How do carseat recalls make you feel??

Katy · Feb 16, 2011

Upon thinking of general recalls, I've always thought that it is a good thing. A. that someone is further testing the seats
B. they are paying attention to CS complains
C. shows me that they are looking to improve safety, rather than sweep it under a rug. Mainly for the ones that have been voluntary.

But with the most recent recalls I wonder if what I feel is really good....

The last one took them around a year to take action! Then the fix was lube?? Really how much testing did they do on this lube fix and how long is it expected to last??? I don't have a seat involved but I worry about other seats with the same type of adjuster...not JUST that brand. Not just that are they really fixing the problem or are they trying to save money by not sending out new seats that wouldn't have that issue. Then there is another company that we all know well, They keep acting that the issue isn't an issue. It just makes me wonder what intention these companies are and if I should trust them with my childrens lives.

Then I often wonder about the seats and companies not recalling at all. Are they hiding issues or are their seats THAT good?

Do you feel that you can't trust certain companies? I know ALL seats in the US have to pass certain tests...I just worry KWIM???

Katy · Feb 16, 2011

FYI I'm am not trying to bash any certain compainies or their seats, just seeing how others feel on the subject. Please move or delete if I'm violating any rules.

LISmama810 · Feb 16, 2011

Recalls themselves aren't bad things.

Sometimes there are defects that need to be corrected, and while the ideal solution would be for there to be no defects in the first place, that's just not realistic. So I'd rather that a problem be recalled than NOT be recalled.

How I feel about individual situations depends on how quickly the company responds (I don't need an immediate response, but something timely), HOW the company responds, what the defect is, and what the solution is.

Does a tube of lube inspire tremendous confidence in me? No. But I also don't know enough to say it won't work.

ConnorsMommy · Feb 16, 2011

When I hear of recalls like the one recently, it causes me to lose trust in the company. I saw the video of the harness loosening on it's own over a year ago so it bothers me that its only now that the company is doing something about it. Are there any reports of children being injured in the last 2-3 years since those seats were sold?
For some recalls, it makes me feel better about the company because they are trying to do something about the problem before anyone gets hurt, but not in this case. I also feel skeptical about their "solution" to the problem. Once the one time application of lube wears off, won't the problem be back? If I had one of the recalled seats with that problem, I would replace it as soon as possible.

DaniChildcare · Feb 16, 2011

There have been very few recalls that have made me lose complete trust in a company, but this one definitely strikes a nerve with me on MANY levels.

First of all, people have has this complaint for a while with Dorel's seats, and it took them quite a long time to act on it.

After i found out what their fix was, i refuse to buy anything they make. I may have to pay more for it from another company, but i will NOT purchase from them.

A bottle of Pam (again, might as well be, since they said it was cooking grade lubricant) is not a fix for a car seat for me. The fact that they will only send ONE repair kit per household (no matter how many seats you have) is appalling. The fact is, their own instruction manuals say to NEVER use lubricant.

I decided against getting the CA this week because of this recall. The sad part is, how many lives are they endangering because they are too cheap to replace the over 700,000 potentially defective seats they've sold?

btw: MANY lubricants can cause build up, causing whatever you lubricated to then "stick" - so, i also wonder how far they've tested this lubricant to see if this is going to be a problem.

LISmama810 · Feb 16, 2011

Oh, for the record, they're not implementing a "one kit per household" thing anymore. Either they changed their minds or there was a customer service rep who didn't know what s/he was talking about.

Recalls take a while to happen. It would be nice to get answers right away, but it takes a while to identify what's causing the problem and to come up with a solution.

I'd bet that most recalls take about the same amount of time, but we're usually not aware of the complaints ahead of time. With this one we were.

I'm still not thrilled with the lube, but very little about Dorel thrills.

Minnesota · Feb 16, 2011

I was a combination of

and

when I saw a tube of oil was the fix they were sending out. I am doubly glad that I've always distrusted them as a company, and that I went with my gut to not keep the CA I tried out for DS2.

