Walmart is recalling nearly 18,000 Swagtron electric scooters due to serious fire and safety hazards linked to their lithium-ion batteries. Reports have surfaced regarding the SG-5 Swagger 5 Boost batteries overheating, smoking, melting, or igniting, which is alarming for consumers who rely on electric bikes and rideables for transportation. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has documented seven incidents, including one fire that led to burn injuries and significant property damage.
This recall affects approximately 17,970 SG-5 Swagger 5 Boost units sold at Walmart and Sam’s Club between May 2018 and October 2024. Customers will receive emails with instructions for obtaining a full refund. The affected models — SWGR5-V2-SLV, SWGR5-V2-2, SG5 Boost, SG-5S, 96262-2, 96262-9, SG-5S, and 96560-2 — are priced between $175 and $450, with their model numbers located on the side of the scooter deck.
Interestingly, Swagtron, which sold the SG-5 Swagger 5 Boost directly from its website, has not issued a recall for this scooter. The CPSC has indicated that Swagtron has ignored multiple requests for a recall and information about the product. We have reached out to Swagtron for a comment regarding these serious safety concerns.
Consumers are urged to immediately stop using and charging the recalled electric scooters. The CPSC recommends cutting the throttle cord and disposing of the entire product according to local and state hazardous waste disposal guidelines.
This recall follows a previous warning from the CPSC in October, advising customers to stop using SG-5 Swagger 5 Boost scooters purchased from various retailers, including Tractor Supply, Best Buy, Walmart, Sam’s Club, Amazon, eBay, and Swagtron’s website since 2019. At that time, the CPSC reported 139 additional incidents of fire or thermal events involving other Swagtron products and criticized the company for not providing adequate safety information.
Swagtron, formerly known as Swagway, initially gained popularity for its hoverboards. The company ventured into the electric scooter market in 2016, coinciding with a CPSC recall of 267,000 hoverboards due to similar battery fire risks.
