Recall notice: STIHL gas edgers, trimmers, brushcutters, pole pruners and KombiMotors, fuel tank vent, 2015
What the CPSC, Health Canada and the maker's own notice say about the November 12, 2015 recall of STIHL gas edgers, trimmers, brushcutters, pole pruners and KombiMotors: models, serial range, fault, reports, units and remedy.
Checked against the sources at the bottom of this page on October 9, 2026. Rules, fees and pay change: the source has the last word.
This page sets side by side what three records say about one recall dated November 12, 2015: the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) record 16031, the Health Canada notice RA-55804 and the maker's own notice on its US site. The notices are the record. The wider list of chipper, log splitter and pole saw notices is in the guide to chipper, log splitter and pole saw recalls. The only pole pruner in the recall is one model, the HT 56 C. The other products are edgers, trimmers, brushcutters and KombiMotors.
The fault
The CPSC record and the maker's notice give the same hazard: a tank vent put in wrongly at the factory can come out of place, so fuel can leak, which is a fire hazard. The Health Canada notice words it differently. It says the tank vent may work loose or split into its two parts, so fuel can leak from the vent or the opening, and it also calls this a fire hazard.
Models and serial numbers
| Product | Model in CPSC and Health Canada | Model in the maker's notice |
|---|---|---|
| Edger | FC 56 C (CPSC only; not in the Health Canada table) | FC 56 C |
| Trimmer | FS 40 C, FS 50 C | FS 40 C-E, FS 50 C-E |
| Brushcutter | FS 56 C, FS 56 RC | FS 56 C-E, FS 56 RC-E |
| Pole pruner | HT 56 C | HT 56 C-E |
| KombiMotor | KM 56 RC | KM 56 RC-E |
All three records give one serial number range for every recalled unit: 501830112 through 504083576. The CPSC record and the maker's notice say the model number is on the starter cover at the rear of the engine and the serial number is on the label on the bottom of the engine. They describe the engine size as "about 28 cc" and the products as gray and orange with the maker's name on the engine cover. The Health Canada table lists the same models without the edger, and says the edger was not sold in Canada.
Numbers and dates
The CPSC record and the maker's notice give the units as "About 140,000 (in addition, about 16,000 were sold in Canada)". Health Canada gives approximately 16,000 units sold in Canada and approximately 140,000 in the United States, including the edger. All three agree on 319 reports in the United States of the fuel tank vents coming loose and fuel leaking, with no fires or injuries reported. Health Canada adds that neither the Canadian company nor Health Canada had received any report of incidents or injuries in Canada.
The US sales period in the CPSC record and Health Canada is November 2014 through September 2015. Health Canada gives the Canadian sales period as January 2015 to September 2015. The notice is dated November 12, 2015 in all three places. Health Canada describes it as a joint recall with the CPSC and the Canadian company, and the Health Canada page is marked as archived on the Web.
Remedy
The CPSC record and the maker's notice list the remedy as a repair: owners are told to stop using the recalled products at once and take them to an authorized dealer for a free inspection and repair. The maker's notice names the manufacturer as STIHL Inc. of Virginia Beach, Virginia, and says the products were made in the United States.
To correct or remove an entry, write to the address at the foot of this page.
Sources
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, recall record 16031 from the recalls web service, read October 9, 2026
- STIHL USA, gasoline tank vent recall notice dated November 12, 2015, read October 9, 2026
- Health Canada, consumer product recall RA-55804 for certain pole pruners, trimmers, brushcutters and KombiMotors, November 12, 2015, read October 9, 2026