A new Char-Broil recall gives Canadian households a reason to check the barbecue before another weekend cookout or a fall clearance purchase. Health Canada's September 17 recall listing covers certain Bistro Pro Electric Grill + Charcoal Mode units because a grounding-wire connection can fail, creating a potential electric shock hazard. The company reported that 342 affected units were sold in Canada, with sales running from October 2025 through June 2026. This is a specific product-and-manufacturing-date recall, not a warning against every Char-Broil barbecue. For shoppers, the useful starting point is the label on the actual grill rather than its colour, advertised features or sale price. Owners of an affected unit should stop using it immediately and contact Char-Broil for the free repair kit.

Check the Canadian identifiers carefully. Health Canada's notice names SKU 25302177 and UPC 099143021775, with manufacturing date codes 2510, 2511 and 2512. Those codes identify October, November and December 2025 and appear within the serial number in year-and-month format. The notice says the product label is on the bottom shelf of full-size grills and on the side bar of tabletop models. Read the complete identification label and compare it with the official Canadian notice; do not assume that a purchase made in a different month rules the grill out. The sale date and manufacturing date are different checks. If a label is difficult to read or an online listing omits it, ask Char-Broil or the seller to confirm the identification rather than guessing from a stock photograph.

The hazard concerns the grounding wire for the heating element: it can disconnect, causing the unit to lose fault protection. Health Canada says that, as of August 26, 2026, the company had received no reports of incidents or injuries in Canada or the United States. That dated statement is not a reason to keep using a recalled grill, and it should not be read as a guarantee about subsequent events. The official instruction remains to stop using the affected product immediately. Do not test it to see whether it still heats normally, attempt an improvised wiring fix or treat its charcoal mode as a workaround. The recall instruction applies to the product, and the safest next step is the manufacturer's repair process, not another cooking session.

Char-Broil's dedicated Bistro Pro repair-order page lets owners request the free kit. According to Health Canada, the kit includes instructions for accessing and securing the grounding-wire connection, the required tools and a label recording that the rework has been performed. The Canadian notice also links to the manufacturer's repair video. Keep the model and serial information handy when registering, retain the instructions, and save documentation of the completed repair. If you cannot confidently follow the supplied procedure, contact Char-Broil before proceeding and ask what assistance is available; do not assume an unrelated repair is equivalent. The recall contact number is 866-671-7988, available Monday through Saturday, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mountain Time. The published remedy is a repair, so shoppers should not assume this notice promises an automatic cash refund.

For anyone browsing clearance racks, open-box merchandise or second-hand listings, this is a reminder to check safety before comparing savings. Ask for the actual model and serial label, not simply the product name copied into an advertisement. Health Canada explicitly notes that recalled products cannot be redistributed, sold or even given away in Canada. An owner should therefore not pass along an affected grill as a free project while waiting for the kit. If a seller says the recall repair has already been completed, ask for documentation and check any uncertainty with Char-Broil before buying. A receipt, low price or statement that the barbecue was barely used does not establish whether it falls within the recall. The question is whether the exact unit is affected and whether the official corrective work is documented.

Cross-border buyers need an additional check because the American notice is broader in its model list. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's September 17 announcement describes full-size and tabletop Bistro Pro electric grills in several colours and lists multiple American model numbers. It reports about 10,605 units sold in the United States, in addition to the 342 Canadian units, and identifies the same three manufacturing date codes. Do not mistake an American model table for the complete Canadian identification instructions, or conclude that an imported grill is unaffected because it lacks the Canadian SKU. If you bought your unit in the United States, compare it with the U.S. notice as well and ask Char-Broil to confirm the appropriate repair registration. Keep the two national notices distinct when checking a marketplace seller's claims.

The practical household takeaway is to resolve the recall before spending money on replacements or accessories. If your grill matches the affected Canadian identifiers, stop using it, register through the official repair page and keep the paperwork together. If you are shopping for a different grill, apply the same label-first approach and search the government recall database before committing to the purchase. There is no verified clearance discount attached to this story, and the recall does not establish that other models are bargains or that an unaffected grill needs replacing. It does provide a concrete, no-cost repair route for the identified products. A few minutes spent checking the label can keep a seasonal shopping decision focused on the right unit and the official remedy rather than an appealing price tag.

Source trail: Health Canada — Certain Char-Broil Bistro Pro Electric Grill + Charcoal Mode recalled due to potential electric shock hazard: https://recalls-rappels.canada.ca/en/alert-recall/certain-char-broil-bistro-protm-electric-grill-charcoal-mode-recalled-due-potential Char-Broil — The Bistro Pro Electric Grill Recall - Repair Order Form: https://www.charbroil.com/BistroProFix U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission — Char-Broil Recalls Bistro Pro Electric Grills Due to Risk of Electric Shock: https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2026/Char-Broil-Recalls-Bistro-Pro-Electric-Grills-Due-to-Risk-of-Electric-Shock