STIHL has just recalled a robotic lawn mower docking station

Time-saving technology is great when it works, but with each new technological innovation come more opportunities for things to go wrong. Lawn mowers of both the push and riding variety have advanced a lot in recent years, and one of the latest changes is the move towards battery-powered robotic lawn mowers.

Designed to save time and effort when mowing the lawn by eliminating the need for a human at the controls, robotic mowers work surprisingly well most of the time. But occasionally something goes wrong that requires immediate attention. That’s what happened recently with some automatic mowers made by STIHL, prompting the manufacturer to recall a handful of products in its lineup on March 16, 2023.

What STIHL Product Was Recalled?

According to the STIHL website, the recall is for roughly 2,700 electric docking stations which accompany the company’s iMOW line of robotic lawn mowers.

Why Was the STIHL Docking Station Recalled?

According to STIHL, it discovered that the circuit boards in the defective docking stations can short out in the presence of moisture, leading to overheating and possible fires. To date, STIHL has received eight reports of overheating, which include two reports of fires caused by the docking stations. So far, no one has reported injury.

How Do I Know If I Have a Recalled Docking Station?

All affected docking stations bear the STIHL name, and the accompanying mowers (which haven’t been recalled) have the name iMOW embossed on the top. The units in question were sold by authorized STIHL dealers between January 2017 and July 2022.

The model numbers of the robotic mowers with recalled docking stations are:

• RMI 422
• RMI 522
• RMI 632

The mowers have serial numbers ranging from 437478902 to 443268968, and the defective docking stations have serial numbers from 437475057 to 443268971.

What Should I Do If I Have a Recalled Docking Station?

STIHL recommends owners of affected mowers stop using them immediately. Contact STIHL directly at 800-233-4729 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET for a free repair of your docking station, or get in touch with an authorized STIHL service provider.