Evenflo recalls one million Discovery car seats

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced that approximately 1 million Evenflo Discovery child safety seats are being recalled because the seats could fail to adequately protect children in a high-impact side collision. The seats being recalled are Models 390, 391, 534, and 552 manufactured between April 2005 and January 29, 2008. The model numbers and date of manufacture are located on a white label at the bottom of the car seat.

“Consumer Reports has long had concerns about the safety of children in side-impact collisions,” says David Champion, senior director of automotive testing for Consumer Reports. “We’re pleased to see NHTSA addressing the issue."

The Discovery car seat is designed with a convenience base that attaches to the vehicle's seat and allows the seat to be attached or removed from the vehicle without removing the base. Tests conducted by NHTSA and the Evenflo company have found that this car seat has the potential to separate from its base. Parents are urged to immediately contact Evenflo for a free supplemental dual-hook fastener to ensure the seat doesn't separate from the base. However, NHTSA says parents should continue to use the child safety seat while waiting for the fastener to arrive.

Owners of the affected seats can contact Evenflo toll-free at 800-356-2229 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. EST or visit its Web site.

Consumers with questions about this or any other safety recall campaign may call NHTSA's toll-free Vehicle Safety Hotline 888-327-4236 or go to http://www.safercar.gov.

For more information, see Consumer Reports car seat Ratings.

Comments

[Pamela Fitch]

I just purchased two (2) Evenflo Discovery car seats at a garage sale. They seem to be in very good condition. The model numbers are 2141091P2 and 2091A7P2. I don't see that these were included in the recall but I want to make sure. Please let me know if these are safe to use. I didn't spend enough on them that I can't toss them out if they are not safe.