Recalls in January 2021

Automakers are staying busy when it comes to recalling potentially dangerous vehicles. Ford announced a recall of nearly 30,000 of its model year 2021 E-350s and E-450s due to an issue with improperly placed insulation. 

Officials say the insulation on the underside of the engine cover could be mispositioned in affected vehicles, which could allow the cover to get hotter than intended. How hot exactly? Enough to pose a risk of injuries and burns to drivers and those sitting in the front passenger seat. 

Ford said it will notify owners affected by the problem so that a dealer can install engine cover insulation patches and update the powertrain calibration for heat management. The service will, of course, be given at no charge. The recall is scheduled to begin on February 8.

GM addresses seat belt issue in several models

Last week, we reported that GM was recalling hundreds of thousands of vehicles due to a seat belt issue. Now, you can highlight several hundred more on that list. 

The company announced that it is recalling 470 vehicles across several models because incorrect bolts were used. The recall notice explains that the wrong bolts were used at one or more fastening positions in the vehicles to secure seats, leading to seat belts not being properly attached to the vehicle. In the event of a crash, this could cause serious injury.

GM is notifying owners and dealers so that the bolts can be replaced free of charge. The recall is slated to begin on February 6.

Chocolate products recalled over plastic pieces and sanitizers

Two companies that make chocolate products have initiated recalls because certain batches were tainted. 

Lake Champlain Chocolates said that its milk chocolate bars may have inadvertently been contaminated with brittle plastic pieces. A full list of the products can be found on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s site here.

Hiland Dairy also recalled its half-pint, low-fat chocolate milk products because they may have been contaminated with a food-grade sanitizer. Consumers who drink affected products could become ill.

In both cases, consumers are advised not to consume the products and to contact the companies for more information.

Ruffles chips recalled for unlisted allergens

A staple snack for many, Frito-Lay recalled dozens of its “Party Size” bags of Ruffles Original Potato Chips because they may have contained allergens (in this case, milk products) that were not listed on the label. 

The recalled products were sold in retail stores in 6 states -- Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. Consumers are advised not to eat the products. Instead, they can return them to a retailer for a refund. 

Strategic Sports, LTD. is recalling 3,752 Simpson Performance Products Shorty OTW (Over the Wall) helmets, part number ST-205, in sizes XS, S, M, L, XL manufactured March 1, 2017-August 11, 2020.

The helmets lack proper retention system integrity, penetration protection and labels.

A helmet that does not provide adequate protection increases the risk of injury during a crash.

What to do

Strategic Sports will notify owners, and dealers will collect the noncompliant helmets and issue a refund.

The recall is expected to begin February 15, 2021.

Owners may contact Strategic Sports customer service at (619) 861-8110.

Heartland Recreational Vehicles is recalling 76 model year 2021 Mallard M180BH recreational trailers.

The units had incorrect axle, rims and tires installed during production.

Incorrect axles, rims and tires can cause the trailer to be overloaded, increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

Heartland will notify owners, and dealers will replace the axle, rims, tires and the spare tire free of charge.

The recall is expected to begin February 12, 2021.

Owners may contact Heartland customer service at (877) 262-8032.

Frito-Lay is recalling 50 13 1/2-oz. “Party Size” bags of Ruffles Original Potato Chips.

The product may contain milk products, allergens not declared on the label.

No allergic reactions have been reported to date.

The recalled product, with UPC 0 28400 03400 5, was sold in retail stores in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Arkansas.

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled product noted should not consume, but return it a retailer for a refund.

Consumers may contact Frito-Lay Consumer at (800) 352-4477 Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (CST).

Autosales Inc. is recalling 419 Summit Racing 3-Ton Jack Stands, part number SUM-918005.

The ratchet bar may fail during use, allowing a vehicle to fall without any warning.

Under load, the stand may drop suddenly, increasing the risk of injury to people near or under a lifted vehicle.

What to do

Autosales will notify owners, and Summit Racing will provide a full refund and an additional $25.00 gift certificate.

The recall is expected to begin in January 2021.

Owners may contact Autosales customer service at (800) 230-3030.

CB2 of Chicago, Ill., is recalling about 11,355 Junction Tall Chests and Low Dressers sold in the U.S. and Canada.

The chests and dressers are unstable if they are not anchored to the wall, posing serious tip-over and entrapment hazards that can result in death or injuries to children.

The firm has received 10 reports of incidents, including five reports of the Tall Chest and five reports of the Low Dresser tipping forward when the tip-over kit was not in use. No injuries have been reported.

This recall involves CB2 Junction Tall Chests (SKUs: 454-559 and 503-925) and Junction Low Dressers (SKUs: 454-060 and 503-904).

The Tall Chest measures 28 inches wide x 46 inches tall. The Low Dresser measures 56 inches wide x 26 inches tall.

