Homelite electric blower vacuums

CPSC Recall #15-111 — April 16, 2015

Recall Summary

Recall Number15-111
Recall DateApril 16, 2015
Remedy TypeRefund
Units AffectedAbout 823,000 in the United States and 41,000 in Canada. (Models UT42120 and UT42120A of this product were previously recalled in February 2013.)
Manufactured InChina

Where It Was Sold

Home Depot and Direct Tools Factory Outlets stores nationwide and online at www.homedepot.com from January 2010 through March 2015 for about $40.

Product

Homelite electric blower vacuums

Description

The blower vacuum can overheat, spark and catch on fire posing fire and burn hazards.

Hazard

The blower vacuum can overheat, spark and catch on fire posing fire and burn hazards.

Incidents & Injuries

Homelite has received 1,369 reports of blower vacuums sparking, arcing, smoking or burning, including one report of minor injury.

Remedy Instructions

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled blower vacuums and return them to any Home Depot or Direct Tools Factory Outlet store for a full refund.

What Should You Do?

Stop using this product immediately. Contact the manufacturer for a Refund at no charge. If you experienced an injury, report it at SaferProducts.gov.

Frequently Asked Questions

Follow the consumer action instructions in the recall notice above. Most recalls require you to stop using the product and contact the manufacturer directly — either by calling the toll-free number listed in the official CPSC notice or by visiting the manufacturer's website. You generally do not need a receipt or original packaging to claim a remedy. The manufacturer is legally required to provide the remedy (Refund) at no cost to you.

If the product caused a fire or burn injury, document the incident with photos and preserve the product if it is safe to do so. Report the incident to the CPSC at SaferProducts.gov and to your local fire department. Contact the manufacturer to inform them of the incident — they are required to track and report injuries to CPSC. You may also want to consult a personal injury attorney, as fire and burn injuries caused by defective products can be grounds for a product liability claim against the manufacturer.

In most cases, no. CPSC-coordinated recall remedies are designed to be accessible without proof of purchase. Manufacturers typically ask consumers to self-certify ownership and may ask for photos of the product or its serial number. Some manufacturers request that you mail in a portion of the product (such as a cut cord or removed component) as proof of disposal. Check the specific remedy instructions for this recall for exact requirements. If you registered your product at the time of purchase, the process is usually even simpler.

If the original manufacturer has gone out of business, the recall remedy may no longer be available through them. In this case, contact CPSC directly at 1-800-638-2772 or cpsc.gov for guidance. If the brand was acquired by another company, the acquiring company may have assumed recall obligations. In some cases where a remedy is unavailable, CPSC advises consumers to safely dispose of the product. If you were injured by the product of a defunct company, consult a product liability attorney — parent companies, distributors, and retailers may still bear liability in some circumstances.