Harbor Freight Chainsaw Lawsuit | 2026 Latest Updates

CPSC announced a voluntary Fast Track recall on May 14, 2018. It covers Portland, One Stop Gardens, and Chicago Electric 14 inch electric chainsaws sold by Harbor Freight Tools. The affected models are 67255 and 61592. A malfunctioning power switch can let the chainsaw keep running after the operator moves it to off. CPSC calls this a serious injury hazard to the operator. The 2018 notice said owners should stop using the chainsaw and could return it to a Harbor Freight Tools store for a free replacement. A class action over the switch settled, and the court closed that case in 2022.

Latest Harbor Freight Chainsaw Recall Updates

July 3, 2025: Positec Recalls Chainsaws and Pole Saws

Positec Tool Corp. recalled about 49,000 Hyper Tough, Worx, and Portland electric chainsaws and pole saws [1]. CPSC recall number 25-371 covers the Portland 9 Amp chainsaw, SKU 58949 [2]. Harbor Freight Tools stores and HarborFreight.com sold it from September 2024 through March 2025, and Harbor Freight’s own notice repeats the recall [3]. Positec, not Harbor Freight Tools, handles this recall’s remedy, separate from the earlier one.

February 9, 2023: Court Approves Cy Pres Recipient

The court approved Consumer Reports as the cy pres recipient of $6,218.00 in residual settlement funds in Kaupelis v. Harbor Freight Tools USA [4]. The order came after the court had closed the case. The funds were left over from the class settlement that the court approved in 2022. The motion was unopposed, and Harbor Freight Tools filed a statement of non-opposition on January 31, 2023.

February 3, 2022: Court Closes the Case

A minute order closed the class action and marked the case as terminated. The order said the case should have been closed on January 12, 2022, when final approval was granted. The CourtListener docket lists the cause as “28:1332 Diversity-Fraud” and the date of the last known filing as February 10, 2023.

January 12, 2022: Court Grants Final Approval

Judge James V. Selna granted final approval of the class settlement. The court held a hearing on January 10, 2022. There were no objections to the settlement. The order also granted attorneys’ fees of $415,395.80, litigation costs and expenses of $249,604.20, and service payments of $3,000 to each named plaintiff. The plaintiffs were chainsaw purchasers who sought to represent other purchasers.

August 11, 2021: Court Grants Preliminary Approval

Judge Selna granted preliminary approval of the settlement. Harbor Freight did not oppose the motion. The order describes the class as about 800,000 people, according to the plaintiffs’ estimate. The order defines the settlement class as all people who purchased a Class Product during the class period. It excludes anyone who had already taken part in the 2018 chainsaw recall.

November 20, 2020: Ninth Circuit Denies Petition to Appeal

The Ninth Circuit denied Harbor Freight’s petition for permission to appeal the class certification order. The ruling came in No. 20-80140. The court’s entry said it denied the petition in its discretion. That left the September 24, 2020 class certification order in place, and the case then went on.

September 24, 2020: Court Certifies Two Classes

The court certified a California implied warranty class and a multi-state implied warranty class. It denied certification of a nationwide UCL class and a multi-state consumer protection class. The California class covers people in California who bought a Portland electric chainsaw for personal, family, or household use from June 17, 2013 through May 13, 2018. The docket shows redacted minutes.

October 9, 2019: Court Denies Motion to Dismiss

The court denied Harbor Freight’s motion to dismiss the class action complaint. The motion came before the court certified any class. The ruling let the case continue. The complaint alleged that the power switch was prone to malfunction and that the blade kept running after the operator turned it off. Those allegations are the plaintiffs’ claims, not findings.

June 17, 2019: Class Action Filed Against Harbor Freight

Will Kaupelis and Frank Ortega filed a class action against Harbor Freight Tools USA, Inc. in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. It is Case No. 8:19-cv-01203, assigned to Judge James V. Selna. The complaint pleaded claims under California’s Consumers Legal Remedies Act and Unfair Competition Law, plus fraud, unjust enrichment, implied warranty, and the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act. The suit claims economic harm from buying the chainsaws, not personal injury.

May 14, 2018: CPSC Announces Voluntary Fast Track Recall

CPSC announced the voluntary Fast Track recall of about 1,020,000 14 inch electric chainsaws [5]. The notice says Harbor Freight Tools, of Camarillo, Calif., imported them. Replacement units would be available at Harbor Freight Tools stores starting May 21, 2018. The notice told owners to stop using the chainsaws immediately.

Which Harbor Freight Chainsaws Are Affected?

The recall covers two models of 14 inch electric chainsaws sold under three brand names:

• Portland: green and black, with “Portland” printed on the blade, model 67255 or 61592
• One Stop Gardens: green and black, with “Portland” printed on the blade, model 67255 or 61592
• Chicago Electric: red and black, with “Chicago Electric” printed on the handle, model 67255 or 61592

All of the recalled chainsaws came with a black blade guard. Find the model number on a label on the bottom of the chainsaw. They were sold at harborfreight.com and in Harbor Freight Tools stores from May 2009 through February 2018 for about $50.