The purchase order numbers are located on the back of the units. CB2 will be able to match the purchase order to the SKU number.

The furniture, manufactured in India, was sold atCB2 stores nationwide and online at www.CB2.com from December 2012, through July 2019, for between $700 and $850.

What to do

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled chests and/or dressers if they are not properly anchored to a wall and place them in an area that children cannot access. Contact CB2 for instructions on how to receive full store credit or a full refund.

Consumers may contact CB2 at (800) 451-8217 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. (CT) Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (CT) Saturday and Sunday, or online at www.cb2.com and click on “Product Recalls” located at the bottom of the page for more information.

Escape Trailer is recalling 294 model year 2020 19, 21C, 21NE and 5.0 RV trailers with Dometic 3 burner cooking stoves.

The stove's saddle valve securing bolt may be overtightened, possibly damaging the O-ring seal and causing a continuous gas leak.

A gas leak can increase the risk of a fire.

What to do

Escape Trailer will notify owners, instructing them to visit a Dometic repair center that will install a remedy kit of gaskets, washers, thread locker bolts and two round orange labels free of charge.

The recall is expected to begin February 10, 2021.

Owners may contact Escape Trailer customer service at (604) 703-1650. Escape Trailer's number for this recall is E012020.

Lancaster Foods is recalling various processed butternut squash items.

The products may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

No illnesses have been reported to date.

The following products are being recalled:

• 16 oz Autumn Medley - UPC 8 13055 01115 6; with the expiration dates of 01/05/21, 01/07/21, and 01/09/21 noted on the bottom scan label. The brand name is Lancaster Foods and the package is a clear plastic tamper-evident clamshell.
• 12 oz Butternut Squash Noodles - UPC 8 13055 01749 3; with the expiration date of 01/10/21 noted on the bottom scan label. The brand name is Lancaster Foods and the package is a clear plastic tamperevident clamshell.
• 12 oz Butternut Squash Noodles - UPC 8 13055 01864 3; with the expiration dates of 01/05/21, 01/08/21, 01/10/21, 01/11/21, 01/12/21, 01/15/21, and 01/17/21 noted on the bottom scan label. The brand name is Lancaster Foods and the package is a clear plastic tamper-evident clamshell.
• 12 oz Butternut Squash Noodles - UPC 6 88267 17259 5; with the expiration dates of 01/08/21, 01/10/21, 01/12/21, 01/13/21, 01/14/21, 01/15/21, and 01/17/21 noted on the bottom scan label. The brand name is Store Brand and the package is a clear plastic tamper-evident clamshell.
• 21 oz Butternut Squash Planks - UPC 8 13055 01272 6; with the expiration dates of 01/02/21, 01/08/21, 01/12/21, 01/15/21, and 01/17/21 noted on the bottom scan label. The brand name is Lancaster Foods and the package is a clear plastic tamper-evident clamshell.
• 20 oz Squash Noodle Medley - UPC 8 13055 01836 0; with the expiration dates of 01/05/21, 01/08/21, 01/13/21, 01/14/21, and 01/16/21 noted on the bottom scan label. The brand name is Lancaster Foods and the package is a clear plastic tamper-evident clamshell.
• 20 oz Squash Noodle Medley - UPC 6 88267 18585 4; with the expiration dates of 01/03/21, 01/08/21, 01/11/21, 01/17/21, 01/18/21, and 01/19/21 noted on the bottom scan label. The brand name is Store Brand and the package is a clear plastic tamper-evident clamshell.
• 2.5# Butternut Squash Chunks - UPC 8 13055 01596 3; with the expiration dates of 01/04/21, 01/12/21, 01/15/21, and 01/18/21 noted on the bottom scan label. The brand name is Lancaster Foods and the package is a clear plastic tamper-evident clamshell.
• 20 oz Butternut Squash Chunks - UPC 8 13055 01150 7; with the expiration dates of 01/05/21, 01/08/21, 01/09/21, 01/13/21, and 01/16/21 noted on the bottom scan label. The brand name is Lancaster Foods and the package is a clear plastic tamper-evident clamshell.
• 24 oz Butternut Squash Chunks - UPC 8 13055 01300 6; with the expiration dates of 01/12/21, 01/13/21, 01/15/21 noted on the bottom scan label. The brand name is Lancaster Foods and the package is a clear plastic tamper-evident clamshell.
• 12 oz Butternut Squash Chunks - UPC 8 13055 01391 4; with the expiration dates of 01/04/21, 01/05/21, 01/07/21, 01/11/21, 01/12/21, 01/15/21, 01/17/21, and 01/20/21 noted on the bottom scan labels. The brand name is Lancaster Foods and the package is a clear plastic tamper-evident clamshell.
• 15 oz Veggie Rice Blend - UPC 8 13055 01014 2; with the expiration dates of 01/07/21 and 01/09/21 noted on the bottom scan labels.

