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It's pretty hard to find anything as annoying and confusing as an infant carrier. Even when everything works well, they're an irritant. When something goes wrong, it can be a disaster, as the complaints in this section illustrate.
There have been safety recalls of some Evenflo seats. Check now to be see if yours is included.
Here are some of the more recent complaints about strollers, carseats and other transport systems:
Vianna of Pierce ID (03/27/08)
There was a recall of the Evenflo Discover infant seats. Instead of allowing customers to return these seats they sent out a fastener to fix the problem. After receiving the fastener, I tried to use it and discovered that it isn't even practical to use. I then E-mailed Evenflo and told them of the problem and that I would like to return the seat for a refund. I then received an E-mail back stating that they would NOT allow me to return the seat. I have copies of these E-mails for reference. I feel like Evenflo is more concerned with what this recall is going to cost rather then making a product that is safe. After trying to communicate with Evenflo I feel like it is a lost cause. Evenflo needs to be held responsible to fix this problem not just put a band-aid on it.
In my case no damage has resulted but could potentially if I were to get into a crash with my child in the vehicle.
Taren of Moline IL (03/05/08)
I have an evenflo car seat. This car seat is very dangerous. When i buckle my son in it the latch that suppose to goes over his chest doesnt, instead it goes over his neck and chokes him. my son is 22 pounds and 32 inches tall. i have had the car seat about 6 months and after having him goes 2 inchs i could not put him in the car seat. i had to buy another car seat. The evenflo one i spent 70 or 80 dollars on. I had called the company to get a refund or somethin else in exchange and they said they could not do anything, they said to wait til he was 30 pounds then use the regular seat belt in the car seat. Which i still had to buy another car seat that was 85 dollars. It is a joke that they would sell unsafe car seat that choke children. what if he had been in a accident?? he could have been killed. I think these car seat sould be taken of the shelves.
I child could have been injuryed serious or even killed from this carseat. Something should be done
Beauvon of Sherwood Park OTHER (11/19/07)
I bought the Evenflo Journy travel system. Not even 4 months later both front wheels fell off. They fall off every time I put the stroller in or take it out of the vehicle. They also fall of when I try to lift it over a curb, in traffic, with my baby in the stoller. I do not feel safe using this stoller at all.
Valerie of Tarpon Springs FL (06/06/07)
We have the Evenflo Embrace car seat that was recently recalled due to the carrier handle unlocking and babies hitting the pavement or other surfaces and being injured. Injuries range from bumps/bruises to skull fractures. I spoke with a representative and later a supervisor and all they will do is send a repair kit so you can fix the handle yourself. That is ridiculous! When parents buy products that are sold as new and tested you trust that someday you will not have to repair them yourself. I could not believe their lack of consideration to my comfort as a parent. Why should I feel safe putting a newborn in a seat I repaired myself?? I will never purchase an Evenflo product again. They only recalled about 450,000 seats a major company like Evenflo can surely afford to replace car seats for those parents who are not comfortable fixing Evenflo's problem them selves. I guess meeting their bottom line is more important that ensuring their consumers are comfortable and confident with their products. Whatever happened to customer satisfaction?
Ashley of Belgrave Canada (01/17/07)
Well, my son Carson was born on June 11/06. We were so excited bringing him home in his new car seat... But when we were installing it for the first time.... We soon realized how much space Carson needed. We drive a 99 Jimmy and we installed Carson base behind the passenger seat.... The amount of space needed to install it properly is outrageous....The passenger seat is placed forward as much as it can go... not very comfy.... And the stroller.... I have had to call and get new wheels for the stroller because they would just pop off.... the canopy on the car seat keeps falling down.
The whole travel system is nice looking but jsut not practical..... I think that evenflo should take this product off the shelf... reading on the consumer reports.. the evenflo embrace carseat only scored a 25 out of 100... (how can that be sold to consumers)... It's not safe... I'm just glad my wee man will be going to the next size car seat soon.
Amy of Carberry, Canada (01/13/07)
I purchased the Evenflo Embrace infant travel system a few months ago. My son was born in November and currently weighs no more than 11lbs. however the carrying handle on this seat twists and could potentially break apart.
I contacted Evenflo and they sent out a replacement seat NO QUESTIONS asked! This alarmed me so I contacted consumer affairs - Transport Canada to see if this is an ongoing issue. I was told that they are currently doing an investigation into this exact matter and that they have had some infants injured.
I received the replacement seat from Evenflo yesterday and the handle is no better. I contacted Evenflo again and was told by not only an rep, but the manager that I need to get my facts straight before I make accusations regarding the safety of this seat. They told me that there have been no issues what so ever and that I am making this up.
