Kawasaki Motors USA Recalls John Deere ZTrak Zero Turn Mowers Due To Fire And Burn Hazards

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has recently announced the recall of Kawasaki Motors USA’s John Deere Ztrak Zero Turn Mowers due to a substantial risk that the lawnmower can start on fire when activated or left alone. According to the recall, the voltage regulator in the mower’s engine can fail during use or while the product is being stored, causing the engine to overheat, which poses a fire and burn hazard. Consumers are advised to immediately stop using the product and contact an authorized John Deere dealer for a free repair. Kawasaki and John Deere are contacting all known purchasers directly. At present, Kawasaki has received five reports of fires and 26 reports of melting and/or smoking. Thus far, no injuries or substantial property damage have been reported.

Parents sue after child is run over by lawnmower at daycare 

Lawnmower accidents are no joke. Lawnmower companies owe the public a duty of care to ensure that their products have safeguards to prevent substantial injury. In one case, a child lost his foot after he was run over by a lawnmower at daycare. The parents have filed a personal injury lawsuit on behalf of their son who now requires a prosthetic limb in place of his foot. It is unclear if the lawnmower manufacturer is named in the lawsuit, but the daycare certainly is. Authorities have revoked the daycare’s license after performing an investigation into the matter.

Police officer dies in freak lawnmower accident 

A police officer died in August after a freak lawnmower accident. According to reports, the lawnmower flipped over and pinned the officer underwater where she drowned. It’s unclear if the officer’s family will file a lawsuit against the manufacturer of the lawnmower for flipping over. It would depend entirely on the circumstances of her case. The defendant would allege that the decedent negligently rode the riding mower and caused the accident that led to her death.

Children are being maimed by lawnmowers 

One of the main problems with riding lawnmowers is that they can mow when they’re in reverse. In one case, a father backed over his daughter who lost several toes and part of her foot in a serious lawnmower injury. According to data gleaned by FairWarning, there have been 133 cases of young children being injured by back-overs of riding mowers since 2004. This is based on court records, news reports, and interviews. Eight of these children died from their injuries and several others suffered amputations of fingers, toes, hands, feet, and limbs.

There is a simple fix to this problem. If the lawnmower is going in reverse, then it should cut power to the blades. Companies know this will make their mowers safer for children, but do not implement this measure when manufacturing their products.

Talk to a Florida Product Liability Lawyer Today 

Halpern, Santos & Pinkert represent the interests of Florida residents who have been injured by dangerous or defective consumer products. Call our Florida personal injury lawyers today to schedule an appointment, and we can begin investigating your case right away.

Source:

cpsc.gov/Recalls/2025/Kawasaki-Motors-USA-Recalls-John-Deere-ZTrak-Zero-Turn-Mowers-with-Kawasaki-Engines-Due-to-Fire-and-Burn-Hazards