Little People® Animal Sounds Farms
CPSC Recall #03-111 — April 22, 2003
Recall Summary
| Recall Number | 03-111 |
| Recall Date | April 22, 2003 |
| Remedy Type | Repair |
| Units Affected | About 67,000 |
| Manufactured In | Mexico |
Where It Was Sold
| Mass merchants and toy stores nationwide sold these toys between July 2002 and December 2002 for about $30. |
Product
Little People® Animal Sounds Farms
Description
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, (CPSC), Fisher-Price, of East Aurora, N.Y., is voluntarily recalling about 67,000 Little People® Animal Sounds Farms manufactured from June 17, 2002 through July 31, 2002. Two small metal screws that hold the toy "stall doors" in place can come off, posing an aspiration or choking hazard to young children.Fisher-Price has received 33 reports of the screws coming off of the toy, including four reports where a screw was found in the child's mouth and one report of a child that aspirated a screw into his lung. The latter case required the child to be hospitalized and undergo emergency surgery to remove the screw from his lung.The recalled Little People® Animal Sounds Farms are shaped like a barn and make animal sounds when the doors of the cow or horse stall are opened. The recalled toys have a model number of 77973 or 77746 and a six-character manufacturing date code that begins with 168 through 212, followed by the number 2 as the fourth digit. Both the model number and date code can be found on the underside of the green ramp. The Fisher-Price logo appears at the top of the tallest side of the barn in red and white. The recalled toys were manufactured in Mexico.Mass merchants and toy stores nationwide sold these toys between July 2002 and December 2002 for about $30.Consumers should take the toy away from young children immediately and contact Fisher-Price toll-free at (866) 259-7873 anytime to receive a free repair kit. Consumers also can log on to www.service.mattel.com to determine if their product is among the recalled models and to order the free repair kit online.
Hazard
Two small metal screws that hold the toy "stall doors" in place can come off, posing an aspiration or choking hazard to young children.
Incidents & Injuries
Fisher-Price has received 33 reports of the screws coming off of the toy, including four reports where a screw was found in the child's mouth and one report of a child that aspirated a screw into his lung. The latter case required the child to be hospitalized and undergo emergency surgery to remove the screw from his lung.
Remedy Instructions
Consumers should take the toy away from young children immediately and contact Fisher-Price toll-free at (866) 259-7873 anytime to receive a free repair kit.
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.
Federal law prohibits the sale of toys with small parts for children under age 3. CPSC uses a standardized small parts cylinder to test whether pieces from a toy can fit entirely inside — if they can, they are considered a choking hazard. Products marketed for children under 3 must not contain any small parts. Beyond the legal requirements, the CPSC and pediatricians recommend keeping all small objects away from children under 4, as the risk of choking extends beyond the formal legal age threshold.
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.