In the Recall Roundup for October, some American consumers aren’t clear on how tables work, an appliance that’s supposed to kill bedbugs tries to do so by burning your house down, and a Halloween flashlight can overheat and melt in a terrifying way. Here are the consumer items recalled in the last month. [More]
Quality & Safety
Ford Recalls 205,000 SUVs In Cold Weather States Over Gas Tank Issues
By 10.29.14
A majority of the recalls we’ve written about lately revolve around vehicles in humid areas of the United States. Not wanting to leave anyone out, Ford’s latest recall concerns nearly 205,000 vehicles located in cold weather states. [More]
Go-Cart Maker Hit With $4.3M Penalty For Failing To Immediately Report Dangerous Defects
By 10.28.14
Through its recall power, the Consumer Product Safety Commission aims to protect Americans from unreasonable risks found in the things they buy. And when companies know about a defective product but don’t tell the CPSC right away, they can end up facing millions of dollars in penalties for delaying a recall. Just ask the South Carolina go-cart manufacturer hit with the agency’s largest-ever penalty. [More]
31,600 Pounds Of Gluten-Free Chicken Nuggets Recalled For Staphylococcal Enterotoxin
By 10.27.14
Drop that nugget! The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced a recall of 31,600 pounds of Bell & Evans gluten-free chicken nuggets that were shipped nationwide. Random testing in Colorado turned up contamination with Staphylococcal enterotoxin, and all nuggets in the batch have been recalled. [More]
NHTSA Probes Lack Of Parts & Communication In Year-Old Dodge Recall
By 10.27.14
Nearly a year after Chrysler announced two recalls of Dodge Ram trucks, consumers are still waiting to have their vehicles fixed. The lack of parts and slow pace in remedying the steering issues has investigators with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration looking for answers. [More]
Several Brands Of Baby Wipes Recalled For Possible Bacterial Contamination
By 10.27.14
Consumers use baby wipes for any number of reasons, but they all revolve around the same purpose: cleansing. While the wipes manufactured by a Pennsylvania company will probably remove that smudge of chocolate from your child’s cheek, it might also leave behind bacteria. [More]
Maker Of Airbags Linked To 8M Recalled Vehicles Used Unusual Chemical Explosive For Inflation
By 10.27.14
Takata, the Japanese/German auto-parts maker, that supplied airbags used in millions of recalled vehicles employed an unusual explosive chemical to inflate the safety devices, which may have contributed to the spraying of metal shrapnel at vehicle passengers. [More]
North Carolina Food Firm Shuts Down Two Weeks After Major Recall For Listeria Contamination
By 10.23.14
Just two weeks after recalling more than 150 food products for possible listeria contamination, a North Carolina-based food distributor is reportedly closing its doors. [More]
Audi Recalls 850,000 Vehicles For Glitch That Could Prevent Airbag Deployment
By 10.23.14
Airbag woes continued for car manufacturers around the world today as Audi announced it would recall 850,000 vehicles with possibly defective airbags. [More]
6,215 Pounds Of Serrano Chile Peppers Recalled For Extra-Spicy Salmonella
By 10.22.14
Serrano chile peppers add delicious spiciness to your meals, but do you know what is not a delicious fresh ingredient? Salmonella. Random testing turned up signs of the pathogen in a batch of peppers sold in Meijer stores in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio. Peppers in that batch may have also ended up at other retailers, including Publix, Walmart, and Harris Teeter. [More]
What Does “Organic” Mean For Non-Edible Items? Not Much, Necessarily
By 10.21.14
Way back in 2002, the U.S. Department of Agriculture began certifying food and drinks that meet the federal standards to be called “organic.” Depending on the type of food, organic certification has different requirements. While a wide variety of products are marketed as “organic,” this label doesn’t necessarily mean anything when applied to a product that you can’t eat. [More]
Golden Corral Customer Claims His Chili Came With A Free Rat
By 10.21.14
Warning: If you want to make sure your breakfast/any food you’ve eaten recently stays put, you probably won’t want to click over and watch any videos that I’m about to link to. Because I already had to go through that for you, and don’t want you to suffer. To that end, a guy in Florida says he found a rat head in his chili at a Golden Corral restaurant. [More]
Fitbit Puts Allergen Warning Labels On Wearables
By 10.20.14
You may remember the Fitbit Force, a fitness-tracking wristband that went on the market at the end of 2013, then was eventually recalled after Consumerist brought rashes caused by the devices to the world’s attention. We’ve heard reports that the Force’s less intelligent cousin, the Flex, also caused skin irritation in some wearers. Know who else heard that? The Consumer Product Safety Commission. Fortunately for Fitbit, they’re only getting a warning. Label. [More]
FDA Going After Companies Offering Unapproved Ebola Medications
By 10.16.14
While the country is watching the news of every new Ebola case very closely, the federal government doesn’t want the worrying to get so out of hand that people start looking for medications to prevent or treat Ebola. Since there are currently none approved by the Food and Drug Administration, the government is already cracking down on a handful of companies promising to provide relief from Ebola. [More]
Man Claims McDonald’s In Canada Served Him Mouse-Flavored Coffee
By 10.15.14
A man in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada ordered a cup of coffee at McDonald’s during his commute to work, finishing the cup at the office. That was when he found the surprise at the bottom of his cup. It was not the good kind of surprise: he told the CBC that he found a dead mouse and some mouse droppings at the bottom of his coffee. [More]
Say It Isn’t So: Williams-Sonoma’s Pumpkin Seed Pesto Recalled Because Botulism Isn’t Fall Flavored
By 10.14.14
In the fall months it seems like every other product contains some kind of pumpkin flavoring: Greek yogurt, coffee drinks, egg nog, and now botulism. Fine, botulism probably doesn’t have a flavor, but the Pumpkin Seed Pesto from Williams-Sonoma may contain the bacteria, which is why it’s being recalled.
[More]
Honda Recalls 43,000 Acura Vehicles Because Seat Belts Should Work
By 10.13.14
Seat belts are arguably one of the most important safety features in vehicles; when one doesn’t work properly there could be devastating results. That’s why Honda Motor Co. announced the recall of more than 43,000 Acura vehicles this week. [More]
Chili Dogs, Sandwiches And More Than 150 Other Foods Recalled For Possible Listeria Contamination
By 10.13.14
No picnic is complete without chili dogs, sandwiches, hamburgers and listeria monocytogenes? Okay that last one doesn’t exactly scream party, but it was found in all of the aforementioned food times, necessitating a large recall from SunBurst Foods. [More]
