Costco Recalls Product After Multiple Fires and a Smoke Inhalation Injury

Staying cool amid the harsh summer temperatures came with an added danger after an umbrella sold at Costco was reported to be a fire and burn hazard. The membership-only big-box retail store on June 23 initiated a multi-country recall of the SunVilla 10-foot Solar LED Market Umbrella after receiving a half dozen reports of the lithium-ion batteries in the umbrella’s solar panels overheating.

Consumers were alerted to the recall via joint recall notices posted by the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission and Canada.ca’s recalls and safety alerts page. According to those notices, approximately 400,000 SunVilla 10-foot Solar LED Market Umbrellas were sold in the United States, with an additional 33,000 in Canada. The umbrellas were sold at Costco warehouses nationwide and online at www.costco.com from December 2020 through May 2022 for between $130 and $160. The umbrellas were available in a variety of colors and have LED lights on the arms of the umbrella and a black solar panel battery puck at the top of the umbrella. The solar puck has a black cover marked with “YEEZE” or “YEEZE 1.” Multiple model names and numbers, date codes, and UPC codes are included in the recall, with a full list of those codes available here.

Costco initiated the recall after receiving six reports of the lithium-ion batteries overheating. Of those reports, one was from Canada, where a consumer reported the battery overheated and the umbrella caught fire. No injuries were reported in that case. Costco received five additional reports from the U.S. This included three reports of the umbrella’s solar panels catching fire while charging via the AC adapter indoors and two reports of umbrellas catching fire when the solar panel puck overheated and caught fire while attached to the umbrella. There was a single report of a smoke inhalation injury. 

Due to the fire and burn hazard the SunVilla 10-foot Solar LED Market Umbrella poses, consumers are asked to immediately stop the use of the recalled umbrellas. Consumers should remove the solar panel puck containing the lithium-ion battery from the top of the umbrella, store the puck out of the sun and away from combustible material, and not charge the puck with the AC adapter. The umbrellas and solar puck can be returned to any Costco Warehouse nationwide for a full refund. Consumers unable to return the product to Costco can contact the firm for instructions on how to receive a refund. SunVilla and Costco are contacting all known purchasers.