Britax to Conduct Safety Recall of Super Elite Youth Restraints

Topics:  Britax

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
October 21, 2003

NHTSA 46-03
Tuesday, October 21, 2003
Contact: Tim Hurd
Telephone: (202) 366-9550

The U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) today announced that Britax Child Safety, Inc., will conduct a safety recall of Super Elite youth restraints (Model E9031) manufactured from April 25, 2001, through Feb. 15, 2002.

Crash tests conducted by NHTSA have demonstrated that forces on certain Super Elite restraints during a crash could cause the child's head to move forward further than allowed by Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 213, "Child Restraint Systems." Head movement like this in a real crash could result in injury to a child.

Britax will mail a free repair kit along with easy-to-follow installation instructions to owners who have returned their registration cards. Owners who have not registered their product should contact Britax's toll-free number, 1-888-4BRITAX (1-888-427-4829) or visit Britax's web site (BritaxUSA.com) to receive the free kit or to obtain more information.

NHTSA encourages parents to obtain and install the repair kit as soon as possible, so that the child seat provides adequate protection. If they have no substitute child safety seat, parents should continue to use the seat while waiting to receive and install the repair kit because this unrepaired Britax seat will provide better protection than an adult seat belt or no restraint. Also, owners are encouraged to mail in the registration card if they have not already done so.

Consumers with questions about this or any other safety recall campaign should call NHTSA's toll-free Auto Safety Hotline, 1-(888) 327-4236, or check NHTSA's web site, http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/.