May 2008
Report your problem products
Help Consumer Reports keep you safe
Help Consumer Reports keep you safe
At Consumer Reports, our work can help you live a safer, healthier, better life. We're the most reliable, authoritative source of information
on issues that concern all consumers, including your health, your money, and your well-being. A key element in the information
we provide to you is the work done by our product-safety staff, who strive to keep you informed and safe.
For our May 2008 report on lawn mowers, for instance, our testers found that the blade on the LawnBott LB3200 Evolution robotic mower, $2,500, kept spinning until they lifted the mower beyond roughly 45 degrees. Even after that, the mower’s blade took nearly four seconds to stop. Given the potential for serious harm, we judged this 25-pound Italian-made robotic mower Not Acceptable. Read more about the LawnBott LB3200 Evolution and watch our exclusive video in this close-up on robotic mowers. Also read this Consumer Reports Safety blog story on the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recall of the LB3200 Evolution.
As part of our June 2008 report on gas grills, we also recently encountered serious safety issues with the Broil King Signet 90 986784LP gas grill, $650. During a routine flare-up test, in which we placed six steaks on this midsized gas grill, the firebox on
the grill melted. Similar follow-up testing on two Signet 90 models we bought resulted in a melted firebox on one grill and
a cracked, deformed firebox on the other. Having found the Broil King Signet 90 dangerous and a safety risk, we judged it
Not Acceptable. Learn more about the Signet 90, including efforts by the Canadian maker Onward Manufacturing to fix the firebox
problem, and watch our exclusive video on the problems our testers encountered in the lab.
You can help us do even more to warn consumers of potential safety hazards by telling us about safety problems you encounter with the products you use every day. Although we want to hear about any safety problem you encounter—with appliances, outdoor power equipment, tools and ladders, furniture, and any other home product—periodically, we'll be inquiring about particular items or problems brought to our attention. At this time, we are particularly interested in any safety problems or concerns you might have experienced with zero-turn-radius mowers.
Inform us about your safety issues or concerns and problem products by filling out this form on our Web site. (Read the Consumer Reports privacy policy). When you write us, please be sure to include the following:
You should also report product-safety problems directly to the CPSC.
For our May 2008 report on lawn mowers, for instance, our testers found that the blade on the LawnBott LB3200 Evolution robotic mower, $2,500, kept spinning until they lifted the mower beyond roughly 45 degrees. Even after that, the mower’s blade took nearly four seconds to stop. Given the potential for serious harm, we judged this 25-pound Italian-made robotic mower Not Acceptable. Read more about the LawnBott LB3200 Evolution and watch our exclusive video in this close-up on robotic mowers. Also read this Consumer Reports Safety blog story on the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recall of the LB3200 Evolution.
DANGEROUS GRILL For our June 2008 report on gas grills, the Broil King Signet 90 986784LP produced black smoke during a routine flare-up test
(left). Our testers stopped the test and found molten metal dripping from the firebox, which had deformed and melted (right).
We subsequently judged this grill Not Acceptable.
You can help us do even more to warn consumers of potential safety hazards by telling us about safety problems you encounter with the products you use every day. Although we want to hear about any safety problem you encounter—with appliances, outdoor power equipment, tools and ladders, furniture, and any other home product—periodically, we'll be inquiring about particular items or problems brought to our attention. At this time, we are particularly interested in any safety problems or concerns you might have experienced with zero-turn-radius mowers.
Inform us about your safety issues or concerns and problem products by filling out this form on our Web site. (Read the Consumer Reports privacy policy). When you write us, please be sure to include the following:
- Your name and contact information, including e-mail address.
- Information on the product involved, including name and/or type of product, its approximate age, model number, and where and
when purchased.
- A detailed description of your safety-related issue.
