NHTSA's email.. please email regarding the regent!

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MySillyKids

New member
For recall information, call the U.S. Government’s Vehicle
Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to
http://www.NHTSA.gov.

I know its not a 'recall', but maybe talking to someone would get the word out?
 

Morganthe

New member
I sent an email. Thanks for the link :thumbsup:

Here's more info on how to make complaints:

File a Complaint About a Vehicle or Child Seat Now
There's links to file online and also the following information

By Phone
Call the DOT Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 and a NHTSA representative will record your complaint information.

General Information

Your complaint information will be entered into NHTSA's vehicle owner's complaint database and used with other complaints to determine if a safety-related defect trend exists.

If a safety-related defect exists in a motor vehicle or item of motor vehicle equipment, the manufacturer must fix it at no cost to the owner. Your complaint is the first step in the process.

Government engineers analyze the problem. If warranted, the manufacturer is asked to conduct a recall. If the manufacturer does not initiate a recall, the government can order the manufacturer to initiate a recall.

We do not have to receive a specific number of complaints before we look into a problem. We gather all available information on a problem. Your complaint is important to us.
For a prompt response from NHTSA, send your information request, suggestions, or comments to webmaster@nhtsa.dot.gov.
 
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MySillyKids

New member
Here's what to officially do!

PLEASE do it! i'll do it later today!

Thank you for contacting the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Vehicle Safety Hotline Information Center.

If you are interested in filling a complaint you may call our Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 and a Customer Service Representative will be happy to assist you.

You may also visit our website at www.nhtsa.dot.gov for information pertaining to Recalls and Defects. The site will provide you with the following resource information:

•Compliance Testing Database
•How To File a Complaint
•Early Warning Reporting Assistance
•Questions and Answers on Recalls and Defects
•View Existing Defect Investigations
•Monthly Defect Investigation Reports
•Search Technical Service Bulletins

We hope that you find this information helpful. However, if you need additional information on our services please feel free to contact us at 1-888-327-4236.

Thank you,

NHTSA.dot.gov Response Team

Disclaimer: "This response is for information purposes only and does not constitute an official communication of the U.S. Department of Transportation. For an official response, please write U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave, SE, West Building, Washington, DC 20590.
 

UlrikeDG

Admin - CPS Technician Emeritus
Please, be sure to be as clear and concise as possible when writing out your complaint. Some of the letters I've read have been clear enough for someone who has been following the threads here but have been quite confusing to anyone who doesn't know the details of this recall.

IMO, the most important point is that Monday Britax changed the installation instructions for this seat, and now the seat is incompatible with some vehicles. However, Britax is not offering replacement seats or compensation to those who now have a seat that cannot be safely used in their vehicle.

Whatever you write, be sure to proof read! Set it aside, do something else, then come back and read it aloud. If possible, ask a friend who isn't familiar with the details of the recall to read it and give you feedback on clarity. Your complaint will be taken much more seriously if it doesn't sound like the made ravings of some nut on the internet. ;)
 

AdventureMom

Senior Community Member
Please, be sure to be as clear and concise as possible when writing out your complaint. Some of the letters I've read have been clear enough for someone who has been following the threads here but have been quite confusing to anyone who doesn't know the details of this recall.

IMO, the most important point is that Monday Britax changed the installation instructions for this seat, and now the seat is incompatible with some vehicles. However, Britax is not offering replacement seats or compensation to those who now have a seat that cannot be safely used in their vehicle.

Whatever you write, be sure to proof read! Set it aside, do something else, then come back and read it aloud. If possible, ask a friend who isn't familiar with the details of the recall to read it and give you feedback on clarity. Your complaint will be taken much more seriously if it doesn't sound like the made ravings of some nut on the internet. ;)

:yeahthat:

ITA! <--- How's that for internet lingo?!? Anyway, someone posted a letter with "sbp" and "lbp". I'm not sure that anyone at NHTSA would know what that means. :)
 

MySillyKids

New member
:yeahthat:

ITA! <--- How's that for internet lingo?!? Anyway, someone posted a letter with "sbp" and "lbp". I'm not sure that anyone at NHTSA would know what that means. :)

I agree. I'm glad they referred me to somewhere else. I'll call them after i write down what to say completely.
 

LuvBug

New member
luckily I try to use as little internet lingo as possible when speaking with someone for the very first time. lol!

I got a reply this morning saying it is being forwarded to the right department. I mainly just wrote about the confusion/confliction and sudden change in the manual. And then how now the seat is incompatable with some vehicles.
 

UlrikeDG

Admin - CPS Technician Emeritus
Anyway, someone posted a letter with "sbp" and "lbp". I'm not sure that anyone at NHTSA would know what that means. :)

Right. I think one of the ones I saw complained that she couldn't use the seat in her car but didn't bother mentioning that it was because Britax had changed the instructions. Compatibility issues are common. You just buy a different seat. Compatibility issues caused by a change in the instructions 2 years after the seat was purchased are not so common, and *are* the manufacturer's "problem."

A good format to follow would be:
1) Who are you and why are you writing (1-3 sentences).
2) Explain the problem as clearly and concisely as possible (1-3 paragraphs).
3) How should the problem be solved? Optional. (1-3 sentences).

For example (totally made up!):
I am a parent of a 5 year old child, and I'm writing regarding the recent "consumer advisory" issued by Britax for their Regent car seat.

On June 9, Britax issued a "consumer advisory" regarding for the Britax Regent. This advisory covers my child's seat, which was manufactured 6/6/06. Before I bought the seat last year, I tried it out in my vehicle, and I was able to achieve a great fit following the instructions that came with the seat. According to the new installation instructions published by Britax in July 2007, the seat can no longer be installed without use of the (previously optional) recline bar. Unfortunately, the seat will not fit in my vehicle, a 2000 Toyota Camry, with the recline bar in place. Specifically, the seatbelt is too short to be threaded through the correct belt path while using the recline bar; there's just no way to get the seatbelt buckled.

I have called Britax regarding this issue and was told that I "must install the seat according to the new instructions," but if it didn't fit that way, I could "make a parental decision to install it the old way." When I asked for them to send me written confirmation that it was OK to go against the new instructions, they refused saying if the seat failed to perform properly and I had not followed the new instructions they were not liable!

I then asked them to refund my money so that I could purchase another seat that will work in my vehicle, and I was told I should take it up with the retailer. I purchased this seat a year ago, and the retailer (My Little Child in Button, AL) only allows returns for 60 days after purchase. My Little Child says they have nothing to do with this advisory, and that any issues I have should be taken up with Britax.

Until this week, I was quite pleased with the Britax Regent. I would love to continue using it if Britax could approve a safe way for it to be installed in my vehicle. If the seat can no longer be used, I would like Britax to refund the purchase price, so that I can replace the now unusable seat with an appropriate child restraint in order to keep my child safe in our vehicle.
 

Patriot201

Car-Seat.org Ambassador
Whatever you write, be sure to proof read! Set it aside, do something else, then come back and read it aloud. If possible, ask a friend who isn't familiar with the details of the recall to read it and give you feedback on clarity. Your complaint will be taken much more seriously if it doesn't sound like the made ravings of some nut on the internet. ;)


This is always a good idea.

Letters full of grammatical mistakes, incomplete thoughts, and poor fluency are often hard to take seriously.

Definitely have someone proofread! :)
 

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