Update: Harbor Freight Recalls Replacement Jack Stands
For the third time in as many months, Harbor Freight Tools USA has issued a jack stand recall involving certain units of Pittsburgh Jack Stands which could break and collapse suddenly due to a welding defect, according to The Drive [1].
The recalled Harbor Freight Jack Stands, Pittsburgh 3-Ton Heavy Duty Steel Stands, 6-Ton Heavy Duty Steel Stands, and 12-Ton Heavy Duty Steel Stands, were intended to replace defective stands recalled in May 2020.
Harbor Freight Tools said that a number of replacement stands have a welding defect that could allow the heavy duty steel jack stand to split and collapse.
Which Harbor Freight Jack Stands Were Recalled?
According to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the initial Harbor Freight recall affected:
- Harbor Freight Jack Stand #56371 - The 56371 Pittsburgh Automotive 3-ton heavy duty steel jack stands can be identified by looking at the item number found on the label at the top of the stand.
- Harbor Freight Jack Stand #61196 - The 61196 Pittsburgh Automotive 3-ton heavy-duty jack stands can be identified by looking at the item number found on the yellow part of the label at the base of the stand.
- Harbor Freight Jack Stand #61197 - The 61197 Pittsburgh Automotive 6-ton heavy-duty jack stands can be identified by looking at the item number found on the yellow part of the label at the base of the jack stand.
The ratchet teeth on the recalled jack stands may not sufficiently engage the jack stand pawl to a sufficient depth, possibly causing the stand to fail under load, NHTSA said. If the Harbor Freight jack stand fails, the jack stand can drop suddenly, increasing the risk of serious injury to persons nearby or under the lifted vehicle.
Harbor Freight is notifying registered owners and stores will provide a gift card equal to the shelf price of the defective Harbor Freight Jack Stands, free of charge.
Owners are asked to discontinue use of the recalled jack Harbor Freight stands immediately and return them to their local Harbor Freight store.
Harbor Freight Lawsuit Alleges Jack Stands Collapse Without Warning
A class action lawsuit filed in September 2020 alleges that 1.7 million Harbor Freight jack stands were sold with defects that made the heavy duty jack stands too dangerous to use.
The Harbor Freight lawsuit includes all consumers in the U.S. who purchased Harbor Freight jack stands item numbers 56371, 611196 or 61197. The complaint follows a Pittsburgh automotive jack stand recall of 3-ton and 6-ton heavy duty steel jack stands sold by Harbor Freight.
According to the lawsuit, every Harbor Freight Jack Stand has manufacturing defects which cause the ratchet teeth on the jack stand lifting extension lifting post to inconsistently engage the pawl deep enough. In addition, the 3-ton jack stands allegedly have inconsistent location indexing of the pawl armature holes.
Plaintiff Markeith Mitchell purchased the 6-ton jack stands and used them a few times, but allegedly experienced slip on the ratcheting mechanism while lifting his truck.
While he had safety mechanisms in place to catch the vehicle before it slammed into the ground, he stopped using the jack stands because he felt they were dangerous.
Mitchell says he tried to return the stands to a Harbor Freight store but was told they were no longer under warranty and couldn’t be returned.
Plaintiff alleges he received no value from the jack stands, and threw them away because they were too dangerous to use.
The class action lawsuit claims that sales of the jack stands were negligent because the extension listing post was “unmerchantable” and unfit for their intended purposes. The stands were also allegedly unreasonably dangerous and caused damage to all buyers because the “jack stands were worthless in the condition they were purchased.”
The Harbor Freight jack stand lawsuit brings claims for breach of warranty, negligence, and product liability.
Related Article: Truck Accident Case
Other Jack Stand Recalls
Summit Racing Jack Stands Recall
January 2021 - Autosales Inc. recalled Summit Racing 3-ton stands (part number SUM-918005) and Summit Racing 6-Ton Stands (part number SUM-918006) which may fail during use, allowing a vehicle to fall without warning.
The stands were manufactured with a ratchet bar that may fail during use, allowing the vehicle to fall without warning.
"Under load, the stand may drop suddenly, increasing the risk of injury to people near or under a lifted vehicle," NHTSA said.
Autosales Inc. is notifying owners and Summit Racing will provide a full cash refund or store credit, in addition to a $25.00 gift certificate, upon return of the stand or evidence of destruction.
Walmart Hyper Tough Jack Stand Recall
September 2020 - Walmart recalled certain Hyper Tough Stands which may be defectively designed in a way that makes them prone to collapsing, increasing the risk of severe injuries or death to users.
The jack stand recall affects Walmart Hyper Tough 2 Ton Jack Stands, model 2TJS, sold under part number 0085001232400.
Walmart issued the recall after it was found that the stands may not be able to support the rated load without collapsing unexpectedly.
A sudden drop of the jack stand can increase the risk of injury to persons nearby or under the lifted vehicle, according to the NHTSA.
If you purchased a jack stand that is affected by this jack stand recall, you should stop using it immediately and return it to Walmart for a full refund.
How to File a Harbor Freight Jack Stand Lawsuit
The first step in filing a class action lawsuit is to mitigate any injuries as soon as possible. Mitigation involves seeking proper medical expert care, advice, and treatment.
This is critical both for your/your family member’s health, as well as for the strength of your case.
Next, gather evidence including any relevant bills, documents, records, and photos.
After mitigating injuries and gathering evidence, you should seek out legal guidance and hire an experienced personal injury attorney.
It is also important to learn more about the steps of the civil litigation process and your state’s statute of limitations.
Also Read:
Get a Free Harbor Freight Jack Stand Lawsuit Evaluation With Our Lawyers
The Product Liability Litigation Group at Schmidt & Clark, LLP law firm is an experienced team of trial lawyers that focus on the representation of plaintiffs in defective Harbor Freight Jack Stand Lawsuits. We are handling individual litigation nationwide and currently accepting new injury and death cases in all 50 states.
If you or a loved one has been injured by a recalled Harbor Freight jack stand, you should contact our law firm immediately for a confidential case evaluation. You may be entitled to a settlement by filing a Harbor Freight Jack Stand Lawsuit and we can help.
