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What are the Most Common Reasons for a Car Seat Recall?

Rebecca Harkin
Rebecca Harkin

The most common reasons for a car seat recall are problems with the straps and buckles which secure the child’s upper body into the car seat, the latch system which anchors the car seat to the car frame, and weak car seat frames which come apart during a crash. A car seat recall typically involves replacing a faulty part, and does not usually require replacing the entire seat. The best way to stay informed about a car seat recall is to return the product registration card or register the car seat on the manufacturer’s web site.

Some of the main reasons for a car seat recall are issues with the straps and buckles. The straps might be constructed of poor quality fabric, causing them to easily tear, or the straps might be made from a highly flammable material. In other cases, the adjusters on the straps used to tighten and loosen the restraint on the child might be faulty, and cannot be tightened or loosened properly or do not remain secured, defeating the purpose of the safety straps. The buckles on the straps need to be sturdy but reasonably easy to operate. Some car seat recalls have involved buckles which are extremely difficult to unfasten, and prevent a caregiver from removing the child from the car in an emergency.

Car seats must be able to withstand the force of a car crash.
Car seats must be able to withstand the force of a car crash.

A latch system is a strap attached to the car seat or threaded behind the car seat, and hooks from each end into anchors welded to the car’s frame. Typically, a second latch secures the top portion of the car seat to an anchor located at the top of the car’s back seat. These latching systems bear the brunt of the force during a crash. Car seat recalls will often involve the failure of the latching system when exposed to even a minor force. There is a clear weight range for which these hooks have been crash tested, so it is essential that a child seated in a car seat does not exceed the recommended weight allowance, or the hooks could fail.

Baby car seats are often recalled due to weaknesses in the frame of the seat.
Baby car seats are often recalled due to weaknesses in the frame of the seat.

Another common car seat recall involves weak frames on car seats, especially infant car seats. There are typically two parts to an infant car seat, including a base left secured in the car, and an infant carrier which latches into the base which can also be removed for carrying the baby around. Occasionally the bases are not sturdy enough and will warrant a car seat recall because the base latching system is not secure, or the latch holding the infant carrier into the base fails to lock securely.

Discussion Comments

Feryll

I read some statistics the other day about car seats. According to the numbers, out of almost 500 deaths of children caused by car accidents, 35 percent of the children were unrestrained. Of course this makes you ask the question what if the kids had been in car seats. However, the truth is we don't know what the outcome would have been had the kids been buckled in.

Also, what about the children who are restrained in car seats and are still killed in accidents? Would they have been better off without the seat? My point is that we don't know, and every situation is different. That's why I'm not so sure these decisions about whether a kid should be in a car seat are better made by laws or by parents.

Animandel

@mobilian33 -Child seat recalls are scary because we depend on these devices to protect our children, but we shouldn't let the faulty car seats take away from all of the lives saved each year because kids were securely and properly buckled in seats that did work as they were designed and built to work.

Hundreds of children are saved each year because of car seats, and every single life saved makes the seats worthwhile. Instead of complaining about car seat recalls, we should be thankful that the problems with the seats are being highlighted and repaired so our children will be safer.

mobilian33

The government has passed all of these laws about child car seats that are supposed to make children safer in the event of an accident. The car seat is supposed to be the best invention ever for protecting children in cars. But if you look at the car seat recall list and see all of the seats that have not lived up to their promise then you can't help but wonder if these laws are doing much good.

How frustrated must parents be when they find out they have been strapping their children into fancy, expensive car seats that are being recalled because they were not really any safer than having the child sit in a passenger's lap? And in some cases the seats are more dangerous.

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    • Car seats must be able to withstand the force of a car crash.
      By: Deyan Georgiev
      Car seats must be able to withstand the force of a car crash.
    • Baby car seats are often recalled due to weaknesses in the frame of the seat.
      By: ramzi hachicho
      Baby car seats are often recalled due to weaknesses in the frame of the seat.