Recalls of the Week

Back to give you an update on some of the most important recent recalls. Been crazy busy and thus my time for blogging has suffered. Still looking to dedicate 2-3 days a week to post. Ahh, the life of a solo practice attorney — never enough hours in the day. So here we go with the recalls:
1. Toyota/Lexus Floor Mats:The biggest news in problematic products is Toyota’s most recent announcement that it is recalling some 3.8 million Lexus and Toyota vehicles to remove factory installed driver-side floor mats in order to prevent the gas pedal from becoming trapped leading to unintended acceleration. In other words, your gas pedal can become stuck by the floor mat and even though you take your foot off the gas pedal, it will continue moving and potentially accelerating. The vehicles involved include 2005-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 Camry, 2004-2009 Prius, 2005-2010 Tacoma, 2007-2010 Tundra, 2007-2010 ES350 and 2006-2010 IS250 and 350. Its unclear what may have prompted Toyota to undergo this massive recall, but there was a horrible crash in California in late August 2009 involving an off duty police officer and a Lexus ES sedan where there is indication a misaligned floor mat may have lead to the accident. Toyota is asking owners to immediately remove the driver’s side mats and to not replace them while Toyota works on creating model-specific replacements. Consumer Reports recommends that if you get in a situation where your car is not slowing down, to immediately put your car in neutral, and then brake which should help bring your car to a stop. Here is a link to Consumer Reports discussion of the issue and testing they have done to address this concern. This is a very serious issue and one that all owners of the affected vehicles must address.
2. Quantum Office Chair @ Office Depot Stores: The Quantum Realspace PRO 9000 Mid-Back Multifunction Mesh Chair, sold exclusively at Office Depot, is being recalled because the bolts which attach the seatback can loosen and detach, creating risk of injury to the user. The chairs were sold at Office Depot between May 2006 and August 2009. The recall does not include the Guest Chair version. If you own one of the chairs, you should stop using it immediately and contact the manufacturer, Raynor (866-244-8180) for a free repair kit.

3. Diving Air Hose for Dry Suits by SI Tech: SI Tech is recalling its Diving Air Hose for Dry Suits, of which about 65,000 have been sold by diving equipment retailers and distributors between July 2006 and February 2009. The hose has an insert that can dislodge and restrict airflow to the diver, raising the potential for a drowning hazard. One death of a diver has occurred and been reported. These hosed were sold with dry suits and separately. If you have one of these hoses, you should stop using it immediately and contact SI Tech (1-877-348-3529) who will provide you with the name of an authorized dealer who can do a free repair.
4. Paula Deen Cast Iron Cookware: Now I love me some Food Network and always watching to see how much butter and sugar Paula is putting in them recipes, but some of her cookware, sold through QVC is being recalled because it can crack or shatter, raising potential for injury to the user. There have been 79 reports of the cookware cracking or shattering when heated. That’s a problem, since that is the purpose of cookware. The recalled cookware is the 11 inch cast iron grill pans and griddles sold through QVC with item numbers K14984, K11970 and K135024. The cookware was sold between October 2007 and July 2009. If you have any of this cookware, stop using it immediately and you can return it to QVC for a full refund. Now this is not Paula’s fault, but where were the quality control people??? Hard to make those “best dishes” if my cookware is falling apart.
That’s all for this week. Check in tomorrow as I will have a post regarding a recent article in the American Bar Association’s monthly magazine feature yours truly. Until next time, be careful out there.