Shindaiwa Inc. Announces Recall of Backpack Blowers Due to Fire Hazard

Recall Insight

This CPSC action (record #07289) was formally reported on August 24, 2007. It is classified under Moderate severity, with a current status of Active. Shindaiwa Kogyo Co., Ltd., Hiroshima, Japan is listed as the recalling firm. Federal records indicate About 22,000 units are affected.

The documented reason for this recall is: The muffler's outer shell can melt allowing exhaust gas to exit from the bottom or back side of the muffler. The exhaust gas may cause damage to the fuel tank creating a possible fire hazard for the user. 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 backpack blowers immediately and contact Shindaiwa for the closest dealer location to schedule a free muffler replacement. Consumers who have registered their equipmen… — 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 19 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.