Why Were the Harbor Freight Chainsaws Recalled?

The Harbor Freight chainsaws were recalled because the power switch can malfunction. It can allow the chainsaw to continue operating after the operator moves the switch to the “off” position. CPSC says the operator faces a serious injury hazard. The company conducted the recall voluntarily under CPSC’s Fast Track Recall process. The notice says Fast Track recalls are initiated by firms, who commit to work with CPSC to quickly announce the recall and remedy to protect consumers. The notice says the chainsaws were manufactured in China. It adds that federal law bars any person from selling products subject to a publicly announced voluntary recall by a manufacturer.

Reported Incidents, Injuries, or Illnesses

The 2018 notice says Harbor Freight Tools received 15 reports of chainsaws continuing to operate after the operator turned them off. The reports resulted in three laceration injuries, including one serious injury to the arm that required stitches. These were reports made to the company. The notice gives no reporting cutoff date and no breakdown by country. It does not say the reports prove the switch caused each incident. The notice reports these incidents alongside a recall of about 1,020,000 chainsaws, and it names SaferProducts.gov as the place to report a dangerous product or a product-related injury.

What Should Consumers Do?

Owners of the recalled chainsaws should take these steps, based on the 2018 notice:

1. Stop using the recalled chainsaw immediately, and check that the model number on its bottom label is 67255 or 61592.
2. Return the chainsaw to your local Harbor Freight Tools store to get a free replacement chainsaw, as the 2018 notice describes.
3. Call Harbor Freight Tools at 800-444-3353 or visit www.harborfreight.com to get recall information from the company.
4. Report a dangerous product or an injury to CPSC at www.SaferProducts.gov, or call the CPSC hotline at 800-638-2772, 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET.

Other Recalls, Warnings, or International Actions

Positec’s July 3, 2025 recall covers the Portland 9 Amp saw, UPC 193175451774. Positec’s notice says the main switch can fail, “allowing the saws to continue to run even after the switch is released, posing a laceration hazard.” Positec said it “has not received any reports of incidents or injuries from customers at this time.” Owners should stop using the saw and contact Positec for a pre-paid shipping label. Positec sends a free replacement after it receives the returned unit. The store return in the 2018 recall does not apply to this saw. See our Portland chainsaw recall page.

Legal Options

A recall does not automatically establish liability or eligibility for compensation. A class action over these chainsaws ended in a court-approved settlement. The court has since closed that case. The preliminary approval order says that on final approval, members of the settlement class release “any and all claims … which in any way relate to the failure or propensity for failure of the power switch in Class Products.” Whether a person hurt by one of these chainsaws has any other legal option takes an individual review by a lawyer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Harbor Freight Chainsaw Recall Still Active?

The Harbor Freight chainsaw recall is a Fast Track recall, and the 2018 notice sets no end date or expiry. It listed phone lines Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. PT, and a “Recall Safety Information” link on the harborfreight.com homepage.

Can I Still File a Claim in the Harbor Freight Chainsaw Settlement?

A claim in the Harbor Freight chainsaw settlement depended on the “Claims Period,” which the parties read as 45 days from the “Notice Date” to the “Claims Deadline.” No court record gives a calendar deadline, and the court has closed the case.

What Did the Harbor Freight Chainsaw Class Action Settlement Offer?

Per the preliminary approval order, the Harbor Freight chainsaw settlement offered $50 cash, a replacement, or a $50 gift card for a returned saw. Members with proof of purchase or destruction could get a $50 gift card or check. Others could choose a $25 gift card or $10 check.

What Was the Class Period for the Harbor Freight Chainsaw Settlement?

The class period for the Harbor Freight chainsaw settlement began March 11, 2011. Class products were electric chainsaws under the Portland, One Stop Gardens, or Chicago Electric brands, the same two models as the recall.

How Many Recalled Harbor Freight Chainsaws Were Returned?

The class action complaint alleged that “barely 2%” of the recalled Harbor Freight chainsaws were returned as of August 31, 2018. It also alleged that Harbor Freight generally declined refund requests. These are the plaintiffs’ allegations, not court findings.

Was There a Second Harbor Freight Portland Chainsaw Recall in 2025?

Yes, a separate 2025 recall covers a Harbor Freight Portland chainsaw, but Positec announced it, and the saw is a different product from the 2018 models. Positec’s toll-free line is 888-997-8871, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday, and its email is chainsawrecall@positecgroup.com.

References

1. https://www.worx.com/chainsaw-recall
2. https://myparistexas.com/positec-recalls-electric-corded-chainsaws-and-pole-saws-due-to-laceration-hazard/
3. https://images.harborfreight.com/hftweb/recalls/Portland-Chainsaw-Recall-58949.pdf
4. https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/15786963/will-kaupelis-v-harbor-freight-tools-usa-inc/
5. https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2018/Harbor-Freight-Tools-Recalls-Chainsaws-Due-to-Serious-Injury-Hazard