Digital Clamp Meters Recalled by Klein Tools Due to Shock and Burn Hazards

Recall Insight

This CPSC action (record #16167) was formally reported on May 19, 2016. It is classified under Moderate severity, with a current status of Active. The recalling firm is not specified in the federal record. Federal records indicate About 114,000 (in addition, 3,300 were sold in Canada and 3,750 in Mexico) 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: The meters can fail to give an accurate voltage reading, resulting in the operator falsely believing the electrical power is off, posing shock, electrocution and burn hazards. 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 recalled digital clamp meters and contact Klein Tools to receive postage paid labels to return the clamp meters for free replacement units. — 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 and NHTSA 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 10 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.