Ryobi Recalls Cordless Drills Due to Fire Hazard

CPSC recall 11009 · announced October 14, 2010 · Ryobi Technologies · 455,000 units affected

The product

The Ryobi Model HP 1802M cordless drill is powered by an 18 volt rechargeable NiCad battery. The drills are blue and black in color with "Ryobi" appearing in red and white on the left side. The model number can be found on a white label on the right side of the drill.

The hazard

The switch on the cordless drill can overheat, posing a fire and burn hazard to consumers.

What to do (per CPSC)

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled drill, remove the rechargeable battery and contact Ryobi to receive a free replacement drill. Remedy type: Replace

Official CPSC recall notice →

Notes

Incidents (per CPSC): Ryobi has received 47 reports of the drills overheating, smoking, melting or catching fire, including 12 reports of property damage to homes or vehicles. Two of the incidents involved minor burns from touching an overheated switch.
Sold at: Home Depot from January 2001 to July 2003 for about $100.
Consumer contact: For additional information, contact Ryobi Customer Service at (800) 597-9624 between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit the firm's website at www.ryobitools.com

Source: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission public recall data. This page reports official records and is not legal, medical, or repair advice.