Tern issued a recall in the USA last year after two frame failures. There are at least 6 frame failures in the UK since Dec 2013 with no formal response from Tern. This topic has been discussed extensively on Tern's site ( Tern Link D8 frame shearing in two | Tern Folding Bike and Folding Bicycle Accessories | United States ), however the discussion must move here for a few reasons:

1. In early April Tern made the forum private ( you must register ), and registration is very difficult....it took me 15 min.
2. They have disabled email other member option.
3. Their site was down last night for an extended period.
4. The pulled the USA recall notice from their site, and will probably pull the forum soon. I imagine it will be spun as a site redevelopment project.

Please share ideas and solutions for people affected.

I have contacted the CPSC, and bicycle retailer. I expect a story on this matter to be published shortly.

Thanks,
Yan

Will watch as you mention how the warrantee claim & service Thru your Retail shop, is working in your situation ..

We are far from perfect and you are welcome to start a thread about the Downtube. However we are far from having 8 catastrophic frame failures with multiple rider concussions and hospitalizations...while doing nothing.

Thanks,
Yan

so you are the dealer ? Importer ? factory rep ? another member of the Hon family ?

I design the Downtube folding bike. I found out about these faults 3 months ago. I sat and watched the Tern forum for two months. I lost my cool last month and started posting as bikerrrguy. Another month has passed....nothing from Tern ( as usual ).

Thanks,
Yan

Yan is the Owner of Downtube folding bikes. A competitor in other words.
He had some tiff with Josh Hon (Dahon at that time ) couple years back who stoped selling bikes to him.
Now, Yan finds it necessary to post here and on the Tern forum, disguist as "bikerguy"

Thor

Ah "design", then like so much of the bike biz gets some un named factory to make it ,

do your workers live in their own houses, with a decent salary ? or just Dormitories ?

fietsbob - 3 posts so far...all seem to be distractions from the point. Moving forward please stay on topic or I will not respond.

Thor - Good luck with your nonsense conspiracy theories..... Tern must fine because Yan is a competitor. Or better is the argument that goes " all the customers with frame failures purchased Bromptons so it is a Brompton conspiracy".

Everyone has been more than patient waiting for a resolution, the only logical resolution is through legal channels. 8 catastrophic frame failures say enough.

Thanks,
Yan

Hi Yan, is that your website in your signature?

Yes

Thanks
Yan

Moved from Folding Bikes to Recalls.

This is a legitimate recall in the US. Stile Products Recalls Tern Folding Bicycles Due to Fall Hazard | CPSC.gov

actually that is a previous recall with an entirely different line of products. This one that OP started seems to only be affecting the UK Link Models. Which might have been a bad batch that went out of the factory, we haven't seen any reports of it in any north america batches.

A Verge X-10 was reported snapped in half today on the TERN forum .. 140lb rider ..

wow i just read that now since you mentioned it! scary stuff and that's another one in the UK! as long as I don't see any in north america it's still going to be my daily commuter.

The Tern interests are quick to attack the messenger instead of addressing the issue. Not nice.

new Tern recall dated June 24, 2014: Stile Products Recalls Tern Folding Bicycles Due to Fall Hazard; Frames Can Crack | CPSC.gov

2014 Link/OCL Limited Voluntary Recall | Tern Folding Bike and Folding Bicycle Accessories | Worldwide

now its finally also official for the USA. Took a little longer for CPSC to get going, one reason might have been that there is NO broken frame in the USA.
In any way
Tern and the Tern USA Dealers want to make this as smooth as possible. I am working out a few details with Tern USA as we speak.

It looks like that there are a couple ways to do this.

Buy a complete new bike:
Link D8 $ 100
Link Node D 8 for $ 150
Verge P 9 for $ 300
after you get the bike Tern will pay the return freight for the old bike. ( I am sure you can keep bits and pieces of your old bike, like wheels, seatpost saddle etc etc )

Or
bring the bike to your dealer and he will get a new frame, will transfer the parts, and you arer back on the road ...

Or for ThorUSA customers.... ship it back to me and get it done presto ... ( as I said Ia m working on details for shipping cost etc )

In the meantime there is the opportunity to get a loaner bike , but only in cases where it is absolutely necessary ..i.e. goin to work and habe no other means to get there
------------

If you have a Link Uno, Link D 7i, Link D 8, Link P 7i, Link P 9 or a Link P 24h, please check your frame number ( under the bottom bracket )

AI1133-AI1137 or AI1151-AI1213

if your bike has one of those frame numbers, it MIGHT be affected by the recall, if not you are ok and you can ride your bike without problems.

so lets assume that your bike has a frame number in the above series of bikes produced before April 2012 than please fill in the form on the website In order to fill in the form you need to find the sticker on the seattube with the service tag number. Please write it down and fill out the form above. Again not all frame numbers are affected, Tern will respond rather quickly to the form and will let you know.


Thanks Thor

So, by the frame numbers, this is a recall for less than 70 bikes, total...?

I am strictly talking USA here ..cant talk for the rest of the world ... They should send in the form even if they dont fit into the frame numbers, whenever their frame number starts with AI

thor

How did you conclude it is for 70 bikes?

Thanks
Yan

I believe mconlonx's estimate is based on:

AI1133-AI1137 = 5 bikes
AI1151-AI1213 = 63 bikes

-HANK RYAN-
Norman, Oklahoma USA

Is that list just for Thor's business or the ENTIRE US or North America? if it's for the entire US that explains why no one's ever heard any reports of broken frames and they sent most of that faulty batch to the UK.

The US recall is for the entire USA. So is the statement that there is not one broken frame in the USA as far as I know and as far as the Tern USA or Tern itself knows about.
The frame numbers given is all the frames which got imported to the USA which MIGHT be affected. I do not know the frame numbers for the rest of the world ...
Meaning :
If you bought the bike in the USA ... and your frame number is not listed than you dont need to worry.
If you bought the bike elsewhere and your frame number starts with AI than you need to fill in the form and you will get a message back from Tern if your bike is fine or needs to be replaced.

I send 2 emails to all my USA customers and besides one bike which ended up in South America, so far no reports of any problems. If somebody has a problem, than we are ready on guard to help immedeately.
The bike in South America gets replaced by a local dealer down there with the help of Tern.

As unfortunated the whole story is it certainly looks like Tern goes out of their way to help and will replace frames, or bikes without any fuss.

Happy Trails
thor

FYI. Tern frame number has 8 digits (AI1135xxxx), e.g AI11351234 (if anyone have different number pattern, feel free to correct me... )

thanks
mine has 8 digits as well AI1132.... i guess i will have to file.