WASHINGTON (BRAIN) — Shimano says 760,000 11-speed Hollowtech road cranksets will need to be inspected for signs of delamination. The affected cranks — Dura-Ace and Ultegra models manufactured prior to July 2019 — can separate and break; the company has received reports of 4,519 incidents of cranksets separating, and six reported injuries, including bone fractures, joint displacement and lacerations.
The cranks were sold by dealers as aftermarket and OE components from January 2012 through August 2023 for between $270 and $1,500.
Reports of the cranks' failures have been widely reported on social media and cycling sites, including VeloNews. Asked why it took so long to issue a recall, Shimano told BRAIN, "Shimano monitors any warranty issues that arise with all products. We are not able to go into the specifics of the process and timing with CPSC."
Consumers with cranks with production codes that match the recall are being told to visit a bike dealer for inspection. Consumers with cranks with the codes and which show signs of bonding separation or delamination will be given a replacement crank and installation. The company told BRAIN it expects fewer than 1% of the inspected cranks will require replacement.
Shimano has manufactured special recall replacement cranks that are based on 12-speed crank arms with special chainrings to work with 11-speed drivetrains. The special chainrings will be available from Shimano for replacement when they wear out. Some replacement crank lengths and chainring combinations will be unavailable. For example, some Ultegra cranksets with 53-39 chainrings will be replaced with 52-36 chainrings. Dura-Ace 180mm cranks will be replaced with 177.5mm cranks. There are other substitutions in a "Substitution Details" document that retailers can access.
If the consumer has purchased an affected crank with a third-party power meter installed, such as a Stages, Pioneer or 4iiii power meter, Shimano will accept the crank back and return a new crank without a power meter and compensate the consumer. The compensation rates start at $300 for a single non-drive side power meter to $500 for a dual-sided meter.
The replacement right side cranks are not compatible with the spindles of the original 11-speed left cranks.
The replacement cranks will start shipping the week of Oct. 10. The company said it will ship replacement cranks to retailers after Shimano receives the old crankset and confirms it is eligible for replacement (Shimano reserved the option to return cranks that it does not deem eligible). It said when the replacement cranksets are in stock, the total process will take 10 days or less.
Retailers who are eligible to participate and opt-in are being compensated $75 in the U.S. and CA$100 for Canadian retailers per qualified inspection and documentation.
Retailers who have made over $5,000 in direct purchases from Shimano in the last 12 months will be identified as authorized inspection locations on Shimano's retailer locator. Participating retailers are being trained on the inspection procedure on the SHIMANO T.E.C. B2B education platform. Inspection includes identifying if the crankset is affected by the recall, removal, cleaning, and inspection of affected cranksets as well as the assembly or installation of existing or replacement cranksets and front derailleurs.
Shimano is working with the Consumer Product Safety Commission and Canadian authorities on the voluntary recall. The company sold 680,000 of the cranks in the U.S. and 80,000 in Canada. Asked if Shimano was recalling the cranks in other markets, Shimano said, "The corrective action is global, but implementation varies by region based on specific requirements and dates."
The recalled models have printed "Ultegra" or "Dura-Ace" logos on the arm. The affected models are pre-July 2019 production and have the following two-letter production code on backside of the crank arm where the pedals are attached: KF, KG, KH, KI, KJ, KK, KL, LA, LB, LC, LD, LE, LF, LG, LH, LI, LJ, LK, LL, MA, MB, MC, MD, ME, MF, MG, MH, MI, MJ, MK, ML, NA, NB, NC, ND, NE, NF, NG, NH, NI, NJ, NK, NL, OA, OB, OC, OD, OE, OF, OG, OH, OI, OJ, OK, OL, PA, PB, PC, PD, PE, PF, PG, PH, PI, PJ, PK, PL, QA, QB, QC, QD, QE, QF, QG, QH, QI, QJ, QK, QL, RA, RB, RC, RD, RE, and RF.
The recalled model codes are ULTEGRA FC-6800, FC-R8000, DURA-ACE FC-9000, FC-R9100, and FC-R9100 P.