Brandy of Pittsburgh PA (01/06/07)
The Aura Travel System from Evenflo is not worth the money. My daughter is 6 months old today. She has a medical condition that limits us from being able to go a lot of places. So one would think a stroller/car seat would last alot longer than 6months. We have had nothing but problems with this car seat and stroller. The first thing I really noticed was the material around the stroller itself is all pulled so tight it has frayed and torn. According to Evenflo since I didn't notice this within 90 days of purchase there is nothing they can do.
Well the point of a travel system is putting the carrier seat on the stroller not laying a new baby in the stroller, and since I didn't purchase the stroller it was 40 days past before I even received the thing.
The second thing was the carrier seat does not snap easily into the base. I thought it was supposed to be this way it was brand new. When I went to a store recently and looked at the other models they worked great. So does my neighbors who has a 9 month old.(Different kind). Next was the pieces on the sides that say evenflo the bottom pieces that cover the screws came off, my husband has snapped this on repeatedly.
Yesterday was the final straw when we were at my daughters surgeons office and as I am walking through the hospital doors to the outside street I notice the wheel in the back left wobbling like it is going to come off. I was scared to death the wheel was going to pop off. Here I am pushing a stroller car seat combination with one hand carring the baby in the other trying to keep all the weight off of the back wheel hoping the wheel doesn't come off while my 5 year old daughter is holding on to my purse running across the streets to the parking garages in the pouring down rain.
When I called the company she offered to send a replacement part for the inside pieces of the wheel but nothing could be done about the rest of this stroller that was 150.00 (plus tax) Now to some that may seem like nothing but I have 4 children and have never had a problem like this. I am even more upset that I asked her if there were any other complaints about this stroller and she said no. I see some on this web site so that was not the truth. I had picked the Evenflo Aura Travel system to put on my gift registry. It is upsetting that someone thought enough of my family to spend money like that on a gift and it is not worth the price. Evenflo does not stand behind their products at all.
I now have to wait for the replacement piece for the wheel and hope thats what the problem is. I also have a stroller that I should get almost 3 years out of that looks like its already 3 years old and I don't know if I even feel safe using it. I really can't afford a new stroller and car seat at this point but what do I do? I will never purchase any evenflo product again. Not that evenflo cares about that but at least I will feel better not supporting them.
Kelly of West Bloomfield NY (12/10/06)
I purchased an evenflo carseat/stroller combo from walmart. I have had it for 3 months now and my daughter has had 2 accidents in it. The first being when i went to transfer her from one room to another. I put the handle in the upright position and when I picked her up the handle released and she flipped forward falling on her head. This accident led to a trip to the hospital.
The second incident was when I had her in the store cart. The product claims that the carseat will lock onto the child seat part of the cart up front. I heard the click of the seat being locked in, but no more than 15 minutes later when we turned a corner, the carseat came unlatched from the cart and flipped over. One side had latched because it stuck on the cart before it fell completely off. Again this resulted in my child falling on the floor on her head. God only knows what type of long term damage this has provided to my daughter. Not to mention the trauma and stress I went through each time I watched this happen.
I didnt think anything of this until I started doing some reasearch online and found out that this is not an uncommon occurrence. I just want other parents to be aware of the dangers of evenflo's carseats and I would like the company to own up to their mistakes and be held accountable.
Betty-Annmanghi of New West, Canada (09/12/06)
I purchased an Evenflo Embrace5 rear-facing child restraint system. Within 3 months the canopy broke. Now the cover is ripping, not too durable, makes me worry. Pending response from company.
Nathaniel of West Covina CA (09/07/06)
We have an EVENFLO Auro On the Go - Travel System. We've had it for 11 months now and have already had many problem with it. For example, about 4 months ago the mechanism in the handle located on the carrier broke so we cannot use the carrier to carry our son in it anymore, on the stroller the rear-right wheel has fallen off a few times already and will not stay on, it seems the plastic cap has wore off inside, the last but main concern is the seat will keep unsnapping from the base and swings almost 90 degrees backwards. We have had this system for about 11 months now and has proven to be very dangerous to my son.
Being that these systems are expensive we cannot just go out and buy a new one at any time. We've been saving and for have to do with what we got which is very uncomfortable knowing that any of these things described could havppen at any time. When the seat came apart from the base and swung backwards my sons legs were pinched under the food tray because of the back lateral movement from the seat. His legs were bruised for a few days.
Laura of Barrie Canada (08/30/06)
Below the red handle on the side of the embrace car seat/carrier (under the green means go dot) there is a little red dot (the handle is connected to the inside of the plastic of the car seat using these things...anyway, I learned that it is made of cheap plastic when my 4 month old infant was properly strapped in and flipped over. It is not that the handle malfunctioned like what I have read..this red connector dot had bent the plastic and moved into the hollow part of the plastic so the handle does not grip into a position anymore (if that makes any sense). I am so angry this happend and that there is no 24 hour hotline to call and complain. I will NEVER purchase an evenflo product again so I am not sure how they are going to try to calm me down. I will take that up with them tomorrow morning. I just don't understand why it is still being sold if there is even 5 complaints about it, which ticks me off even more.
