Britax announced a recall of its Chaperone infant car seats after three children suffered cuts when their seat’s chest harness clip broke. Because the part is so small, it is also considered a choking hazard for infants. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and National Highway Traffic Safety Commission says that the recall is being put in motion after Britax received four complaints of the clip breaking.
The models affected are the E9L95P2 (Red Mill), E9L95P3 (Savannah), E9L95P5 (Cowmooflage) and the E9L969N9 (Moonstone). About 23,000 of the car seats were sold between April 2009 and May 2010 for about $230. If you own one of the affected models, contact Britax for a free repair kit with a new chest clip. Britax has already contacted registered owners of the product. Recalls like this one are why the CPSC advocates product registration as a means of consumer protection.
You can reach Britax with questions at (888) 427-4829 or at their recall website. The car seats can be used until the replacement kit is installed. To determine whether or not your car seat is a part of the recall, check the white serial label located on the underside of the car seat.
