BRITAX 161 (ROUNDABOUT) Complaints

CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING CHILD WAS ABLE TO RELEASE HERSELF FROM CHILD SAFETY SEAT. DEALER NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *PH THE THIRD TIME THE CONSUMER'S DAUGHTER RELEASED HERSELF, SHE WIGGLED DOWN IN THE SEAT AND HER NECK GOT CAUGHT IN THE TOP CHEST RESTRAINT. THE CONSUMER SAW HER IN THE REAR MIRROR AND WAS ABLE TO RELEASE HER DAUGHTER IN TIME BEFORE SHE WAS SEVERELY INJURED. THE DAUGHTER SUSTAINED SCRAPES AND BRUISES. WHEN BRITAX WAS CONTACTED, THEY STATED THEY WERE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND CREATED A COVER TO PREVENT THE FAILURE FROM RECURRING. THE CONSUMER FELT IF THEY WERE AWARE OF THE FAILURE, THEN BRITAX SHOULD'VE SENT EVERY CONSUMER ANOTHER ONE. *PH

THE CONSUMERS TWO YEAR OLD WAS ABLE TO UNBUCKLE THE CHILD SAFETY SEAT BELT. *NLM *JB *NLM

I HAVE A BRITAX ROUNDABOUT CONVERTIBLE CAR SEAT (INFANT/TODDLER). THE CROTCH BUCKLE PUSHES DOWN TO RELEASE, AND MY 2 YEAR OLD CAN PUSH THE BUTTON AND OPEN THE BUCKLE. SHE HAS DONE THIS SEVERAL TIMES WHILE DRIVING, FORCING US TO STOP USING THE SEAT. BRITAX KNOWS OF THE PROBLEM, AND IN THEIR NEW MODELS OFFERS A CROTCH BUCKLE WITH A FRONT-PUSH RELEASE, AND THEY HAVE AN ADAPTER TO FIX THE PROBLEM ON THE EXISTING TOP-BUTTON BUCKLES. GIVEN THE PROBLEMS I EXPERIENCED, THIS PART SHOULD BE RECALLED, AND I BELIEVE BRITAX SHOULD NOTIFY ALL OWNERS OF THIS CARSEAT AND MAIL THE RECALL PART. MY CARSEAST WAS PURCHASED IN LATE 1999 OR EARLY 2000.*AK

THE CONSUMER PLACED HIS ARM IN BELT PATH. THERE WERE PRONGS LOCATED IN THE BELT LOOP PATH WHICH BECAME EMBEDDED IN CONSUMER'S WRIST. THE OAKDALE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAD TO USE A HACKSAW TO CUT CHILD SAFETY SEAT FROM ARM. THE CONSUMER SUSTAINED SMALL PUNCTURES ON THE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF HIS WRIST (BRITAX ROUNDABOUT, DOM 09/01/1999). *AK *CB *NLM

HARNESS STRAPS STARTED TO SHRED. THE MANUFACTURER OFF TO SEND REPAIR KIT BUT THEY NEVER DID. THE CONSUMER FELT UNCOMFORTABLE REPLACING THE STRAPS AND COULDN'T FIND ANY LOCAL AGENCIES THAT WOULD REPLACE THE STRAPS FOR LIABILITY REASONS. THE CONSUMER DECIDED TO BY A NEW CHILD SEAT. *PH *CB *NLM

MY 2 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER UNBUCKLED THE CHEST CLIP ON HER CAR SEAT, THEN MANEUVERED HER SHOULDERS UNTIL THEY WERE FREE WHILE THE CAR WAS IN MOTION. WHEN I CALLED BRITAX TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, THEY TOLD ME "NOT ALL CARSEATS ARE CHILDPROOF" AND TRIED TO SELL A PREVENTATIVE COVER FOR THE SEAT BUCKLE TO ME. THE BUCKLE COVER WOULD NOT EVEN SOLVE MY PROBLEM BECAUSE IT IS THE CHEST CLIP THAT SHE CAN VERY EASILY UNBUCKLE. EVEN IF SHE DID NOT MANEUVER OUT OF THE SHOULDER STRAPS, WITH THE CLIP UNLATCHED, SHE IS NOT SECURE IN HER CAR SEAT. I HAVE NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM IN ANY OTHER CAR SEATS WITH MY DAUGHTER (OR OTHER CHILDREN) BECAUSE THEY ALL REQUIRE AN ADULT HAND TO UNLATCH TWO POINTS ON THE CHEST CLIP. *AK

CONSUMER APPRECIATED SERVICE TO SHOW WHETHER OR NOT CAR SEAT WAS INSTALLED CORRECTLY. *MR PH

THE BOTTOM BASE IS SPLITTING APART AT THE SEAM. WE HAVE CONTACTED BRITAX AND WERE TOLD THAT WHEN THE SEAT WAS IN THE REAR FACING POSITION, THAT WE HAD IT TOO TIGHT AND THAT IT IS NOT A SAFETY CONCERN!! WE HAD IT INSTALLED BY A CHP CHILD SAFETY OFFICER. AND THE BIGGEST CONCERN IS THAT SEATS ARE NOT IN TIGHT ENOUGH. EACH BRITAX REPRESENTATIVE WE SPOKE WITH WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND SAID IT HAS HAPPENED BEFORE. IN OUR OPINION THIS IS THEN A MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND SHOUL BE REPAIRED.

COMPLAINT AGAINST: BRITAX CHILD SAFETY. INC. 13501 SOUTH RIDGE DRIVE CHARLOTTE, NC USA 28273 OUR BRITAX ROUNDABOUT CAR SEAT IS SPLITTING AT THE BOTTOM SEAM. WE HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH BRITAX CHILD SAFETY AND THEY HAVE TOLD US IT IS NOT A SAFETY CONCERN. THEY TOLD US THAT THE SEAT WAS PUT IN TOO TIGHT AND THAT THE PREASURE CAUSED THE SPLIT. EACH REPRESENTATIVE WE SPOKE WITH WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE PROBLEM, LEADING US TO BELIEVE IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM. WE WERE FORCED TO PURCHASE ANOTHER SEAT BECAUSE I CONSIDER IT A SAFETY ISSUE. THE SEAT IS STILL UNDER WARENTY. BRITAX ROUNDABOUT MODEL# E900212

WHILE INSTALLING A BRITAX MODEL NO. E900217, MANUFACTURE DATE 6/27/2003, I FOUND THAT THE LOCK OFF WOULD NOT HOLD THE LAP/SHOULDER BELT. THE BELT COULD MOVE ALMOST FREELY. *NLM