Evenflo Embrace: A look back — and ahead

Last week, 450,000 Evenflo Embrace infant carseat/carriers were recalled by the government. Since 1998, this is the eighth recall announced for car seat/carriers whose handles unexpectedly release. Three of the eight recalls involve Evenflo models. In total there have been more than 11 million car seat carriers recalled of five different brands, and more than 600 documented injuries associated with their handle failures. Most recalls require the owner to install a fix-it kit.

You’d think that by now this recurring problem would have been solved. At the last ASTM International meeting on infant carriers in March 2007, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) presented data that suggested the voluntary standard may not be tough enough. That standard is currently under reevaluation.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation started looking into the Evenflo Embrace in June 2006 after receiving five reports from consumers of handle problems. (NHTSA regulates this product as a car seat, but when it's used outside the car, CPSC and NHTSA share oversight.) During the investigation, Evenflo turned over to the CPSC 362 reports that the company had received, involving 100 injuries when Embrace handles released. Clearly, there was a problem.

We asked CPSC spokesperson Julie Vallese why it took so long to recall the defective car seat/carrier. She said: “The delay was the result of two government agencies (NHTSA and CPSC) that needed to work together to investigate the defect, work with the manufacturer on the solution, and issue a recall notice. The two agencies have two different sets of requirements for handling recalls, and both sets of requirements had to be satisfied.”

Since the time the investigation was first opened, more than 300 reported incidents with some 60 injuries have occurred. This proves to the need for government agencies to work swiftly and cooperatively when child safety is at stake.

Because Consumer Reports readers are especially alert and safety conscious, we’re asking for your help with this process. If you have a product safety problem, report it to us as well as to the government. Your report may highlight recurring problems that allow us to focus our own testing, and give us the ability to work with government safety agencies to fix or remove dangerous products as quickly as possible.