Evenflo Booster Seat Recall: Risk Child Seat May Crack in Crash

Evenflo is recalling about 18,000 Maestro Combination Booster Seats after lab testing indicated that they may crack during a car crash. 

The Evenflo booster seat recall was announced on Friday by Evenflo Company Inc. and involves child seats sold in both the United States and Canada. The recall came after an independent laboratory conducted high-speed front impact tests and found that some of the Maestro seats cracked, which could cause injury to a child occupying the seat in an actual auto accident.

The company said that the car seat recall was a precautionary step. It has received no reports of the seats actually cracking in the field and there are no injuries or deaths reportedly connected to the problem.

The recall affects 13,792 Maestro Combination Booster Seats sold in the United States and 4,479 sold in Canada. In the U.S., the recalled seats include model numbers 3101198, 3101980, 31011048, 31011049, and 31011059. The Canadian seats affected by the recall have the model number 31011057C.

The units sold in the U.S. were manufactured between November 24, 2009 and April 9, 2010. The units sold in Canada were built between December 17, 2009 and April 26, 2010. The Evenflo car seat recall does not affect Maestro Combination Booster Seats made after April 2010.

The company says it is sending a consumer notice to all registered owners alerting them to the recall. They will provide owners with a bracket they can install themselves that will reinforce the seat.

Evenflo warned that the car seat should not be used with children weighing less than 40 pounds until the repair bracket can be installed. It can be used as a belt-positioning booster for children weighing more than 40 pounds if the bracket has not yet been installed, the company said.

Customers with affected booster seats are urged to contact the company at Evenflo.com for more information and the free reinforcement kit. The company is asking them not to attempt to return the seats to their place of purchase.