Safety 1st and Maxi-Cosi Child Car Seats Recalled to Fix Safety Issue

The manufacturer of the seats, Dorel Juvenile Group, will send replacement bases to owners, free of charge. In the meantime, the company says that owners may continue to use their car seat with the base or with the carrier only, but in either case it must be secured with the vehicle’s own seat belt. Instructions for doing so are in the car seat owner’s manual.

Consumer Reports advises owners to follow the manufacturer’s instructions and take the additional step of locking the vehicle belt. This is an optional step in the manufacturer’s instructions, which we highly recommend given the nature of the recall.

In documents provided to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Dorel says the defect was uncovered during routine compliance testing. The manufacturer says it has not received any reports of injuries related to the issue.

“Today’s recall is a reminder that you should always register your car seat as soon as you purchase it so the manufacturer can get in touch with you if something is wrong with your seat,” says Emily Thomas, auto safety manager at CR, who oversees the car seat testing program. You can register your car seat online at the manufacturer’s website, or by mail with the registration card provided with your seat. In the case of these recalled seats, head to safety1st.com.

NHTSA’s SaferCar phone app will also notify owners of recalls on cars, trucks, RVs, motorcycles, tires, child car seats, and even certain vehicle components long before traditional mailed notices can reach them.