Wheelchair speed control dials are being recalled after nearly 650 customers complained of a fault, including three that sustained serious injuries, according to an announcement by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday.

Max Mobility, LLC, is recalling a speed control dial component used with the Permobil SmartDrive MX2+ Power Assist Device on MX2-3DCK/MX2-3DC wheelchairs. The component was sold between August 17, 2023, and November 21, 2024.

The company contacted its customers via email on December 20, 2024, after it received 646 complaints including three from individuals who reported fractures of the hip, leg and ankle, respectively.

Newsweek has contacted Permobil for comment via email.

Max Mobility told its customers that it had “identified a material change with the printed circuit board assembly” in the speed control dial, “resulting in inconsistent performance issues” that would be corrected with a redesign.

The FDA said these issues had caused potential safety and performance concerns that put customers at risk of serious injury.

The faults are such that a wheelchair could continue to drive, start moving, suddenly stop moving or fail to start moving, against the wishes of the user.

This could result in skin irritation, minor cuts and bruises, or serious injuries, such as muscle or ligament strains and tears, bone fractures and even concussion.

The speed control dial also poses a risk to individuals standing or sitting nearby, who could sustain serious injuries such as fractures or concussions if hit by a faulty wheelchair.

The nationwide recall was announced voluntarily by Max Mobility on January 14. It does not affect SmartDrive power assist devices connected to the speed control dial.

Customers are being advised to request a replacement speed control dial unit via the Permobil website at https://hub.permobil.com/smartdrive-scd-voluntary-field-action.

They can also ring the Max Mobility and Permobil technical support team at (800) 736-0925 from Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CT.

Permobil has said it expects to begin shipping redesigned speed control dials in mid-January 2025.

Once customers receive a replacement, the company has advised them to dispose of their old speed control dials.

Other recent product recalls include the nationwide recall of approximately 230,000 red dot sights on firearms because of non-compliance with federal safety regulations for child-resistant packaging and proper warning labels.

There have also been multiple recent food recalls, including a barbecue sauce that contains undeclared allergens, a spice powder that may be contaminated with lead and yogurt potentially contaminated with plastic.

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