Recalls in October 2005

October 28, 2005
General Motors is recalling nearly 106,000 sport utility vehicles in the United States and Canada to fix a rear door latch that may not close properly due to corrosion. The vehicles affected by the potential safety defect include the Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT and GMC Envoy XL SUVs from the 2002-2003 model years.

There is one report of an injury because of the the faulty door latch.

A small number of 2003 model Isuzu Ascender SUVs are also affected. GM builds the Ascender for Isuzu Motors Ltd.

Roughly 98,000 of the recalled vehicles were registered or sold in Northeast and Midwest U.S. states, where corrosion can occur due to winter road salt.

October 27, 2005
Dorel is recalling about 141,000 Safety 1st and Kid Trax battery-powered ride-on toy vehicles. An electronic malfunction can occur in the circuit board and/or battery connector, resulting in smoking and melting of components.

This poses a vehicle fire hazard and a burn hazard to consumers if components are touched while malfunctioning.

The firm has received 49 reports of overheating or melting components on the ride-on vehicles. No injuries have been reported.

The recalled battery-powered ride-on vehicles include the Pink Corvette, Torch Red Corvette, Yellow Race Car Corvette, Red Electroplate Corvette, Fire Engine, and Batmobile with the model numbers listed in the chart below. They were sold under the brands Safety 1st and Kid Trax by Safety 1st.

The ride-on vehicles were manufactured between January 2004 and August 2005. The manufacture date is located on the underside of the unit and is molded into the plastic body as shown. The circle on left displays the month of manufacture, the circle on the right displays the year of manufacture. The model numbers are located on the underside of the vehicles near the date code.

The units were sold at major toy stores and mass merchandise outlets nationwide under the brands Safety 1st and Kid Trax by Safety 1st from January 2004 through August 2005 for about $300.

Consumers should take the recalled ride-on vehicles away from children immediately and contact the company for a free repair.

For additional information, contact Dorel Juvenile Groups Ride-On hotline toll-free at (866) 611-3022 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit www.djgusa.com.

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

October 19, 2005
Stihl is recalling about 6,300 of its BR 500 and BR 550 Backpack Blowers. The fan wheel on these backpack blowers could break, resulting in pieces of plastic flying out of the blower housing. This poses a risk of injury to the user or a bystander.

Stihl has received five reports of the fan wheel breaking. No injuries have been reported.

These backpack blowers have serial numbers ranging from 264264925 through 264740832 which are located on top of the engines cylinder on the fin. The spark plug boot can be removed to view the serial number from the exterior of the blower.

The units were sold at authorized Stihl dealers nationwide from January 2005 through May 2005 for about $450.

Consumers should stop using these blowers immediately and return them to an authorized Stihl dealer for a free repair.

Consumer Contact: Contact Stihl at (800) 610-6677 between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit Stihls Web site at www.stihlusa.com.

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

October 11, 2005
Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. is recalling its Bombardier Outlander 800 H.O. XT ATVs. The drive pulley inner flange could break resulting in the broken flange fragments becoming a projectile. This situation could cause serious injuries or death to the rider or bystanders.

There have been no reported incidents of injury or property damage.

The recalled vehicles are model year 2006 Outlander 800 H.O. XT Bombardier ATVs. The model numbers affected are 2J6A and 2J6E. The model numbers are located in the serial number on the identification sticker under the seat. The ATVs have the words, Bombardier and Rotax 800 on the fenders.

The ATVs were sold at Bombardier dealerships nationwide from July 2005 through October 2005 for about $9,399.

Consumers should stop using these vehicles immediately. Registered owners have been notified about this recall by mail. Consumers with a recalled Outlander 800 H.O. XT should contact their local Bombardier ATV dealer to schedule the free repair. If consumers are unsure if their ATV is affected, they should call Bombardier.

Consumer Contact: Call Bombardier at (800) 366-6992 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or go to the firms Web site at www.brp.com.

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