This Old Ryobi Drill Was Recalled In 2010 – Owner Gets Replacement 16 Years Later

In 2010, popular toolmaker Ryobi issued a product recall for one of its products: the Ryobi Model HP 1802M cordless drill. The drill suffered an issue that caused the machine's switch to overheat, posing a fire hazard. More than 16 years after the recall, it remains one of the largest project recalls ever issued by Ryobi, affecting more than 455,000 units. What is more surprising is that Ryobi — in 2026 — continues to honor the recall promise it made over 15 years ago to buyers of this affected drill.

This remarkable incident came to light on the r/Ryobi subreddit, where a user recently posted about getting an old Ryobi drill replaced as part of a recall. It's only when he revealed the model number of the affected drill that fellow Ryobi users realized that the toolmaker continues to send replacement drills to users who are still in possession of the affected Ryobi Model HP 1802M cordless drill. Ryobi's commitment to honor the product recall 16 years after the notification has prompted other owners of the affected model to approach the company for a replacement.

What prompted Ryobi and the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to issue the recall was the 47 separate reports of incidents related to the affected drill. These reports included incidents that involved the machine overheating, smoking, and melting. In some incidents, the drill even caught fire. The fire caused by the affected drill also resulted in 12 reported incidents of property damage that involved vehicles and homes. Two incidents involving the HP 1802M cordless drill resulted in minor burns to users who touched the overheated switch.

While the news of a company honoring a product recall after 16 years is remarkable in itself, what makes this story even more fascinating is that the affected models were manufactured several years before the recall was issued. As it turns out, the affected Ryobi HP 1802M cordless drill models were sold at Home Depot stores between January 2001 and July 2003, making even the newest recall-affected drill at least 22 years old as of 2026. The oldest models affected by the recall were sold to consumers more than 25 years ago. In simpler terms, the 2010 product recall was issued for products that were in use and in consumers' possession for at least seven years.

While the recall documents do not reveal the cause of the fire hazard, they do indicate that the affected model was powered by an 18-volt rechargeable Ni-Cad battery. The company no longer uses Ni-Cad batteries in its drills, having moved to high performance and high capacity Li-ion batteries.

If you think you have an old Ryobi drill from that era still lying around, check whether it is blue and black, with the "Ryobi" text in red and white on the left side of the machine. You will also be able to see the actual model number of the drill written on a white label affixed on the right side of the machine. Once Ryobi determines you are eligible for a replacement, the company will pick up the recall-affected HP 1802M drill and replace it with one of its newer cordless drill models.