Vehicle Safety
Recalls Search 320,000+ NHTSA safety recalls Complaints 2.1M+ consumer safety complaints TSBs 4.7M technical service bulletins VIN Lookup Decode any vehicle VIN instantly OBD Codes 12,000+ diagnostic trouble codes Fuel Economy EPA MPG data for all vehicles Safety Ratings 11,700+ NHTSA crash test ratings Investigations 5,300+ NHTSA defect investigations Statistics Recall trends & safety analysis
Consumer Safety
Product Safety 9,700+ CPSC product recalls Food Safety 28,600+ FDA food recalls Pet Safety 1.3M FDA animal adverse events Drug Safety 17,500+ FDA drug recalls Device Safety 38,400+ FDA device recalls Workplace Safety 102,900+ OSHA injury reports Brand History Cross-category recall lookup by company
Infrastructure
Bridge Safety 624,000 bridge inspections Aviation Safety 30,000+ NTSB aviation events Dam Safety 92,600 dam safety records Water Safety 433,000+ public water systems Railroad Safety 438,000+ rail crossings Pipeline Safety 8,800+ pipeline incidents State Safety Dashboards Safety grades for all 50 U.S. states ZIP Safety Report Check any 5-digit ZIP across 9 datasets
Public Health
Nursing Homes 14,700 CMS rated facilities Environmental 80,000+ hazardous sites & releases
Blog

Vehicle Safety

Vehicle Recalls320,000+ NHTSA safety recalls Browse VehiclesEvery make, model and year Complaints2.1M+ consumer safety complaints TSBs4.7M technical service bulletins VIN LookupDecode any vehicle VIN instantly OBD Codes12,000+ diagnostic trouble codes Fuel EconomyEPA MPG data for all vehicles Safety Ratings11,700+ NHTSA crash test ratings Investigations5,300+ NHTSA defect investigations StatisticsRecall trends & safety analysis Compare VehiclesTwo vehicles side by side

Consumer Safety

Product Safety9,700+ CPSC product recalls Food Safety28,600+ FDA food recalls Pet Safety1.3M FDA animal adverse events Drug Safety17,500+ FDA drug recalls Device Safety38,400+ FDA device recalls Workplace Safety102,900+ OSHA injury reports Brand HistoryRecall lookup by company

Infrastructure

Bridge Safety624,000 bridge inspections Aviation Safety30,000+ NTSB aviation events Dam Safety92,600 dam safety records Water Safety433,000+ public water systems Railroad Safety438,000+ rail crossings Pipeline Safety8,800+ pipeline incidents State DashboardsSafety grades for all 50 states ZIP ReportAny 5-digit ZIP across 9 datasets

Public Health

Nursing Homes14,700 CMS rated facilities Environmental80,000+ hazardous sites & releases BlogGuides, news & safety insights

Children’s and adult chests and dressers

CPSC Recall #16-204 — June 28, 2016

Recall Summary

Recall Number16-204
Recall DateJune 28, 2016
Remedy TypeRefund, Repair
Units AffectedAbout 8 million MALM chests and dressers and 21 million additional children’s and adult chests and dressers in the U.S. (In addition, 6.6 million were sold in Canada)
ManufacturerIKEA North America, of Conshohocken, Pa.

Where It Was Sold

The recalled MALM chests were sold at IKEA from 2002 through June 2016 for between $70 and $200.

