BRITAX E9L07 (WIZARD) Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BRITAX E90742 (NA) WIZARD CHILD SEAT. WHEN FACING THE CHILD SEAT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE, THE SAFETY LATCH THAT HOLDS THE SEAT BELT FAILED. THE CHILD WAS SEATED IN THE CHILD SEAT WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED, BUT WAS UNHARMED. THE SEAT WAS REGISTERED, BUT THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN NOTIFIED.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE CHILD SAFETY SEAT WOBBLED, WHILE IN OR OUT OF THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED AND DETERMINED ALTHOUGH THERE WAS NO VISIBLE DAMAGE, THE INTERNAL RECLINING BAR FRACTURED. THIS WAS A BRITAX WIZARD E9L0705 MANUFACTURED JULY 23, 2003.

WE OWN A BRITAX WIZARD CAR SEAT. MY DAUGHTER IS 23 MONTHS OLD. SHE CAN EASILY REACH DOWN AND LIFT THE VELCRO COVER OFF THE STRAP RELEASE LEVER AND THEN LIFT THE RELEASE. THEN SHE MOVES HER SHOULDERS FORWARD AS IF TO SIT UP AND THE RESULT IS THAT THE STRAPS ARE VERY LOOSE! SHE HAS NOT YET LEERED TO UNDO THE CHEST CLIP OR THE ACTUAL BUCKLE, BUT SHE FREQUENTLY LOOSENS THE STRAPS. VERY DANGEROUS - AND A DESIGN FLAW IN MY OPINION. PLEASE MAKE CONSUMERS AWARE OF THIS DANGER. *JB

THE BRITAX WIZARD CAR SEAT HAS A DESIGN DEFECT THAT ALLOWS VERY YOUNG CHILDREN TO EASILY LOOSEN THE STRAPS ON THE SEAT. MY 1 1/2 YEAR OLD SON EASILY REACHES DOWN AND PULLS UP ON THE METAL TAB THAT LOOSENS THE STRAP. YESTERDAY ON 395 I LOOKED BACK TO SEE THAT HE WAS NO LONGER SECURE IN THE SEAT AS HE PULLED THE STRAP ALMOST ENTIRELY OUT. I LEANED BACK TO GRAB THE BOTTOM OF THE STRAP TO TIGHTEN IT AGAIN, BUT THIS WAS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. WE HAVE 2 OF THESE SEATS, AND IT'S NOT A PROBLEM FOR OUR 4 YEAR OLD. BUT CHILDREN UNDER 3 FIND THIS TO BE A GAME. I HAVE REPORTED THIS DEFECT TO BRITAX AND HAVE ASKED FOR A "FIX". WE ALSO OWN THE BRITAX ROUNDABOUT; THIS SEAT HAS A BUTTON TO RELEASE THE STRAP AND NOT THE METAL TAB. A CHILD CANNOT LOOSEN THE STRAP ON THE ROUNDABOUT. BRITAX SHOULD REVIEW ALL SEATS WHICH HAVE THE SAME SYSTEM AS THE WIZARD. THANK YOU. *JB

MY ALMOST 2 YEAR OLD CHILD CAN RELEASE THE TENSION ON THE CAR SEAT STRAP, TO THE POINT THAT IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. I CALLED THE COMPANY, AND THEY HAVE NO FIX FOR THIS. THERE HAVE BEEN NO INJURIES,HOWEVER IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH SHE WOULD BE THROWN OUT OF THE SEAT, OR STRANGLED BY THE STRAPS. *NM

DT: CONSUMER SAYS THAT HER 18 MONTH OLD CHILD CAN COMPLETELY LOOSEN THE CHILD RESTRAINT. CHILD WOULD STILL BE IN SAFETY SEAT WITH STRAP ON HIM, BUT THE HARNESS WOULD BE REALLY LOOSE. CHILD LOOSENS HARNESS BY PULLING UP THE CHILD HARNESS ADJUSTMENT LEVER. *AK *TT

THE BRITAX WIZARD CAR SEAT IS A CHOKING HAZZARD! MY 14 MONTH OLD DAUGHTER IS ABLE TO PULL PIECES OF FOAM RUBBER FROM THE SIDE IMPACT HEAD PROTECTION PIECE OF THE CAR SEAT. I'VE SENT A WRITTEN COMPLAINT TO BRITAX WITH A PHOTO OF THE RUBBER AND THEY RESPONDED THAT, "...BRITAX RECOMMENDS THAT PARENTS INSTRUCT CHILDREN ON CORRECT BEHAVIOR WHILE SEATED IN A CHILD RESTRAINT..." UNBELIEVABLE!!!! MY DAUGHTER COULD HAVE CHOKED TO DEATH AND BECAUSE SHE'S IN THE BACK SEAT, I WOULDN'T HAVE EVEN KNOWN IT UNTIL I REACHED MY DESTINATION.

WE HAVE A NEW BRITAX WIZARD CARSEAT. THERE IS A RELEASE LEVER ON THE FRONT, COVERED BY A VELCRO COVER, THAT WHEN LIFTED WILL LOOSEN THE RESTRAINT'S HARNESS AROUND THE CHILD. OUR SON WAS ABLE TO EASILY OPERATE THIS LEVER WHILE HE WAS RESTRAINED IN THE CARSEAT AND WE WERE DRIVING!!!!!*AK

CONSUMER HAS NOT RECEIVED THE REPLACEMENT STRAPS FOR HER CAR SEAT WHICH WAS RECALLED JULY 2004. *BF THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE REFERENCING FAULTY CHILD SEAT STRAPS. THE STRAPS WERE SUPPOSED TO BE SENT TO THE CONSUMER BY THE END OF SEPTEMBER. AT THE END OF OCTOBER THE CONSUMER STILL HADN'T RECEIVED THE STRAPS. A LOCAL RETAIL CHAIN AGREED TO EXCHANGE THE SEAT. *NM

ABOUT 8 MONTHS AGO I BOUGHT A BRITAX WIZARD CAR SEAT. JUST YESTERDAY 11/15/04 I NOTICED MY 14 MONTH OLD SON COULD REACH THE LEVER PULL UP ON IT AND LEAN FORWARD TO LET HIMSELF LOOSE. HE CAN COMPLETELY LOSEN THE HARNESS. WHEN I CALLED BRITAX ABOUT THE PROBLEM THEY SAID THE SOLUTION WAS THAT I HAD TO TEACH MY SON TO NOT TOUCH THE LEVER AND THAT OVER TIME THROUGH RE-ENFORCEMENT HE WOULD LEARN NOT TO LET HIMSELF LOOSE. I THOUGHT THIS WAS ABSURD SINCE MY SON IS ONLY 14 MONTHS OLD AND HE DOESNT UNDERSTAND. THEN THE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE CONTINUED TO TELL ME THAT IT WAS COMMON KNOWLEDGE THAT CHILDREN WHERE LETTING THEMSELVES OUT OF THEIR CARSEATS AND ALL MAKES AND MODELS WERE HAVING SIMILAR PROBLEMS. I WANTED TO KNOW IF THIS WAS REALLY TRUE, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK CARSEAT MANUFATURERS WOULD BE GETTING APPROVAL TO SELL THEIR CARSEATS IT WAS A KNOWN FACT THAT CHILDREN COULD GET OUT OF THEM. ANYHOW, SHE CONTINUED TO TELL ME THAT IT WAS MY PARENTING SKILLS THAT NEEDED TO CHANGE AND NOT THE CAR SEAT.*AK