Your Harbor Freight jack stand may be unsafe

On Behalf of | May 26, 2020 | Firm News |

Performing regular vehicle maintenance such as changing your car’s oil can save you thousands in repair costs. If you use some types of Harbor Freight jack stands to raise your vehicle off the ground, however, your life may be in danger. 

Recently, the well-known tool outlet, Harbor Freight, announced a recall of more than 450,000 jack stands. The company issued the recall, which covers both three- and six-ton jack stands, in cooperation with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 

A potential safety hazard 

Putting your car, truck or SUV on a jack stand allows you to access its undercarriage. Accordingly, when designing and manufacturing their products, companies must ensure vehicles will not fall. After all, if a 4,000-pound vehicle falls on you, you are apt to sustain serious injuries. Certain Pittsburgh Automotive jack stands from Harbor Freight may shift when a user applies weight to them. This shifting may encourage a linchpin to dislodge, causing the vehicle to drop unexpectedly. 

The recalled products 

Harbor Freight is not recalling every jack stand ever sold. On the contrary, the recent safety recall only applies to some three- and six-ton jack stands with Pittsburgh Automotive branding. Specifically, the recall covers the following item numbers: 

  • 56371 
  • 61196 
  • 61197 

To avoid a catastrophe, you must check the item numbers on all Pittsburgh Automotive jack stands you have purchased from Harbor Freight. The item number is on a label on the top, side or bottom of the jack stand. 

Your next steps 

If you own a recalled jack stand, it is essential for you to stop using the piece of equipment immediately. You should also put the stand in a place where others cannot access it. Then, return the stand to a Harbor Freight outlet for store credit. 

There are a variety of ways to keep yourself safe when working on your vehicle. Checking whether your Harbor Freight jack stands are part of the safety recall is an easy one. 

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