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

Wiggle Waggle Caterpillar™ toys

CPSC Recall #00-147 — July 20, 2000

Recall Summary

Recall Number00-147
Recall DateJuly 20, 2000
Remedy TypeReplace
Units AffectedAlmost 1 million
Manufactured InChina

Where It Was Sold

Toy and discount department stores nationwide sold the caterpillar toys from May 1998 through June 2000 for about $13.

Product

Wiggle Waggle Caterpillar™ toys

Description

WASHINGTON, D.C. - In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Child Guidance™ of New York, N.Y., a division of JAKKS Pacific Inc., is voluntarily recalling almost 1 million Wiggle Waggle Caterpillar™ toys. Young children can choke on the small balls attached to these toys. CPSC has received one report of a 5-month-old girl in El Paso, Texas, choking to death after one of the small balls attached to these toys lodged in her throat. CPSC also received reports of two children starting to choke on a ball from this toy. The Wiggle Waggle Caterpillar™ is a pull toy that plays four songs and various sounds. It has five ball shapes raised from its body on the end of tightly wound coil wire springs. The two smaller ball shapes on the caterpillar's head resemble antennas. The toy is about 10 inches long, and is green with yellow oval wheels that cause it to wobble when it moves. The segments of the caterpillar's body have lights that flash to the music and sounds. "Child Guidance™" and "MADE IN CHINA" are imprinted on the bottom of the toy. "Ages 12 months & up" is written on the packaging. Toy and discount department stores nationwide sold the caterpillar toys from May 1998 through June 2000 for about $13. Parents and caregivers should take these toys away from young children immediately. Consumers should send the toy back to the firm to receive another toy of similar value. The firm will pay postage costs. For more information, call Child Guidance™ at (877) 586-1006 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday or visit their website at www.jakkspacific.com/recall.html.

Hazard

Young children can choke on the small balls attached to these toys.

Incidents & Injuries

CPSC has received one report of a 5-month-old girl in El Paso, Texas, choking to death after one of the small balls attached to these toys lodged in her throat. CPSC also received reports of two children starting to choke on a ball from this toy.

Remedy Instructions

Parents and caregivers should take these toys away from young children immediately. Consumers should send the toy back to the firm to receive another toy of similar value. The firm will pay postage costs. 

What Should You Do?

Stop using this product immediately. Contact the manufacturer for a Replace 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 (Replace) 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.

Back to All Product Recalls