Recall of nearly 5 million portable blenders under way for unsafe blades and dozens of burn injuries

This photo provided by U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission shows a BlendJet 2 Portable Blender. BlendJet is recalling about 4.8 million of its portable blenders over laceration and fire hazards after receiving dozens of reports of injuries, federal regulators said Thursday, Dec. 28, 2023. (U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission via AP)

BlendJet is recalling about 4.8 million of its portable blenders over laceration and fire hazards after receiving dozens of reports of injuries, federal regulators said Thursday.

BlendJet 2 Portable Blenders can overheat or catch fire, according to a notice from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, and their blender blades can break off during use.

There have been 329 reports of blades breaking during use to date, the CPSC said, as well as 17 additional reports of overheating or fires that resulted in about $150,000 of property damage claims. The company has also received 49 reports of minor burn injuries and one reported laceration injury.

Regulators urged consumers to stop using the recalled blenders immediately and contact BlendJet for a free base unit replacement. To receive the replacement part, customers will need to remove and cut up the base's rubber seal and email or upload a photo using BlendJet's website.

BlendJet said in a prepared statement that the recall impacts older Blender 2 blenders and that BlendJet 2 blenders now available for purchase through the company's website and retail partners have updated components and are not subject to the recall.

“Out of an abundance of caution, our company updated the base of the BlendJet 2 to feature thicker blades and an improved electrical configuration,” BlendJet wrote in a Thursday release. “These updates were incorporated many months ago into all BlendJet 2 devices manufactured by the company.”

BlendJet 2 blenders with serial numbers that begin with numbers “5543” or higher are not under recall, the Benicia, California, company said. Consumers can also confirm whether or not their blender is under recall by furnishing product information on BlendJet's website or contacting the company.

According to the CPSC, the recalled BlendJet Portable Blenders were sold between October 2020 and November 2023 online and in stores at retailers including Costco, Walmart and Target.

In addition the 4.8 million BlendJet 2 blenders under recall in the U.S., regulators say about 117,000 were sold in Canada.