Considering the menagerie of toys that come to life in Pixar’s Toy Story movies — and considering the number of toys out there that are slathered in lead paint — it’s surprising that not one of them has exhibited any definitive symptoms of lead poisoning (well, maybe those three-eyed alien things). But that hasn’t stopped the makers of a Toy Story 3 bowling set from using lead paint. [More]
Transportation & Infrastructure
GM Recalls 170,000 2011 Cars, Trucks & Vans
By 5.5.11
General Motors announced three recalls affecting several 2011 model year vehicles, including its popular Chevrolet Cruze sedan–recently recalled for steering wheel concerns. [More]
Teachers, Sign Up For Free Kid's Product Safety Alerts And You Could Win $100
By 5.5.11
If you’re a teacher, parent or caregiver, take 10 seconds today and sign up for safety. Get the latest alerts about food and products that affect children in a free weekly email from the National School Safety Coalition, of which Consumers Union is one of three founding members. As an added incentive, if you’re a teacher, you may be able to win $100: the five teachers who get the most parents to sign up will win $100 each (you don’t need to be a teacher to sign up for the email alerts). So sign up here and pass it along, especially to any teachers you know! No child should be put in harm’s way simply because we couldn’t get the word out. [More]
NHTSA Looking Into 865,000 GM SUVs Over Screwy Fuel Gauges
By 4.29.11
Given the price of gas these days, it really helps to have an accurate fuel gauge on your vehicle. It certainly doesn’t help to have a gauge that gives inaccurate or completely random readings. But enough GM drivers have complained to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about this problem for the agency to open an investigation. [More]
Recall Roundup: Fire In The Fish Tank Edition
By 4.27.11
While it makes sense, it’s a little strange at first glance to read that an aquarium heater is being recalled for a fire hazard. Isn’t it underwater? Not the parts that could potentially catch fire. But they’re not the only thing catching on fire: on with the recall roundup! [More]
Nissan Recalls 196,000 Older SUVs Over Possible Steering Loss Problems
By 4.25.11
If you’ve got a 10-year-old Nissan Pathfinder or Infinit QX4 sitting in your driveway, you might want to pay attention. Nissan has recalled nearly 200,000 of these vehicles over concerns that accumulated road salt and water could cause a loss of steering. [More]
Toyota Announces Lower Production Until November
By 4.22.11
Toyota says it will take until the end of the year before post-quake production levels return to normal. [More]
Toyota Recalls Over 200,000 RAV4 & 90,000 Highlander Vehicles Over Airbag Concerns
By 4.21.11
The Toyota recall parade continues with the announcement of a recall of approximately 214,000 of its 2007 and 2008 model year RAV4 and 94,000 of its 2008 model year Highlander and Highlander Hybrid vehicles due to faulty roll-over sensors in their side airbag systems. [More]
Johnson & Johnson's Prescription Drugs Stink Too: 57,000 Bottles Of Topamax Recalled
By 4.15.11
If you thought Johnson & Johnson’s McNeil Labs division — the folks behind all of these recalled over-the-counter drugs — was the only branch of the company capable of creating stinky meds, you were wrong, as J&J has announced a recall of two lots of its prescription anitconvulsant Topamax for that now-classic “uncharacteristic odor.” [More]
Ford Adds Another 1.2 Million Trucks To F-150 Airbag Recall
By 4.14.11
Remember when NHTSA suggested that Ford should recall 1.3 million F-150 trucks over airbag concerns? Probably not, because the car company only chose to recall around 150,000 of them. Well after further conversations with regulators, it appears that all those trucks Ford had originally decided didn’t merit a recall… they do now. [More]
3,900 School Buses Recalled For Fire Risk
By 4.11.11
The wheels on the bus go round and round. The starter cables on the bus rub against the power steering hose, rub rub rub. 3,900 Bluebird school buses have been recalled for a defect that could result in a fire. The affect buses are model year 2004 through 2006, made from June 26, 2003, through December 9, 2004. Recall notices will start to go out to owners May 11, but if they don’t feel like waiting they can call the NHTSA hotline at 1-888-327-4236. [More]
First Aid Prep Pads Recalled For Bacterial Infection
By 4.8.11
All lots of H&P Industries Povidine Iodine Prep Pads are being recalled for Elizabethkingia meningoseptica, which is associated with invasive meningitis. “Use of contaminated Povidine Prep Pads could lead to life-threatening infections,” said the FDA recall notice. If you have a first aid kid, you should check to see if any of these pads are in it and get rid of them. These pads can be identified by these names on their packages: [More]
Check Out Your Airline's Safety Records Online Before You Fly
By 4.6.11
Are you tired of waiting for those scary headlines to hit detailing safety failures to find out about an airline’s safety records? For those spooked by Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-300 forced to make an emergency landing when a hole torn open in its fuselage mid-flight, there are a few things you can do to check things out before booking and boarding. [More]
OB Tampons Reappearing On Shelves
By 4.4.11
Looks like o.b. brand tampons, missing from shelves for months because of an unspecified Johnson & Johnson “supply chain interruption,” are slowly making their way back into stores. The company announced back in February that they were back, and a reader saw them at their Fred Meyer in Arkansas, but by mid-march another reader said they hadn’t returned. Here it’s April and o.b.’s haven’t returned to my go-to supermarket here in Brooklyn but then I spotted these at a local upmarket pharmacy this weekend. At this point it’s a question of what suppliers your store is working with. Ask your store manager if you still don’t see them yet. [More]
Jennie-O Recalls 55,000 Pounds Of Turkey Burger Because Salmonella Isn't Very Good For You
By 4.4.11
Lots of people are always going on about how turkey burgers are healthier for you than beef, but that doesn’t appear to be the case for the nearly 55,000 pounds of raw turkey burger that Jennie-O has had to recall over worries about possible salmonella poisoning. [More]
Cracks Found In Three More Southwest Jets
By 4.4.11
It has not been a good weekend for Southwest Airlines. The carrier grounded dozens of planes and canceled hundreds of flights after a hole opened up in the fuselage of a plane in mid-flight on Friday. Investigators subsequently found widespread cracking in that plane. And now comes news that cracks have been found in at least three more Southwest jets. [More]
Combination Axe/Knife Recalled Due To Laceration Hazard
By 4.1.11
You can cut yourself when using an axe with a knife that nestles inside the handle? Who knew? Silly as it might sound, this is a real hazard, since the knife can theoretically fall out of the axe handle while you’re using the axe to chop. A related product that contains a saw instead of a knife has not been recalled. The company that distributes the product, Gerber Legendary Blades (part of Fiskars) has received five reports of five injuries that required stitches, so stop giggling. [More]
CPSC Deems Water-Walking Balls A "Deadly Danger"
By 3.31.11
For millions of Americans, swimming pool season isn’t far around the corner (if it ever stops snowing, that is). But before we’ve even strapped on our floaties, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced a warning on those huge, inflatable “water-walking” balls, which the CPSC says present the double threat of suffocation and drowning. [More]
