Stihl recalls 2.3 million products with fuel-cap problem

Posted to : Business Retail and Consumer Virginia Beach

Stihl Inc. has voluntarily recalled about 2.3 million trimmers, edgers and other tools because they could cause burns or fires, the company and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced Wednesday.

It is the third, and largest, recall of Stihl products within the last six months. Stihl, a German-owned power-tool manufacturer, has its U.S. headquarters in Virginia Beach.

All of the recalled items were manufactured in Virginia Beach, Roger Phelps, Stihl's promotional communications manager, said Wednesday. It was the largest Stihl recall that Phelps said he could remember.

The safety commission said the level of ethanol and other additives can "distort the tool-less fuel cap," causing fuel to spilland posing "a fire and burn hazard."

The commission said it received 81 reports of problems with fuel spillage or the installation or removal of caps, but it had not heard of any injuries.

Phelps said levels of ethanol and other additives have changed over time and differ around the country. "The formation of fuel can vary from state to state," he said. "There's a possibility that you can live in one area and have no problems with this fuel cap, where right across the border they're having problems with it."

Phelps said customers can go to any Stihl dealer and get the cap replaced for no charge.

The recall covers blowers, hedge trimmers, pole pruners, edgers, trimmer-brush cutters, clearing saws and multi-purpose tools. For details, such as model and serial numbers, see www.stihlusa.com/recalls.

The products were sold at Stihl dealers from July 2002 through May 2011 for $190 to $650 each, the safety commission said. The agency said consumers should stop using the products immediately and go to a Stihl dealer.

Phelps said the federal agency initially raised questions about the caps on the blowers. Stihl, he said, suggested including other items in the recall.

"Responsible companies obviously monitor their equipment," he said. "When issues are discovered, they determine the remedy and take action. That's exactly what we're doing here. Stihl has an excellent track record in that regard."

In December, the consumer safety agency announced recalls of 5,000 chain saws and 1,000 trimmers made by Stihl. The commission warned that the chain saws might have sticking throttles and that the heads of the trimmers could come loose.

"We don't think this speaks to quality at all," Phelps said. "From time to time, any manufacturer experiences problems with a product, and they need to be addressed. I think most of our customers appreciate the fact that we are calling it to their attention and quickly remedying it."

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