Britax Stroller, Car Seat Recalls Issued After Reports of Injuries

More than 135,000 Britax car seats and infant strollers are being recalled due to a risk that the foam padding may pose a choking hazard and the handles may crack, causing a fall risk. 

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced the Britax B-Ready stroller recall and the Britax B-Safe 35 Elite infant car seats recall on January 21, after receiving incident reports indicating the foam padding of the strollers can be bitten off by infants, posing a choking hazard, and that the car seat handle on the car seats may crack, posing fall hazards to the infant. To date, at least 191 incident reports have been received with several reported injuries due to falls and infants choking.

The Britax B-Ready Strollers are being recalled after the manufacturer received 117 reports of children biting the arm bar foam padding, which resulted in five consumer reports indicating the infants began choking or gagging on the bitten away foam fragments. In the event the child bites off a piece of the foam, it could become logged in their throat and create an airway blockage resulting in suffocation. Consumers are being asked to remove the foam arm bar immediately to prevent the possibility of injuries.

Included in the recall are the B-Ready Strollers with model numbers U281767, U281768, U281771, U281772, U281773, U281774, U281784, U281792,U281793, U281794, U281795, U281796, U281797, and the B-Ready Replacement Top Seats with model numbers S845600, S845700, S845800, S845900, S855000, S855100, S856600, S870200, S870300, S870600.

The recalled strollers have a silver or black frame with a solid-colored top seat sold in a variety of colors. The strollers are marked with the Britax logo on the side hinges and foot rest and have the model name “Be-Ready” printed on the side of the stroller’s frame.

According to the CPSC, an estimated 49,000 units were sold in the Unites States and an additional 11,000 were distributed for sale to Canada.

The products were manufactured in China under Britax Child Safety Inc., of Fort Mill, South Carolina where they were sold at Babies R Us, buybuy Baby, Target, and other various retailers as well as online at Amazon.com and Diapers.com from April 2010 through January 2016 for around $500. The replacement tops were sold exclusively through Britax from April 2010 through January 2016 for $150.

The Britax B-Safe 35 and B-Safe Elite infant car seat and travel systems were recalled by the CPSC and the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration after receiving 74 reports of the handles developing fractures and cracks, potentially resulting in a fall hazard to children. The agencies are aware of one incident of a cracking handle resulting in a fall injury to the infant, who suffered a contusion on the head.

The recall includes B-Safe 35 car seats with model numbers E9LU65M, E9LU65P, E9LU63F, E9LU66R, E9LS63F, and EXLU65M, B-Safe 35 Elite car seats with model numbers E9LS55T, E9LS56P, E9LS55U, E9LS66C, E9LS65U, and B-Safe 35 Travel Systems with model numbers S914900, S915400, S915200, S921900, and S01635200.

The recalled Britax car seats and travel systems can be used as rear-facing only car seat and as an infant carrier. The products contain a car seat with carrying capability and have a canopy, black shell and base, and were sold in a variety of colors. The Britax logo is printed on both sides of the seat shell and on the carry handle grip.

The recalled car seats and travel systems were manufactured in the U.S. under Britax Child Safety Inc. of Fort Mill, South Carolina where they were sold at Babies R Us, buybuy BABY, Target, and other stores nationwide as well as online at Amazon.com and Diapers.com and other various online retailers from November 2014 through January 2016 for between $210 and $250.

The CPSC announced that there were an estimated 71,000 units sold in the United States as well as an additional 3,900 distributed for sale to Canada and 990 sold in Mexico.

Customers with recalled Britax strollers are being asked to remove the foam arm bar and replacement top seats and contact Britax at 800-683-2045 or visit them online at www.us.britax.com for information on how to receive a free black, zippered arm bar and warning label. Customers may continue to use the strollers without the foam arm bars and replacement tops until the covers arrive.

Customers with the recalled Britax infant car seats and travel systems are being asked to stop carrying the car seat by the handle until they receive a free repair kit. All registered owners are automatically being sent a free repair kit. However if the car seat was bought second hand, customers should register to receive a free repair kit at www.bsafe35recall.com. For further questions or concerns about the recall, customers may contact Britax at 800-683-2045.