I was given a stroller and carseat this weekend. I want to double check for recalls on them before baby gets here. I have been told that there is a website that I can look up recalls and customize a list of products that I have in order to receive emails with any information that may come about in the future. I have searched, but can't find the site. Does anyone have any idea? Thanks in advance for your help!
Thanks for the help that I did receive. I know all about carseat expiration dates and accidents causing them to need replaced. Plus, if there was a recall I wasn't going to use it. That's why I needed the information that I asked for. Thank you again.
Remember that car seats have expiration dates. They generally expire 6 years after the date of manufacture. This information should be found on the car seat.
You can check car seat recalls at www.nhtsa.gov. You will need to know the brand of the car seat, the model number, and the manufacture date. All of this information can usually be found on a sticker on the side or on the bottom of the carrier. Just an fyi -new seats come with and expiration date - usually stamped in the plastic mold on the seat. If this one doesn't have a stamp then the general rule is to not use it if it is 6 years old or older. Also, make sure that you know the complete history of the car seat - has it been in a crash? How have they cared for it? Did they wash the harness straps in the washer (you aren't supposed to) Have they made any adjustments for recalls (they can be hard to detect on your own - it may require a phone call to the manufacturer. I hope this information helps!
N. Blackwell
Certified Child Passenger Safety Instructor and mom to 9, 8, and 5 year old
http://www.cpsc.gov/. Tells you all recalls! You can sign up to receive emails and they will send you an email with each recall. It's a wonderful way to stay on top of things, with all the recalls going on. I have had many toys/items that I have returned for recall. Most of which I would not have ever even known about, if not for the emails I receive from cpsc.
Try the Consumer Product Safety Commission at www.cpsc.gov or just type in their name in google search. Then type in your carseat type etc and look for recalls. You dont say if your gift carseat is new or used but if it is used I wouldnt use it. Car seats that are old usually have recalls and believe it or not they do have an expiration date! Brand new car seats have the problems corrected by the manufacturer and you never know if a used car seat was fixed per the recall. Dont take chances and use a "used" car seat!!!!!!!!!!!
I would think twice about accepting a used carseat. Those are not accepted at consignment stores at all because it is not recommended to use car seats older than 2 years old because the plastic can become brittle after that much time. Also, if that car seat has been in any kind of fender bender or anything, it is recommended that you replace it.
A car seat is the one thing that I would recommend you buy new.
L.
The website is www.recalls.gov
If you can find the serial number on the stroller and car seat with the manufacturering date, you can also go to the manufacturer's website and enter those. It should tell you if the seat was recalled. Most stroller/carseat manufacturers provide this infon on their website.
The main one I know about and use a lot in my work is www.Recalls.gov it is maintained by the U.S. Government for things other than vehicles and their saftey recalls which includes Children's Products. R. M.
You can also use the website for the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: http://www.cpsc.gov/
You can find all sorts of products (not just toys and baby equipment) that might have recalls associated with them. I used this website to find out if our crib was recalled, since we bought it from someone who hadn't used it much, and it was built in 2001. Hope it helps!
