Harbor Freight's Jack Stand Recall Explained - Does It Still Sell Them Today?
In May 2020, popular tool retailer Harbor Freight issued two recalls on the Pittsburgh 3- and 6-ton jack stands. More than 1.7 million units were pulled from shelves and warehouses, with Harbor Freight citing a "manufacturing defect." According to the recall, the defect was known to cause the jacks to collapse while engaged, putting users at severe risk of injury or even death. It was determined that the jack's ratchet teeth would not consistently engage the pawl at a depth that would prevent slippage.
The jacks—models 61197, 61196, and 56371—were originally manufactured by China's Jiaxing Golden Roc Tools Company and sold via Harbor Freight under the Pittsburg Automotive brand. As the retailer of the recalled jacks, Harbor Freight became part of a civil lawsuit filed in the Middle District of Georgia only a month after the notice of recall was issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. As of June 2024, there has been no public update to the lawsuit.
As it has been several years since the recall was issued, it stands to reason that Jiaxing Golden Rock Tools Company may have addressed the problem, compensated the appropriate parties, and returned to manufacturing the three models with the necessary changes made. However, based on a quick search of Harbor Freight's inventory, none of the three jacks returned. At least, not under their original SKU.
Does Harbor Freight still sell the recalled jack stand?
Harbor Freight has a relatively small inventory of jack stands, with Daytona being its most prevalent brand. However, Pittsburgh Automotive isn't completely gone from the online inventory. A quick search will show two Pittsburgh Automotive jack stands, and one of them sounds like one of the recalled stands.
SKU 91760 (also listed under 61627 and 56357), Pittsburgh Automotive 3-Ton Aluminum Jack Stands, may be a reissue of the original 3-ton stand that was recalled in 2020. There were two 3-ton jack stands pulled from the shelves during the recall, including item 61196, Pittsburgh Automotive 3-Ton Jack Stand. Item 56371 was differentiated as a "heavy duty" jack stand. The new Pittsburg Automotive jack stand has a favorable customer response, with over 850 reviews and 4.5 stars. However, there are several reviews that criticize the newly issued jacks as being "flimsy" or "cheap."
Though Pittsburgh Automotive jack stands have been diluted to one size, the brand still sells several floor jacks and a variety of automotive parts and tools. For example, you can still find a locking oil filter wrench, portable ramp sets, and even more elaborate mechanics like a 440 lb Electric Hoist and a 2.5 CFM Vacuum Pump.
Harbor Freight's second jack stand recall
Though the initial recall was to fix a dangerous issue, Harbor Freight hadn't completely followed through even when it reissued its 3-ton model. In July 2020, a second recall was implemented for the replacement stands. The notice from NHTSA states that approximately 118,000 units were included in the recall, with concerns that the jack "may drop suddenly, increasing the risk of injury to people near or under a lifted vehicle."
Unlike the first recall from May, the only product affected was the Pittsburgh Automotive 3-Ton Steel Jack Stands, item 56373. They're still different from the 3-Ton Aluminum Jack Stands being sold at Harbor Freight today, at least by SKU. In a Facebook post to the company's followers, owner and founder Eric Smidt stated that recall was in relation to a welding defect. To rectify the defect, the company offered a gift card equal to the price of the jack plus an additional 20%.
According to the post, Harbor Freight had reissued the 6-ton jack stand and had sold a 12-ton model. At the time of the second recall, no defects were found in either of those models, however they also currently aren't for sale on the website. Currently, you can find 3, 6, 12, and 22 stands available from Daytona, though it's worth noting that even Daytona floor jacks are suspected of being manufactured by Harbor Freight, so they may be outsourced just as Pittsburg Automotive jacks were.