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Car Seat Recalls

April 17, 2009

Recaro is the latest car seat manufacturer to recall one of its seats for safety reasons. On February 27, 2009, Recaro reportedly recalled over 5,000 of its Signo car seats manufactured between February and September 2008. This article will outline many, but not necessarily all, of the recent recalled car seats since 2008.

Recaro Signo Car Seats

According to Recaro, a potential defect may exist with its Signo car seats where a harness adjuster on some of these seats may slip within the metal adjuster (or A-lock) that controls the tightness of the harness and may prevent the harness from tightening properly. If this condition exists and a vehicle crash occurs, the child will not be safely secured to the car seat which can result in serious injury or death. The recall applies only to Signo seats manufactured between February and September 2008. Consumers whose Signo seats fall within the recalled date should contact Recaro immediately at (888) 473-2290 for further details and possible replacement.

Additional information on these and other recalled seats may be found at the NHTSA' website.

Preg Perego primo Viaggio SIP 30/30 Cars Seats

On January 10, 2009, a recall was announced for Peg Perego primo Viaggio infant car seats because extra plastic from the mold (or mold flash) may remain on the harness adjuster cover, leaving a sharp edge that can cut or scrape a baby' bare feet. Only Primo Viaggio SIP 30/30 infant car seats manufactured between July 2007 and March 2008. Consumers with affected seats should immediately call (800) 671-1701 for additional information, as well as the NHTSA' website.

Britax Frontier Combination Car Seats

On December 9, 2008, a recall was announced for Britax Frontier combination car seats because if the harness straps are loosened one at a time, the straps may come loose from the metal yoke on the back of the car seat. Should the harness straps detach, the child is not properly restrained and can sustain serious injury or death in the event of a crash. Affected models numbers are E9L54E7 (Red Rock), E9L54H6, (Rushmore), E9L54H7 (Pink Sky), E9L54M6 (Canyon) and E9L5490 (Sahara), manufactured between April 1 and September 18, 2008. Consumers of affected seats should immediately call (800) 683-2045 for further details, as well as the NHTSA' website.

Graco ComfortSport Frazier Convertible Car Seats

On December 9, 2008, a recall was announced on Graco ComfortSport convertible car seats in the Frazier pattern because the large supplemental strap pad (or body pillow) partially obscures the airbag warning on the seat pad. This means the car seat does not comply with the requirements of the Federal motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 213, "child restraint systems." Affected models are 8C04FRR and 8C04FRR2, which were manufactured between November 1, 2006 and October 8, 2007. Consumers with these affected seats should call (800) 345-4109 for further information, as well as the NHTSA' website.

Baby Trend Rigid Latch-Loc Infant Car Seat Base Recall

On June 28, 2008, a recall was announced for Baby Trend Rigid Latch-Loc infant car seats because the wrong type of steel was used on part of the LATCh connector. This can cause the LATCh locking pawl to crack, which can allow the base to detach from the LATCh anchors resulting in potential serious injury or death. Models 6400, 6439, 6448, 6481, and 6484 are included. Consumers with these affected seats should immediately call (800) 328-7363 for additional information, as well as the NHTSA' website.

Chicco KeyFit and KeyFit 30 Infant Car Seats Recall

On June 2, 2008, a recall was announced for car seat bases that go with some Chicco Key Fit and Key Fit 30 infant car seats, and some Cortina travel systems. One some bases, when the installed with LATCH, the LATCH strap can slip through the adjustment lock, which result in excessive movement in a crash and result in possible serious injury or death. For additional information, consumers should contact the manufacturer as well as the NHTSA' website.

Evenflo Discovery Infant Car Seat Recall

On April 5, 2008, a recall was announced for Evenflo Infant cars seats because they may have been produced without complete assembly of the release handle on the back of the seat. This can allow the car seat to separate from the base, resulting in serious injury or death to the child. Discovery seats produced on February 4, 2008, with model numbers 3021769Z and 3021854Z are purportedly affected. Consumers with affected seats should immediately contact (800) 233-5921 for further details.

Protecting Infants and Children From Injury

It is important that parents register their cars seats with the manufacturer right away in order to receive quick notification of any applicable recalls. It is also a good idea to check the NTHA' website for information on possible recalled seats. In the unfortunate event an infant or baby becomes injured because of a potentially defective seat, parents or guardians should consider consulting an experienced personal injury attorney to investigate. Even if the seat has not been recalled, that does not mean the seat may not have been defective for purposes of a product liability suit.

Posted by: Jason M. Kroot of Kroot Law, LLC, Chicago, Illinois

 
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