This is not a stamp you generally want to see, especially in regard to your car seat. But recalls on car seats do happen and you should be prepared.
It seems like it could be a big inconvenience, especially if you have to stop using your car seat. What does a recalled car seat mean to you as a parent?
The truth is parents do not always have to replace recalled car seats. Often times the car seat manufacturer will send replacement parts for your current seat. Sometimes the recall is something as simple as the seat shipped with an error on the label and you just need to slap on a new label that the manufacturer sends you.
It all depends on the recall and the manufacturer.
If you find out there is a recall on your seat, you’ll need to find out more information from the manufacturer about what the recall is for and what their instructions are to remedy the problem.
Types of Recalls
Kim Herrmann of Safe Kids Worldwide says, “the basis for a recall is ‘non compliance.’ Keep recalls in perspective. The term ‘recall’ is a generic term used to indicate the need for: Repair, Replacement, Refund or a Warning.”
Manufacturers do a lot of testing on new car seats before they go on market. Sometimes through additional testing they notice problems. Or after daily use of a car seat, parents notice and report an issue to the manufacturer.
There are two general types of recalls.
Voluntary Recalls
A voluntary car seat recall is when the manufacturer identified an issue and takes steps to rectify it by notifying customers and letting them know. In the notification, the manufacturer will let customers know what actions they need to do. If there is a replacement part, manufacturers will send that to customers along with repair instructions.
Whether or not there have been reported incidents, voluntary recalls are put into place to prevent harm. It’s best to take them seriously.
Mandatory Recalls
A mandatory car seat recall is when a regulatory agency, like NHTSA, requires it. In a mandatory recall, the manufacturer is legally required to notify their customers of the recall issue and provide a remedy. It’s important to follow the manufacturer’s instructions to address the issue as soon as possible.
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What to do
If you hear about a recall from the same manufacturer as your seat, stay calm and find out what model and what dates of manufacture the recall is for. Recalls are often for a limited range of manufacture dates and although you may have the same model, it may not be part of the product recall.
Fixes for recalled car seats can be as simple as, say, replacing a part provided by the manufacturer at home.
Many times parents can continue using the car seat until a replacement part is available. If the recall instructions say stop using the seat and you don’t have another immediately handy, the child is likely safer with the recalled seat than with no seat at all. So keep using it until you can replace it but replace it as soon as possible.
If the manufacturer is replacing your seat, you need to properly dispose of the old seat so no one else uses it.
- Dismantle the car seat
- Separate any parts from the car seat that cannot be reused or recycled
- Recycle any plastic or metal that you can
- Take any fabrics to compost or to a reuse facility
Otherwise follow the manufacturer’s instructions in the recall notice.
But families need to find out about the recall in the first place.
How to Find out about recalled car seats
According to Safe Kids Worldwide, in 2014 manufacturers recalled more than 6 million car seats. But only have of them received the necessary repair. Could it be that the owners of the half that weren’t fixed, never heard about the recall?
Only 42% of parents return the registration card. But the best way to stay informed of any recalls for your seat(s) is to make sure to fill out and send in the registration card that came with the seat. Manufacturers contact consumers directly about recalls,
and, if needed, send a repair kit.
If you feel like you threw out the registration card or forgot about sending it in or don’t trust the mail, you can go to the manufacturer’s website and register your car seat that way. You’ll need the model name, date of manufacture and serial number off of your seat.
If the manufacturer doesn’t have your information to contact you, they cannot notify you of recalls directly. Then it would be up to the parents to hear about the recall on the news or in social media. Or parents could periodically check NHTSA’s website for recalls. Then the parents would have to contact the manufacturer to have a repair kit sent to them.
Another way to check if your seat has had any recalls is to go to a car seat check (always a good idea anyway). Child Passenger Safety Technicians at car seat checks have car seat recall lists that are routinely updated. They can help you determine if your particular seat has had any recalls and what the manufacturer’s instructions were.
If you just remembered you forgot to register your RideSafer vest, you can follow this link and do that now.
Report an issue
If you notice an issue that could affect the safety of your car seat, you can file a complaint with NHTSA. This alerts them to potential safety issues which may trigger an investigation or potential recall. NHTSA will ask about the issue and the make and model of your car seat. Provide as much information as you can.
By Amie Durocher, Creative Director at Safe Ride 4 Kids and certified CPS Tech since 2004
Copyright 2024 Safe Ride 4 Kids. All rights reserved. You may not publish, broadcast, rewrite or redistribute this material without permission. You are welcome to link to Safe Ride 4 Kids or share on social media.
We originally published this post in April 2015. We updated the article for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
