John Deere zero-turn mowers recalled for fire and burn hazard

A recall of about 39,000 John Deere ZTrak zero-turn mowers with Kawasaki engines is underway in the U.S.

The recall was announced Thursday by Kawasaki Motors USA. It was prompted by “fire and burn hazards” potentially posed by the engines, according to a recall notice published by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). 

Kawasaki Motors USA said in the notice the voltage regulators within the engines “can fail during use or while the product is being stored, causing the engine to overheat.” 

A photo of the recalled mower (Consumer Product Safety Commission)

Consumers “should immediately stop using the recalled mowers” until they can get repairs, according to the CSPC notice. 

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The recalled Kawasaki engine-equipped mowers have the model numbers Z720E, Z730M, Z740R or Z760R below their seat and certain serial numbers “on the right side of the machine near the rear tire,” it said. 

Customers would have purchased them from authorized John Deere dealers between October 2018 and September 2024.

While the issue with the engine voltage regulators has led to five instances of fires and over two dozen cases of “melting and/or smoking,” no one has sustained any injuries, according to the CPSC notice. 

The companies are getting in touch with affected customers directly, the notice said. 

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Kawasaki and John Deere posted information about the mower recall on their respective websites. 

A John Deere sign in Rivne, Ukraine, Aug. 29, 2017. (Igor Golovniov/SOPA Images/LightRocket / Getty Images)

“We strive to ensure that John Deere products are of exceptional quality,” John Deere said on its recall webpage. “In the event that there is a Recall or Product Improvement Program on a John Deere product, we make every effort to get that important information to you as quickly as possible.” 

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The repairs for the recalled mowers will be done free of charge, Kawasaki said in the recall notice. 

John Deere ZTrak zero-turn mowers can reach speeds of up to 7-10 miles per hour, depending on the series, according to the farming equipment company.