Kawasaki Motors USA announced today the recall of about 68,500 gas engines used in riding and zero-turn-radius lawn mowers and utility vehicles.
The recall involves eight engines that were sold independently or built into lawn tools from Bad Boy Mowers, BigDog, Bobcat, Cub Cadet, Hustler, John Deere, and Kubota. The recalled engines can overheat, posing fire and burn hazards, according to the announcement from the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Kawasaki has received eight reports of fires involving the recalled engines but no reports of injuries. The recall covers more than two dozen models of riding mowers and utility vehicles. It also includes eight different models of engines, sold as stand-alone products, all with the Kawasaki name. The full list is below.
The engines and/or lawn mowers and utility vehicles with the engines installed were sold at Bad Boy Mowers, BigDog, Bobcat, Cub Cadet, Hustler, John Deere, Kawasaki, and Kubota dealers nationwide from April 2021 through December 2023. They cost $4,000 to $15,500. If you own one of the recalled products, you should immediately stop using it and follow the manufacturer-specific directions below for a remedy.
Consumer Reports has tested models from some of these brands, including certain models included in this recall, like the John Deere X354 and John Deere X350, both of which are near the top of our riding lawn mower ratings.
But not all models mentioned in this recall actually need to be repaired. That’s because manufacturers often sell the same lawn mower or other tool with a variety of engines. Only certain engines, made within a specific date range and carrying select specification numbers, are involved. Details on how to check your engine are below.
Details of the Kawasaki Engine Recall
The recall:Select units from more than two dozen models of riding mowers and utility vehicles, sold under seven brand names. Eight stand-alone Kawasaki engines are also included in the recall.
The riding mowers and utility vehicles are:
- Bad Boy Mowers mower models Rebel BRB54FX850, Rebel BRB6135KA, Rebel BRB61FX850, Rebel BRB7235KA, Revolt BRV54FX850, Revolt BRV61FX850, Rogue BRG5435KA, Rogue BRG6135KA, Rogue BRG61RD35KA, and Rogue BRG72RD35KA
- BigDog brand mower model Stout MP
- Bobcat brand mower models ZT6000, ZT6100, and ZT7000
- Cub Cadet mower ZTX-6
- Hustler mower model FasTrak SDX
- John Deere mower model Z760R, utility vehicle models Gator TX 4x2 and Gator TS 4x2, and some service engines for model years 2016-2020 lawn tractor models X350R, X350, X354, and X370
- Kubota mower model Z726XKW
The recalled engines are model years 2021-2023 FJ400D, FS600V, FS651V, FX691V, FX730V, FX801V, FX850V and FXT00V. The recalled engine model and serial numbers are on the engine fan housing. If you have a Kawasaki engine with any of these eight model numbers or any of the riding mowers or utility vehicles above, see the full list of specification numbers in the CPSC release to determine whether your specific engine is included in the recall. You can also follow the steps below to check directly with the manufacturer of your particular tool or engine.
The risk:The engine can overheat, posing fire and burn hazards.
Incidents/injuries:Kawasaki has received eight reports of fires associated with these engines but no reports of injuries at the time of the recall.
Where and when sold: Bad Boy Mowers, BigDog, Bobcat, Cub Cadet, Hustler, John Deere, Kawasaki, and Kubota dealers nationwide from April 2021 through December 2023 for $4,000 to $15,500.
The remedy:Immediately stop using the recalled engine or tool and follow the manufacturer-specific steps below to schedule a free repair. Kawasaki is also contacting all known owners of these engines (or tools that use them) directly.
Contact information:Call Kawasaki Motors Corp. USA at 866-836-4463 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday. Or go to www.kawasakienginesusa.com/product-recallorkawasakienginesusa.com and click on Product Recall at the top of the page for more information.
At the time of publication, the first link for Kawasaki in the CPSC press release wasn’t live, and this recall wasn’t listed under the recall page on Kawasaki’s website. Consumer Reports alerted the Consumer Product Safety Commission to the omission. In the meantime, we recommend going to the manufacturer-specific sites listed below to see if your tool has been recalled. Owners of stand-alone Kawasaki gas engines should call the company at the number above.
•Bad Boy: Go tothe company’s recall page to see if your mower is affected by this recall.
• BigDog, Cub Cadet, and Hustler: Call 888-848-6038 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday. Or go to the BigDog, Cub Cadet, or Hustler recall page for more information.
• John Deere: Call 800-537-8233 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET Saturday. Or go to the company’s recall page for more information.
•Kubota: Call 888-458-2682 from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday. Or go to the company’s recall page for more information.
Toreport a defective product,call the CPSC hotline at 800-638-2772 or go toSaferProducts.gov.
Paul Hope
Paul Hope is a senior multimedia content creator at Consumer Reports and a trained chef. He covers ranges, cooktops, and wall ovens, as well as grills, drills, outdoor power tools, decking, and wood stains. Before joining CR in 2016, he tested kitchen products at Good Housekeeping and covered tools and remodeling for This Old House magazine. You’ll typically find him in his old fixer-upper, engrossed in a DIY project or trying out a new recipe.
