Evenflo Co. Inc. on Friday announced a voluntary safety recall of certain Maestro Combination Booster Seats, the latest in a string of recalls involving the company.
No incidents or injuries have been reported for booster seats already sold, the company said. In certain laboratory tests simulating a high-impact, frontal collision, a crack has occurred. Evenflo said it first observed the issue at a test laboratory in late September.
The recall involves 13,792 booster seats with model numbers that begin with “310” built between Nov. 24, 2009, and April 9, 2010. In Canada, 4,479 units manufactured between Dec. 17 and April 26 are involved. Unsold units will be removed from shelves, and Evenflo said it is sending a consumer notice to registered owners of the affected seats.
The company said Maestro child restraints built after April 2010 aren’t affected by the action.
Children weighing under 40 pounds should not be placed in the seat without the use of a free repair bracket. Children who weigh more than 40 pounds may continue to use the seat as a belt-positioning booster until a remedy kit arrives, the company said.
ConsumerReports.org said the recall comes after its tests show the seat can crack and fail in a simulated 30-mph frontal collision.
A free reinforcement kit can be obtained in the United States by calling 1 (800) 233-5921 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern Time. Evenflo urged customers not to return seats to retail stores where purchased.
Between December 2008 and September 2010, Evenflo had eight recalls through the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, more than any other manufacturer. The current booster seat recall is not through the CPSC, which does not regulate car seats.