Britax B-Safe 35 and B-Safe 35 Elite infant car seats and travel systems
CPSC Recall #16-081 — January 21, 2016
Recall Summary
| Recall Number | 16-081 |
| Recall Date | January 21, 2016 |
| Remedy Type | Repair |
| Units Affected | About 71,000 units (in addition 3,900 units were sold in Canada and 990 units in Mexico) |
| Importer | Britax Child Safety Inc., of Fort Mill, S.C. |
| Manufactured In | U.S. |
Where It Was Sold
| Babies R Us |
| buybuy BABY |
| Target and other stores nationwide and online at Amazon.com |
| Diapers.com and other online retailers from November 2014 to January 2016 for between $210 and $250. |
Product
Britax B-Safe 35 and B-Safe 35 Elite infant car seats and travel systems
Description
The car seat carry handle can crack and break allowing the seat to fall unexpectedly, posing a risk of injury to the infant.
Hazard
The car seat carry handle can crack and break allowing the seat to fall unexpectedly, posing a risk of injury to the infant.
Incidents & Injuries
Britax has received 74 reports of handles developing fractures, cracks and/or breaking while in use, including one report of an infant who received a bump on the head when the carrier fell to the ground.
Remedy Instructions
Consumers should immediately stop carrying the car seat by the handle until the repair is installed. All consumers who have previously registered their product with Britax will automatically receive a free repair kit. To register to receive a repair kit or verify registration, visit www.bsafe35recall.com. Consumers can continue to use the car seat when secured in a vehicle or on a stroller.
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.
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.