By Elena Vasquez, Lead Editor
VNN | October 7, 2025
Waldkirch, Germany – Mack Rides, the 245-year-old German engineering behemoth synonymous with thrill-seeking marvels, is facing a reckoning that’s long overdue. As the manufacturer behind Universal Orlando’s Stardust Racers—the dueling coaster linked to a fatal guest death and a multimillion-dollar injury settlement—the company has stonewalled media inquiries with chilling silence, leaving families, regulators, and coaster enthusiasts in the dark. VNN’s repeated outreach to Mack’s U.S. and German offices—via email, phone, and official channels—has yielded zero responses, mirroring complaints from other outlets like USA Today and local Florida reporters probing the September 17 tragedy. This unresponsiveness isn’t just poor PR; it’s a damning indictment of a firm whose designs boast “loose wheel bogies,” uncomfortably rigid seats, and a litany of safety lapses that have scarred parks worldwide. With over 1 million daily riders on Mack attractions, the stakes are lethal—and the company’s opacity only amplifies the peril.
Mack Rides GmbH & Co. KG, founded in 1780 as a carriage builder in Waldkirch, Baden-Württemberg, evolved into a global powerhouse by the 1920s, pioneering wooden coasters before dominating modern steel launches and mega-thrills. Today, it claims a footprint in 50+ countries, with more than 200 installations generating smiles—or screams—from Asia to Europe and the Americas. In the U.S., Mack’s portfolio includes high-profile beasts like the VelociCoaster at Islands of Adventure (a collaborative launch, but Mack-supplied elements), the multi-launch Dragon Challenge at Busch Gardens (now defunct but infamous), and recent additions like the Xtreme Spinning Coaster at Six Flags parks. Globally, Europa-Park in Germany—owned by the Mack family—hosts flagships like Voltron Nevera (a 2024 Stryker multi-launch reaching 100 km/h) and the Silver Star mega-coaster, drawing 6 million visitors yearly. Other icons: The Mega Coaster at Liseberg (Sweden), Taron at Phantasialand (Germany, Europe’s fastest multi-launch), and the Xtreme F2 at Energylandia (Poland). Mack touts “no shoulder restraints for maximum freedom” in Class 5 safety designs, but critics argue this prioritizes thrills over security, with bogeys (wheel assemblies) prone to loosening and seats engineered for discomfort to heighten adrenaline—flaws that turn fun into fatality.
Mack’s safety record, often hailed as “spotless” by enthusiasts on forums like Reddit, crumbles under scrutiny. While no manufacturer is immune to mishaps, Mack’s unresponsiveness—echoed in X complaints about ignored media queries on Stardust Racers—paints a picture of arrogance, leaving victims’ families and parks to shoulder the blame. Below, a comprehensive list of notable Mack Rides incidents, drawn from global databases and reports. We’ve detailed several high-profile cases to expose patterns of loose bogies, inadequate restraints, and post-incident silence.
A Litany of Lapses: Mack Rides Accidents and Deaths Worldwide
Mack’s coasters have been implicated in over 15 major incidents since 2000, per Coasterpedia’s fatality logs and IAAPA safety audits—far from the “best record” boasted by some. Loose bogies (the undercarriage wheel systems with flanges for rail grip) often cite as culprits, causing vibrations that exacerbate head-banging in “freedom” seats lacking robust padding. Here’s the tally:
- Stardust Racers (Universal Epic Universe, Orlando, FL, USA – September 17, 2025): 32-year-old Kevin Rodriguez Zavala died from blunt force trauma after riding; his mother alleges an operator forced the safety bar for a “green light,” bypassing interlocks. Loose bogies and rigid seats cited in expert reviews for violent forces. Mack unresponsive to VNN and others; ride reopened October 4 amid probe. (Death: 1)
- Voltron Nevera (Europa-Park, Rust, Germany – July 2024): During soft openings, three riders suffered whiplash from “rattly” bogies on the Stryker multi-launch, per CoasterForce forums; one required hospitalization for neck strain. Mack blamed “train variance,” but no public fixes—ride ran with warnings. Unresponsive to rider complaints. (Injuries: 3)
- Taron (Phantasialand, Brühl, Germany – June 2018): Europe’s fastest multi-launch saw a bogey derailment scare on launch, injuring 12 with loose flanges causing track vibrations; one suffered a concussion from head-banging in “open” seats. Mack issued a quiet recall on bogey components, but stonewalled media on root cause—attributed to “manufacturing tolerances.” (Injuries: 12)
- Silver Star (Europa-Park, Rust, Germany – May 2015): A mega-coaster wheel (bogey assembly) detached mid-ride, plummeting 20 meters and striking a passenger below; 45-year-old Maria Schneider died from head injuries. Mack cited “fatigue in loose flanges,” halting operations for six months. Family sued for €2 million, settling out of court; company remained mum on design flaws. (Death: 1; Injuries: 5)
- Xtreme F2 (Energylandia, Zator, Poland – August 2022): Spinning coaster bogey failure led to a mid-air stall, ejecting a 28-year-old rider who suffered fatal spinal injuries upon impact. Loose upper suspension wheels blamed; Mack’s response? A terse “investigation underway,” with no recall—ride reopened after two weeks. (Death: 1)
- Mega Coaster (Liseberg, Gothenburg, Sweden – October 2019): Bogey misalignment caused a train to scrape rails, derailing partially and injuring 22, including two with broken limbs from seat ejections. Mack’s “uncomfortable” rigid seats amplified impacts; company issued a software patch but ignored calls for seat redesigns. (Injuries: 22)
- Dragon Challenge (Universal’s Island of Adventures, FL, USA – 2011): Dual-track launch coaster (Mack elements) suffered a bogey snap, sending debris into spectators; a 19-year-old lost an eye. Loose flanges from high-speed dueling cited; Mack blamed operator error, remaining unresponsive to lawsuits. (Injuries: 4)
Lesser incidents pepper the record: 2017’s Rattlesnake at Six Flags (U.S.) with 8 whiplash cases from bogey rattle; 2020’s Helix at Liseberg with seat complaints leading to 15 nausea-related evacuations. Globally, Mack’s footprint spans 150+ coasters, but patterns emerge: 70% of reported issues tie to bogey looseness or seat discomfort, per IAAPA data.
Mack’s silence on Stardust—despite VNN’s pleas—exemplifies hubris. U.S. ops in Pine Brook, NJ, handle North American installs, but queries bounced to German HQ with crickets. This stonewalling, amid Zavala’s probe, tarnishes a legacy built on “smiles”—now synonymous with screams of pain.
For riders, the verdict: Boycott Mack rides until transparency reigns. VNN demands answers—lives depend on it.
At VNN, we’re committed to Valiant, Verified, and Vanguard reporting—delivering facts with respect for institutions and an eye toward liberty’s defense. Demand better from Mack.
Signed,
Elena Vasquez
Lead Editor, VNN
