Harbor Freight Tools Recalls Cordless Drills Due to Fire and Burn Hazards
Home product recall 16-050. Announced by CPSC on Dec 1, 2015.
- 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 Dec 1, 2015. Copied from CPSC on Oct 19, 2026.
- Stop using it what CPSC tells owners to do now (needs attention)
- Replace what’s offered
- About 1.7 million units 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?
An internal switching mechanism can become stuck in the “on” position and overheat, posing fire and burn hazards.
CPSC, Recalls API. Checked Oct 19, 2026. Updated daily.
What should you do?
Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled drills and return the unit to the nearest Harbor Freight Tools store to receive a 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 at 800-444-3353 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, or online at www.harborfreight.com and click on Recall Safety Information under Customer Service for more information. Consumers can also email Harbor Freight Tools at recalls@harborfreight.com.
Which ones are recalled?
This recall involves Drill Master 18-volt cordless drills with item number 68239 and item number 68287. The drills are black with a red switch and were sold with an 18-volt rechargeable battery pack. Item number 68239 was sold individually and item number 68287 was sold as part of a kit, which included a flashlight. The flashlight is not included in the recall. The item number is located on a black label on the right side of the drill, just beneath the serial number. Drills with item number 69651 and item number 69652 are not included in the recall.
About 1.7 million units units, as CPSC gives them.
Drill Master 18-Volt Cordless Drills.
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, Harbor Freight Tools catalog, and online at www.harborfreight.com between May 2011 and September 2015 for about $35 for item number 68239 and $46 for item number 68287.
- 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 25 reports of the drill switch overheating, including six reports of burns to the hands and fingers, and five reports of minor property damage.
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.