CPSC, Milwaukee Tool Corp. Announce Recall of Automotive Chargers

Recall Insight

This CPSC action (record #02156) was formally reported on May 13, 2002. It is classified under Moderate severity, with a current status of Active. Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp., of Brookfield, Wis. is listed as the recalling firm. Federal records indicate About 18,000 units are affected.

The documented reason for this recall is: The automotive chargers are often used on job sites to charge power tool batteries. When used under low voltage conditions, the chargers can overheat. This poses a fire hazard. 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 stop using the chargers immediately and return them to their nearest Milwaukee factory service center or authorized power tool service center. Consumers can choose from three options… — 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 6 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 24 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.