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Harbor Freight Recalls the Jack Stands Meant to Replace the Recalled Jack Stands

Photo credit: Harbor Freight
Photo credit: Harbor Freight

From Road & Track

Back in May, we wrote about a selection of Pittsburgh brand three- and six-ton jack stands recalled by Harbor Freight because of a manufacturing defect that could cause them to collapse under load, potentially causing injury or death. Customers were asked to return the stands in exchange for a gift card, and affected units were pulled from shelves. Now, Harbor Freight has had to announce a second recall, covering the new jack stands that many folks purchased to replace those covered by the initial recall.

In a customer email sent today by Harbor Freight owner and founder Eric Smidt, the company revealed that a "small number" of the replacement Pittsburgh three-ton jacks stands suffer from a welding defect, and, like the original batch, could fail while supporting a vehicle. (The initial recall from May had to do with insufficient ratchet tooth engagement, attributed to excess wear in the dies used to manufacture the stands). Smidt says the welding defect wasn't discovered in the initial investigation, and the affected model (SKU 56373) has since been added to the list of recalled stands.