CPSC, Century Tool and Manufacturing Announce Recall of Camping Stoves

Recall Insight

This CPSC action (record #03063) was formally reported on December 26, 2002. It is classified under Moderate severity, with a current status of Active. Century Tool and Manufacturing Co. Inc., of Cherry Valley, Ill. is listed as the recalling firm. Federal records indicate About 6,300 units are affected.

The documented reason for this recall is: The burner assembly in the stoves can restrict the flow of gas, which can cause a leak. The leaking gas can ignite and weaken the hose, causing it to separate from the stove and pose a fire hazard to consumers. 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: The firm that announced the recall is no longer in business. Consumers should stop using the product immediately and contact the previous owner to arrange for returning the product and receiving a re… — 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.