Briggs & Stratton Snow Thrower Engines Recalled for Fire Hazard
Briggs & Stratton is recalling about 480,000 snow thrower engines due to a fire hazard caused by excess fuel overflow. Consumers should stop using the equipment and contact the company for a free repair.
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 a fire hazard with 48 reported fires and one report of property damage, which meets the rubric criteria for 'Severe' (significant injury/property-damage reports or fire hazards).
Plain-English summary
Briggs & Stratton Corp. is recalling approximately 480,000 OHV snow thrower engines installed on various brands of snow equipment. The recall covers engines with model numbers beginning with 12, 15, 20, or 21 and a date of manufacture code between 000601xx and 070301xx. These engines were installed on Ariens, Canadiana, Craftsman, Frontier Equipment, Husqvarna, Poulan Pro, Simplicity, and Snapper snow throwers.
The hazard exists because excess fuel can overflow into the carburetor when the engines are primed, which can ignite and pose fire and burn hazards to consumers. Briggs & Stratton has received 48 reports of fire and one report of minor property damage, but there have been no reports of injury.
The affected engines were sold at various snow thrower dealers nationwide from June 2000 through February 2007 for between $630 and $2,350. Consumers should immediately stop using the snow throwers and contact Briggs & Stratton to arrange for a free repair. Owners of Craftsman brand snow throwers should contact Sears for assistance.
The recalled product
- Product
- Briggs & Stratton OHV Snow Thrower Engines
- Manufacturer
- Briggs & Stratton Corp., of Wauwatosa, Wis.
- Hazard
- Affected units
- 480,000
Distribution
Distributed nationwide across the United States.
Related recalls
Same manufacturer · Briggs & Stratton Corp., of Wauwatosa, Wis.
See all →- High
- High
Same hazard · fire
See all →- SevereForest River Recalls 2026-2027 Cedar Creek Trailers for Fire Risk
NHTSA · 2026-10-16
- SevereAlliance RV Recalls Valor and Delta Trailers Due to Fire Risk
NHTSA · 2026-10-16
- Severe3M Recalls Scotch Thermal Laminators Due to Fire Hazard
CPSC · 2026-10-15
- SevereToyota Recalls Land Cruiser Hybrid Vehicles for Fuel Leak Risk
NHTSA · 2026-10-14
- SevereIntellijoint Navigation Systems Recalled for Potential Fire Risk
FDA (Devices) · 2026-10-14
Similar recalls
- HighBriggs & Stratton Recalls Model 40 V-Twin Engine for Injury Hazard
CPSC · 2011-02-01
- Severe
- SevereBriggs & Stratton Recalls Vanguard V-twin Engines and Fuel Filters
CPSC · 2000-02-03
- High
- High
- SevereTecumseh Engines Recalled for Fuel Line Fire Hazard
CPSC · 2006-04-04