The Recall Desk
HighCPSC·24706·Announced 2023-10-26

Bobcat and Kubota Stand-On Zero-Turn Lawnmowers Recalled for Crash and Laceration Hazard

Doosan Bobcat North America is recalling about 830 Bobcat- and Kubota-branded stand-on zero-turn lawnmowers due to a steering system defect that can prevent the control levers from returning to neutral, disabling the operator presence switch and stopping mechanism. This poses crash and laceration hazards.

What this means for you

Real risk of harm even if no illness or injury has been reported yet. Stop using the product and follow the agency's guidance.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves risk-of-harm machinery where operator or bystander injury could result from loss of steering control and inability to stop blades. Although no injuries have been reported, the source explicitly states the defect poses crash and laceration hazards, placing this in the High category per the rubric for risk-of-harm products where injury has not yet been reported.

Plain-English summary

Doosan Bobcat North America is recalling Bobcat-branded and Kubota-branded stand-on zero-turn lawnmowers. About 830 units were sold in the United States, and about 30 were sold in Canada. The units were sold through Bobcat and Kubota dealers nationwide from March 2023 through August 2023 for between $9,300 and $11,300.

The dampers installed on the steering system of the mower can prevent the control levers from returning to the neutral position. When this occurs, the Operator Presence switch will not activate to stop the engine and blades, posing crash and laceration hazards to the operator or bystanders. No injuries have been reported.

Affected lawnmowers include multiple Bobcat models (ZS4036, ZS4036 SJAU, ZS4048, ZS4048 SFAU, ZS4052, ZS4052 SKAU, ZS4061, and ZS4061 SKAU) and Kubota models (SZ19NC-36-2, SZ22NC-48-2, SZ26NC-52-2, SZ26NC-61-2, and related CAD variants) with specific serial number ranges listed in the recall details.

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled lawnmowers and contact Doosan Bobcat North America at 800-743-4340 (9 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT, Monday through Friday) or visit www.bobcat.com/recalls, or contact Kubota Tractor Corp. at 888-458-2682 (8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT, Monday through Friday) or visit https://kubotaservice.my.site.com/public/contactform for a free inspection and repair. The firms are contacting all known purchasers directly.

The recalled product

Product
Bobcat-branded and Kubota-branded stand-on zero-turn lawnmowers
Manufacturer
Doosan Bobcat North America, of West Fargo, North Dakota
Category
Consumer Product — Outdoor Power Equipment
Hazard
  • steering-failure
  • crash-hazard
  • laceration
  • operator-presence-switch-failure
Affected units
830

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

Related recalls

Same category