Nearly 5 million blenders sold at Costco, Target and Walmart are being recalled due to broken blades.

BlendJet Inc. is recalling about 4.8 million portable blenders sold at Costco, Target and Walmart after receiving reports of blades breaking as well as the product overheating or catching fire, resulting in dozens of injuries.

The Benicia, California-based company has heard of 329 incidents in which the blades of its BlendJet 2 portable blenders broke during use, as well as an additional 17 reports of overheating or fires that resulted in property damage claims amounting to about $150,000, according to notice Published Thursday by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

BlendJet also received 49 reports of minor burn injuries and one laceration injury.

“Although none of the reported incidents resulted in serious injuries or significant property damage, out of an abundance of caution, our company has updated the BlendJet 2 base to feature thicker blades and an improved electrical configuration,” BlendJet said in a news release. launch. She added that the updates were integrated several months ago.

Consumer Reports offered a somewhat different view, noting that it has begun to raise the bar on safety Fears to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and BlendJet over blenders recalled in August. “In one injury complaint, a consumer reported that the blender started smoking while plugged in, and the complainant’s son reportedly burned his finger when unplugged,” CR said.

“BlendJet should publicize this recall as much as possible in the new year, and we urge the company to refund people's money if they are not comfortable getting a replacement,” William Wallace, CR's associate director for safety policy, said Thursday in an email statement.

The recalled product was manufactured in China and was sold in stores nationwide and online from October 2020 through November 2023 for between $50 and $75. The recalled blenders are available in a variety of colors and designs, and have serial numbers with the first four numbers ranging from 5201 to 5542. Consumers can also go to here To learn about mixers.

Consumers are urged to stop using the blenders and contact BlendJet for a free replacement of the base unit, according to the CPSC notice. People who purchased the recalled product will have to remove and cut off the rubber seal of the base and email it or upload a photo to the company's website. website.

BlendJet reported that BlendJet 2 blenders with serial numbers starting with “5543” or higher are not being recalled because they already contain updated components.

In addition to the 4.8 million recalled blenders sold in the United States, approximately 117,000 other blenders were sold in Canada.