Panasonic, Quasar, RCA, and JCPenney Combination TV/VCRs
CPSC Recall #04-190 — July 29, 2004
Recall Summary
| Recall Number | 04-190 |
| Recall Date | July 29, 2004 |
| Remedy Type | Repair |
| Units Affected | About 500,000 |
| Manufacturer | Matsushita Electric Corporation of America, Secaucus, New Jersey |
| Manufactured In | United States |
Where It Was Sold
| Retail stores nationwide from January 1995 through December 1996 for between $300 and $490 |
| depending on the model. |
Product
Panasonic, Quasar, RCA, and JCPenney Combination TV/VCRs
Description
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Matsushita Electric Corporation of America, of Secaucus, New Jersey is voluntarily recalling about 500,000 combination TV/VCRs. The cabinets can break when lifted by the ventilation holes in the top rear of the cabinet, permitting the TV/VCR to fall and injure hands and feet. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.Name of product: Panasonic, Quasar, RCA, and JCPenney Combination TV/VCRsUnits: About 500,000Manufacturer: Matsushita Electric Corporation of America, Secaucus, New JerseyHazard: The TV/VCR cabinets can break when lifted by the ventilation holes in the top rear of the cabinet, permitting the TV/VCR to fall and injure hands and feet.Incidents/Injuries: About 10 incidents have been reported in which the TV/VCR cabinet broke at the ventilation holes when lifted or carried, resulting in the TV/VCR dropping to the floor. Minor cuts and bruises have been reported in four incidents.Description: The recalled combination TV/VCRs are gray/black and have these brand names: Panasonic, Quasar, RCA, or JCPenney. The cabinets have ventilation holes in the top rear of the cabinet. Only the 13" and 20" Combination TV/VCR sets manufactured between January 1, 1995, and December 30, 1995, are recalled. These sets can be identified by the model number which appears on the front and rear of the cabinet. The following model numbers are included in this recall:BrandModelPanasonic13-inch models: PV-M1325, PV-M1345, PVM1365AD, AG-513B20-inch models: PV-M2025, PV-M2035, PV-M2045, PV-M2065, AG-520BQuaser13-inch model: VV-1305 20-inch models: VV-2005T, VV-2005, VV-2025Thomson (RCA)13-inch models: T13015BC, T13018BC 20-inch models: T20015BC, T20018BC, T20020BCJCPenney20-inch model: 685-0879Sold at: Retail stores nationwide from January 1995 through December 1996 for between $300 and $490, depending on the model.Manufactured in: USARemedy: Consumers should contact Panasonic, Quasar, RCA, and JCPenney to receive a free retrofit kit to cover the ventilation holes and prevent lifting from this area.Consumer Contact: Call Panasonic at (800) 833-9626 between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. (ET) Monday through Friday. Visit Panasonic's website at www.Panasonic.com and RCA’s website at www.RCA.com.Media Contact: Bill Pritchard at (201) 348-7182.
Hazard
The TV/VCR cabinets can break when lifted by the ventilation holes in the top rear of the cabinet, permitting the TV/VCR to fall and injure hands and feet.
Incidents & Injuries
About 10 incidents have been reported in which the TV/VCR cabinet broke at the ventilation holes when lifted or carried, resulting in the TV/VCR dropping to the floor. Minor cuts and bruises have been reported in four incidents.
Remedy Instructions
Consumers should contact Panasonic, Quasar, RCA, and JCPenney to receive a free retrofit kit to cover the ventilation holes and prevent lifting from this area.
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.