mounted bike carrier Product number: 569000

What should you do with your Thule Sprint bike carrier?

Due to the issue with the clamping mechanism you should not use the product. You should visit the Thule website to arrange for a return of your existing carrier and to register for a replacement product or contact Thule to discuss alternative options consistent with the recall campaign. Please be advised that you will not be charged anything in connection with this recall. If you have incurred any cost for remedies in advance of this notice please contact Thule for reimbursement. Reasonable supporting documentation will be requested.

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact Thule’s customer service department at (844) 361-8939. If we fail to or are unable to remedy the issue at no charge within a reasonable amount of time, you may submit a complaint to the Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave, SE, Washington, DC 20590 or call the toll free Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY: 1–800–424–9153); or go to http://www.safercar.gov.

We appreciate your patience and co-operation during this recall and we apologize for any inconvenience. We hope to have the opportunity to keep you as a valued customer by correcting this issue for you.

Sincerely,
Thule Group