The good news, if you’re a safety-minded person, is that the recall on Graco car seats announced last month and expanded a few weeks later was very effective. Maybe it was more effective than Graco had anticipated, because there’s now a long wait for replacement buckles.

The recall, as you may not remember, occurred because buckles on certain models of infant and toddler restraint seats were known to lock and refuse to open due to crumbs, sticky residue, or other remains of dropped or spilled food inside the buckles. This isn’t a problem unless you plan to use the seats for any actual children. Parents had cut the belts off in order to free their children from the seats

One parent who sent away for replacement buckles told the Wall Street Journal that the company sent a letter telling them to anticipate a 6-8 week wait because demand is just so high.

We are sending replacement harness buckles as soon as we receive them and many thousands of consumers have already received and installed them. We are doing everything we can to make sure you have your replacement kits as quickly as possible. However, we currently estimate that it could take 6-8 weeks from the time of order.

If you hadn’t heard about this recall yet and own one of the affected seats, call the company at 1-800-345-4109 (toll-free) or 1-330-869-7225 to get on the list. In the meantime, the company describes on their recall site how to avoid trapping your kid in the seat while you wait for new buckles to arrive.

For example: give the buckles a good cleaning.

‘Could Take 6-8 Weeks’: Graco Apologizes for Delays in Car Seat Recall [Wall Street Journal]
Harness Buckle Recall – 2014 Announcement [Official Site]

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