- Vehicles
- 9,922
- Built between
- Jan 1999 – Mar 1999
- Models
- 1
- Recall type
- Child restraint
- Initiated by
- NHTSA compliance test
- Owners notified
- 9 June 2000
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between January 1999 and March 1999. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- Britax 161 (roundabout)Built January 1999 to March 1999
What the defect is
Equipment description: roundabout convertible child restraints, model 161, manufactured between january 13 and march 14, 1999. The shells manufactured during this time may have been improperly molded and could allow higher head excursions than allowed by federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 213, "child restraint systems." an insufficient parting line bond in the area of the harness adjuster attachment may lead to adjuster movement under crash loads that could allow a child's head to move further than the permitted limits.
What could happen
In a crash, additional head movement could allow a child's head to strike something in the vehicle and lead to injury.
What gets fixed
CONSUMERS WITH THE AFFECTED SEATS ARE BEING INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT BRITAX IN ORDER TO RECEIVE A FREE REPAIR KIT.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtJanuary 1999 to March 1999
- Recall reported to NHTSA16 June 2000
- Owners notified9 June 2000
Your rights
A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.
That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 16 June 2000.
To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.
Official source
- Recalling manufacturer
- BRITAX CHILD SAFETY, INC.
- Safety standard
- FMVSS 213
- Recall initiated by
- OVSC
Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Additional notes
Owner notification began june 9, 2000.OWNERS who do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact britax customer service at 1-888-427-4829. Also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).( previous recall number 00E034000)
Check your own vehicle
This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.
A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.