Shimano issues stop riding and recall notice on Pro Vibe alloy stems

Shimano Europe has issued stop riding notice on all its PRO Vibe alloy stems sold since May 2020, and is offering a recall.

The component company says that the Vibe stems "can develop cracks in particular conditions", and therefore its distributors across the continent are facilitating recalls. 

22 products are listed, in a variety of sizes and pitches. PRO is a brand owned by the Japanese company.

The stop riding notice says: "The products affected by the recall are identifiable by the prominent silver ‘V’ branding on the faceplate of the stem and the forward-facing mounting bolts."

The named issue is that "corrosion can lead to cracks forming in the clamping area of the fork steerer tube".

The notice from Shimano reads: "If the crack is not detected by the user in time, it could grow until a complete separation of the stem. If this happens while riding, the user could lose control of the bicycle and fall, posing a risk of injury to the user in a crash."

The following products are affected:

PRSS0440 Vibe stem SB black           80mm / 31.8mm / -10 angle
PRSS0441 Vibe stem SB black            90mm / 31.8mm / -10 angle
PRSS0442 Vibe stem SB black           100mm / 31.8mm / -10 angle
PRSS0443 Vibe stem SB black           110mm / 31.8mm / -10 angle
PRSS0444 Vibe stem SB black           120mm / 31.8mm / -10 angle
PRSS0445 Vibe stem SB black           130mm / 31.8mm / -10 angle
PRSS0461 Vibe stem SB black            90mm / 31.8mm / -17 angle
PRSS0462 Vibe stem SB black           100mm / 31.8mm / -17 angle
PRSS0463 Vibe stem SB black           110mm / 31.8mm / -17 angle
PRSS0464 Vibe stem SB black           120mm / 31.8mm / -17 angle
PRSS0465 Vibe stem SB black           130mm / 31.8mm / -17 angle
PRSS0450 Vibe stem 1 1/4 SB black      80mm / 31.8mm / -10 angle
PRSS0451 Vibe stem 1 1/4 SB black      90mm / 31.8mm / -10 angle
PRSS0452 Vibe stem 1 1/4 SB black      100mm / 31.8mm / -10 angle
PRSS0453 Vibe stem 1 1/4 SB black      110mm / 31.8mm / -10 angle
PRSS0454 Vibe stem 1 1/4 SB black      120mm / 31.8mm / -10 angle
PRSS0455 Vibe stem 1 1/4 SB black      130mm / 31.8mm / -10 angle
PRSS0471 Vibe stem 1 1/4 SB black       90mm / 31.8mm / -17 angle
PRSS0472 Vibe stem 1 1/4 SB black      100mm / 31.8mm / -17 angle
PRSS0473 Vibe stem 1 1/4 SB black      110mm / 31.8mm / -17 angle
PRSS0474 Vibe stem 1 1/4 SB black      120mm / 31.8mm / -17 angle
PRSS0475 Vibe stem 1 1/4 SB black      130mm / 31.8mm / -17 angle

For anyone with one of these stems purchased during or after May 2020, the advice is to stop using it immediately, and to contact the dealer from whom you purchased the product originally and return the affected product to them.

Dealers have been authorised to provide a replacement stem, depending on availability, or to offer a refund for the recalled product. The distributor in the UK is Madison.

It is just the above alloy stems that are affected; the corresponding carbon versions are not hazardous, and can continue to be used, as can all other PRO stems.