CPSC, Warn Industries Inc. Announce Recall of ATV Winch Kits

Recall Insight

This CPSC action (record #01207) was formally reported on July 24, 2001. It is classified under Moderate severity, with a current status of Active. White-Rodgers is listed as the recalling firm. Federal records indicate 50,000 units are affected.

The documented reason for this recall is: An electrical component of the winch kit, the solenoid, poses a fire hazard when used in this application, even when the vehicle is parked and the winch is not in use. Distribution information was not included in the agency filing, so consumers should assume broad potential exposure until the firm publishes point-of-sale details. The remedy documented by the agency is: Consumers should immediately disconnect the solenoid wires from their ATV and call their local ATV dealer or Warn Industries to receive the free replacement solenoid and installation instructions. — consumers holding this product should act on that instruction rather than relying on general guidance.

To put this record in context, PlainRecalls indexes 83,949 recalls across the FDA, CPSC, NHTSA and USDA FSIS going back to 1995. Within the same product category, the database holds 6 closely related recalls, of which 1 were also issued by CPSC. That clustering is a signal — repeated actions in a narrow category often indicate a systemic quality-control issue, a supplier-wide contamination, or a design defect that has propagated across product lines. This recall is roughly 25 years old; older recalls can remain relevant because many units enter resale, rental, and secondary-market channels where the original warning never reaches the end user. Always cross-check the recall number against the official agency page before relying on any summary.