Lawsuits you should know about

Toyota Motor Sales has issued a recall of approximately 50,000 Sequoia SUVs due to a problem with the Vehicle Stability Control system, which controls the brakes and accelerator. This problem with the Vehicle Stability Control system can cause the SUV to hesitate or slow down at low speeds.

The Sequoias involved in the recall were made in early 2003. Once the problem was identified, Toyota began fixing the SUVs as soon as they came off the assembly line later that year. The company also issued a “technical service bulletin” to all dealers that year and since then, about half of those affected with this problem have been fixed.

There have been no reports of accidents or injuries related to this defect. Owners who are affected by the recall should be receiving letters from Toyota in late May. Any owners who have already paid for the fix may be reimbursed by Toyota.

Infantino has recalled over 1 million bag-shaped baby slings due to suffocation risks. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has received three reports of infant deaths since 2009 due to suffocation in the slings. The children suffocated were 7 weeks, 6 days, and 3 months old.

Consumers with children younger than four months should discontinue use of the slings according to the CPSC. The fabric of the recalled slings can block the baby’s breathing. The shape of the slings can also force the baby’s chin against his or her chest, cutting off breathing. Experts say mothers should be able to look down and kiss their baby’s forehead without making any adjustments to make sure they are lying properly in bag-shaped slings. Babies who are too young to hold their head’s up should be carried by hand rather than in a sling.

The SlingRider and Wendy Bellissimo slings involved in the recall were sold from January 2003 until March 2010 at retailers such as Wal-Mart, Burlington Coat Factory, Target, Babies “R” Us, and at Amazon (online) for between $25 and $30.

Consumers who have this product should contact Infantino Monday through Friday between the hours of 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. ET at (866) 860-1361 or visit the company’s web site (http:// www.infantino.com) for a free replacement sling.

Graco has issued another voluntary recall of high chairs. Approximately 1.2 million of the company’s Harmony high chairs have been recalled due to breakage. The screws that attach the front legs can become loose and/or fall out and the rear leg brackets can crack, both causing the high chair to fall.

Graco has received 464 reports of the high chair breaking and tipping over without any injuries. Parents have reported 24 incidents of the high chairs breaking to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) with reports of children suffering from bruises, bumps, scratches, and hairline fractures.

The Harmony high chairs were sold at AAFES, Burlington Coat Factory, Babies “R” Us, Sears, Shopko, Target, Toys “R” Us, USA Baby, Wal-Mart and other retailers including online stores from December 2003 until March 2010 for between $70 and $120.

The model number of the high chair can be located under the footrest. Please visit the official Graco web site for a list of model numbers are involved in the recall (http://www.gracobaby.com/SafetyAndRecall/Pages/SafetyAndRecallArticle.aspx?recallID=31&page=SafetyAndRecall).

Parents who own the Harmony high chair should quit using it immediately. Graco can be contacted for repair kit by calling (877) 842-3206 or at their web site at http://www.gracobaby.com.

Little Brownie Bakers has recalled one kind of Girl Scout Cookies because of a strange smell and taste.  The maker of Girl Scout Cookies, the Louisville, KY based Little Brownie Bakers has recalled the Lemon Chalet Creme cookies because of a strange smell and taste from the cookies.  The company states that the cookies are safe to eat, but the recall is because they are not up to their quality standards. 

The company has received a few complaints about the issue with the Lemon Chalet Cookies, but no reports of anyone becoming ill from eating them.

The following lot codes are from the cookies that are affected by this recall:

7455881
7455882
7455883
7456741
7456742
7456743
7457661
7457662
7457663
7458521
7458522
7458523
7459401
7459402
7459403

If you have purchased Lemon Chalet Creme cookies please contact the manufacturer for more information.  Their website is www.littlebrowniebakers.com and the phone number where you can reach them is 800-962-1718.

To read the article where I found this information, click here for a link to it.

Copco, a division of Wilton Industries Inc., has voluntarily recalled 132,000 Copco and Wild Leaf Tea Co. Bristol model and Martha Stewart Collection and 142,000 Copco Harmony tea kettles.

The Copco and Wild Leaf Tea Co. Bristol model and Martha Stewart Collection tea kettles were recalled because the handle may become loose, causing burns. There have been eight reports of handles coming loose or becoming deformed, with one consumer reporting minor burns.

The Copco and Wild Leaf Tea Co. Bristol model and Martha Stewart Collection tea kettles being recalled have enamel finishes in white, crème, blue, cobalt, sand, red, and green and were sold online, through mail order, and at retailers such as Macy’s and Linen ‘n Things for $35 from October 2005 until January 2010.

Consumers owning the Copco and Wild Leaf Tea Co. Bristol model and Martha Stewart Collection tea kettle should stop using them immediately and contact Copco at (866) 255-9237 between 8 am and 4:30 pm Monday through Friday for a refund.

The Harmony tea kettles were recalled because of reports of the lid coming loose when handling, which resulted in burns. There have been 25 reports by consumers of lids coming off, with some reporting second-degree burns to hands and fingers.

The Harmony tea kettles have either stainless steel brushed, polished finishes, or enamel finishes in red, white, black, turquoise, orange, yellow, and blue. They were sold at retailers nationwide for $30 between March 2006 and June 2009.

Consumers owning the Harmony tea kettle should stop using them immediately and contact Wilton at (800) 794-5866 between 8 am and 4:30 pm Monday through Thursday or 8 am and 3 pm Friday for a refund or replacement.

