Dorel Maxi-Cosi Pria 85 Convertible Car Seat Recall: Head Injury Risk

Dorel Juvenile Group has issued a recall for certain convertible child car seats, due to design problems which may cause larger children to not be properly protected from a vehicle’s interior.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Dorel Juvenile issued the child car seat recall on August 30, impacting more than 83,000 Maxi-Cosi Pria 85 Convertible Car Seats.

The car seats are designed for children weighing between 14 and 85 pounds, but children over the weight of 65 pounds could face greater injury when the seat is installed in a forward-facing position.

According to the recall notice, the car seats failed to properly restrain a test dummy during an NHTSA regulatory crash test, which are conducted on a bench seat, using only a lap belt instead of a three-point seat belt, and without the top tether strap connected.

The findings of those tests indicate children could hit their head on the vehicle’s interior resulting in head injury or possibly a traumatic brain injury

Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) can happen when a sudden movement of the head causes the brain to bounce or twist in the skull, injuring brain cells, breaking blood vessels, and creating chemical changes. The sudden movement can be caused by many different issues, including car accidents, sports concussions, falls, explosions, or other blows to the head.

Not every hit to the head will result in head trauma, but TBIs can range in damage from mild to severe. Fortunately, three out of four TBIs are mild, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The recall affects certain Pria 85 and Pria 85 Max car seats, designed for use for children weighing from 14 to 85 lbs.

At this time, there have been no injuries or incidents reported. Dorel Juveniles Group is working with the NHTSA on recall to find a remedy for consumers and is asking owners to register their car seats here.

No official plan has been stated by the Dorel Juvenile Group. Owners should use the car seat as it was intended in both the rear-facing mode and forward-facing modes for children up to 65 pounds.

Consumers with questions can contact Dorel Juvenile’s customer service at 877-657-9546 if they have any questions. Owners can also find more information through the NHTSA’s campaign number which for this recall is 21C003.