Hustler 1500 / FasTrak / FasTrak Super Duty / Sport / Super Z / X-ONE fuel-tank vent valve fitting fire-hazard recall (CPSC 13-704)

## Affected machines About 18,000 (combined Hustler + BigDog) zero-turn riding mowers and walk-behind mowers manufactured by Excel Industries, sold **September 2010 through May 2012** for $2,900-$21,000. This bulletin covers the **Hustler ride-on (zero-turn)** portion. Hustler mowers are sold in **yellow**. The model name and serial number are on a tag on the **left side of the frame in front of the fender**. ### Affected Hustler models and serial-number ranges | Model | Type | Serial range | |---|---|---| | 1500 Riding Greens | Riding | 10062845 – 11081604 | | FasTrak | Zero-turn riding | 10121082 – 11120946 | | FasTrak Super Duty | Zero-turn riding | 10091717 – 12054999 | | Sport | Zero-turn riding | 10120377 – 12054999 | | Super Z | Zero-turn riding | 10109017 – 12054999 | | X-ONE | Zero-turn riding | 10090765 – 12022041 | The Hustler **TrimStar walk-behind** (serial 11033546-12054999) is also covered by the same recall but is out of scope for this bulletin since walk-behind mowers are not yet in the TractorNuity library. Note: the Hustler TrimStar zero-turn (added in this migration) is a different product from the walk-behind TrimStar in this recall. The BigDog portion of the same recall (A Series, C Series, R Diablo, R PowerBar, R Series, X Series, X Diablo) is covered by sibling bulletin **TNB02600043**. ## Issue The **fuel tank vent valve fitting** can fail to seal properly. Multiple owners reported the fitting **cracking** or **failing to seat** in the fuel-tank top, allowing fuel to slosh or leak out the vent. Fuel near a hot engine creates a fire hazard. Reported field incidents at time of recall: - 152 incidents of vent valve fittings failing - 0 injuries - 0 property damage reports The high incident count relative to the population (~0.85% failure rate at recall time) indicates this was a manufacturing-process issue rather than a wear-out failure mode. A field workaround documented by some owners is replacing the **hard plastic vent fitting** with an **orange rubber vent grommet** (a Hustler service bulletin 504 part) or applying a sealant under a re-seated fitting. However, the official remedy is the dealer-installed replacement under the recall. ## What to do 1. Check your model and serial number against the table above. 2. If your mower is in scope, **stop using it immediately**. 3. Contact a Hustler authorized dealer, or call Excel Industries at (800) 748-8223 Monday-Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. CT. 4. Visit https://www.hustlerturf.com and click "Product Recall Information" for more information. 5. Free dealer repair (vent valve fitting replacement). ## Hazard Severity is rated **critical** because of the fire risk from fuel leakage. Although no fires or injuries had been reported at recall time, 152 fitting-failure incidents in two years is an unusually high incident rate. ## Related bulletins - **TNB02600043** covers the BigDog portion of CPSC 13-704 (A / C / R / X Series). ## Source - U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, "Excel Industries Recalls Hustler and BigDog Lawn Mowers Due to Fire Hazard," Recall Alert 13-704, November 1, 2012. - Sold at Hustler and BigDog dealers nationwide from September 2010 to May 2012 for between $2,900 and $21,000. ## Library notes The recall-scope SKUs are added in this migration as legacy series rows ('FasTrak Legacy Series', 'Sport Legacy Series', '1500 Series') with explicit production-window year_start/year_end markers. Current production FasTrak / Super Z / X-ONE rows are also added in this migration but with different year_start values and are not in scope for this recall — owners should match against serial number, not just model name.