Thankfully my daughter was strapped in properly and I am overly cautious so I caught her in the seat before her head would have went face first into the concrete outside...although that does not lighten the situation in any way. The car seat is useless to me now, so I have to spend money on a new one (which I wasn't planning for a couple more months and we're in the process of moving so money is hard to come by) but my baby is worth everything so I never have to use this piece of junk again.
Jody of Hastings MI (08/17/06)
I had the carseat model 5481586 manufactured in June 18, 2005. The handle started to crack apart from the car seat. I called evenflo and they are replacing the car seat and told me there had been a change in the design. I was extremely pleased with the organization's treatment in my concerns and willingness to replace my product purchases.
Julianna of Guelph, Ontario (02/02/06)
I purchased an Evenflo carseat, model Tribute V #3791336CP1 near the end of 2003. I purchased this car seat because it was the most compact car seat available. It also happened to be the least expensive option. The car seat will function properly when it is not installed. It will not tighten properly when it is installed as a result the user is forced to leave the straps much looser than regulation. I originally thought it was a problem with the way my seats were molded in my 2003 Mini Cooper. I then tried it in a 2000 VW Golf. I have since tried it in a 1994 Mazda Protege, 1998 Audi A6, a 2004 Nissan X-Trail and a number of rental vehicles.
Originally, I was concerned there was a problem with friction on the seat material but that proved false when I tried it on leather, vinyl and fabric seats. I know I installed this car seat properly but to insure that was the case I had it checked at a Car Seat Clinic where personel are trained by The Co-operators Insurance. The straps have never tightened when installed. It should be noted that no person that has attempted to use our car seat has ever been able to tighten the straps, regardless strength should not be a factor. I have chosen to purchase another product in the interest of my children's safety. My conscience cannot let this go because I feel the price point of this product means those with lower incomes will be using it and their children will be at higher risk for a number of reasons.
I believe it important to disclose to you that I am a police officer and that I feel this product is a serious hazard on the road. I feel the children we are trying to protect are put at risk and their caregivers are experiencing a false sense of safety.
Kaatje of Old Hickory TN (01/30/06)
I purchased an Evenflo Embrace infant seat 5 months ago. There are no current recalls on this item but there should be. The handle is very unsafe. If bows and bends when carrying it and has stress marks on it. I have read many other reports of the same and even many whose handles have broken and babies fallen to the ground. There needs to be a recall on this product as it is very unsafe.
Christina of Fairfax Station VA (07/16/05)
Evenflo Snuglii infant carrier the one that goes from the front to a backpack is EXTREMLY DANGEROUS cut off circulation to my 4 months old leg it turned blue blood vessles popped my bro and dad whipped him out of it my mom was carrying him i filed a complaight with evenflow but i advise u all to be careful of stop using it.
My son now has black.blusihn spots on his left leg and is uncomfortable the injury we tell in a few weeks for sure but most likely has caused perment brusing like marks and nerlogical damage
Lisa of Gulfport MS (04/29/04)
My niece shopped around for what she thought was the safest infant car seat for her son Matthew Gallardo. After checking safety ratings, she decided to go with the Evenflo Discovery Infant safety seat. She went to WalMart and purchased it. The pattern was very cute, it had blue and brown plaid with a cute little bear on the back of it. Matthew was her greatest joy and she adored him.
On March 10, 2004, My niece was taking her son Matthew and her nephew to daycare. My Neice's car was hit by another car in the side. The car did a 180% spin and ended up rolling over on it's side. My niece was killed instantly.
Matthew, who was 5 months old, was ejected from the car. The base of Matthew's safety seat was still strapped in the car. The housing of the seat broke loose from the base and apparantly bounced around in the car during the accident. Mathew apparently came out from the straps of the car seat and went out of the window when the car rolled over.
When the car came to a rest, Matthew was in the on the ground outside of the car and the housing unit for the safety seat was out too. The housing unit cracked in several places. The base still remained in the car and was strapped in with the car's seat belt.
Matthew died of a fractured skull and a brain laceration. I can't help to wonder, if Matthew would have survivedf the accident if he had been in a different car seat. After doing research on the net, I have learned that this happens quite often with the evenflo discovery car seat. I make a point to inform everyone that I see with an evenflo discovery car seat, Matthew died using a car seat just like that one.
Leighann of Austinville VA (08/11/03)
My son is 24 months old and he has learned to climb out of his car seat. He undoes the clip on the chest straps. It's the one you just slide on to not the one you buckle. He does this going down the road. Before you get to stop he's out and in the floor.
He has cut his arm from falling in the floor board or the car.
