RECARO Performance Ride convertible car seat – non-compliance to Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standards

Issue:

Transport Canada and RECARO Child Safety, LLC are informing the public of a non-compliance of Performance RIDE convertible car seats made between October 2015 and February 2016.  Specifically, these convertible car seats do not meet the dynamic requirements for head acceleration of the Motor Vehicle Restraint Systems and Booster Seats Safety Regulations.

Safety Risk:

Regulations set forth by Transport Canada require convertible car seats to meet all of the requirements for a dynamic test, including measures for head acceleration during a simulated frontal impact.  If a car seat does not meet this requirement, there is an increased risk of injury in the event of a vehicle collision.  The convertible car seat in question does not meet the dynamic test requirements set forth by Transport Canada when the bottom half of the infant insert provided with the product is not utilized in the rear-facing position.

Company Action:

Transport Canada’s compliance testing program uncovered the non-compliance condition.  Upon being made aware of the issue, RECARO implemented a revised instruction manual, which indicates to continue using the bottom half of the infant insert for an extended period of time, and removed a sewn-on weight limit tag from the bottom half of the insert for all future production of this product.  This change requires all rear facing children to utilize the lower insert to the highest weight limit, 35 pounds, and ensures the seat meets the regulatory requirements.

Additionally, RECARO will notify all registered consumers who own affected product of the issue and will provide them with updated instruction labels to be affixed to their existing manual, and also request that the sewn-on weight limit tag be removed from the bottom half of the insert.

Consumer Recourse:

Consumers affected by this notice should contact RECARO as soon as possible to obtain the updated manual instruction labels and tag removal instructions.

All non-registered consumers or consumers who have moved are encouraged to contact RECARO by email or by phone for the updated instruction labels. The affected seats should not be returned to retailers or the company.