The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has released a summary of consumer product recalls announced during the October-December 2012 quarter.
“116 recalls were published on the Recalls Australia website during the last three months of 2012. These recalls equate to more than 2.4 million individual products,” ACCC Deputy Chair Delia Rickard said.
“Some of the big recalls negotiated by the ACCC in the December quarter included the recall of almost 200,000 portable DVD players, which were Dick Smith and Big W AWA branded models. The ACCC warned that these DVD players could overheat and catch fire or explode during use. Last year, a Victorian girl suffered serious burns to her hands and face when one of these DVD players exploded on her lap during a car trip,” Ms Rickard said.
“Thousands of cars were also recalled late last year, including RAV4, Ford Escape SUV and Mazda Tribute models. These cars had defects that could lead to loss of control while driving so I would urge anyone with these cars to check the Recalls Australia website for more information.”
“Tens of thousands of child restraint anchor bolts were also recalled in the last quarter of 2012. The bolts, supplied with major child seat and baby capsule brands including IGC Dorel, Tomy Australia and Como Baby, could fail in the event of an accident, causing injury to the child. If you find you have an affected kit or bracket, stop using it immediately and arrange to receive a replacement product,” Ms Rickard said.
The ACCC is active in the marketplace, surveying products to check they comply with mandatory requirements and responding to complaints and other intelligence we receive.
“Of the 2.4 million products removed from the supply chain during this quarter, almost half resulted from recalls the ACCC negotiated with suppliers. These negotiations were triggered by a range of factors, including consumer complaints, mandatory injury reports and ACCC product safety surveillance,” Ms Rickard said.
Stay informed about product recalls by downloading the free iPhone or Android Recalls Australia app, via the ACCC Product Safety Facebook page, following @ACCCProdSafety on Twitter or by subscribing to alerts from the Recalls Australia website. www.recalls.gov.au.Information on product safety is also available at www.productsafety.gov.au and the ACCC Product Safety YouTube channel.