Julie of Jasper MO (08/03/03)
I received an Evenflo carseat and stroller for a baby present. Model #5751318 p1. On three different occasions the babies arm was caught and pinched when putting the carrying handle into the carry position. Obviously resulting in a screaming and crying baby with skin pinched in the car seat.
Physical damage resulted with bruising to the arm, and mental anguish to the parents and grandparents that were not expecting a baby seat to pinch and hurt a baby.
Tracy of Bassett VA (07/21/03)
i called to ask if they would replace a broken part on my sons carseat. They said its not a replacement part and its over 1 yr and no warranty. Tthe metal spring like thing that secures the shield to the carseat has fallen off. They told me that i should buy a new seat. I feel that a recall should be put on this seat. Granted I bought the seat several yrs ago and it was manufactured in 1999 -- it had an expiration date of december 31, 2004. I pointed out that this seat had no reached the expiration date and i feel that they should replace my carseat without such a hassle. A defect like this could hurt a child it is unsafe.
none as of yet carseat has been discontinued in use
Linda of Waco TX (05/09/08)
I purchased an Evenflo Discovery Travel System for my daughter for ease of use taking her from the car and placing it on the stroller. The wheels are constantly falling off whether I am putting the stroller away, or taking it out. The wheels also fall off if I am lifting the stoller up to put on the curb. Then, earlier this year I find that the Infant Seat has a recall for the restraint system.
Evenflo sent me the most ludicrous restraint strap that requires me to buckle my car seat on both sides when I want to place my child in and take out of the car. No way would I have purchased any carseat that required the need for two snaps and a lever to install and remove from my vehicle. I am very dissapointed in Evenflo, and their lack of customer service.
The wheels of my stroller have fallen off at the curb while in traffic creating a panic in me, and a safety hazard. The car seat is pretty useless now, I would consider giving it away, but I don't think anyone would even use the straps as they are such a hinderance.
Vanessa of Katy TX (02/23/07)
I have an Evenflo stroller that we bought when my baby was born. He is now 18 months. Months ago the tray came of on the wrong side, leaving exposed a broken plastic part and a wire which would be very harmful for any child. This is not misuse, this is a manufacturing defect. We call Evenflo and they wanted us to replace a stroller at a discounted price of 50%. When I kept complaining they took it down to just shipping and handling. I kept complaining and all they kept saying is that it is out of warranty. Like anything is going to happen within the first 3 months when the baby is not even 15 lbs. The stroller is supposed to hold 40 lbs. My baby is 20 lbs. and he does not have the strength to break a tray. Specially not from the inside.
This is an absolute danger. I've seen other strollers around with the same problem. I am looking for more information to take legal action against them. I am tired of trusting this companies with our children and all they sell us are defective productos that endangered the life of our children. So much for this fake security on the health of our children.
Angela Stewart of Toronto(12/27/06)
We purchased an Evenflo stroller in July 2006 from babies'r'us in Coquitlam, B.C. for our son and now 5 months later the material has mold growing on it. I am very concerned how long this mold has been growing on the stroller and if it was on the material when it was purchased. I took the stroller back to babiesrus and they said it was over 45 days so they refused to replace it. I then called Evenflo and was not pleased with their response either.
I spoke with a number of service or call centre representatives and they were of no help. I was told that the corporate attorney from evanflo would call me back when he returns back to work from the holidays. I do not feel that any material such as this that grows mold should be around children. I have never seen mold on a stroller before and think that someone should look into this product and see if anyone else has ever had a problem with mold on their strollers.
I believe this is very dangerous for children. Mold is something that can affect breathing in later life to both adults and children. Should the company not make sure that these coverings on strollers are mould resistant. I believe the company should replace the stoller.
Kayla of Hamilton Ontario (03/02/05)
I was on my way to school and the tire snaped off and my baby is 3 months old. I just got the stoller not to long ago and I think I should get a new one because Im 17 and don't have the money to keep going out and buying strollers.
The damage is that my daughter and I can't get to school and we can't get a new one.
Destiny of Sarasota FL (01/19/05)
I bought the Evenflo Journey Travel System in May 2003 from Babies R Us in Orlando, Florida. About a month after I purchased it the wheels started falling off of it and I tried to return it to the store. They said it was a manufacturers defect and since it had a 90 day warrenty I could get it fixed by Evenflo. I called them right away but they would not fix it for free.
They wanted nearly $40 to send new wheels, that would have obviuosly done the very same thing. They claim that there isn't anything wrong with the travel system. I called again 01/19/2005 after having the defective product for 18 months or so and they were very rude and said that they didn't believe I had ever called and that I should have dealt with it then. I did, but they wouldn't take care of it. We spend over $200 on their crappy product and it has to be held together with rubber bands.
The stroller part of the travel system indangers children and their families since the wheels come off at any time. I have been crossing a street and have them fly off in two directions. Someone will probably die if these strollers aren't recalled.
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