Ford Motor Company has announced a recall of some of its Super Duty pickup trucks because of a faulty gas tank.  Ford says that defective mounting on the tanks need to be strengthened to prevent a gasoline leak in a head-on crash.  Meanwhile, Ford says a massive recall of vehicles with faulty cruise control switches is nearly complete, but at least one consumer website says the switches are still a danger.

The Ford Super Duty truck pickup recall covers 65,000 2008 F-250 and F-350 trucks, Ford said in a letter posted on the Web site of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)  Ford dealers will add a bracket to help secure the fuel tank, at no charge to motorists. Owners will be notified beginning in late May when the parts are  available.  Ford said the affected trucks are F-250 and F-350 4×4 models with a single set of rear wheels and a 156-inch wheel base. (more…)

Several firms that sold children’s clothing with drawstrings that posed a strangulation hazard have agreed to pay  a total of $320,000 in fines, the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) announced today.  According to the announcement, the firms failed  to report to the CPSC, as required by federal law, that their children’s hooded sweatshirts or jackets were sold with drawstrings at the hood and neck.

Since April 1, 2007, there have been 17 recalls of more than 190,000 units of children’s clothing because they had drawstrings in the hood or neck.  This despite the existence of an 11-year old voluntary industry standard that instructs manufacturers not to use drawstrings in the neck area of children’s outerwear and to make sure drawstrings at the waist are of a certain length, have no toggles or knots, and are sewn in the back so they can’t move.  The CPSC has similar guidelines on the books, and both New York and Wisconsin have made the standard mandatory. (more…)

The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization—a California asbestos victims advocacy group—filed a lawsuit Friday against CBS Corporation, a toy maker, and several retailers over the sale of a crime scene toy based on the CBS series “CSI:  Crime Scene Investigation.”  The group said laboratory tests confirmed the CSI Fingerprint Examination Kit contained asbestos in a powder used for fingerprint dusting.  Planet Toys, Inc., manufacturer of the CSI Fingerprint Examination Kit, removed the  dangerous toys from the market late last year; however, it maintains that multiple tests did not reveal asbestos.

The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, said tests showed the kits’ fingerprint powder contained “substantial quantities of tremolite asbestos,” which it described as “one of the most lethal forms of asbestos.”  On its Web site, Planet Toys indicated it issued a “stop sale” on all “’CSI Fingerprint Kits’ until further information can be ascertained as to the discrepancy between our respective test findings.”  The asbestos group wants to stop sales of the kits unless they carry a hazardous material warning and is seeking full refund for return of the kits. (more…)

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in cooperation with two toy firms announced voluntary recalls of two children’s toys due to excessive lead paint levels.  Consumers should stop using these recalled products immediately, ensuring they are taken away from children.

The first product, Hillbilly Teeth, was imported by FUNTASTIC, of Houston, Texas and is being recalled because the gray surface paint on the teeth contains excessive levels of lead, violating the federal lead paint standard.  Approximately 26,000 of the FUNTASTIC Hillbilly Teeth toys were sold in two-pack packages with item # 2657 printed on the packaging.  The toy’s gums are brown and the teeth are yellow.  The FUNTASTIC Hillbilly Teeth were manufactured in China and sold at grocery, drug, convenience, and mass retailers nationwide from March 2005 through March 2008 for about $2.  Consumers should immediately take the recalled toy away from children and contact FUNTASTIC for information on receiving a refund at (800) 434-5207 between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Central Time, Monday through Friday or visit the company’s Web site at www.funtastictoy.com (more…)

Toy robots sold at dollar stores nationwide are being recalled by OKK Trading Inc. of Commerce, Calif. because surface paint on the toys violates federal lead standards.  According to the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC), about 2000 of the lead tainted robots are involved in this recall.

Many consider lead poisoning to be one of the most important chronic environmental illnesses affecting children today.  Exposure to lead in children and unborn children can cause brain and nervous system damage, behavioral and learning problems, slowed growth, hearing problems, headaches, mental and physical retardation, and behavioral and other health problems.  Lead is also known to cause cancer and reproductive harm and, in adults, lead can damage the nervous system.  Despite efforts to control lead and the success in decreasing lead poisoning, serious cases still occur.  Once poisoned, no organ system is immune.  Of particular concern is the developing brain because negative influences can have long-lasting effects and can continue well into puberty and beyond. (more…)

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in cooperation with Greenbrier International Inc. of Chesapeake, Virginia today announced a voluntary recall of some plush children’s toys that pose a choking hazard. Consumers should stop using these recalled toys immediately unless otherwise instructed.

