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November 2009
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Recently in Recall Category
Now there's new information about the California accident that spurred that action. A family was driving down the highway near San Diego when the gas pedal caused their gas pedal to stick. They made a desperate call to 9-1-1 but crashed a short time later. All four family members died in the crash. The preliminary investigation blames the floor mat. And Toyota has told drivers of millions of Toyota and Lexus models to remove their floor mats until further notice. According to a story on CNN, "The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has documented 100 incidents where accelerator pedals on Lexus and Toyota vehicles stuck." Another item noticed by the NHTSA is the push button ignition on the car involved in the crash in San Diego. If you have a car with this type of ignition you need to know that in order to kill the engine you have to push and hold the start button for more than 3 seconds to disable the engine. It is not clear if the driver in California tried that. You can go here to find out if your Toyota or Lexus car is affected by this recall.
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission says it has received eight reports of flashlights overheating and melting, including one person who suffered burns to their hand. They were sold exclusively at Target from August 2009 through September 2009 for $1 and $2.50. If you bought any of these you should return them to Target for a full refund or call 1-800-440-0680 if you have questions. Check your child's car seat. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is warning parents that 28,350 Maxi-Cosi Mico Infant Child Safety Seats may have serious safety problems. The car seats were produced from July 2007 and February 17, 2008 and have the model numbers 22-371, 22-372 and 22-515. Below is the 22-371 model. You can call 1-877-657-9546. Remember you can always sign up to receive recall e-mail alerts here.
Plum Organics is recalling some of its pouches of baby food because it may be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum, which can cause botulism. The recall affects 4.22 ounce Apple & Carrot Portable Pouch baby food with the best by date of May 21, 2010 and marked with the following Universal Product Code (UPC) #890180001221 located on the bottom of the package. The food was sold at Toys 'R Us or Babies 'R Us. You can return the food to those stores for a full refund. No children have become sick. Plum Organics also tested batches before and after these dates and found them to be within the quality standards. "The product did not meet the FDA guidelines for proper acidity level," said Dr. Paul Gerhardt, a Food Science Ph.D. and member of the Plum Organics action team. "Though the risk of illness from this one batch is minimal, Plum Organics is taking the extraordinary step of recalling all Apple & Carrot Baby Food Pouches with best by date May 21, 2010." "As a mother, the safety and satisfaction of our customers and their children is my highest concern," said Plum Organics Founder Gigi Lee Chang. Due to a mixing error during production, one batch of this product was improperly blended. As a result, it did not meet our company's standard for quality. We are taking the extra step of recalling all Apple & Carrot Portable Pouches with this date to eliminate any question in the minds of consumers about the safety of our products. Plum Organics was founded on the vision of superior quality and nutritious baby food; we are committed to these values and our consumers." If you have any questions you can call 888-974-3555 between the hours of 8 am - 5 pm PST, or email info@plumorganics.com.
According to the CPSC "Target knowingly imported and sold various toys (Kool Toyz Products, Anima - Bamboo Collection Games, Happy Giddy Gardening Tools and Sunny Patch Chairs) with paint or other surface coatings that contained lead levels above legal limits" between May 2006 and August 2007. Here are two of the toys that were eventually recalled: I was part of the investigative team that did the first stories on this issue in May 2004. That story triggered the avalanche of toy testing and lead recalls we've seen over the past several years. For anyone who's ever doubted the danger, you only need to watch the story I ended up doing in 2006. Nearly two years after my first investigation, 4 year old Jarnell Brown, a Minnesota boy, died after swallowing a bracelet charm that was 99 percent lead. That case resulted in Reebok being fined $1 million. Anyone who owns a late-model Toyota or Lexus is told to immediately remove the floor mats on the driver's side of the cars to avoid the accelerator sticking. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued the warnings today. "This is an urgent matter," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "For everyone's sake, we strongly urge owners of these vehicles to remove mats or other obstacles that could lead to unintended acceleration." You may remember we reported on this a few weeks ago after a California family died in a fiery crash when their accelerator became stuck. Here's a look at what happens: These are the models the NHTSA is currently warning owners about: According to the NHTSA "In September 2007, Toyota recalled an accessory all-weather floor mat sold for use in some 2007 and 2008 model year Lexus ES 350 and Toyota Camry vehicles because of similar problems." "Today's advisory was precipitated by continued reports of vehicles accelerating rapidly after release of the accelerator pedal. The incidents appear to be related to factors including the use of a variety of unsecured mats, the particular configuration of the accelerator pedals in these vehicles, and the unique steps needed to shut off the engines in some of these vehicles with keyless ignition." For more information call the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Hotline at 888-327-4236 or the Toyota Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331 or the Lexus Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-255-3987. Update: Toyota now has an entire section devoted to this issue. The company also lists the following advice for anyone who's gas pedal may get stuck while they're driving. • First, if it is possible and safe to do so, pull back the floor mat and dislodge it from the accelerator pedal; then pull over and stop the vehicle. • If the floor mat cannot be dislodged, then firmly and steadily step on the brake pedal with both feet. Do NOT pump the brake pedal repeatedly as this will increase the effort required to slow the vehicle. • Shift the transmission gear selector to the Neutral (N) position and use the brakes to make a controlled stop at the side of the road and turn off the engine. • If the vehicle is equipped with an Engine Start/Stop button, firmly and steadily push the button for at least three seconds to turn off the engine. Do NOT tap the Engine Start/Stop button. • If the vehicle is equipped with a conventional key-ignition, turn the ignition key to the ACC position to turn off the engine. Do NOT remove the key from the ignition as this will lock the steering wheel. Parents are being told to check their medicine cabinets for certain types of Children's Tylenol. The makers of the medicine announced a voluntary recall today of certain lots of Children's and Infants' Tylenol liquid products manufactured between April 2008 and June 2008. However the company says, "The packaged product, shipped to retailers by the company, has met all specifications." The company sent this letter to health professionals which provides a bit more information. There are 21 affected products that you should look for in your own home: If you have questions you should call 1-800-962-5357. |
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Terri Gruca anchors KVUE's 6 and 10pm newscasts. She brings you the latest consumer news and tells you where to find the best deals.
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