It's really important to me that a company that is responsible for manufacturing safety-related equipment is willing to stand behind its products, take seriously any concerns/reports, and ensure that their customers get what they paid for. Honestly, that's why DJG and SKJP are off my list for my own personal consideration; I don't think either company does that.

cookie123 · Feb 16, 2011

This reminds me, I haven't checked my seat for the recall. Better do that tonight. DD#1 has one, too.

ETA: Oh, I didn't realize it's not the Avenue. I always did have that harness adjuster button though.

lanwenyi · Feb 16, 2011

cookie123 said:
This reminds me, I haven't checked my seat for the recall. Better do that tonight. DD#1 has one, too.

ETA: Oh, I didn't realize it's not the Avenue. I always did have that harness adjuster button though.

I checked w/ DJG and both of my Avenues are recalled. If yours are 22349, and within the date range, yours may be too.

OP - most recalls make me feel better; that they care enough to actually fix a prob, that they're listening. This recall makes me want to run far, far away from DJG. We were considering a Complete Air to replace DS's Diplomat. It's no longer in the running.

Ninetales · Feb 17, 2011

Now I'm totally scared. Elsa has a CA65 in our car, and as far as I can tell it's not on the list. But everyone saying they are blackballing Dorel makes me wonder if I should get something else for her.

But she's so big and I love the tall shell and 40 lb limit.

lovemybabies924 · Feb 17, 2011

im still gonna keep my CA...as long as im responsible and check the seat every time i put my child in it like i should anyway...i should be ok!

DahliaRW · Feb 17, 2011

The only thing that bugs me with recalls is when parents start telling others on boards like this that "I won't trust seat from xxx company and would never use it." I've seen parents hear comments like that, feel that the seat they have (which is a lower priced seat) or the only seat that they can afford isn't safe because of the company it's made by, so since they can't afford a new seat they go buy a used seat or use an expired seat, or move to a booster, etc. Their kid actually ends up LESS safe. Personal opinions are fine, but making others feel like they have an unsafe seat when they don't is not doing anyone any good.

Oh, and I agree with lovemybabies. I check all my seats when I put my kids in. Because I don't want to be the first parent to find a seat is defective when I get in a crash and it's too late. It takes seconds to yank the harness and make sure it's not loosening. Not a big deal.

Kat_Momof3 · Feb 17, 2011

what bugs me is when a company tries to avoid admitting there is something wrong with their product... I don't imagine anyone or any company is perfect... if you find there is a problem... for goodness sakes... admit it!

other than that, recalls can be annoying, but necessary, and I'm glad when they happen in order to keep people more safe.

While the ones like this most recent one leave me angry with a company, it doesn't mean I won't still recommend their products when I know that they still have a long history of producing good reliable products.

It just makes me think some of the people deciding these things (lawyers and big heads) need replaced.

Athena · Feb 17, 2011

Good discussion question!

For me, my feelings depend on the details of the recall and how it is handled. I don't necessarily ban a company because it's had a recall. The reality is that most have.

Often, I am offended by the wording of recalls. Don't all recalls claim to be, "voluntary," and how can they claim no incidents have been reported when they've had reported incidents of harnesses loosening? But all the companies seem to downplay the seriousness of the problem in the wording of their recalls.

Although it would probably be a great seat for us in some ways, I have resisted buying a CA. I love the tall shell, yet I can't get over that 40" limit that would make it fairly useless for us RF. When I looked at it, I found it stated the 40" RF limit right there on the side of the seat. In a proper use state, that would mean I could get ticketed for RF my over 40" child, right?

I think it's a good idea to add a yank on the harness to our checklist of what we do each time we put our kids in their seats .. in any seats.

