For immediate release
December 21, 2007
Transport Canada is advising the public of safety issues with respect to the vehicle children's restraint systems listed below. These recalls will affect a total of 12,222 units. The following models are affected:
- Britax Roundabout: E9L16
- Graco ComfortSport: 8C03WCFCA
- Graco SnugRide: 8643CDRCA3, 8645SNY3CA, 8F00GLNCA3, 8F08PWCCA3, 8F01FORCA3
Britax Canadian Roundabout Infant/Child Restraint System: Labels
Issue and Safety Risk: As a result of an internal audit, Britax Child Safety, Inc. ("Britax") has found that certain restraint systems manufactured fail to comply with the labelling requirements of the Canadian Motor Vehicle Restraint Systems and Booster Cushions Safety Regulations. The labels on the affected units do not provide all information and warnings in English, as required by the regulations.
Company Action and Consumer Recourse: Britax will provide a free label replacement kit and detailed instructions to all registered owners beginning December 18, 2007. After December 18, 2007, consumers that have an affected Roundabout and have not registered their restraint system should contact Britax at 1-800-683-2045. To verify product registration and order a repair kit online, visit www.BritaxUSA.com.
Until the non-compliant labels are replaced, the restraint system can continue to be used in accordance with the instructions found in the manual. The affected restraint systems should not be returned to the Britax retailer.
Graco ComfortSport Infant/Child Restraint System: UAS Belt Routing
Issue and Safety Risk: During the assembly process, the Universal Anchorage System (UAS) belt in some of these restraint systems may have been routed incorrectly. As a result, when these restraint systems are installed in the rear-facing mode with the UAS belt, they may rotate more than is permissible in a frontal crash. This increased rotation may increase the risk of injury to the child occupant of the restraint system. To date, no injuries have been reported related to this issue.
The ComfortSport is sold to the consumer with the harness and the UAS belt configured as a rear-facing seat. If the restraint system is initially used in the rear-facing mode with the UAS belt, the belt may be incorrectly routed and this situation may go undetected. However, when it is converted to a forward-facing seat, the parent or caregiver must change the routing of the UAS belt as instructed. When reconfigured to forward facing in this manner, the problem is resolved.
Company Action and Consumer Recourse: Graco modified assembly and quality control procedures to prevent a recurrence of the
UAS
belt routing issue. Elfe Juvenile Products ("Elfe"), the Canadian importer and distributor of this product, is conducting a safety advisory program to alert consumers of the issue. Elfe will also provide to registered owners detailed instructions for examining and, if necessary, reconfiguring the
UAS
belt routing. Consumers should not return the affected units to a retailer. Consumers who have not completed and returned the registration card should register their Graco ComfortSport online at www.graco.net or by contacting Elfe at
1-800-667-8184.
Parents and caregivers should not use the restraint system in the rear-facing mode with the UAS belt until the belt routing has been inspected and, if necessary, corrected. The vehicle seat belt can be used instead of the UAS belt in the meantime.
Consumers who have routed their UAS belt according to the instruction manual for use in the forward-facing mode are not affected by this safety advisory.
Graco SnugRide Infant Restraint System: Seat Pad Replacement
Issue and Safety Risk: Graco Children's Products Inc. ("Graco") shipped 10,828 stand-alone SnugRide infant restraint systems into Canada that could present a potential choking hazard. These standalone restraint systems have less dense backing material for the seat pad combined with a seat pad design that may allow children to access the fiber fill in the seat pad itself. This does not affect the ability of the infant restraint system to protect a child in the case of a motor vehicle crash.
This notice does not affect SnugRide models sold as a travel system. A travel system includes a stroller, an infant car seat, and a car seat base.
Company Action and Consumer Recourse: Following an investigation into an increase in U.S. consumer complaints, Graco increased the density of the backing material used in these seats manufactured in its Macedonia, Ohio facility beginning in June 2007. Graco also modified assembly and quality control procedures to prevent a recurrence of this issue. Elfe Juvenile Products, the Canadian importer and distributor of this product, is conducting a safety advisory program to alert consumers of the issue. They will also provide kits that include a replacement seat pad to registered owners of the identified models of SnugRide. Consumers who have not registered their infant restraint system or require assistance should contact Elfe Juvenile Products at 1-800-667-8184. Consumers should not return the affected units to a retailer.
Public information notices were issued by Transport Canada on December 14, 2007, and further information on Britax Roundabout, Graco ComfortSport, and Graco SnugRide Children's Restraint Systems can be found on Transport Canada's website at:
www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/childsafety/notices/tp14566p/2007p08/menu.htm
www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/childsafety/notices/tp14566p/2007p07/menu.htm
www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/childsafety/notices/tp14566p/2007p06/menu.htm
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For more information contact:
Media Relations
Transport Canada, Ottawa
613-993-0055
