Graco Infant Car Seat Recall Issued Following NHTSA Demands

Graco is recalling nearly 2 million rear-facing infant car seats due to a design defect that may cause the harness buckle to become jammed, causing a delay in removing a child from the vehicle in the case of an emergency. 

The Graco car seat recall was announced on July 1, in response to demands by the by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which recognized that the design may allow food and drinks to enter the latch, potentially causing the buckle to become jammed.

The recall includes the following Graco rear-facing infant car seats: SnugRide and SnugRide Classic Connect manufactured from March 1, 2011 through May 31, 2013, SnugRide 30 and SnugRide Classic Connect 30 manufactured between July 1, 2010 and January 31, 2013, SnugRide 35 and SnugRide Classic Connect 35 manufactured between May 1, 2011 and January 31, 2013, SnugRide Click Connect 40 manufactured between June 1, 2012 and December 31, 2012, and Aprica A30 models manufactured from July 1, 2011 through April 30, 2012.

Customers can locate the model name, number and manufacture date information on a white label underneath or behind the car seat.

The recalled infant car seats were manufactured in China under Graco Children’s Products INC., of Exton, PA and were sold at juvenile stores nationwide.

This is Graco’s second major recall this year, following a toddler car seat recall in February that affected 3.7 million forward facing car seats. The current rear-facing car seat recall stems from the February recall.

At that time, the NHTSA asked Graco to recall all car seats with the specific harness buckle design, but Graco refused, stating the rear-facing car seats could be removed without unharnessing the child. However, following five months of negotiations, the company finally agreed to the NHTSA’s demands.

Additionally, Graco has come under scrutiny lately as Consumer Reports released the findings of their field tests on certain Graco strollers, calling four of their models “Do Not Buys” and “Safety Risks”. The field test results indicated the braking systems that are designed to lock the wheels may break, posing a roll-away hazard, particularly on inclines. Consumer Reports stated the brakes are not rigorously designed and rely on thin plastic teeth to lock the wheels.

The company recommends that customers with recalled car seats contact Graco at 1-877-766-7470 or visit them online at www.gracobucklerecall@gracobaby.com to receive a free replacement harness buckle.