NHTSA Advises Parents of Safety Recall NHTSA Advises Parents of Safety Recall

NHTSA Advises Parents of Safety Recall NHTSA Advises Parents of Safety Recall

Topics: Graco

NHTSA Advises Parents of Safety Recall NHTSA Advises Parents of Safety Recall

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
August 13, 2003

NHTSA 37-03
Wednesday, August 13, 2003
Contact: Tim Hurd
Telephone: (202) 366-9550

The U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) today advised consumers that Graco Children's Products is expanding a safety recall originally announced on March 12, 2003 to include 53,926 additional SnugRide infant child restraints.

The initial recall covered SnugRide infant child restraints built between March 1, 2002, and March 6, 2003, Model Nos. 8402, 8412, 8442, 8442L, 8443, 8443L, 8444, 8444L, 8446, 8446L, 8447, 8447L, 8448, 8448L, 8457, 8458, 8459, 8601, 8463, 8464, 8470, 8471, 8478, and C844342, for missing hooks and pins used to attach the infant carrier to the base of the restraint.

The additional SnugRide infant car seats, which have a manufacturer date of March 7 or 8, 2003, may also be missing the hooks and pins. If the hardware is missing, the carrier may not be securely attached to the base. In the event of a sudden stop or vehicle crash, the carrier could detach from the base, possibly resulting in serious injury or death to the occupant of the seat.

The model numbers for the additional seats are: 8402L03, 840301, 840302, 840303, 8442GMP, 8442LBLW, 8442LCYP, 8442LMAD, 8444LHAB, 8444LHIG, 8446LFKB, 8446LVIN, 8447LHAV, 8448LSAR, 8463AMB, 8463GMP, 8463JUN, 8463YL, 8464MAC, 8464MEL, 8602AMB, 8602JUN, 8602MAN, 8603MIC, 8603MLL, 8605HIG, 8605KER, 8605PLT, 8607LAG, 8607NGS, 8608DIA, and 8609FOF.

NHTSA Administrator Jeffrey W. Runge, M.D., strongly urges parents to inspect their SnugRide infant car seats. Instructions for inspection can be obtained from Graco's web site, http://www.nhtsa.gov/exit.cfm?link=http://www.gracobaby.com/assets/pdfs/recalls/SNUGEXT_INSP.pdf. Parents who find that a SnugRide infant seat does not have hooks or pins should not use the base and should call Graco at 1-800-345-4109 for a new base.

The infant carrier may, however, be used in the car without the base. For proper instructions on installing the carrier in the car without the base, parents should consult the instruction manual. Installation instructions are also available on Graco's web site.

For more information, owners should write to Graco Children's Products, Inc., 150 Oaklands Boulevard, Exton, PA 19341 or call 1-800-345-4109.

Consumers with questions about this or any other safety recall campaign should call NHTSA's toll-free Auto Safety Hotline, (888) 327-4236, or check NHTSA's recall information page at http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/recalls/recallsearch.cfm under the recall number 03C-003000.

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