FYI: Graco recall (sticking buckles)

[heartmama]

Graco is really ticking me off and now more so because every time I try to sign into MY account on gracobaby, I am provided with someone else's personal info (name, email address, address, phone number, what graco products they have registered)...it is VERY creepy. I have gotten 3 different people's accounts, but not my own. So who is getting my information? NOT COOL. I've never had issue with my MyRide70, but my Size4Me's sucked. It is terrifying to think that a child could die in the case of an accident that the car seat protected them from, but then couldn't escape. Horrible. Absolutely.

 

[ketchupqueen]

If a baby needs, say, CPR after a sudden cardiac arrest, the child needs out of the seat. I absolutely don't buy that it's not an issue with the infant seats.

 

[1mommy]

Reading the NHTSA letter to Graco is making me want to support Graco less and less as they claim that the sticking buckles "...are not a safety-related problem"... "Graco believes that it's customers are experiencing a 'perception' and a 'frustration' issue with unlatching their car seat buckles.... "as well as using 'improper unbuckling procedures'


I didn't realize their was an "improper way" to unbuckle your child....


http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/acms/cs/jaxrs/download/doc/UCM450053/INRM-EA13001-58840.pdf

 

[LISmama810]

BTW saw this article that mentions Graco was sued over a toddler dying (warning, toddler death mentioned) and was like OMG! http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/12/business/graco-recalls-car-seats-because-of-faulty-buckle.html?hpw&rref=automobiles&_r=0

Oh, god, I remember that crash. I thought it was the fire that kept them from rescuing her. It never occurred to me they could have gotten her out if it had been a different seat. :crying: (I realize we'll probably never know if it was really a factor, but I'm just sick knowing it could have been.)

 

[katymyers]

Reading the NHTSA letter to Graco is making me want to support Graco less and less as they claim that the sticking buckles "...are not a safety-related problem"... "Graco believes that it's customers are experiencing a 'perception' and a 'frustration' issue with unlatching their car seat buckles.... "as well as using 'improper unbuckling procedures' I didn't realize their was an "improper way" to unbuckle your child.... http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/acms/cs/jaxrs/download/doc/UCM450053/INRM-EA13001-58840.pdf

I'm having huge issues with Graco over this as well. I, on numerous occasions, had to loosen the straps on our MyRides and wiggle my kids out. It was flipping ridiculous and each time it happened I'd get the same BS answer of cleaning the buckle. I literally have NEVER let my kids have food or drinks in the car. In an emergency I would have been cutting the damn straps and ruining my seat completely. I'm not mad they messed up, I'm mad that they aren't taking responsibility and that they didn't do anything about it sooner. These buckles and their customer service is the reason I stopped buying their seats and went with Britax.

 

[YinzerMama]

My first 3 were all out of the bucket before they started solids but my youngest rode in a sr35 till he was almost 2. I'm sure he ate in there at some point.

Even if not, babies spit up... a reflux baby can be even more gross than a bigger kid with food.

I don't understand this at all. They are doing terrible terrible things for their image.

 

[Holly]

They are doing terrible terrible things for their image.

I agree! :thumbsdown:

 

[1mommy]

I'm thinking more and more I need to get one of those seatbelt cutters for my car. I currently have a pair of scissors in my center console but in an emergency that might not cut it fast enough, and I'm seeing more and more reasons to have one, just in case.

 

[Baylor]

I love Graco. Love their seats and love their Customer service. I am glad they are doing the recall and will replace the harnesses. They have replaced harnesses all along for anyone who had an issue.

 

[SnoGurl]

Graco indicated to me that they may be offering refunds for those who previously ordered a replacement buckle for a seat that is now under recall. It's worth a call to their Customer Service for anyone that did!

Various other manufacturers use this same buckle system from AMSAFE and have for years. Kudos to Graco for offering replacements as early as 7 months ago and for implementing this voluntary recall before anyone else has. We'd all have liked to see replacements even sooner, of course, but sometimes identifying the problem, testing various replacement possibilities and getting adequate supplies of recall kits is a big issue and can take a year or years to implement.

I actually didn't pay anything for my replacement-- I want to say I called the end of last May (it was just after the announcement was made, thanks to cso I knew about it right away!). They just asked me if i'd registered my seat, thanked me for doing that when I said yes, and sent me out a new set. Also sent me a different chestclip when I asked for suggestions as my Dni was a master at undoing it. (I'm in canada, which may make a difference, but I think I just got a nice, sympathetic cs rep). I was quite happy with it-- and whatever their excuse is, recalls suck, but they're doing it. They're not the only one's using that buckle, so why are they the only ones recalling??

Says the girl who bought another toyota after hers had all the brake recalls done on it (and sees that they announced a recall on her current toyota today)

 

[SafeDad]

Graco is really ticking me off and now more so because every time I try to sign into MY account on gracobaby, I am provided with someone else's personal info (name, email address, address, phone number, what graco products they have registered)...it is VERY creepy. I have gotten 3 different people's accounts, but not my own. So who is getting my information? NOT COOL. I've never had issue with my MyRide70, but my Size4Me's sucked. It is terrifying to think that a child could die in the case of an accident that the car seat protected them from, but then couldn't escape. Horrible. Absolutely.

