About 1,800 Hustler and BigDog mower LED light kits recalled over fire hazard

What was recalled: the add-on light kit, not the mower

The recall covers about 1,800 accessory LED Light Kits made by Excel Industries LLC of Hesston, Kansas. Each kit contains two LED Light Bars plus kit components, and it is sold as an accessory headlight for Hustler or BigDog ride-on mowers.

According to the CPSC notice, a black or yellow steel mounting bracket attaches to the mower footrest at the front of the machine and holds the two LED Light Bars as headlights. The bars are clear plastic with a white and a black wire and an orange plug at the end, and each measures 6 inches wide by 3/4 of an inch tall.

The mowers themselves are not part of this recall. If your Hustler or BigDog mower has no front light kit fitted, or has lights from a different supplier, the notice does not apply to it. The recall concerns the accessory kits sold from April 2020 through July 2026, whether the kit is still in its box or already installed on a mower.

CPSC lists this as a Fast Track recall, and the page notes it is being conducted in conjunction with Canada. The kits were manufactured in the United States.

Why it was recalled: the light bars can overheat or catch fire

CPSC's hazard statement is short: "The light bars can overheat or produce flames, posing a risk of serious injury from a fire hazard."

The notice does not describe what inside the light bar causes the overheating, and it does not tie the problem to particular production dates, batches or wiring arrangements. It also gives no part number. That leaves the description of the kit, the mower it is fitted to and the sales window as the only ways to tell whether a kit is included, so treat every kit sold in that window as covered unless your dealer confirms otherwise.

The recall is about the risk, not about incidents that have already happened: CPSC records no reports of fires or injuries (see below). The agency's related-recalls list on the same page includes other yard-equipment fire hazards from 2026, such as Kobalt yard tools with USB-C batteries, but those are separate actions by other companies and are not connected to the Excel Industries kits.

Where the kits were sold

The kits were sold at Hustler and BigDog dealerships nationwide and online at the Hustler accessories page (printed on the notice as www.hustlerturf.com/law-mower-accessories) and at www.bigdogmower.com/accessories, from April 2020 through July 2026, for between $180 and $330.

That six-year window matters. Many owners will have bought the kit as an add-on when they bought the mower, and some will have had a dealer fit it, so the receipt may be part of the mower purchase paperwork rather than a separate invoice. The notice directs owners back to their point-of-sale dealer, which is why it helps to know where the mower or the kit was bought.

The notice lists no other retailers or marketplaces. That sets it apart from the YERYORK and Steelite pressure washer recalls announced the same day, which involved Amazon-only listings, and it means the dealer network is the main route for both notification and the refund.

How to identify an affected light kit

The CPSC notice does not list a part number, SKU or model number for the kit. Identification rests on three things: what the kit is used on (a Hustler or BigDog ride-on mower), what it looks like, and when it was bought. If your mower has front lights and you are not sure who made them, the dealer that sold the mower or the kit can confirm from the sales record. Excel Industries also runs recall pages at www.hustlerturf.com/product-recall and www.bigdogmowerco.com/product-recall with the same details.

Reported incidents and injuries

CPSC lists incidents and injuries as "None reported." As of the Aug. 27, 2026 announcement, neither Excel Industries nor the agency had received a report of a fire, injury or property damage linked to the light kits.

The hazard is stated as a risk, not as a record of fires: the light bars can overheat or produce flames, and the recall was issued on that basis. It is tagged as a Fast Track recall, which under CPSC's program means the company agreed to a corrective action quickly rather than waiting for agency staff to make a preliminary determination that the product is defective.

If you have experienced a problem with one of these kits, CPSC asks that dangerous products and product-related injuries be reported at SaferProducts.gov or through its hotline at 800-638-2772.

What to do if you have one of these kits

The remedy is a refund through the dealer, and the notice is specific about where to go: "Consumers should stop using the accessory LED Light Kits immediately and contact their point-of-sale dealers to receive a refund upon return of the light kit. Light kits installed on mowers can be removed either at the local dealer or at the consumer's residence."

In other words, the refund is paid when the kit is returned, and you do not have to bring the whole mower in if you can take the kit off at home. Excel Industries can be reached toll-free at 888-848-6038 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday, by email at safetyadvisory@sbdinc.com, or through the recall pages at www.hustlerturf.com/product-recall and www.bigdogmowerco.com/product-recall (also reachable from hustlerturf.com under "Service and Parts," then "Product Recalls").

1. Stop using the LED light kit immediately.
2. Find your point-of-sale dealer: the dealership or website where the kit, or the mower with the kit fitted, was bought.
3. Remove the kit yourself or arrange for the dealer to remove it. The notice allows either option.
4. Return the kit to the dealer to receive the refund.
5. For questions, contact Excel Industries at 888-848-6038 (8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday), safetyadvisory@sbdinc.com, or the product-recall pages on hustlerturf.com and bigdogmowerco.com.

Who issued the recall and when

The recall was announced by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission on Aug. 27, 2026, as CPSC recall number 26-722. The recalling company is Excel Industries LLC of Hesston, Kansas, the manufacturer of the kits, and the kits were made in the United States. The remedy on record is a refund.

CPSC tags this as a Fast Track recall. Under CPSC's Fast Track Recall Program, a company that agrees to put a corrective action plan in place quickly, including a consumer-level refund, repair or replacement, and to stop sale and distribution of the product immediately, avoids having CPSC staff make a preliminary determination that the product contains a defect creating a substantial product hazard. The label describes the process, not the severity of the hazard.

The notice also shows the recall is being conducted in conjunction with Canada, so Canadian owners should ask their dealer about the equivalent remedy.

Other CPSC recalls announced on Aug. 27, 2026 include the Studio Six headphone amplifier recall and the expanded Cuisinart grill brush recall.

How to monitor recalls and why to keep your receipts

Dealer-sold accessories rarely make headlines, so check the sources yourself. CPSC posts every recall at cpsc.gov/Recalls and offers email alerts; FDA lists food, drug and cosmetic recalls on its recalls page; vehicle recalls can be checked by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; USDA FSIS covers meat and poultry; and FoodSafety.gov gathers food alerts. Retailer notifications and the brand's own site, here hustlerturf.com and bigdogmowerco.com, are worth checking too.

Keep the mower and accessory receipts, and photograph any labels with part or serial numbers before a kit is returned. That proof may matter if a company refund, reimbursement or a future claim program becomes available. Owed tracks open class action settlements, not recalls; see the current list.

Glossary

Accessory kit

An add-on sold separately from the mower; here, two LED light bars and a mounting bracket fitted at the front of a Hustler or BigDog ride-on mower.

Point-of-sale dealer

The dealership or website where the kit or mower was bought. The notice routes refunds and returns through that dealer.

Fast Track recall

A CPSC program in which a company agrees to a quick corrective action plan, including a consumer-level refund, repair or replacement, and stops sale and distribution immediately; in return, CPSC staff do not make a preliminary determination that the product contains a defect.

Recall number

CPSC's identifier for a recall; this one is 26-722. Searching it on cpsc.gov brings up the official page.

Remedy

What the company offers to fix the hazard as stated in the notice; here, a refund upon return of the light kit.

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