About 300,000 Cuddly Cousins Plush Insect Toys that were sold through the Dollar Tree Stores Inc., of Chesapeake, Virginia are being recalled because they contain small parts that could present a choking hazard to small children.  The toys sold at Dollar Tree, Dollar Bill$, Dollar Express, Greenbacks, Only One $1, and Deal$ stores nationwide from March 2007 through December 2007 and for about $1.00 each.  Greenbrier International Inc., of Chesapeake, Virginia is the importer of the toys being recalled.  No incidents or injuries have yet been reported.  The toys were manufactured in China. (more…)

Yesterday, Brents-Riordan Inc. LLC, of Shreveport, Louisiana, recalled 7,400 hooded youth sweatshirts and jackets because the hoods have defective drawstrings that pose a strangulation hazard in children.  The recall was important for a number of reasons.  The drawstring violation has become routine in recall alerts, even though there is an 11-year old voluntary standard that instructs manufacturers not to use drawstrings in the neck area of children’s outerwear and to ensure waist drawstrings are of a certain length, have no toggles or knots, and are sewn in the back so they are secure to the garment and can not move.  The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has guidelines along these same lines for manufacturers and at least two states, Wisconsin and New York, have made the standard mandatory.

Manufacturers and retailers are not complying and since April 1 of last year, there have been 17 recalls of more than 190,000 units of children’s clothing because of hood or waist drawstring issues. The manufacturers and retailers involved include major name brands such as The Gap, Old Navy, Nordstrom’s, Sears, and K-Mart.  Although no injuries were reported in these 17 cases, there have been significant injuries because of this issue in the past.  From January 1985 through January 1999, the CPSC received reports of 22 deaths and 48 non-fatal entanglement incidents involving drawstrings on children’s clothing. (more…)

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in cooperation with StyleMark, Inc. of Ormond Beach, Florida, today jointly announced a voluntary recall of children’s “Main Street Drag” sunglasses and warned consumers to stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

According tho the CPSC, approximately 144,000 of the children’s sunglasses were recalled due to the surface paint—located in the orange lettering on the temples of the sunglasses—containing excessive levels of lead, violating the federal lead paint standard.  No injuries have been reported, to date.  The recalled children’s sunglasses have Main Street Drag characters on the bottom of one lens.  The sunglass frames have either dark metallic blue or dark metallic red fronts and gray checkered sides.  The words, “Main Street Drag” are printed, in orange, at the temples.  Also, Style number DI25K7116 is printed on the left temple.  No other styles are included in this recall.  The children’s “Main Street Drag” sunglasses retailed for around $6.00 to $9.00 and were sold through Payless, Walgreen’s, Academy Sports, and CVS stores nationwide from October 2007 through March 2008 and were manufactured in China. (more…)

Washington state lawmakers overwhelmingly passed a toy safety bill setting the toughest restrictions in the nation on the lead content of children’s products.  If passed, the bill would reduce the allowable level of lead in toys and other goods to 90 parts per million—possibly as low as 40 parts per million, the recommended limit of the American Academy of Pediatrics—far below the current federal standard of 600 parts per million. The new restrictions would take effect July 2009.  The bill also sets tough limits on cadmium, a metal used in paints and plastics and on plastic-softening chemicals called phthalates linked to childhood developmental problems.  The state accounts for about 2% of total US toy sales, which last year equaled $23.5 billion in revenues.

The move has some in the toy industry concerned and some small toy makers are planning to stop selling in the state if, as they expect, Democratic Governor Chris Gregoire signs the bill saying the cost of certifying their products as safe under the law would be prohibitive.  Representatives of Mattel Inc. and Hasbro Inc., met with Gregoire March 17 over Mattel’s concerns that half of the products made by its Fisher-Price unit would be barred from the state if the law is adopted.  Hasbro confirmed a meeting with the governor.  The Toy Industry Association (TIA) represents over 75 companies and said it wouldn’t make economical sense for toy makers to ship products to the state if the bill becomes law. (more…)

Yamaha is recalling the Rhino ATV (All Terrain Vehicle) amid concerns that brakes on the Rhino ATV may fail. The recall, which covers about 7800 Rhino Side-by-Side ATVs, is just the latest safety issue to plague the Yamaha Rhino ATV, which some consider to be the most dangerous ATV on the market.

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the brake caliper on the left front wheel of the recalled Yamaha Rhino ATVs could have been made incorrectly, resulting in brake fluid leaking. This can cause a loss of braking and control of the vehicle, posing a serious safety risk to the driver and passenger. The recall covers Model Year 2008 Rhino YXR450 and YXR700 Side-by-Side Vehicles sold at Yamaha dealers nationwide from October 2007 through March 2008 for between $8,300 and $12,000. Consumers with a recalled Rhino ATV should stop using them immediately and contact any authorized Yamaha Rhino dealer to schedule a free repair. The CPSC said registered owners were sent direct mail notification of this recall. (more…)