Child safety seats are recalled because they do not comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards or there is a safety related defect. Child safety seats can be recalled for a variety of reasons, some serious and some minor. Recall announcements will include the child safety seat’s manufacturer name, model number and date of manufacture, which will be located on a label on the shell of the child safety seat.
All new child safety seats have a registration card attached. It is important for you to complete and mail the registration card so that you can be notified in the event of a recall. Consumers can also register their car seats by calling the manufacturer’s toll-free line; registering the car seat on the manufacturer’s website; or registering at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) website. Car seat manufacturers are required to notify you about recalls of your seat.
You can also check to see if your car seat is on recall by calling the specific child safety seat manufacturer or the NHTSA hotline, 1-888-327-4236. NHTSA sends email alerts about recalls if you sign up.
Child safety seat manufacturers are responsible for providing consumers with corrective actions that fix or replace recalled child safety seats. If your child safety seat is on recall, don’t wait to get it fixed.
The manufacturer will let you know if you can continue to use the seat until the repair kit arrives or if you will need to use another seat.
