The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada announced a joint recall on September 17, 2026, for selected Char-Broil Bistro Pro electric grills. The grounding wire for the heating element can disconnect, causing the appliance to lose fault protection and creating an electric-shock hazard.
The recall covers about 10,605 units in the United States and another 342 units in Canada. No incidents or injuries had been reported when the notices were published. Consumers are instructed to stop using affected grills and contact Char-Broil for a free repair kit.
Which Bistro Pro grills are affected?
The U.S. recall includes full-size and tabletop Bistro Pro electric-grill configurations in black, red, blackout and emerald finishes. CPSC lists nine model numbers: 25302145, 25302146, 25302147, 25302148, 25302149, 25302150, 25302151, 25302159 and 25302163.
Only products with manufacturing date codes 2510, 2511 or 2512 are included. These codes represent October, November and December 2025 and form part of the serial number. The product label is on the lower shelf of full-size models and on the side bar of tabletop models.
The Canadian notice has a narrower market identifier: SKU 25302177 and UPC 099143021775 with the same three date codes. Buyers must use the notice for their market rather than assuming that U.S. and Canadian model numbers are interchangeable.
What the grounding-wire defect means
The heating element is an energized component located within a conductive appliance system. Its grounding connection supports fault protection by providing a controlled path if insulation or another internal component fails.
If that grounding wire disconnects, the grill can lose this protection. The official notices describe an electric-shock hazard; they do not report that every affected unit has already developed a live accessible surface, and they publish no detailed test readings.
A normal heating cycle or a functioning control panel does not verify ground continuity. Product checks must distinguish between basic operation and the integrity of protective connections under heat, vibration, handling and repeated use.
Sales period and recall scope
The affected grills were sold from October 2025 through June 2026. In the United States, sales channels included Ace Hardware, Lowe’s, Walmart, Wayfair, QVC, Amazon and other stores and online retailers. Prices ranged from $150 to $250.
Char-Broil LLC of Columbus, Georgia is identified as the importer, and the grills were manufactured in China. The U.S. recall number is 26-773; the Canadian recall identification number is RA-82607.
The public notices apply to the listed models and date codes, not to every Char-Broil grill or every appliance with a similar shape.
What consumers and channel partners should do
- Stop use: do not continue operating a grill that matches the applicable market identifiers.
- Check the label: record the model or SKU, serial number and four-digit date code.
- Use the correct notice: compare the product with the U.S. or Canadian scope according to where it was sold.
- Request the official remedy: contact Char-Broil for the free repair kit and authorized instructions.
- Do not improvise: do not open the appliance or alter protective conductors without the approved repair process.
- Quarantine channel stock: distributors should prevent affected units from being sold, transferred or returned to general inventory.
- Trace prior sales: use date-code and transaction records to identify customers who received affected products.
How the repair programme works
Char-Broil is supplying a repair kit containing instructions, a long-extension screwdriver, a 5/16-inch or 8 mm wrench, screws and a label for the completed rework. The company also provides a repair video.
CPSC says consumers who submit photographic documentation of the completed repair can receive a $25 digital gift card valid at participating retailers. This incentive does not change the first safety action: affected products should remain unused until the approved repair is completed.
The article does not reproduce repair steps. Owners should follow the current manufacturer instructions supplied through the recall programme because grounding work is safety-critical.
Lessons for appliance suppliers
Protective-earth connections require more than a correct schematic. Terminal retention, routing, fasteners, vibration resistance and production verification determine whether the connection remains reliable in the finished product.
Suppliers should maintain traceability between the bill of materials, assembly process, manufacturing date and regional model number. End-of-line tests should be backed by process controls that prevent a conductor from loosening after shipment.
For multi-market products, recall readiness also depends on accurate mapping between SKUs, UPCs, model numbers and serial-date formats. The difference between the U.S. and Canadian identifiers illustrates why a single global listing is not enough.
Takeaway
The Bistro Pro recall is a reminder that protective grounding is a complete-system requirement. Buyers and suppliers should verify not only that a grounding conductor is specified, but also that its connection remains secure, is tested in production and can be traced to the exact models and batches supplied.