Could Your Lawn Mower Be a Fire Starter? North Dakota Residents Beware!

With snow still on the ground, and mowing lawns not even on the radar, here is a recall just issued by the Consumer Product Safety Commission affecting John Deere riding mowers. Kawasaki Motors USA has hit the brakes on 39,000 of their John Deere mowers due to a potential burn hazard.

Apparently, these mowers decided to bring the heat – literally! With five reports of actual fires and 26 reports of melting or smoking engines, Kawasaki is putting the kibosh on these bad boys.

CPSC revealed that the issue lies in the mowers' voltage regulator. This critical piece can fail while the mower is hard at work or even just chilling in the garage, leading to an overheating engine. The result? A spontaneous sauna session that no one signed up for.

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Before you panic, breathe easy – no injuries have been reported. But if you’ve got a John Deere ZTrak Zero Turn Mower with a Kawasaki engine, it's time to check those model numbers. Affected models include the Z720E, Z730M, Z740R, and Z760R. Here's a quick look at the serial number ranges to keep an eye out for:

• Z720E: 1TC720E010001 – 1TC720E080657
• Z730M: 1TC730M010001 – 1TC730M080574
• Z740R: 1TC740R010001 – 1TC740R080462
• Z760R: 1TC760R080001 – 1TC760R080339

Sold between October 2018 and September 2024 for a cool $8,000 to $11,500, these mowers were the Cadillac of grass cutters. Now, they’re making a pit stop at the repair shop.

If you’ve got one of these mowers, step away from the ignition! Instead, reach out to your local John Deere dealer for a free fix. Kawasaki and John Deere are already dialing up all known buyers, but if you’re eager to get things sorted, you can contact Deere & Company at (800) 537-8233 or Kawasaki Motors Corp. USA at (866) 836-4463 for more info.

Spring will be here before you know it, so check your mowers now!