Yikes! First rope recall I can remember. I quess that's a good thing.

How does CPSC get involved in ropes? I can't believe they routinely test, say, 100 ropes in a UIAA drop rig. The notice says the rope may not hold 5 falls. So, they hold, what, maybe 4 UIAA falls? Again, how would CPSC know?

I think these things almost always start with a consumer complaint, usually when the consumer doesn't feel the company is respecting and taking care of the concern. I haven't heard of any ropes breaking, but the complaint might easily have been about excessively rapid wear or sheath issues whch then lead to an investigation.