I inquired about this after seeing your comment and Graco claims to have resolved a traffic-related issue with their website that may have caused this.

I don't understand this at all. They are doing terrible terrible things for their image.

I don't think it's so terrible that they are offering to send replacements for infant seat owners with difficult buckles, even though they are not part of this recall.

It's always possible another recall is forthcoming. Perhaps doing infant seats at the same time would have simply left them unable to respond to all the requests? Just a guess, given the huge number of Snugrides they sell.

Sure, it would have been ideal to see them do this sooner, or send out replacements immediately for almost 4 million convertible/combo seats plus millions of infant seats as well. But there is a lot of process and expense involved. On the plus side, at least they started offering a resolution 7 months ago. I'm not aware of other companies doing anything yet, even though a few use the same buckles.

 

[YinzerMama]

They're not the only one's using that buckle, so why are they the only ones recalling??

It's very weird, I feel like they're taking the fall for the buckle manufacturer. This is almost certainly going to turn out much bigger than Graco.

I just don't understand why they continued to use it for so long after people first started complaining about it. Maybe it saved money for them, in the short term.

re: the terrible things to their image thing - it's the blaming food/drink that bothers me. I just feel like they're hedging.

 

[katymyers]

I love Graco. Love their seats and love their Customer service. I am glad they are doing the recall and will replace the harnesses. They have replaced harnesses all along for anyone who had an issue.

The replacement buckles are fairly recent. I called Graco about mine no less than half a dozen times and was never offered a replacement, even when I asked for one. Each time I called, they put the blame on dirty buckles and told me to clean it out. Before that, I was a die hard Graco fan and was proud that I had a car full of their seats. I'm glad they started doing the replacements, though they should have been free all along, but they shouldn't have avoided this as long as they did.

 

[TechnoGranola]

Ya in Canada it's the distributor Elfe who deals with customer service issues. They also deal with customer service for Mamas and Papas and a bunch of other brands. I've had the same rep help me with a Graco seat and then a Mamas and Papas stroller. In the USA, Mamas and Papas is handled directly by the M&P UK division, so not Newell Rubbermaid. So customer service may not be consistent between USA and Canada unless of course some higher ups have directed and issue to be handled similarly.

I know I called Elfe about mine back in late 2009 (original button at bottom buckle that would trap my kid in her My Ride) and they told me to rinse it out as manufacturing shards must be in it. Would have loved for them to try and tell me it was food for a seat that had been installed for 15 minutes...

 

[msg221]

BTW saw this article that mentions Graco was sued over a toddler dying (warning, toddler death mentioned) and was like OMG!

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/12/b...-faulty-buckle.html?hpw&rref=automobiles&_r=0

I just read a different article that a friend posted on her FB that says that the child was 11 months old whereas the NY Times article says she was 2. It was a horrific accident and I can't even imagine the poor parents of that baby girl, not being able to rescue her. Anyway, of course I couldn't help thinking that if she was indeed just 11 months old, she shouldn't have been in a Nautilus to begin with.

 

[ketchupqueen]

I just read a different article that a friend posted on her FB that says that the child was 11 months old whereas the NY Times article says she was 2. It was a horrific accident and I can't even imagine the poor parents of that baby girl, not being able to rescue her. Anyway, of course I couldn't help thinking that if she was indeed just 11 months old, she shouldn't have been in a Nautilus to begin with.

She was 2. 11 months was initially incorrectly reported. 11 months was how long she had lived int he area, not her age.

 

[Amy7707]

I'm curious if they have a stockpile of buckles available for replacements. I tried to get a replacement last February for 2 seats and they offered to send new ones. They told me 3 weeks. Nothing was delivered after a month, so I called back and was told the they were backordered with an estimated delivery 3 months out (June). Same thing happened in July they never came so I called again - they said an additional month. So in September I called yet again and they replaced one entire seat and told me to use my spare seat in place of the other. The new seat had the same buckle, but was slightly easier. I never received the other replacement buckle.

So I'm hoping they are better prepared to replace the 3.8 million buckles and maybe that is why it took so long for the recall.

 

[heartmama]

I inquired about this after seeing your comment and Graco claims to have resolved a traffic-related issue with their website that may have caused this.

Thanks, I was finally able to get into MY account.

 

[MistyRenee113]

I kept meaning to call Graco to get a replacement buckle for my Argos but kept forgetting. Now I will probably never get through! Maybe I will wait a few weeks for the panic to die down! My friend has an Argos for Nour and SD#2 has them for K & O. She has also complained about how hard the harness is to adjust on their Argos Elites. I never had that problem with mine, but the buckle has given me problems.

I have the problem with tightening the harness... Did your friend ever find a remedy!? Just bought the seats... So frustrating!!!

 

[LatterDayMommy]

For those who just need the replacement buckles (no other customer service issues) try this address: http://www.pages02.net/newellrubbermaid/buckle2014recall

I just ordered mine for my Size4Me and it was super simple- didn't have to wait on the phone at all- didn't even need any manufacturing dates or numbers.