The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced recalls on two bicycle resistance trainers today.  Both items are folding stands that lift and apply resistance to the rear wheel of a standard bike, converting it into a stationary trainer.  In both cases, the recall is due to a hazard in which the springs in the trainers can unhook and become a projectile, posing a puncture risk to users or bystanders.

The CPSC—in collaboration with Performance Inc.—issued a voluntary product safety recall of approximately 3,000 of the 2007 and 2008 Performance Travel Trac Trainers imported by Performance Inc., of Chapel Hill, North Carolina.  Performance received three reports of springs releasing from the trainers; no injuries have been reported. (more…)

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in cooperation with Hobby-Lobby International, Inc., today announced a voluntary recall of lithium-polymer battery chargers and lithium-polymer batteries sold with the AT600 Falcon Helicopter kit due to fire hazard.

According to the CPSC, about 3,200 of the lithium-polymer battery chargers and lithium-polymer batteries, which were distributed by Hobby-Lobby International Inc., of Brentwood, Tennessee and manufactured by Art-Tech R/C Hobby Company, Ltd. of Shenzhen, China, have been recalled.  The lithium-polymer batteries can ignite while charging, posing a fire hazard to consumers.  The recall also includes any spare battery (Model AT600B) or spare charger (Model ATS6046) purchased for this kit.  Hobby-Lobby has received three reports of incidents, including a consumer who received serious burns to his hand when a battery ignited. (more…)

Toyota Motor Corporation and General Motors Corporation warned customers this week about faulty power-window systems in some of their top-selling vehicles, resulting in a North American recall that involves over 662,000 cars.  Toyota is recalling 539,500 2003-04 model Corolla compact cars and Matrix crossover vehicles due to defective bolts in the window systems.  Toyota said the faulty bolts originated from a supplier and have now been redesigned. As part of the efforts in North America to resolve the problem, Toyota said it will notify about 50,000 Canadian customers that they will require free repairs offered by Toyota.  The cars involved in the recall were assembled in Canada at a Cambridge, Ontario plant.

GM also announced a recall for the same problem involving approximately 123,000 Pontiac Vibe hatchbacks.  The Pontiac Vibes share the same platform as Toyota’s Matrix and are built by GM as part of a joint venture with Toyota.  In those vehicles with power windows, the glass bolts in the front windows may loosen which causes the glass to separate from the window regulator, Toyota reported.  Cars with manual windows are not subject to the recalls. (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…)

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…)

Cooper Tire & Rubber Company of Findlay, Ohio is replacing defective tires for the second time in eight months and the third time in recent years.  This time, Cooper Tire is voluntarily recalling 48,037 tires due to a sidewall separation problem and is filing the recall with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The recall, which was initiated on March 14, covers over 20 different Cooper Tire brands including Cooper Discoverer, Wildcat, and Wild Country. The recalled tires were built at the company’s Albany, Georgia, plant.

Last July, Cooper Tire recalled 91,000 and, in another recall in 2006, a total of 296,500 other tires.  Meanwhile, at the time of this recall, Cooper Tire was in the midst of a plan to build and sell more high-end products as part of a strategy being implemented by its Chief Executive—Roy Armes—who is working to market Cooper Tire as a maker of high-end tires geared to owners of sport-utility vehicles and luxury cars. (more…)