Britax Decathlon Harness Adjuster Recall

[Jeanum]

I know several posts on the main board have discussed this, and thought it would be useful to have the official announcement posted here in the news category for easy reference.

From http://www.decathlonrecall.com/ which also has an online form to look up product registration info. for Decathlon owners:

BRITAX ANNOUNCES SAFETY RECALL

CHARLOTTE, NC (August 17, 2007) – Britax Child Safety, Inc. announced today that it is conducting a safety recall on the Decathlon child restraint, Model Number E9L47. The recall includes production of the Decathlon from February 12, 2005 through July 31, 2007.

Under certain circumstances, when the harness adjuster strap is pulled from an extreme side angle, the bezel may separate from the child restraint shell allowing the adjuster to move out of position inside the shell housing. Under these conditions, caregivers may experience some difficulty while trying to properly harness the child to the restraint.

Extensive product testing has determined that there is no risk of the adjuster and bezel separating from the child restraint while the harness is properly positioned and the child is snugly secured during transit. There have been no reported accidents or injuries.

To address this issue, Britax will send all owners two push rivet fasteners to secure the adjuster to the child restraint. This quick modification will prevent the possibility of having the adjuster move out of position inside of the shell housing. Registered owners of the Decathlon child restraint will automatically be notified and sent complete instructions and push rivet fasteners by mail beginning August 17, 2007. To assist in this process video instructions are available on the Britax website, at www.BritaxUSA.com. The modification will take less than five minutes to complete.

Until the push rivet fasteners are received and installed, this child restraint is safe to use as long as the bezel is securely positioned within the child restraint. Britax recommends that caregivers pull the harness adjuster strap straight out from the restraint and parallel to the ground when tightening the harness to secure the child. This will minimize the chance of the bezel separating from the child restraint. Should the bezel become loose, consumers should contact Britax.

Decathlon child restraints manufactured from February 12, 2005 through July 31, 2007 are affected by this recall. The date of manufacturer and model number may be found on the white label located near the top of the restraint on the child’s left hand side under the cover.

Owners of the Decathlon that have not registered their product should contact the Britax information line, toll free at 1-800-683-2045 or register online at www.BritaxUSA.com. Consumers may also order repair kits online at www.DecathlonRecall.com.

Even if the restraint is operating normally, all owners of this restraint are strongly advised to make the required modification once the fasteners are received.

Britax has made manufacturing changes that resolve this issue in Decathlon restraints manufactured after August 1, 2007.

For more information, contact the Britax information line, 1-800-683-2045.