CPSC, Midwest and GE Announce Recall of Meter Load Centers

Recall Insight

This CPSC action (record #05515) was formally reported on November 19, 2004. It is classified under Moderate severity, with a current status of Active. Midwest Electric Products, HW 22 North, Mankato, MN 56001 is listed as the recalling firm. Federal records indicate 2,754, manufactured from May through August 6, 2004 units are affected, placing this recall in the million-unit bracket that typically triggers nationwide consumer alerts and retailer sweeps.

The documented reason for this recall is: Some of these products were sold with loose internal bolt connections, which could result in excessive heat or fire. 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: Midwest and GE have begun contacting all consumers, distributors and the utility companies to locate the affected products. They will repair or replace the product at no charge to the consumers. — 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 22 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.