The Recall Desk
Our severity:SevereCPSC·02159·Announced 2002-05-24

Red Devil Gas Grills Recalled for Burn and Fire Hazards

CPSC warns about Red Devil gas grills that can cause severe burns and fires due to a design flaw allowing ignition at the air intake tube.

What this means for you

Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 4/5 (Severe).

The hazard poses a serious risk of illness, injury, or structural failure. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves significant injury reports, including third-degree burns, and a structural defect causing the product to collapse and ignite combustibles, meeting the criteria for a Severe rating.

Plain-English summary

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has issued a warning regarding approximately 155,000 Red Devil gas grills manufactured by Quantum North America Inc. and e4L Inc. These red metal grills, which feature a tripod stand and a specific devil logo, were sold directly to consumers via television infomercials from May 1998 through January 1999 for approximately $160. The grills were manufactured in Hong Kong.

The recall addresses a design flaw that allows consumers to accidentally light the grill at the air intake tube rather than the burner. This causes gas inside the tube to ignite, reaching temperatures up to 750 degrees Fahrenheit. The heat can damage the plastic support piece, causing the grill to collapse. When the grill falls, flames can burn nearby consumers and ignite surrounding combustibles. The manufacturers have received 21 reports of burners disconnecting and 44 reports of consumers suffering burns to legs, hands, and fingers, including some third-degree burns, after the grills collapsed. More than 1,000 consumers returned their grills due to collapse issues.

Because the manufacturers, Quantum North America Inc. and e4L Inc., have declared bankruptcy and are liquidating assets, no remedy is available for consumers who purchased the grills from retailers other than the Home Shopping Network (HSN) and QVC. HSN and QVC previously notified their customers and provided a remedy. CPSC urges all other consumers to stop using these grills immediately. Vendors still selling these units are encouraged to stop and contact CPSC. Consumers with questions or incident reports should contact CPSC at (800) 638-2772.

The recalled product

Product
Red Devil Gas Grills
Manufacturer
Quantum North America Inc., of Encino, Calif.
Category
Consumer Product — Grills & Outdoor Cooking
Hazard
Affected units
155,000

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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