Recaro Car Seat Recall: 173,000 ProRide, Performance Models Have Top Tethers That Can Detach In A Crash, Manufacturer Says

Recaro Child Safety has recalled more than 173,000 car seats in the U.S., because a top tether restraining the child can detach in a crash. The recall, announced Tuesday in a letter to the U.S. Department of Transportation, affects owners of ProRide and Performance Ride model seats made before June 9 of this year.

The problem was discovered during testing by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the company said. No injuries have been reported as a result of the defect, according to Recaro.

“In the event of a crash, the top tether anchorage may detach from the child restraint,” Recaro said in its letter to USDOT. “As such, these restraints fail to conform to [federal] requirements.”

The company will send replacement parts to owners of recalled car seat models, along with instructions on how to secure the seats. Exchanges of the defective parts was set to begin this month.

The company detailed its remedy in the USDOT letter:

Recaro will notify and send all registered owners a length of webbing with loops on both ends and instructions to further secure the child restraints. The retrofit kit will be provided free of charge … Owners may contact Recaro customer service at 1-866-628-4750 or by email at recarorecall@m-s-s.com.

Graco, the U.S. baby products company, last year announced the recall of 3.7 million car seats due to a buckling issue, CNN reported. It was the fourth-largest car seat recall in history, according to the NHTSA.

U.S. officials last week urged parents to register car seats with the manufacturer, so that they can get quick notifications in the event of a recall, the Associated Press reported. The Centers for Disease Control says motor vehicle injuries are a leading cause of death of children in the United States.

In 2013, 638 children age 12 and younger were killed in motor vehicle crashes, and more than 127,250 were injured, according to the CDC. Researchers also found that more than 618,000 children rode in vehicles without the proper safety measures. Car seat use has been found to reduce the risk of death to infants by 71 percent and to toddlers by 54 percent, the CDC said.