John Deere Recalls Lawn Tractors Powered by Kawasaki Engines Due to Overheating and Fire Hazards
CPSC Recall #11-752 — September 15, 2011
Recall Summary
| Recall Number | 11-752 |
| Recall Date | September 15, 2011 |
| Remedy Type | Replace |
| Units Affected | "About 36,500 tractors" |
| Manufacturer | "Tractors: Deere & Company, of Moline, Ill. Engines: Kawasaki Motors Corp., USA of Grand Rapids, Mich." |
| Manufactured In | United States |
Where It Was Sold
| "Nationwide at John Deere dealers in the U.S. from September 2010 to August 2011 for between about $3 |
| 000 and $4 |
| 000." |
Description
"The cooling fan (A) installed on top of the front mounted Kawasaki engine in the lawn tractor can break. If the cooling fan is not operational, the engine can overheat causing the surrounding plastic to melt, creating the risk of fire and serious injury."
Hazard
"The cooling fan (A) installed on top of the front mounted Kawasaki engine in the lawn tractor can break. If the cooling fan is not operational, the engine can overheat causing the surrounding plastic to melt, creating the risk of fire and serious injury."
Incidents & Injuries
"There have been 163 reported failures, including 83 reports of engine melting or engine fires and one report of a minor burn injury following a fan failure fire."
Remedy Instructions
Customers should stop using the mowers immediately and contact a John Deere dealer to make arrangements to have the engine cooling fan replaced. All registered owners of the recalled mowers will be directly notified by John Deere.
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.
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.
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.