DaniChildcare · Feb 17, 2011

I hope my comment wasn't taken out of context. I personally will not purchase anything from them. That's my decision. Will i stop recommending the CA or Scenera to others, no, they are affordable seats that work well in many situations. Will i purchase them myself ... only as an absolute last resort after trying every other seat i can

I don't like the fact that they aren't willing to actually fix their mistake. Recalls are fine, and GOOD most time to fix mistakes, but this recall makes me feel that Dorel is saying "we really didn't make a mistake, the button sticks, yea, here is the quickest, and cheapest fix we could come up with, and not sure that it will truly work in the long run"

OddOneOut · Feb 17, 2011

DaniChildcare said:
I hope my comment wasn't taken out of context. I personally will not purchase anything from them. That's my decision. Will i stop recommending the CA or Scenera to others, no, they are affordable seats that work well in many situations. Will i purchase them myself ... only as an absolute last resort after trying every other seat i can

I don't usually post here; I just read and get all the information I can. That is what led me to buy a CA for my 3 year old and an Onboard 35 for our newborn (5 days old). Comments like these really bother me though. It doesn't make me feel any better. Why would I want a seat that you wouldn't use yourself? Why would you recommend a seat that you wouldn't use yourself? My kids aren't as important as your own?

Anyway, I don't want to start any arguments. This comment just bothered me. I will be keeping the seats that I have because they are not recalled (as far as I know) and I think they are good seats for my kids.

Babywearing Meghan · Feb 17, 2011

ConnorsMommy said:
When I hear of recalls like the one recently, it causes me to lose trust in the company. I saw the video of the harness loosening on it's own over a year ago so it bothers me that its only now that the company is doing something about it. Are there any reports of children being injured in the last 2-3 years since those seats were sold?
For some recalls, it makes me feel better about the company because they are trying to do something about the problem before anyone gets hurt, but not in this case. I also feel skeptical about their "solution" to the problem. Once the one time application of lube wears off, won't the problem be back? If I had one of the recalled seats with that problem, I would replace it as soon as possible.

ditto to this! I have always been a huge defender of dorel I know my avenue is not part of the recall cause of the dom, but how long till it is recalled and what if something happens before that?

DaniChildcare · Feb 17, 2011

OddOneOut said:
DaniChildcare said:

I hope my comment wasn't taken out of context. I personally will not purchase anything from them. That's my decision. Will i stop recommending the CA or Scenera to others, no, they are affordable seats that work well in many situations. Will i purchase them myself ... only as an absolute last resort after trying every other seat i can

I don't usually post here; I just read and get all the information I can. That is what led me to buy a CA for my 3 year old and an Onboard 35 for our newborn (5 days old). Comments like these really bother me though. It doesn't make me feel any better. Why would I want a seat that you wouldn't use yourself? Why would you recommend a seat that you wouldn't use yourself? My kids aren't as important as your own?

Anyway, I don't want to start any arguments. This comment just bothered me. I will be keeping the seats that I have because they are not recalled (as far as I know) and I think they are good seats for my kids.

Click to expand...

I don't have any kids of my own for your information.

I would recommend the seat to those that need it for a specific reason (CA is thin so provides ample space for a 3 across) Scenera is small and easy to use in a plane and for people. I would not buy these seats myself, because i do not need them. I watch multiple kids, so i'm constantly exchanging seats in my car.

I personally won't personally support the company (ie: i won't buy their products period) but i don't slight anyone else for buying them, or using them for their children. They have products that have uses for many things, but i would have a panic attack every time i put a kid in my car in a seat by Dorel, even if i were to check it a million times. So yes, i believe that these are still good seats, and can be used (not the recalled ones) but i will NOT use them period, because i won't support a company that won't provide a REAL fix for the problem.

Does that make sense?

I was in no way saying i would put another peoples kids in danger by recommending their product, i just personally won't support them, until they actually fix their problem, and not supply a bottle of lube as a "quick fix"

Ninetales · Feb 18, 2011

So it's not that you think all of Dorel's seats are unsafe, more like you don't want to give your money to them because you don't like the way they're handling this? Like a philosophical opinion more than a safety one? That makes sense to me.

DaniChildcare · Feb 18, 2011

Ninetales said:
So it's not that you think all of Dorel's seats are unsafe, more like you don't want to give your money to them because you don't like the way they're handling this? Like a philosophical opinion more than a safety one? That makes sense to me.

Exactly! I don't feel comfortable putting money into their company if they won't back up their products. That includes any of their products, not just car seats.

(Thank you for putting into words what i was trying to say)

How do carseat recalls make you feel??

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