Recaro has voluntarily recalled more than 173,000 child safety seats in the United States after 18 months of resistance.
Recaro confirmed that its ProRIDE and Performance RIDE Convertible Car Seats are a part of the recall. The safety problem in the seats was found by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in late 2013 and early 2014 during routine crash tests that check for compliance with safety standards in the country.
The agency found that the part that assists in keeping the upper part of the seat secure can break in case of a crash, allowing the child seat to move from its position and pose a risk to a child on the seat.
The German child seat maker denied any defects with its products and filed a petition in November 2014. Recaro argued that the products involved did not need a recall as the problem discovered by the NHTSA was not a serious issue.
Recaro also argued over the dummy used for the crash test, which weighed 65 pounds - similar to a six-year-old child. The company also highlighted that the owner manual of the child seats in question warned users of relying totally on the strap used to tether the seat, which broke in the crash test conducted by the NHTSA. Recaro's product manual highlights that if a child is 52 pounds or over, then parents should use the car's seatbelt instead.
However, Recaro was unable to persuade the regulators. The NHTSA suggested that a warning in the owner's manual cannot compensate for federal safety requirements. After months of resistance, Recaro has now changed its stance and voluntarily recalled the child seats.
"We take great pride in providing the best possible products and service to our consumers and their children, focusing on safety and protection," says John Riedl, the president of Recaro Child Safety. "That's why even though there have been no reported incidents in the field, we are acting quickly and will continue to work under NHTSA's guidance to correct this issue."
Recaro will send a recall letter to the owners of the child seats. The company will also send affected owners a kit that will include a new strap along with installation instructions. Recaro child seat owners can also visit the company's official website to see if their car seat is affected in the recall.
