People’s Nordictrack Rowing Machines Keep Catching on Fire

I have some unfortunate news for people who loved their NordicTrack’s spontaneous combustion feature: it wasn’t actually supposed to do that, and now thousands of rowing machines are being recalled.

More than 44,000 RW900 rowing machines sold between 2018 and 2022 are being recalled because the screen console has a tendency to overheat and, in some cases, ignite.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued the recall on October 16, 2025, following eight reported incidents. There were six instances of the screens emitting smoke or melting, and two where they straight-up caught fire. Total property damage so far totals at least $6,000. Thankfully, no casualties.

The affected models include NTRW19147.0 through NTRW19147.3. You’ll find that number on a sticker near the machine’s base. These machines were sold online and in stores at places like Amazon, Best Buy, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and directly from NordicTrack’s site.

NordicTrack, owned by iFIT Inc., is offering a free home repair, but with a catch: only their trained technicians can do the fix. So no, you can’t swap out the console with a screwdriver and a YouTube tutorial. You’ll need to contact them online or by calling 833-680-4348 to schedule the repair.

This isn’t NordicTrack’s first go around with malfunctioning hardware. In 2024, they recalled dumbbells that responded to voice commands… until they just stopped responding one day. No one needed to make dumbbells smart, and no one needed workout equipment they could talk to, let alone workout equipment that would ghost them. It’s got to sting when not even workout equipment will talk to you anymore.

American men are in the midst of a loneliness epidemic, but surely we can find them someone to speak to other than a set of weights.