NHTSA complaint: WAL MART WAL MART — EQUIPMENT:MECHANICAL:ACCESSORY SCISSOR/SCREW/BOTTLE JACK/LIFT
AUTO JACK FELL OFF ITS CARRY HANDLE ONTO LEFT FOOT. THE CARRY HANDLE IS FIT BY FRICTION BUT NOT ACTUALLY ATTACHED TO THE NUT AND BOLT ON WHICH IT SEEMS ATTACHED. MILLIONS HAVE BEEN MADE AND SOLD. THIS PRODUCT IS SOLD UNDER MULTIPLE BRANDS AND NAMES. THEY ALL SEEM TO HAVE THIS SAME DEFECT PERPETUATED BY MATERIAL SAVING COST AND ASSEMBLY TIME. AFTER USING BLACK JACK, A 22 LB HYDRAULIC CAR LIFTING JACK, I WAS PUTTING IT AWAY. WHILE CARRYING, IT FELL ON MY FOOT. YES, WHILE THIS MIGHT SEEM A CARICATURE OF SILLINESS, THE JACK ITSELF FELT OFF THE CARRY HANDLE BECAUSE THE HANDLE IS NOT ACTUALLY ATTACHED TO THE JACK. THE PLASTIC HANDLE IS FORCE FIT OVER A BOLT HEAD AND NUT AND IS NOT SCREWED INTO THE TOOL. THIS IS A DESIGN DEFECT AND INTENDED PROBABLY TO SAVE MATERIAL AND ASSEMBLY TIME AND MONEY. HOWEVER, THE HANDLE SHOULD BE FIRMLY ATTACHED AND WITH A SLIGHT DESIGN CHANGE WOULD BE BOLTED INTO THE UNIT RATHER THAN FRICTION-FITTED. IT IS AN INSTANCE OF CUTTING CORNERS. IT IS SOLD BY WALMART IN THE MILLIONS, ESTIMATED PRODUCTION IS ABOUT 2 MILLION, AND ANOTHER 1 MILLION MIGHT HAVE BEEN PRODUCED AND SOLD BY PITTSBURGH TOOLS AND THROUGH HARBOR FREIGHT UNDER THAT PRIVATE LABEL. THEY ARE THE SAME BUT DIFFERENT COLORS. THE DAMAGE TO MY FOOT WAS SEVERE AND THE LONG TERM EFFECT SEEMS TO BE NERVE DAMAGE. I HAVE PICTURES AND IT IS CLEAR FROM OTHER SOURCES THAT THE UNIT IS DELIVERED IN COMPLETE ASSEMBLY AND THIS DEFECT IS HIDDEN. I WOULD BE SURPRISED IF THERE ARE NOT OTHER INCIDENTS OF SIM
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation