Here’s a look at some of this week’s product recall and safety announcements.
Britax recalls over 207K infant seats due to choking hazard
Britax Child Safety is recalling over 207,000 rear-facing infant car seats because part of a clip can break and cause a choking hazard.
The recall affects B-Safe 35, B-Safe 35 Elite and BOB B-Safe 35 seats made from Nov. 1, 2015 to May 31, 2017.
Britax says in government documents that parts were found in the mouths of three children but no choking injuries were reported. The company traced the cause to customers putting pressure on the clips, which help to properly position the harness straps. Britax says customers can safely keep using the seats if they remove the chest clip or watch a center tab for signs of breakage.
Britax will notify owners and provide a new chest clip. The recall started Wednesday. Owners can contact Britax at (833) 474-7016.
Ford recalls big vans; cracked coupling can cause power loss
Ford is recalling more than 400,000 Transit vans and buses to fix cracked drive shaft couplings that can cause the vehicles to lose power.
The company says the recall covers North American vans, buses and chassis cabs with medium, long and extended wheelbases from 2015 to 2017.
The coupling can separate from the drive shaft, causing loss of power or unintended movement while in park. It also can damage surrounding parts.
The company says it’s not aware of any crashes or injuries from the problem.
Ford says its data show the couplings won’t deteriorate enough to cause separation in vehicles with fewer than 30,000 miles. So drivers should schedule an appointment to get the coupling replaced after the vans hit that threshold. Ford is working on a permanent fix.
Air bag recalls, lawsuits lead Takata to file for bankruptcy
Japanese air bag maker Takata Corp. says it had to file for bankruptcy protection in Tokyo and the U.S. to ensure it could continue supplying replacements for faulty air bag inflators linked to the deaths of at least 16 people.
The company’s bankruptcy filings Monday cleared the way for a $1.6 billion takeover of most of Takata’s assets by Key Safety Systems, which is based in Detroit but owned by a Chinese company.
Takata’s president Shigehisa Takada told reporters in Tokyo that with the company rapidly losing value, filing for bankruptcy protection was the only way it could carry on.
Takata’s inflators can explode with too much force when they fill up an air bag, spewing out shrapnel. So far 100 million inflators have been recalled worldwide.