Car Seat Recall Means Your Kids Will Be Safe In An Accident But They Could Choke On The Way To The Mall
New mothers spend hours combing through parenting books, community chat rooms, and consumer reports trying to find that perfect car seat to protect their most precious cargo. You want that first car seat to be versatile (to go from car to restaurant to stroller), easy to install, and of course have the highest ratings in crash tests. Well, Britax car seats pass all three of those tests with flying colors. There’s only one problem – kids are choking on them.
Britax, the European leader in car safety which has become very popular in the United States since 1996, is recalling approximately 55,455 convertible child restraints. Consumer Affairs reports the models Boulevard 70 G3, Advocate 70 G3, and Pavilion 70 G3 are at the center of the Britax car seat recall.
Model Numbers: E9LJ91A, E9LJ91M, E9LJ91S, E9LJ92E, E9LJ93P, E9LJ93S, E9LK91A, E9LK31A, E9LK31Q, E9LK32D, E9LK32Z, E9LK33Q, E9LL11A, E9LL11Q, E9LL12D, E9LL12Z, E9LG81A, E9LG83N, E9LG83P, E9LG83X, E9LG83Y, E9LL21A, E9LL23P, E9LL23Y
These particularly delicious models were manufactured from June 2012 through August 2012. The car seats in question featured a softer chest pad material to prevent discomfort or abrasion, but posed a bigger problem to parents. The recall warns that children using the seats are choking after biting or chewing the soft material. It’s unclear why children found these harness pads so inviting to eat other than the normal toddler fixation with putting everything in their little mouths.
No deaths have been reported and the recall is expected to begin this week. Britax will provide owners with replacement harness pads as well as instructions on how to replace them, all free of charge. Until they are able to get their hands on the new firmer pads, owners may remove their current soft versions to prevent potential harm to the child. The car seats are less edible but still safe to use without the pads.
(photo: Michael Pettigrew / Shutterstock)
