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SRAM Announces Complete Recall of All Road Hydraulic Rim and Disc Brakes – Stop Use Immediately

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SRAM Announces Complete Recall of All Road Hydraulic Rim and Disc Brakes - Stop Use Immediately

SRAM Announces Complete Recall of All Road Hydraulic Rim and Disc Brakes - Stop Use Immediately

What initially began as a select recall due to performance issues on SRAM hydraulic road disc and rim brakes, has now evolved into a complete recall of all road hydraulic brakes across the board. Citing failures of the master cylinder seals at this past weekend’s cyclocross races in below freezing conditions, the resultant sudden loss of braking power was reported several times. No injuries have been reported, but the issues are prompting a recall of around 19,000 brakes systems with additional details soon to come.

Full statement after the break.

From SRAM:

UPDATE: SRAM Road Hydraulic Brake Recall – STOP USE IMMEDIATELY

On November 4th SRAM identified and announced a technical issue with respect to a narrow production range of its RED 22 and S-700 Hydraulic Road Brakes. At that time, it was described as a performance and safety concern with no reported failures in the field.

It has recently come to our attention that during last weekend’s Cyclocross racing in the US, in sub freezing temperatures, several failures were reported. In these conditions the master cylinder seals failed to hold pressure resulting in abrupt loss of brake power, and an inability to stop the bike. These failures are related to product that is outside the originally stated date code range and unrelated to the original failure mode. No injuries have been reported to date.

As a result of this new finding, SRAM requests that anyone who has a bike equipped with SRAM Hydraulic Disc or Hydraulic Rim Brakes stop using the bike immediately. All products shipped to date, and currently in the market or in inventory will be recalled.

Further, we are asking our Bike Brand customers, OE factories, Distributors and Dealers to cease all sales and shipments of SRAM RED 22 and S-700 Hydraulic Road Brakes. A total of approximately 19,000 brake systems have been shipped to date into the global market.

Quarantine efforts currently underway with Factories, Bike Brands, and Distributors will be broadened to include all Dealers with inventory on bikes, or as Aftermarket product. Additional information related to timing and replacement of product will be forthcoming.

As originally announced we have reported this issue to the US CPSC and will be cooperating with the agency to announce a Safety Recall. We will also be contacting and working closely with appropriate like agencies in Europe and globally.

SRAM engineering and manufacturing is committed to the highest Quality standards. On behalf of all employees at SRAM we apologize for the business disruption to our customers business and to the individuals who have placed their trust in our products.

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Zach
Zach
10 years ago

Hmm….should we be surprised?

vectorbug
vectorbug
10 years ago

Don’t ever judge yourself on your first try.

Haywood
Haywood
10 years ago

Lol, just stop making brakes guys.

jaybay
jaybay
10 years ago

Yikes… But I’m still racing mine tomorrow. Haven’t had any trouble in the last couple cold races. Fingers crossed…

dude
dude
10 years ago

and this is why we don’t rush things to market…

Drew Diller
10 years ago

And yet, if they didn’t do a recall, you guys are the same type that would be the same people crying “bad business practices!”

Typical.

I’m not a big fan of how SRAM prices their hardware, XX1 is a total rip considering it has fewer moving parts. But they’re doing the correct thing as a manufacturer here.

anon
anon
10 years ago

you think they’d have beta tested this for a season before releasing it

Surly Shawn
10 years ago

Below freezing? Isn’t this why my Moonlander came with mechanical disc brakes? I was under the impression that hydraulics were not made for such harsh conditions.

jenbe
jenbe
10 years ago

another good day at the shimano office 🙂

Hami
Hami
10 years ago

They were bursting eardrums on long decents

Pablo
Pablo
10 years ago

Where is the announcement of the Madone brake recall that went out today?

