pitboss-grills.comReviews of pitboss-grills.com

My wife got me a Pitt Boss smoker for Father’s Day last year and at first I loved it. Then 4 months later I started to have issues with it. It will heat up to 250 then it cuts off and trips the breaker. I thought maybe the extension cord was too long so I got a shorter one. Still cut off at 250. So then I put it on its own breaker and plugged directly to outlet. Still cuts off. So I called Pitt boss and they sent me a new igniter. Still cuts off. So then they sent me a new control panel and another igniter. Still cuts off. This time they sent me a new power cord and another igniter. Still cuts off. Each time I’ve called they have done a video call and taken pictures of the smoker to make sure the igniter is in the right place which it is. I’m very irritated at the fact that I’ve been trying to get it fixed for 5 months now and have gotten no where. Right now I have a $600 porch ornament. Obviously there is something else wrong with it. Not sure why they can’t just accept that fact and replace the smoker.

Bought a brand new grill. Came with paint defects and already rusting. They said they don’t cover it under warranty and then say they will send me the parts to replace it. Turns out they can’t get the parts so now I’m stuck with a brand new grille with paint defects they won’t fix.

Serious fire hazard — Pit Boss control panel failures cause runaway fires across multiple models I bought a Pit Boss PBV3M vertical pellet smoker after extensive research. I saw many reviews mentioning flare-ups and runaway fires across multiple Pit Boss models, but I assumed that it was user error or lack of cleaning. Since this smoker was brand new and I am experienced with multiple different types of smokers, I believed those explanations were misleading and bought it anyway. That was a mistake. Assembly was easy and the smoker initially performed very well. Burn-off at 350°F was perfect. My first cook (candied salmon) went flawlessly with excellent temperature control. At that point, I believed I had avoided the issues others reported. The failure occurred during my second 1/2 of the first cook. I raised the smoker to 300°F and added chicken (6 drumsticks, 3 thighs). After about 30 minutes everything looked normal, so I stepped inside. Roughly 30 minutes later I returned to find the smoker actively on fire, flames shooting out of the burn pot drawer, flames inside the smoker around and under the burn pot cover, control panel flashing uncontrollably and completely unresponsive and temperature reading 410°F, but the actual heat was clearly far higher. I shut the smoker off and unplugged it to stop the fan. When I removed the burn pot, I found pellets burning several inches back inside the auger, indicating a serious control failure. This resulted in extreme heat damage, door gasket melted, glass turned dark amber and opaque, smoker floor discolored and warped, exterior paint burned off and the control panel screen started to melt. This smoker was five days old, properly used, and clean. This was not grease buildup. This was not user error. This was a runaway fire caused by a control system failure. When I contacted Pit Boss, they immediately blamed the control panel and offered to send a replacement panel and gasket—clearly indicating this is a known, recurring issue. However, they refused to address the warped metal, burned paint, or heat damage, claiming it was “cosmetic.” Metal that warps and discolors from extreme heat is not cosmetic damage—it is structural damage caused by an uncontrolled fire. Pit Boss even suggested I buy some paint and repaint the smoker myself. After this incident, I reviewed more customer feedback and found countless reports across multiple Pit Boss models describing the exact same runaway fire behavior, often followed by Pit Boss telling customers to call support for replacement parts. This strongly suggests a brand-wide design or control system problem, not an isolated model defect. Pellet smokers should never, lose temperature control, continue feeding fuel during a fault, alllw fires to propagate into the auger and require users to physically intervene to stop a fire. That is a serious safety hazard. Fortunately, Fred Meyer allowed a full refund, which I appreciate. If they hadn’t, I would have been left with a fire-damaged smoker that Pit Boss refused to replace. Based on this experience and the volume of similar reports, I would not consider any Pit Boss pellet smoker safe. Their response pattern—minimizing damage, blaming components, and offering DIY fixes for fire-related failures—only reinforces that conclusion. I strongly recommend looking at other brands with better control system, stronger safety accountability and better customer service.

If I could give a zero star review for your return policy I definitely would. You not only don’t give us a refund for the shipping we paid but we pay to ship back to you as well. Making what we bought absolutely worthless. Basically lost money to refund my product that doesn’t fit. Not only that you don’t even make a shelf for all puts you sell which is absolutely stupid. Just go with the more expensive brand grill and don’t cut corners like these guys do!!

From the first time of use with this product the igniter pushed back into the housing. This model does not have any way to retrieve it. I have been waiting for a replacement which s the hole auger box from Nov 14 2025 as it is on back order. The company states nothing else can be done as you must wait for the part. ***DO NOT BUY THIS MODEL***

What a waste of money. Steer clear of Pit Boss smokers. When I need it to work, it doesn't. I'm done with this brand forever. Customer service wasn't much assistance either. It seems to have issues in cold weather. Last year, I ordered the bad part and fixed it. Used it a couple of times over the summer, but here we are again in cold weather and it failed me again. I'm done.

These smokers suck. Pellet hopper is not waterproof. If you have a decent amount of experience you know at some point in time it will rain while you are smoking. I live in South Florida during the warmer months it rains every day. A full Hopper of pellets gets wet from rain getting into the hopper jams up the auger and it's an hour and a half process to pull it out and clear it. It's a smoker you don't want to keep it under your patio roof otherwise you get smoking soot everywhere it's kind of Common Sense and you shouldn't have to build a shelter just for your smoker. I contacted Pit Boss and they had no solution for me. Steer clear buy a better smoker.

Pitt Boss smokers are beyond horrible. Do not waste your money on a smoke that can't go low and slow and an app that is a complete waste of time. This product is and this company are jokes. Try to give them feedback directly... you can't.. they don't want to hear from you after they get your money. Move on to your next choice.