Residential elevators
CPSC Recall #22-235 — September 29, 2022
Recall Summary
| Recall Number | 22-235 |
| Recall Date | September 29, 2022 |
| Remedy Type | Repair |
Product
Residential elevators
Description
Washington, D.C. -- The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Custom Elevator, of Plumsteadville, Pennsylvania, are announcing this voluntary recall of certain of the 15,200 residential elevators manufactured by Custom Elevator since 2003. Contact www.customelevator.com or go to https://homeelevator-recall.com/custom-elevator/ for those specific elevators subject to the recall. Young children can become entrapped in the space between the exterior landing (hoistway) door and the interior elevator car door or gate if there is a hazardous gap and suffer serious injuries or death when the elevator is called to another floor.In July 2021, a 7-year-old child died in a vacation home in North Carolina after becoming entrapped in a residential elevator. The elevator was manufactured by Custom Elevator and installed and serviced by a third-party installation company.This recall involves select Custom Elevator residential elevators with either hydraulic drives (HYD) or winding drum drives (WD). The Custom Elevator brand name is located on the controllers and hydraulic power unit. The elevators are used in consumers’ homes. Custom Elevators sold the units to elevator contactors nationwide from 2003 through August 2022 for between $10,000 and $25,000, excluding installation costs charged by third party installation companies. Consumers should keep young children away from the recalled residential elevators and contact Custom Elevator for free space guards to eliminate any hazardous gaps. Custom Elevator will provide consumers with instructions on how to measure for space guards to correct any hazardous gap. Space guards will be provided free of charge and assistance with space guard installation will be provided upon request.Contact Custom Elevator toll-free at 888-443-2800 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, email at [email protected] or online at https://homeelevator-recall.com/custom-elevator/ or www.customelevatorinc.com and click on “Important Recall Notice” at the home page for more information.The recalled elevators were manufactured in the United States by Custom Elevator.
Hazard
Young children can become entrapped in the space between the exterior landing (hoistway) door and the interior elevator car door or gate if there is a hazardous gap between the doors and suffer serious injuries or death when the elevator is called to another floor.
Incidents & Injuries
In July 2021, a 7-year-old child died in a vacation home in North Carolina after becoming entrapped in a residential elevator.
Remedy Instructions
Consumers should keep young children away from the recalled residential elevators and contact Custom Elevator for instructions on how to measure for space guards to correct any hazardous gap. Space guards will be provided free of charge and assistance with space guard installation will be provided upon request.
What Should You Do?
Stop using this product immediately. Contact the manufacturer for a Repair at no charge. If you experienced an injury, report it at SaferProducts.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions
Follow the consumer action instructions in the recall notice above. Most recalls require you to stop using the product and contact the manufacturer directly — either by calling the toll-free number listed in the official CPSC notice or by visiting the manufacturer's website. You generally do not need a receipt or original packaging to claim a remedy. The manufacturer is legally required to provide the remedy (Repair) at no cost to you.
Yes. If you were injured by a defective consumer product — whether recalled or not — you may have grounds for a product liability claim against the manufacturer and potentially the retailer. A recall notice can serve as evidence that the manufacturer was aware of the defect. Injuries that may support a claim include burns, lacerations, fractures, electric shock, choking incidents, and chemical exposure. Most product liability attorneys work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay nothing unless you win. Consult an attorney promptly, as statutes of limitation vary by state.
In most cases, no. CPSC-coordinated recall remedies are designed to be accessible without proof of purchase. Manufacturers typically ask consumers to self-certify ownership and may ask for photos of the product or its serial number. Some manufacturers request that you mail in a portion of the product (such as a cut cord or removed component) as proof of disposal. Check the specific remedy instructions for this recall for exact requirements. If you registered your product at the time of purchase, the process is usually even simpler.
If the original manufacturer has gone out of business, the recall remedy may no longer be available through them. In this case, contact CPSC directly at 1-800-638-2772 or cpsc.gov for guidance. If the brand was acquired by another company, the acquiring company may have assumed recall obligations. In some cases where a remedy is unavailable, CPSC advises consumers to safely dispose of the product. If you were injured by the product of a defunct company, consult a product liability attorney — parent companies, distributors, and retailers may still bear liability in some circumstances.