Dontstopbelieving
Dontstopbelieving
10 years ago

Don’t stop….Believing…in Sram? No I really like the product. I have been racing with the S-700 disks CX season. I love them. I did break the lever once in a ride and had to get it replaced. But SRAM stepped up and helped me out in time for the following weeks race. It stinks that these are being recalled. The past two races I have done have been in 15 degrees or less and I had no issues except for frozen hands. I am wondering what the replacement is going to be??? I like the SRAM, but would like to see a Shimano mechanical shifting version.

Butterfinger
Butterfinger
10 years ago

Shame sram never recalled the reverb for bursting under heavy load instead of replacing 90% all that I have sold or even had come into the shop. At least they are admitting fault here

McClain
McClain
10 years ago

Will all these brake recalls, how are we supposed to STOP these days!?
Back to U-Brakes I guess!

doop
10 years ago

At least SRAM & NASA have something in common:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_Challenger_disaster

Alex
Alex
10 years ago

Surly Shawn – Is that why my car has hydraulic disk brakes on it? Glad I got away with driving around Denver in sub zero temps this past week without crashing! Oh and those hydraulic lines on the 737 I flew on last week, glad they didn’t freeze up when I was landing at the airport after being subjected to -40c to -60c at 35k altitude.

Not trying to be a jerk, just pointing out that hydraulics work fine in a range of temperatures. Sounds like the sealing systems used on the SRAM brakes might not have the elasticity needed to handle colder temps while staying sealed. Small detail.

Cue Office Space Michael Bolton: “I must have put a decimal point in the wrong place or something. Sh1t! I always do that. I always mess up some mundane detail.”

Smee
10 years ago

First move for Sram! Back to the drawing board.
Second move, verify the product in all types of weather conditions:)

BEERTECH
BEERTECH
10 years ago

@Pablo – on bikeradar….

pierre
pierre
10 years ago

I fail to see how anyone can question the reliability and advantages of hydraulic brakes in this day and age, it is akin to the nonsense surrounding violin design. This is merely a product problem not a concept problem and I’m sure SRAM will have it fixed soon, that’s why they are one of the most popular manufacturers on the market. Wake up and smell the oil you luddites!

ve
ve
10 years ago

It’s a problem when your product availability is limited to failed designs.

TBONE
TBONE
10 years ago

Campagnolo.

Eyal
Eyal
10 years ago

@pierre I fail to understand how you can’t see that SRAM + others are using consumers to test this tech. Yes, it will be ready for prime time when It is rigorously tested by the pros. But hey be my guest, go be a lab rat.

Bill
Bill
10 years ago

This is going to cost SRAM a lot of money. I have had a recalled product from SRAM in the past (1st gen force caliper brakes) and the policy at the time was, go into the shop, show it to them, they got a new one sent to the shop 2 days later, and SRAM covered installation costs for them. Swapping out a mechanical brake at the shop takes 5 minutes and a new crimp end. Swapping out hydraulic SRAM road stuff is going to mean a bleed, etc. Shop cost is higher and if they are doing it right they’ll have to subsidize shops to install it.

It’s a great product to use though, the lever feel is fantastic, and realistically, if you’re going to break new ground with something, you hit a rock sometimes. It sounds in this case like a sourcing issue, since they have demonstrated before they know how to make solid hydro brake systems. Also, fwiw, I think I saw at least a dozen racers on these at our ~10 degree state championships and didn’t seem to see anyone complaining in the pit or in general. Problem is, if 1 in 100 fail even a little, that’s 190 potential law suits about something you knew could happen. It’s the right move.

bikedoctor
bikedoctor
10 years ago

Stop whining like little 8 year old girls and get out on your bikes and ride. I see recall issues every day, until you understand what goes into spearheading these new technologies shut your mouth.

