Harbor Freight Tools Recalls Cordless Drill Due to Fire and Burn Hazard
Home product recall 13-047. Announced by CPSC on Nov 27, 2012.
- CPSC: stop using it
Watch and the shortlist are kept with a free account, on every device. Your watch list. CPSC’s own notice is on cpsc.gov.
The short answer
Announced by CPSC on Nov 27, 2012. Copied from CPSC on Oct 19, 2026.
- Stop using it what CPSC tells owners to do now (needs attention)
- Replace what’s offered
- About 108,000 units, as CPSC gives them
- Reported injuries, in the notice (needs attention)
Every line below is in CPSC’s own words, with its source beside it.
What’s wrong with it?
The black trigger switch on the 19.2v cordless drill can overheat, posing a fire and burn hazard to consumers.
CPSC, Recalls API. Checked Oct 19, 2026. Updated daily.
What should you do?
Consumers should stop using the recalled drill immediately, remove the rechargeable battery and contact Harbor Freight Tools to receive a free replacement drill.
CPSC, Recalls API. Checked Oct 19, 2026. Updated daily.
- What the company offers to fix a recalled product or vehicle: a repair, a replacement or a refund, as the recall notice says. For a vehicle, dealers make the safety repair free. Follow the notice’s own steps, or contact the company it names. Source: CPSC; NHTSA (49 U.S.C. 30120).: replace.
- How to reach the firm: Harbor Freight Tools; toll-free at (800) 444-3353, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, or www.harborfreight.com and click on Recall Safety Information under Customer Service for more information. Consumers can also email the firm at recall@harborfreight.com
Which ones are recalled?
This recall involves Harbor Freight Tools Cordless Drills, model number 96526. The drills are blue and black and have a black trigger switch. They have a 19.2v rechargeable battery pack. The drill’s model number is located on a yellow label on the left side of the drill. “Made in China” appears in black and red lettering on a yellow warning sticker located on the right side of the unit.
About 108,000 units, as CPSC gives them.
Cordless Drill.
CPSC, Recalls API. Checked Oct 19, 2026. Updated daily.
CPSC’s photos
CPSC shows 3 photos on its notice. Hearth Record doesn’t copy them; each opens on cpsc.gov.
Who made and sold it?
- Imported by Harbor Freight Tools, Camarillo, Calif.
- Harbor Freight Tools stores nationwide, via catalog and online at www.harborfreight.com from April, 2008 through May 2012 for between $27 and $30.
- Made in China, as the notice gives it.
CPSC, Recalls API. Checked Oct 19, 2026. Updated daily.
Was anyone hurt?
Harbor Freight Tools has received one report of a drill overheating and burning through the handle of the unit, which resulted in a consumer receiving a minor injury.
CPSC, Recalls API. Checked Oct 19, 2026. Updated daily.
What the record doesn’t say
- The notice lists no UPCs, so check the model, the description and the photos.
- The notice lists no model numbers in a field of their own; its description may give them.
- How many have been returned or fixed isn’t in the notice.
Hearth Record wrote these lines.
Sources
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U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Recalls API.
Checked Oct 19, 2026. Updated daily. Public domain (U.S. Government work). CPSC asks to be credited, and that no endorsement be implied.
Recalls of kids’ and home products are from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). CPSC does not endorse Hearth Record. Copied on Oct 19, 2026.