Recalls in August 2004

About 1.8 million Rival Slow Cooker units are being recalled. The handles on the base of the slow cookers can break, posing a risk of burns from hot contents spilling onto consumers.

There have been 45 reports of handles breaking, including 14 reports of consumers who reported burn injuries from the hot contents.

Only Rival Crock-Pot slow cookers with model numbers 3040, 3735, 5025, 5070 and 5445 manufactured before May 2002 are included in the recall. The model number is printed on the UL label located on the bottom of the base.

The recalled Rival slow cooker has a removable ceramic bowl that sits inside a metal base. The Rival logo is printed on the front of the unit above the control knob. The bases are round or oval in shape and were sold in various colors and designs.

A date code is stamped onto the plug at the end of the power cord attached to each unit. The first two digits represent the week of manufacture and the last two digits represent the year of manufacture. Any plug with a date code from 0199 (1st week of 1999) to 1802 (18th week of 2002) is included in this recall.

The pots were sold at Wal-Mart, Kmart, Target and additional discount department stores nationwide from January 1999 through May 2002 for between $15 and $40.

Consumers should immediately stop using the product and contact The Holmes Group to receive instructions on receiving a replacement base.

Consumer Contact: Contact The Holmes Group at (800) 299-1284 anytime or visit the firms Web site at www.rivalrecall.com.

The recall is being conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

August 5, 2004
General Motors is voluntarily recalling the Saturn VUE to fix a problem with the rear suspension. In doing so, it may be hoping to avoid litigation that could result from accidents occurring while government safety agencies conduct their own investigations.

The recall affects 246,433 VUEs in the 2002-2004 model years, including 231,123 in the United States and 15,310 in Canada.

It all started when a Saturn VUE owner wrote to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to complain that the rear wheels of his car collapsed on a tight turn, causing the vehicle to roll over.

The agency decided to conduct a test of its own, taking tight turns at 45 mph, and sure enough, the rear suspension collapsed and the car rolled over. The same thing happened when a two-wheel drive model of the VUE was put through the same test.

GM Chief Financial Officer John Devine, asked about the recall at a seminar, said the company would rather fix the problem than just talk about it. The company has faced a number of costly recalls in the last six months.

If you drive a VUE, expect a call from your dealer in the next few days. You'll also receive a letter advising you when to bring in your car for repairs. The company was not specific in detailing its modification plans, other than saying the rear suspension would be strengthened.

However, GM said Saturn retailers will eventually provide detailed information to VUE owners that will explain the modification and how it will make the car safer.

For many VUE owners, the suspension problem may come as a nasty surprise. The NHTSA gave the 2003 Saturn VUE a rating of three stars, out of five, for its ability to resist a rollover. But then, up until this year, the NHTSA didn't test the vehicles on a track. Instead, the agency used a mathematic formula to predict whether the vehicle would keep all four tires on the pavement.