Three children have died due to use of Generation 2 Worldwide/ChildESIGNS cribs. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has asked consumers who have purchased these cribs to stop using them immediately.

It is believed that half a million Generation 2 Worldwide/ChildESIGNS cribs were sold by the company, which is no longer in business. The cribs were sold at retailers such as Buy Buy Baby, Kmart, and Wal-Mart for between $60 and $160.

The CPSP said that children are at risk of strangulation or suffocation from the cribs due to plastic hardware breaking, which causes the side to detach and leaves a gap which could trap a child. There have also been reports of the mattress detaching.

So far, three deaths – that of an 8 month old child in Newark, Ohio, a 8 month old child in Richmond, Ind., and a 6 month old child in Stauton, Va. – have been reported between September 2002 and July 2007. There have also been 20 other reports of accidents from children becoming trapped to falling out of the crib.

Consumers who own these cribs may or may not receive a refund or replacement by returning to the retailers where the crib was purchased. Those who are not offered a refund or replacement should contact the CPSC at (301) 504-7923 Monday through Friday between 8:00 am and 4:30 pm ET.

It’s another recall for Disney children’s jewelry as the Playmates Toys has said that the metal charm connector of certain jewelry sets contains lead.

The company, whose jewelry is made in China, issued a voluntary recall of 180,000 sets of Tiny Tink and Friends Children’s Toy Jewelry Sets. This recall includes Tinker Bell’s Lil’ Tinker Bracelet, Rosetta’s Rosebud Key Chain, and Silvermist’s Water Lily Necklace. A metal connector that links the charm to a necklace, bracelet or keychain is the part that contains lead. The company said that once it became aware of the excessive levels of lead in the connectors, it contacted the Consumer Product Safety Commission to stop sales of the items.

The jewelry sets were sold nationwide from November 2008 until November 2009 for between $6 and $8. Similar sets with plastic rather than metal charm connectors are not included in the recall.

Consumers who purchased these recalled sets should contact Playmates Toys at (888) 810-1133 between 12 pm and 8 pm EST Monday through Friday or see the company’s web site to fill out a replacement form.

FAF Inc. has made a voluntary recall of approximately 55,000 pendants with “The Princess and the Frog” theme due to toxic metal.

The pendants, a crown pendant (model # 4616-4187 and UPC number 72783367144) and a frog pendant (model # 4616-4190 and UPC number 72783367147), have been sold exclusively at Wal-Mart since November for $5. Wal-Mart said it pulled all the pendants on January 11th as soon as it was notified by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) that the pendants contained cadmium.

After the Associated Press published an article about cadmium being found in children’s jewelry, the CPSC has been testing children’s jewelry for the potentially harmful metal. Cadmium, when ingested, can lead to kidney and bone damage as well as possible damage to brain development.

Although the CPSC has not received any reports from consumers of cadmium poisoning, it stated it will continue to investigate children’s jewelry. The Walt Disney Co. has issued a statement saying that all jewelry which bears its images will be tested for cadmium, which is not a federal requirement, and if any products are found to contain the metal, production of the product will be stopped.

Customers who bought the pendants can return them to their local Wal-Mart for a refund or replacement. For photos of the items, please visit the FAF Inc. web page.

Starbucks has issued a voluntary recall of 12,200 clear glass water bottles sold in the U.S. and Canada after 10 people reported to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission that the glass stopper or bottle shattered and eight consumers received lacerations due to the glass.

The bottles, which held 20 ounces of liquid, were sold at Target, Safeway, and Starbucks for approximately $9. The recalled bottles have the SKU number 11003503 and the words “Glass Water Bottle” printed on the blue label stuck to the bottle. They were made in Taiwan and have been available for purchase since January 2010.

Starbucks is asking consumers to quit using the bottles and return them to the store from which they were purchased. If returned to a local Starbucks, the consumer will also receive a free drink. For more information, contact Starbucks at (877) 492-6333 between the hours of 8 am and 11 pm Monday through Friday.

After a recall of 4.2 million vehicles in November, Toyota has added to that number another 1.1 million. The problem is that the gas pedals on the recalled vehicles can get caught in the floor mat, causing the vehicles to accelerate at an uncontrollable rate. Last week, Toyota recalled 2.3 million vehicles that also had a problem with the gas pedals sticking on their own.

The initial recall included the certain 2009-2010 RAV4, certain 2009-2010 Corolla, 2009-2010 Matrix, 2005-2010 Avalon, certain 2007-2010 Camry, certain 2010 Highlander, 2007-2010 Tundra, and the 2008-2010 Sequoia. Any RAV4s, Corollas, Camrys, and Highlanders with VINs that begin with “J” ARE NOT included in the recall.

The latest recall affects the 2008-2010 Highlander, 2009-2010 Corolla, 2009-2010, Venza 2009-2010 Matrix, and the 2009-2010 Pontiac Vibe (because it is made as a partnership between Toyota and Pontiac) were added to the list.

Not affected by the recall are any Lexus Division or Scion vehicles, Prius, Tacoma, Sienna, Venza, Solara, Yaris, 4Runner, FJ Cruiser, Land Cruiser and Highlander hybrids and Camry hybrids.

Customers who have questions or problems with their accelerator should visit Toyota.com for more info, call the Toyota Customer Experience Center at (800) 331-4331, or visit their local Toyota dealership.