CPSC, Toro Company Recall Z-100 Riding Mowers

Recall Insight

This CPSC action (record #03523) was formally reported on February 13, 2003. It is classified under Moderate severity, with a current status of Active. The Toro Company, of Bloomington, Minn. is listed as the recalling firm. Federal records indicate About 400 units are affected.

The documented reason for this recall is: The engines for these products had fuel lines that were too long and could possibly droop and come in contact with moving parts, which can cut the fuel lines, resulting in fuel leakage. 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 their lawn mowers until the fuel lines can be shortened. Registered owners should already have received a letter with enclosed instruction sheet and reply card for this mo… — 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 23 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.