Product

Children’s and adult chests and dressers

Description

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in cooperation with IKEA North America, of Conshohocken, Pa., is announcing the recall of all chests and dressers that do not comply with the performance requirements of the U.S. voluntary industry standard (ASTM F2057-14).  The recalled children’s chests and dressers are taller than 23.5 inches and adult chests and dressers are taller than 29.5 inches.  The 29 million units of recalled chests and dressers include: MALM 3-drawer, 4-drawer, 5-drawer and three 6-drawer models and other children’s and adult chests and dressers.  The recalled chests and dressers are unstable if they are not properly anchored to the wall, posing a serious tip-over and entrapment hazard that can result in death or serious injuries to children.On July 22, 2015, CPSC and IKEA announced a repair program for the chests and dressers that included a free wall-anchoring repair kit for the MALM chests and dressers and other IKEA chests and dressers. CPSC and IKEA were aware of two tragic fatalities involving MALM chests and dressers that occurred prior to the announcement of the repair program:In February 2014, a 2-year-old boy from West Chester, Pa. died after a 6-drawer MALM chest tipped over and fatally pinned him against his bed.In June 2014, a 23-month-old boy from Snohomish, Wash. died after he became trapped beneath a 3-drawer MALM chest that tipped over.Subsequent to the July 2015 announcement, CPSC and IKEA learned of additional tip-over incidents, including a February 2016 incident in which a 22-month-old boy from Apple Valley, Minn. died when a MALM 6-drawer chest fell on top of him.Most recently, CPSC has identified and provided to IKEA a fourth report of a fatality that reportedly occurred in September 2011. A 2-year-old boy from Woodbridge, Va. died after an unanchored MALM 3-drawer chest tipped over, and trapped the child between the dresser drawers.None of the chests or dressers in the above-listed incidents had been anchored to the wall.  In addition to the four deaths, IKEA received reports of 41 tip-over incidents involving the MALM chests and dressers, resulting in 17 injuries to children between the ages of 19 months and 10 years old.The MALM chests and dressers are constructed of particleboard or fiberboard and are white, birch (veneer), medium brown, black-brown, white stained oak (veneer), oak (veneer), pink, turquoise, grey, grey-turquoise, lilac, green, brown stained ash (veneer), and black.  A 5-digit supplier number, 4-digit date stamp, IKEA logo, country of origin and “MALM” are printed on the underside of the top panel or inside the side panel.Since 1996, IKEA chests and dressers have been labeled to identify IKEA, the model name and the manufacturing date.The recalled MALM chests were sold from 2002 through June 2016 for between $70 and $200.RECALLED MALM CHESTS AND DRESSERSNamesSold DatesMeasurementsMALM 310/2002 to 6/201631½” x 18⅞” x 30¾”MALM 46/2002 to 6/201631½” x 18⅞” x 39½”MALM 510/2002 to 4/2006157/8” x 19” x 481/4"MALM 66/2002 to 6/201631½” x 18⅞” x 48⅜”MALM 6 LONG11/2002 to 6/201663” x 18⅞” x 30¾”MALM 64/2006 to 6/2016153/4” x 191/8” x 483/8"IKEA also received 41 reports of tip-overs involving chests and dressers other than MALMs, resulting in the deaths of three children and 19 injuries to children:In July 1989, a 20-month-old girl from Mt. Vernon, Va. died after an unanchored GUTE 4-drawer chest tipped over and pinned her against the footboard of a youth bed.In March 2002, a 2½-year-old boy from Cranford, N.J. died after an unanchored RAKKE 5-drawer chest tipped over and fatally pinned him to the floor.In October 2007, a 3-year-old girl from Chula Vista, Calif. died after a KURS 3-drawer chest tipped over and fatally pinned her to the floor. It is unknown as to whether the dresser was anchored or not. OTHER RECALLED CHESTS AND DRESSERSMost of the non-MALM chests and dressers included in this recall are listed on the IKEA website (pdf).Since 1996, IKEA chests and dressers have been labeled to identify IKEA, the model name and the manufacturing date.CPSC and IKEA are urging consumers to inspect their recalled IKEA chests and dressers to ensure that they are properly anchored to the wall.  Chests and dressers should be properly anchored to the wall whether or not they meet the ASTM standard.  Consumers should move any unanchored chests and dressers into storage or other areas where they cannot be accessed by children until the chests and dressers are properly anchored to the wall or removed from the home.To receive a refund or free wall-anchoring kit for IKEA chests and dressers listed above, visit an IKEA retail store, go to http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_US/ikea-chest-and-dresser-recall/index.html, or call 866-856-4532 anytime.A child dies every two weeks and a child is injured every 24 minutes in the U.S. from furniture or TVs tipping over, according to CPSC data.  

Hazard

The recalled chests and dressers are unstable if they are not properly anchored to the wall, posing a serious tip-over and entrapment hazard that can result in death or injuries to children.

Incidents & Injuries

Subsequent to the July 2015 announcement, CPSC and IKEA learned of additional tip-over incidents, including a February 2016 incident in which a 22-month-old boy from Apple Valley, Minn. died when a MALM 6-drawer chest fell on top of him.Most recently, CPSC has identified and provided to IKEA a fourth report of a fatality that reportedly occurred in September 2011. A 2-year-old boy from Woodbridge, Va. died after an unanchored MALM 3-drawer chest tipped over, and trapped the child between the dresser drawers.None of the chests or dressers in the above-listed incidents had been anchored to the wall.  In addition to the four deaths, IKEA received reports of 41 tip-over incidents involving the MALM chests and dressers, resulting in 17 injuries to children between the ages of 19 months and 10 years old.

Remedy Instructions

Consumers should immediately stop using any recalled chest and dresser that is not properly anchored to the wall and place it into an area that children cannot access.  Contact IKEA for a choice between two options: refund or a free wall-anchoring repair kit.Consumers are entitled to a full refund for chests and dressers manufactured between January 2002 and June 2016. Consumers with chests and dressers manufactured prior to January 2002 will be eligible for a partial store credit. Consumers can order a free wall-anchoring repair kit. Consumers can install the kit themselves or IKEA will provide a one-time, free in-home installation service, upon request. Consumers can reorder the kits throughout the life of their chest and dresser.

What Should You Do?

Stop using this product immediately. Contact the manufacturer for a Refund, Repair at no charge. If you experienced an injury, report it at SaferProducts.gov.

Browse All Product Recalls Recalls by Manufacturer Recalls by Retailer Browse by Hazard Type

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 (Refund, Repair) at no cost to you.

Furniture tip-overs are a leading cause of pediatric injuries in the U.S., particularly dressers, bookcases, and television stands. CPSC data shows that a child dies approximately every two weeks from a furniture or TV tip-over. Unstable high chairs, baby swings, and bouncers are also frequent recall subjects due to fall risks. ASTM International standards now require that certain furniture must meet tip-over resistance standards, and CPSC has been actively pursuing mandatory requirements for dressers and chests. If you have furniture that was not recalled but feels unstable, wall-anchoring kits are widely available at hardware stores.

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.

Back to All Product Recalls