Warning on ellipticals

Stamina Products has issued a voluntary recall concerning three of its elliptical exercisers because the pedal shafts could come loose from the cranks, posing a safety hazard when the user is working out.

That problem was identified in a July 2009 Consumer Reports article on two models, the Stamina 1725 and similar Stamina 1772. A third model, the 1723, which we did not test, was also affected. The machines were sold from October 2007 to May 2009 for about $200 to $400.

The remedy provided by Stamina was to modify the owner's manual for those models with more detailed assembly instructions and a warning. No action was taken to modify the models that were already sold. But the burden remains on the consumer to ensure the pedal shafts remain tight, which we believe is an unreasonable expectation. Therefore, we retain our recommendation of Don't Buy: Safety Risk for the models tested. For more information on the recalled elliptical exercisers, you can contact Stamina at 800-375-7520.