Evenflo Announces Recall of about 18,000 Child Safety Seats

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced today that Evenflo has issued a voluntary recall of some 18,000 child booster seats. The recalled child safety products go by the name of Maestro Combination Booster Seats. The recall was initiated after the child safety seats developed troubling cracks during certain laboratory tests simulating high impact front end collisions. The recall notice states that these types of accidents may cause a crack at the front of the seat adjacent to the harness adjuster causing inadequate restraint of the child and increasing the risk of injury. The NHTSA has determined that the seats fail to conform to the structural integrity requirements of the motor vehicle safety standards.

The recall specifically targets some 13,792 booster seats with model numbers beginning with “310”. These seats were reportedly manufactured between November 24, 2009, and April 9, 2010. Additionally, about 5,000 Canadian units have been recalled and removed from shelves. Evenflo is providing owners of the at-risk booster seats with a reinforcement plate along with repair instructions. The company has indicated that children under 40 lbs should not be placed in the seat without a repair bracket installed. The reinforcement kits can be obtained by calling 1-800-233-5921.

If you are an Illinois parent, you should be sure to check your child’s safety seat to ensure that it is not one of the at-risk products. Manufacture and design defects can lead to very serious injuries. If you would like to speak with a Chicago lawyer regarding a defective product, please click here.