CPSC, The Holmes Group Expands Recall of Slow Cookers

Recall Insight

This CPSC action (record #05236) was formally reported on July 29, 2005. It is classified under Moderate severity, with a current status of Active. The Holmes Group, of Milford, Mass. is listed as the recalling firm. Federal records indicate About 2.6 million units are affected.

The documented reason for this recall is: The handles on the base of the slow cookers can break, posing a risk of burns from hot contents spilling onto consumers. These Rival® Slow Cookers, sold from January 1999 through May 2002, were previously recalled for t… 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 stop using the product and contact The Holmes Group to receive instructions on receiving a replacement base. — 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 21 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.