Evenflo Car Seat Buckle Recall: Recall is Voluntary
According to a report posted on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website, the Evenflo Company Inc., based in Piqua, Ohio, has announced a voluntary recall of nearly 1.4 million child safety seat restraints, because the crotch-latch buckle may become stuck closed, which could make it difficult to remove the child from the seat quickly in case of an emergency.
The recall includes the buckles used in several models of the company’s convertible and booster seat models, which were manufactured between 2011 and this year. Not all models are included in the recall, however.
Which Car Seat Buckles Were Recalled?
The recall includes the following models; the LX and DLX models of the Momentum 65; the LX, DLX, and Select models of the Chase; the Maestro (including the Performance version); the Symphony (including 65, LX, 65 E3, and DLX versions); the Snugli All-In-One and Booster models; the Titan 65; the SureRide DLX and the Secure Kid (including the LX, DLX, 100, 300 and 400). But Evenflo has thus far refused to recall rear-facing infant seats, despite the fact that they use the same buckle. Their reasoning is that only the base portion of the infant rear-facing seats is actually attached to the car, and the seat containing the buckle can be easily removed from the base, making the buckle a less-critical obstacle in an emergency.
The NHTSA disagrees with the company’s position, however, and has requested that the rear-facing models be added to the recall, a position that is similar to the one they took earlier this year with a recall involving Graco Children’s Products. Graco is in the process of recalling nearly 4.2 million child restraints, but they, too, rejected the NHTSA request that they add 1.8 million rear-facing infant seats to the recall, citing the same reasoning as Evenflo.
The buckles for both companies’ safety seats were manufactured by Indiana-based AmSafe Commercial Products, but Evenflo has announced that it would no longer buy buckles from that company.
Evenflo claims that there have been no reports of injuries in connection with these buckles to date. They also note that many of the buckles work fine now, but may become harder to unlatching over time, due to exposure to spilled food, drink or other substances. If the buckle is functioning properly, there is no risk to the child.
What Should You Do if You Own a Recalled Car Seat?
If you have one of these child safety seats, follow the instructions of the recall, and contact Evenflo at 1-800-490-7591 or online at www.buckle.evenflo.com. And remember, if your child has been injured due to a defect or malfunction of any child safety seat, please contact Hill Law Firm immediately, so that we can investigate the situation and protect your rights.