Link to car seat recalls and expiration dates (by manfuacturer)

kristenbelle · Mar 15, 2009

Does such a thread/site/link exist? I'm off to work at a HUGE spring consignment sale in a few weeks and I'll be one of the checkers - to see if items are up to scratch to be allowed in the sale. I've filled this role before and the instructions for carseats are woefully inadequate, IMO. I'd like to be able to bring photocopied pages for each check-in station that lists the expiration seats for a wide variety of carseats (example - 6 years past manufacture date or December of the year 6 years past manufacture date and so-on) plus all the carseats in the past 10 (?) years that have been recalled, so that expired seats and recalled seats are not accepted for the sale. I know for a fact that the organizers do not personally check carseats after they have been "accepted" by the checkers. There are literally almost 100 carseats for sale each season at this sale, and the implications of it make me quake in my boots, mainly because folks aren't informed (the checkers or the buyers) and there are very likely seats that are unsafe being sold.

Any suggestions of where to come up with this info? Thanks!

Jeanum · Mar 15, 2009

Safety Belt Safe USA has a comprehensive recall list but it's not printable unless you purchase a subscription. Details at http://carseat.org/Recalls/recall.shtml and you can view a .pdf file (but not print it unless you subscribe) of the recall list at http://carseat.org/Recalls/179NP.pdf If you bring a laptop along, you could save the .pdf file and view it directly on the laptop at the sale, or purchase a password to allow you to print it out. :twocents:

There are a few threads here about expiration if you do a search, but not necessarily a "master" thread including every and all seat manufacturers. You could probably gather expiration info. from the online FAQs at most carseat manufacturer's respective websites or ask about specific ones here to prepare yourself.

Pixels · Mar 15, 2009

Seats should have "Do not use after xxxx" stamped into the plastic, or on one of the labels. If it's missing labels, it shouldn't be used.

Jeanum · Mar 15, 2009

Good point about labeling. To delve into that a bit further, not all seats are stamped with an expiration date, but labels should at least be present with the seat's date of manufacture and model number. If no identifying labeling and DOM info. is on the seat at all, then that's a complete red flag for discarding it. I've come across seats at seat check events totally devoid of any labeling whatsoever, making identifying the seat, checking it for recalls, and expiration completely impossible. Fortunately these were seat check events where new replacement seats were available at reduced or no cost so we could easily replace the questionably labeled or unlabeled seats.

Jeanum · Mar 16, 2009

In terms of used carseats overall, there's also the issue of the carseat's history being unknown unless you have a way to screen the carseat with the donor/seller directly to find out if it was ever in a crash, if the straps were ever machine washed and dried instead of spot cleaned and air dried, etc. There's a used seat checklist to go through questions of that sort at http://cpsafety.com/articles/usedseat.aspx, but the consignment sale/sale organizers could be in a pickle liability wise if the carseat's history can't be thoroughly vetted with the donor/previous owners, and then it's necessary to take them at their word.

Link to car seat recalls and expiration dates (by manfuacturer)

kristenbelle

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Jeanum

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Pixels

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Jeanum

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Jeanum

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