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Walk-Behind Mowers

CPSC Recall #02-242 — September 3, 2002

Recall Summary

Recall Number02-242
Recall DateSeptember 3, 2002
Remedy TypeReplace
Units AffectedAbout 36,000

Where It Was Sold

Lawn-Boy dealers
department and home center stores sold the mowers nationwide from February 2002 to August 2002 for between $250 and $580.

Product

Walk-Behind Mowers

Description

WASHINGTON, D.C. - In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Lawn-Boy Inc., of Bloomington, Minn., is voluntarily recalling about 36,000 Lawn-Boy walk-behind mowers. The vendor who manufactured the mulch plates for Lawn-Boy used the wrong material, making the plates brittle and easy to crack or break if struck by a stone or stick while mowing. Objects coming through a broken plate or pieces of the plate could possibly injure the operator or bystanders.Lawn-Boy has received five reports of broken mulch plates. No injuries or property damage have been reported.The recall includes 21-inch Lawn Boy Easy Mulch Silver, Silver Pro and GoldPro Series walk-behind lawn mowers. The mowers have the words "EASY MULCH" printed on the top of the mulch cover plate in bold black letters. A model and serial plate is located on the right rear of the mower housing. Model NumbersSerial Numbers1024710247C (Int'l)103231032410324C (Int'l)1036010360C (Int'l)10361104241055010552220004832-220009307220000001-220000899220012370-220022449220004926-220015029220000001-220000300220002506-220004005220000001-220000300220003798-220005795220001738-220003521220001896-220005900220001572-220002569Lawn-Boy dealers, department and home center stores sold the mowers nationwide from February 2002 to August 2002 for between $250 and $580.Consumers should stop using these mowers in the mulching mode immediately and contact Lawn-Boy to receive a replacement cover plate. For more information, consumers can contact Lawn-Boy toll-free at (866) 336-5207 between 8:30 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Saturday, and 10:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Sunday. Consumers may also visit the firm's web site at www.lawnboy.com. 

Hazard

The vendor who manufactured the mulch plates for Lawn-Boy used the wrong material, making the plates brittle and easy to crack or break if struck by a stone or stick while mowing. Objects coming through a broken plate or pieces of the plate could possibly injure the operator or bystanders.

Incidents & Injuries

Lawn-Boy has received five reports of broken mulch plates. No injuries or property damage have been reported.

Remedy Instructions

Consumers should stop using these mowers in the mulching mode immediately and contact Lawn-Boy to receive a replacement cover plate.

What Should You Do?

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

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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 (Replace) at no cost to you.

Yes. If you were injured by a defective consumer product — whether recalled or not — you may have grounds for a product liability claim against the manufacturer and potentially the retailer. A recall notice can serve as evidence that the manufacturer was aware of the defect. Injuries that may support a claim include burns, lacerations, fractures, electric shock, choking incidents, and chemical exposure. Most product liability attorneys work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay nothing unless you win. Consult an attorney promptly, as statutes of limitation vary by state.

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.

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