According to the recall report submitted on March 20, 2020, worn-out production tooling at the factory caused a potentially dangerous defect. The pawl, or part that holds the extension lifting post in place, may not fully engage the teeth of the jack in the defective models.
A slight shift in weight or movement on a defective jack stand could cause the pawl to disengage, resulting in the stand suddenly dropping. This has the potential to harm anyone underneath or around a lifted vehicle or object.
Harbor Freight found the defect in its six-ton jack stands first, but on May 3rd, it filed an additional report adding three-ton jack stands of the same brand to the recall list. The company believes the defect is only in recent batches of the jack stands in question, but they recalled all of them to be on the safe side.
A jack stand malfunction could not only result in injury but death as well. Many RVers carry jack stands for various uses. Even if you don’t own a set of these particular jack stands, it may be a good idea to email or share this safety recall sheet to friends and family. The part numbers included in the recall are 56371, 61196, and 61197. To return a recalled jack, simply bring it to your local Harbor Freight and they will give you a gift card equal to the retail price of the jack stands plus applicable tax.
