Ceiling fans sold at Home Depot recalled after reports of blades flying off

As many as 190,000 Hampton Bay ceiling fans sold exclusively at Home Depot this past year are being recalled by the distributor after a growing number of reports of blades detaching while the fan spins. The distributor, King of Fans, blamed the problem on a faulty fan blade locking clip, saying in a statement to customers that the issue  is “an isolated manufacturing defect.”

The fan in question is the 54-inch version of the Hampton Bay Mara Indoor/Outdoor Ceiling Fan, available in black, matte black, matte white and polished nickel. The defect affects about 182,000 ceiling fans sold in the US between April and October of 2020, as well as an additional 8,800 fans sold in Canada — though a Home Depot spokesperson tells CNET that those figures reflect the total number of units made available for sale, and that the actual number of units sold was “about 80,000.” 

To date, there have been 47 reports of the fan’s blades detaching while the fan spins overhead, including two instances in which the blade hit a customer and four instances in which the blade caused property damage.

King of Fans notes that the defect doesn’t impact every Mara on the market, and advises customers to check the UPC number printed on a silver label on the fan’s housing assembly. If that number matches the number of the affected product runs, then the fan needs to be replaced.

“Consumers should immediately stop using the ceiling fans and inspect the ceiling fans using the instructions at www.kingoffans.com/MaraRecall.htm,” says the US Consumer Product Safety Commission in its rundown of the recall details. “If consumers observe blade movement or uneven gaps between the blades and fan body or movement of the clip during inspection, consumers should immediately contact King of Fans for a free replacement ceiling fan.”

Customers can reach King of Fans by calling 1-866-443-1291 Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET. They can also email mararecall@kingoffans.com, or visit the distributor’s website for the recall to view a video with instructions on how to inspect the fan to see if it needs to be replaced.

“We’re committed to the safety and quality of our products so we contacted the Consumer Product Safety Commission and voluntarily recalled the product and stopped sales when we discovered the issue,” said Christina Cornell, a Home Depot spokesperson. The ceiling fan has also been removed from the company’s website.

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