CXisfun
CXisfun
10 years ago

@Bill: I’d be interested in knowing how “SRAM covered installation costs for them.” SRAM almost certainly didn’t send them a check, I’d put money on it. My guess is they did what they always do: toss a chain or two in there and let the shop sell them. Not exactly my idea of covering costs. Trust me, I’ve been on the shop side of dozens upon dozens of SRAM warranty issues….enough so that I have their service phone number memorized.

wheelz
wheelz
10 years ago

Darn. I was just about to pick up a new CX bike with SRAM Red 22 discs. Guess I won’t be able to actually ride it for a while. Come on Shimano, please some non-electronic road hydraulic discs soon!

PROEDGEBIKER.COM
10 years ago

SHIMANO FTMFW!

CXisfun
CXisfun
10 years ago

@Surly Shawn: hydraulics are used on Tucker SnoCats, I’m pretty sure riding your fat bike at -6*C doesn’t quite match up to what they face.

By the way, I have SLX brakes on my Pugs, worked fine all winter long on some darn cold rides.

surp
surp
10 years ago

Hmm.. seals failing under extreme cold temps? Reminders me of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. A small problem with huge implications.

anon
anon
10 years ago

why are so many people j*ing off shimano? did everybody forget that they just recalled some mechanical disc brakes? not only that, their hydros feel like garbage in below freezing temps.
and for the record, i hate avid hydros.
also, cxisfun is right, they toss in some chains every once in a while. that does not cover the labor cost when resizing hydraulic lines

Dave
Dave
10 years ago

Not even a little bit surprised, and I love Sram stuff except their brakes. Can we please get that Campy/Formula system that Colnago is using available aftermarket?

Collin
Collin
10 years ago

At a cross race a couple weeks ago up here in michigan in mid 20s a couple guys had their sram hydros go on them. It’s a real problem not some fluke. However sram is doing the right thing and the one time I had to deal with them they were great. I needed one sping inside one of my shifters that popped out when I was changing the cables on an xo. They said they didn’t have any so they just sent me a whole new shifter. Great work.

Ham Banana Jammer
Ham Banana Jammer
10 years ago

Their may be some terrible problem with them, but I knew roadies would freak out about disc brakes. My Sram mountain brakes would lose power suddenly down a hill all the time. Just pump them a bit and keep riding. My shop called them and they said the fluid was dissolving the seals and they wouldn’t warranty them. I feel that the following is true: 1 Hydraulic disc brakes are going to rub on the rotor sometimes. 2 You will feel inconsistencies in them when riding and bleeding may bring them back to life. 3 sometimes they just start to suck and they will never feel right again.

ccr
ccr
10 years ago

Oh wow! A big player in the industry tells us the next best thing to buy and it turns out to be a flop! Lets not even start on how a hydro brakes on a road bike overstops your contact patch and weighs more than sin….But hey! The magazines and web sites told me to buy it…

I’m all for inovation in this industry but you can smell it when companies push out something that it is for the good of the sport and something that’s for a quick buck.

It’s a hard balance. Make money. Make better cyclists. Make suckers drop their jaw. Make racer’s bikes better. I feel for this industry right now. All this stuff going on. It’s a shame…

mufies
mufies
10 years ago

i dont get you people. shit happens to all companies all the time. they publicly disclose the issue,fix it and replace everything cor free if they have a single doubt.

THIS my friends, is the level of support i expect from a good, dependable company.

the ones whod never ever recall anything simply dont disclose the issues to you.
in case you havent noticed, nobody had the issue with sram brakes yet, they’re being preventive.
when you complain about free premptive recalls – you are giving the message that its better to hide the defect and not tell customers. thats terrible.

for the record shimano does similar recalls.

muf
muf
10 years ago

So when a company does the right thing, discloses it, replaces for free, bash them quick!
Only passes the message that it’s better to hide defects. F*ing terrible.

For the record, Shimano also recall stuff every now and then for similar reasons.

Peter
Peter
10 years ago

Is it time for Sram to do a full recall on there Elixir mountain bike brakes Too? They just stop working all the time!
Only way to fix them is to fit Shimano or any none Sram Brake!

