Stihl MS 361 C-Q chainsaw throttle trigger sticking laceration hazard (CPSC Dec 23, 2010)

## Affected machines About **5,000 US units** of Stihl **MS 361C** chainsaws — specifically the **C-Q variant** with the rear-handle activated chain brake. The MS 361 family had several variants (C, C-Q, etc.). **Only the C-Q variant is in scope** for this recall — the variant identifier is critical. ### Identifying an affected unit The recalled chainsaws have: - A **rear-handle activated chain brake** (this is what the C-Q designation indicates) - An **orange top casing, gray base, black handle** - "STIHL MS 361C" printed in an **orange circle on the side** of the unit ### Production / sales window Sold at **authorized Stihl dealers nationwide** from **February 2004 through August 2009** for **about $640**. Manufactured in the **United States**. The MS 361 series was eventually replaced in Stihl's lineup by the MS 362. ## Issue The **throttle trigger may stick after it has been released by the operator**, which could cause the engine to continue running at a speed that drives the saw chain. This poses a risk of **laceration injury** to the user or a bystander. When the operator releases the throttle, the saw should idle — at idle speed the centrifugal clutch disengages and the chain stops. With the defect, the throttle may stick partially open, keeping engine speed above the clutch engagement threshold and **continuing to drive the chain even though the operator has released the throttle**. This defeats one of the basic operator-presence safety mechanisms on the saw — the operator's expectation that releasing the throttle will stop the chain. A user setting the saw down to clear a workpiece or step away may not realize the chain is still moving. Reported field incidents at recall time: - 3 reports of throttle trigger sticking - 0 injuries ## What to do 1. Confirm your saw is the **MS 361C** with the **C-Q variant** (rear-handle activated chain brake) — other MS 361 variants are not in scope. 2. If your saw is in scope, **stop using it immediately**. 3. Bring the unit to an **authorized Stihl servicing dealer** for free repair. 4. Or call Stihl Inc. at **800-610-6677** Monday-Friday 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. ET. 5. Online: https://www.stihlusa.com (Information → Product Recalls) ## Hazard Severity is rated **warning**. Only 3 of ~5,000 units exhibited the defect (a 0.06% rate), and no injuries had been reported. However, the defect class (operator-presence safety system failure on a chainsaw) is a serious one and CPSC's intervention closed the issue before injuries accumulated. ## Related bulletins - **TNB02600079** — Stihl MSA 300 battery chainsaw delayed-brake laceration hazard (CPSC 2023). Same hazard class on a different Stihl chainsaw — the operator-presence chain stop system was again the affected component. - **TNB02600081** — Stihl MS 391 chainsaw flywheel projectile hazard (CPSC 2012). Different defect, contemporaneous Stihl recall. - **TNB02600080** — Stihl MS 461 chainsaw fuel-line pinch fire hazard (CPSC 2017). This is the **earliest in-scope Stihl recall in the TractorNuity library** — the 2003 MS 270/280/280C carburetor recall and earlier Stihl recalls fall outside our 2005-onward scope window. ## Source - U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, "STIHL Inc. Recalls Chain Saws Due to Laceration Hazard," December 23, 2010 (CPSC release #11-080). - Manufacturer: Stihl Incorporated, of Virginia Beach, Virginia. - Stihl recall page: https://www.stihlusa.com (search "Product Recalls")