Cosco Geoby™ Two Ways™ tandem stroller
CPSC Recall #99-062 — February 16, 1999
Recall Summary
| Recall Number | 99-062 |
| Recall Date | February 16, 1999 |
| Remedy Type | — |
Where It Was Sold
| Mass merchandise and juvenile products stores nationwide sold these strollers for about $110 (model 01-644) and $170 (model 01-645). |
Product
Cosco Geoby™ Two Ways™ tandem stroller
Description
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Cosco Inc., of Columbus, Ind., is recalling about 57,000 Geoby™ Two Ways™ tandem strollers for in-home repair. The plastic locks on the folding mechanisms can break during use, causing the strollers to suddenly collapse. If strollers collapse, babies can suffer injuries from the fall, including head injuries from hitting concrete sidewalks. The child's arms, hands or fingers can be cut if they are on the locking mechanism when the stroller collapses. Cosco has received about 3,000 complaints of locks failing, which includes 250 reports of strollers unexpectedly collapsing. This resulted in more than 200 injuries to babies, including head injuries, a fractured forearm, finger and arm lacerations requiring stitches, and bumps, bruises and cuts. Cosco is offering consumers a free repair kit with instructions. The repair kit contains two secondary locking pins that will prevent the stroller from collapsing. The Cosco Geoby™ Two Ways™ tandem strollers being recalled are model numbers 01-644 and 01-645 (with car seat), manufactured from February 1997 through February 1998. The model number and manufacturing date are stamped on a label on the back leg frame, just above the wheel. The manufacturing date represents the week and year. Those manufactured between 0697 and 0698 are involved. The stroller is designed so that two babies can sit behind one another. The stroller's front seat reverses so children can ride face to face and the back seat reclines. Other features of the stroller include dual quilted canopies, a market basket and a utility bag. "Cosco by Geoby™" is written on the plastic side lock covers and "Two WaysTM" is embroidered on the front seat's crotch support. Mass merchandise and juvenile products stores nationwide sold these strollers for about $110 (model 01-644) and $170 (model 01-645). Consumers should stop using the strollers immediately and call Cosco at (800) 221-6736 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. EST Monday through Friday to receive the free repair kit, or go to their website at http://www.djgusa.com. Cosco will help consumers identify whether their strollers are involved in this recall. Consumers can also view a video clip about this recall (Transcript). It is about 4 megabytes long and the download time depends upon the speed of your Internet connection.
Hazard
The plastic locks on the folding mechanisms can break during use, causing the strollers to suddenly collapse. If strollers collapse, babies can suffer injuries from the fall, including head injuries from hitting concrete sidewalks. The child's arms, hands or fingers can be cut if they are on the locking mechanism when the stroller collapses.
Incidents & Injuries
Cosco has received about 3,000 complaints of locks failing, which includes 250 reports of strollers unexpectedly collapsing. This resulted in more than 200 injuries to babies, including head injuries, a fractured forearm, finger and arm lacerations requiring stitches, and bumps, bruises and cuts.
Remedy Instructions
Consumers should stop using the strollers immediately and call Cosco at (800) 221-6736 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. EST Monday through Friday to receive the free repair kit, or go to their website at http://www.djgusa.com.
What Should You Do?
Stop using this product immediately. Contact the manufacturer for a remedy 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 (refund, replacement, or 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.