Harbor Freight Cordless Drill Recall Issued Due to Overheating Problems

Harbor Freight Tools is recalling about 108,000 cordless drills because the trigger switch may overheat, posing a potential fire and burn hazard for consumers. 

The Harbor Freight Cordless Drill recall was announced by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on November 27, after the company received a report that the drill overheated and burnt a hole through the handle of the drill, causing minor burn injuries to a consumer.

The CPSC has determined that the 19.2v cordless drills are defective because they have a trigger switch that may overheat, resulting in a fire and burn hazard to consumers. Only the one consumer injury has been reported in connection with the recalled cordless drills so far.

Harbor Freight Tools Cordless Drills with a model number of 96526 are impacted by the recall. The drill model number is on a yellow label on the left side of the drills, which are black and blue and have a black trigger switch. A yellow warning sticker on the right side of the drill has “Made in China” printed in black and red letters.

The drills were sold at Harbor Freight Tools stores nationwide and online at www.harborfreight.com for between $27 and $30 from April 2008 through May 2012.

The CPSC recommends that consumers who have drills affected by the recall stop using them immediately and remove the rechargeable battery. They can contact Harbor Freight Tools to receive a free replacement drill by calling (800) 444-3353 or by visiting the company’s website at www.harborfreight.com and clicking on Recall Safety Information, located under Customer Service. Consumers with questions can also email the company at recalls@harborfreight.com.