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Release date 10/15/2010
One of the nation’s largest makers of baby and child gear said today it is recalling more than 18,000 child car seats in the United States and Canada after Consumer Reports tests showed the seat can crack and fail in a simulated 30-mph frontal collision.
The recall, by Evenflo Company, Inc., of Miamisburg, Ohio, affects early production units of the Evenflo Maestro Combination Booster Seat. The $80 Maestro, introduced last January, is designed to be used either with its own five-point harness as a conventional child seat, or – for larger and older children – as a booster seat using the vehicle's seat belt to restrain the child.
In tests conducted at an outside laboratory, Consumer Reports found that two of the Evenflo units failed when the seat’s plastic shell cracked and the harness loosened in CR’s simulated 30-mph frontal-impact crashes..
Both failures came when the seat was being used with its five-point harness; CR’s testers found no problems in booster seat mode. And the two that failed were manufactured in December and February, respectively, well before the April 2010 cutoff date for the recall. Later production units, those made after April and not subject to the recall, included certain design modifications and passed our tests. CR believes they are safe to use.
Consumer Reports shared its results with Evenflo, and today the company said it has voluntarily recalled 13,792 units sold or available for sale in the U.S. and another 4,479 units in Canada. The affected U.S. units include all those manufactured up to April 9, 2010; in Canada, units manufactured up to April 26, 2010 are affected, the company said.
Evenflo said its recent tests replicated the Consumer Reports finding, though it has no reports of cracks developing in the field or of any actual injuries resulting from the problem. The company is asking retailers to pull the recalled units from their shelves.
The company added that it has developed a fix, a “remedy kit [that] includes an easily installed bracket to reinforce the seat without tools,” that will be distributed free to owners of the recalled units. It advised people who are still using the Maestro with the harness (for children under 40 pounds) not to use their seat until it has been upgraded. Customers may call a special phone number to receive the kit (800-233-5921 in the U.S. or 800-265-0749 in Canada). Consumer Reports will perform follow-up tests on seats incorporating the remedy kit as soon as possible.
Owners who are using the seat in its booster mode for children over 40 pounds may continue using the seat, the company said. The seat was rated a "Best Bet" by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for use in booster mode.
To find out if your unit is among those to be recalled, check the manufacture date and model number – both of which appear on a white label behind the seat as well as on the box. Affected model numbers in the US are 3101198, 3101980, 31011048, 31011049, and 31011059 and in Canada it is 31011057C.
Consumer Reports urges parents who are using the Maestro with its harness to obtain a remedy kit as soon as possible. “Even though there have been no reports of injuries, loose harness straps can allow a child's body to move farther forward during a crash than they would if the harness was tight. That could expose a child to potential injury and to an increased risk of ejection in a crash," says Jennifer Stockburger, manager of Consumer Reports' vehicle-and-child-safety program.
Stockburger cautions owners not to switch to booster mode prematurely simply because the problems were identified only in harness mode. "A child is better secured and has less potential for injury in a crash when secured using a seat's internal harness. Moving a child to a booster seat mode prematurely is actually a step-down in overall safety," she says.
If you are looking for an alternative model, CR recommends the Graco Nautilus 3-in-1, $165 (with harness capacity of 20 to 65 pounds).
For detailed advice, check Consumer Reports’ Ratings of child car and booster seats (available to subscribers), as well as our advice on choosing and buying a car seat.
Consumer Reports is a nonprofit membership organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. For 80 years, CR has provided evidence-based product testing and ratings, rigorous research, hard-hitting investigative journalism, public education, and steadfast policy action on behalf of consumers’ interests. Unconstrained by advertising or other commercial influences, CR has exposed landmark public health and safety issues and strives to be a catalyst for pro-consumer changes in the marketplace. From championing responsible auto safety standards, to winning food and water protections, to enhancing healthcare quality, to fighting back against predatory lenders in the financial markets, Consumer Reports has always been on the front lines, raising the voices of consumers.
© 2010 Consumer Reports. The material above is intended for legitimate news entities only; it may not be used for advertising or promotional purposes. Consumer Reports® is an expert, independent, nonprofit organization whose mission is to work side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. We accept no advertising and pay for all the products we test. We are not beholden to any commercial interest. Our income is derived from the sale of Consumer Reports® magazine, ConsumerReports.org® and our other publications and information products, services, fees, and noncommercial contributions and grants. Our Ratings and reports are intended solely for the use of our readers. Neither the Ratings nor the reports may be used in advertising or for any other commercial purpose without our prior written permission. Consumer Reports will take all steps open to it to prevent unauthorized commercial use of its content and trademarks.
Consumer Reports is a nonprofit membership organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. For 80 years, CR has provided evidence-based product testing and ratings, rigorous research, hard-hitting investigative journalism, public education, and steadfast policy action on behalf of consumers’ interests. Unconstrained by advertising or other commercial influences, CR has exposed landmark public health and safety issues and strives to be a catalyst for pro-consumer changes in the marketplace. From championing responsible auto safety standards, to winning food and water protections, to enhancing healthcare quality, to fighting back against predatory lenders in the financial markets, Consumer Reports has always been on the front lines, raising the voices of consumers.
© 2010 Consumer Reports. The material above is intended for legitimate news entities only; it may not be used for advertising or promotional purposes. Consumer Reports® is an expert, independent, nonprofit organization whose mission is to work side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. We accept no advertising and pay for all the products we test. We are not beholden to any commercial interest. Our income is derived from the sale of Consumer Reports® magazine, ConsumerReports.org® and our other publications and information products, services, fees, and noncommercial contributions and grants. Our Ratings and reports are intended solely for the use of our readers. Neither the Ratings nor the reports may be used in advertising or for any other commercial purpose without our prior written permission. Consumer Reports will take all steps open to it to prevent unauthorized commercial use of its content and trademarks.