Life Fitness Elliptical Customer Feedback

by Lori N.
(Texas)

UPDATE: Please note some of the models below may be older or discontinued. To read our expert reviews of the latest Life Fitness elliptical trainers just click here.

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The good: The Life Fitness X7 elliptical gives you an excellent total body workout, a wide variety of programs, very comfortable stride spacing.

The bad: RELIABILITY!!!!! This is a $4000 machine. With very few exceptions, I believe you get what you pay for. This is one of the exceptions.

We have had this machine for just about three years and have already had it break twice. The first problem was with the stride adjustor. Our repair guy told us that Life Fitness knew this was an issue on this model and chose not to recall it.

Instead, they chose to let the customers incur the costs of getting it fixed. Ok, we did and thought now we'd have the quality machine we paid for.

Then yesterday, I was working out when I heard a loud bang coming from the flywheel area. And immediately, the resistance became very strong.

No matter what I did, the resistance stayed strong, even when I reduced it to level 1 on the advanced console. So now, whatever controls the resistance is broken.

As it's Sunday, will have to wait who knows how long to get someone out here to find out how much this repair will cost us.

To conclude, this machine is wonderful as long as you don't use it much!! Very disappointed and angry that a company with a stellar reputation like Life Fitness could put out such an inferior product like this.

I have looked at other sites to see if anyone else had these issues and found on Amazon 5 reviews. The ones who love it just bought it and the ones who hate it have also had it a couple of years and have found out how unreliable it is!!

I notice Life Fitness does not make the X7 anymore which tells me all I need to know.

Life Fitness X3 Elliptical User Comments

by Michael Drumm
(Eden, New York)

An ant has a lifespan of three years. So does a "Life" Fitness elliptical.

I purchased a Life Fitness X3 elliptical on 1/18/08. It came with a 3-year manufacturer's warranty. I could have purchased an elliptical for half the price I paid for the X3.

I bought what was represented to be "the best" because it was also reputed to be "gym/club quality." I used it an average of 10 times per month, for the next 3-years. Within 2-3 months after the warranty expired I began experiencing some glitches.

Over the next 2-3 months the glitches progressed to problems; and by 8/11 the elliptical was unusable. I contacted the retailer, and arranged for service.

The technician told me that the motor had failed, and that most of the internal cables were broken. He also told me that he sees this type of failure "regularly" with Life Fitness ellipticals and that it usually occurs shortly after the warranty expires.

If this elliptical were in a "gym" or "club," it would have lasted about a month. It cost me $462.75 to replace the motor & cables. I decided to contact Life Fitness, because some companies will stand behind their product, even when they are not required to (by a warranty).

That was when the lying began. Initially, the LF customer service supervisor (Mauro Raucci) told me that they would work with me to "reach an acceptable solution." (An encouraging lie.) He asked me to fax him the invoice for the repairs; which I did. After 3-weeks of silence, I e-mailed him again.

He responded that LF could not reimburse me because the repairs were not done by a LF trained & certified technician. After speaking with the technician who repaired my elliptical, I advised Mr. Raucci that the technician is indeed trained & certified by LF.

I even identified the individual from LF who trained him. No response. They had run out of lies. So, unless you're an ant, don't expect to stay fit for "life" with a "Life" Fitness elliptical.

Life Fitness X5 Elliptical - Key Pad Replacement Cost

by PF
(Atlanta, GA)

I paid about 3 grand for a Life Fitness X5 Elliptical about 4 years ago.

Since we've had it, there have been a number of technical problems with it, most recently a faulty key pad which they no longer support.

My total cost to fix it - $475. I don't appreciate being hung out to dry by Life Fitness and certainly would not recommend them.

Life Fitness X8 Elliptical User Comments

by Brett
(Laingsburg, MI, USA)

I purchased the Life Fitness X8 elliptical on 10/23/2010. It had a clicking noise in right rear. Serviceman replaced a coupler on 12/10/2010.

Heard more noise: serviceman on 4/20/2011 stated writing on belt causing noise. (I can live with that). However, noise again coming from right rear where coupler replaced.

I did extensive research before purchasing. I should've bought a Precor elliptical trainer instead.