Sram do make some great gear! just not disc brakes!

gravity
gravity
10 years ago

@muf – SRAM makes terrible brakes. They always have, and the continue to. As I read the reactions, no one here is actually upset that SRAM recalled them, they’re upset that SRAM allowed this garbage to trickle out of China in the first place.

Jack
Jack
10 years ago

Total recall…..Cohaagennnnnnnn! Maybe they should cut to the chase and name their next product line Cohaagen.

greg
greg
10 years ago

1. they should have put whatever they had in their Juicys (NOT Elixirs, and obviously not what they ended up with) in this new caliper. better yet, they could have rebadged a juicy caliper and been done with it. those brakes had very few problems.
then again, i dont think it’s the design that is necessarily the problem, it’s the sweating of the details, testing to the extremes of real world conditions, and simply raising the bar. they could fire half their marketing department and nobody would notice. hire the same number of people in engineering, they may be able to turn things around.

saysalot
saysalot
10 years ago

when the essential function of the product fails. pos

SMW
SMW
10 years ago

SRAM …PFFFFF!!!! red neck gears !!!! for those you thick they pro riders!!!!

Mike
Mike
10 years ago

I was this close to using Red22 with the Hydro brakes on a new build . . . give me Campy SR and damn the dollars . . .

Mindless
Mindless
10 years ago

@Eyal: They had been testing this system for the last ten+ years on mountain bikes. And it sucked. I had Avid brakes twice, horrible reliability. Shimano had been bulletproof. So was Formula.
There is no magic. MTB riders knew all you need to know about SRAM brakes for a long time.

CXisfun
CXisfun
10 years ago

: it’s not the calipers that are the problem this time (surprisingly enough), all of the failures I have seen have been in seals in the lever. So simply adding a Juicy caliper still wouldn’t fix the issue.

dislivello
dislivello
10 years ago

Change hystory is not easy..now sram have resource gor survive?and people arund? Dealer mecannic oem..what thay do?

David
David
10 years ago

It’s fun to see how many people mock SRAM brakes without realizing it’s simply a quantity thing. They are one of the largest (if not the largest) disc brake manufacture in the world… The percent that have issues seems higher because there are simply more of them out there. It also seems easier for someone to piss and moan about something going wrong than to simply figure out why and fix it. I have a pair of these recall brakes… they are glorious! And I will patiently wait for SRAM to get me a new pair, I’ll instal them and everything will be glorious again. Or I guess I can be super negative about it and never use a SRAM product again but then I loose out on one of the better improvements in cross/road that’s come around. But what do I know? Ive only actually used these products that people are ragging on and been working in shops for the last 20 years. But that doesn’t really count for much on the internet, does it?

Alex
Alex
10 years ago

They were obviously designed in the summer.

If they’d designed them in the winter we wouldn’t be having these issues. 🙂

Topmounter
Topmounter
10 years ago

SRAM (into the wall)

gravity
gravity
10 years ago

David – I couldn’t disagree any more with your assessment. SRAM’s problems are absolutely a quality problem, and not a place of them being just SO POPULAR that we happen to see it fail more often. As far as OEM goes, I’m not sure who wins out, but I’m doubtful it’s SRAM. ‘Probably someone like Tektro (not an improvement). When we talk about brake failures, many of us are talking about SRAM’s high-end components, which ship in roughly equal numbers to Shimano. In fact, you see much MORE Shimano now, since companies like Trek and Giant have actually gone away from SRAM, as so many IBD’s are fed up with the constant warranty problems, the resulting angry customers, and SRAM’s pathetic “compensation” system, which usually includes them trying to pawn off one of their terrible mid-level chains (which neither shift well nor last very long).

You’re not “loosing” anything by not using SRAM, except for having to frequently repair, rebuild, and replace components. Time will tell, of course, but Shimano’s R875 is already shipping. It’s about ten-thousand times less ugly than SRAM’s lever, and unlike SRAM, it can actually shift! And then there’s the fact that no one really needs disc brakes in the first place, but whatever, that’s another conversation for a different time.

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