The recalled products were sold mainly at retail stores in North Carolina, Virginia, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont.

What to do

Consumers who have purchased units noted above are urged to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Consumers with questions may contact the company at (410) 799-0010, extension 1530 from 8:00am to 5:00pm (ET) Monday through Sunday.

Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA is recalling 2,285 model year 2016-2020 Yamaha FJR13A and FJR13AE motorcycles.

The second gear of the transmission can crack and break under high speed loads.

A broken gear can cause the transmission and rear wheel to lock causing a loss of control and increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

Owners are advised not to operate their motorcycle until the repairs have been performed.

Yamaha will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and -- as necessary -- reprogram the Engine Control Unit (ECU) and replace the main axle and drive axle assemblies free of charge.

The recall was expected to begin January 13, 2021.

Owners may contact Yamaha customer service at (800) 962-7926. Yamaha's number for this recall is 990141.

Autosales Inc., is recalling 774 Summit Racing 6-Ton jack stands, part number SUM-918006.

The ratchet bar may fail during use, allowing the vehicle to fall without any warning.

Under load, the stand may drop suddenly, increasing the risk of injury to people near or under a lifted vehicle.

What to do

Autosales will notify owners, and Summit Racing will provide a full refund and an additional $25.00 gift certificate.

The recall is expected to begin in January 2021.

Owners may contact Autosales customer service at (800) 230-3030.

Hiland Dairy is recalling half-pint (236 mL) containers of 1% low fat chocolate milk.

The product may contain food-grade sanitizers, which could cause illness if consumed.

The recalled product, with UPC 72060-00156-3, plant code 4025 and the sell by date January 27, 2021, was sold to institutional customers in the following areas:

• Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Metro Area
• Western Oklahoma
• Dallas, Texas
• San Antonio, Texas
• Tyler, Texas

What to do

Consumers with questions may contact Hiland Dairy seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (CST) or by email at https://www.hilanddairy.com/contact-us.

Thor Motor Coach (TMC) is recalling 940 model year 2018-2019 Hurricane and Windsport motorhomes.

The overhead cabinets located above the driver and front passenger seats may detach and fall onto the seat occupants, possibly causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle.

A loss of vehicle control can increase the risk of a crash.

What to do

TMC will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the overhead cabinets, and reinstall them -- as necessary -- free of charge.

The recall is expected to begin February 5, 2021.

Owners may contact TMC customer service at (877) 855-2867. TMC's number for this recall is RC000208.

Jayco is recalling 3,356 model year 2020-2021 Greyhawk, Greyhawk Pestige, Redhawk, Redhawk SE, Odyssey and Esteem motorhomes.

The mounting brackets for the leveling system hydraulic pump and reservoir may fail, allowing the components to contact the ground.

Contact with the ground may cause the pump and reservoir to detach or leak hydraulic fluids, increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

Jayco will notify owners, and dealers will install a new support bracket free of charge.

The recall is expected to begin January 31, 2021.

Owners may contact Jayco customer service at (800) 283-8267. Jayco's number for this recall is 9903528.

Scalpa of Phoenix, Ariz., is recallingh about 10,000 containers of Scalpa Numb Maximum Strength Topical Anesthetic Cream.

The product contains lidocaine which must be in child resistant packaging as required by the Poison Prevention Packaging Act. The packaging of the product is not child resistant, posing a risk of poisoning to young children.

No incidents or injuries are reported.

This recall involves Scalpa Numb Maximum Strength Topical Anesthestic Cream in a 10-gram black and white tube with a white cap.

“SCALPANUMB” and “Maximum Strength Topical Anesthetic Cream” are printed on the label. The expiration date is marked as EXP 202307 on the crimped end of the tube.

Batch number 1000000101, Code: C1 and the UPC code 857076008689 are printed on the outside of the box.

The medication, manufactured in China, was sold at Scalpashop.com and Amazon.com from February 2020, through November 2020, for about $18.

What to do

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled Scalpa Numb, store the cream in a safe location out of reach of children and contact Scalpa for a full refund or store credit. Scalpa is directly notifying all known purchasers about the recall.

Consumers may contact Scalpa toll-free at (855) 424-7828 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (MT) Monday through Friday, by email at care@scalpashop.com or online at www.scalpashop.com and click on “Recall - Important Safety Information – Scalpa Numb” at the bottom of the page for more information.

Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems is recalling 1,701 SL-4 Brake Light Pressure switches with part numbers K101993, K101996, K108141, and K108142 manufactured between December 1, 2019 and January 31, 2020.

When air pressure is supplied to the brake light switch it may leak, possibly causing the internal electrical contacts to become jammed.

Jammed electrical contacts in the brake light switch can cause the brake lights to remain illuminated, or fail to illuminate. Either of these can increase the risk of a crash.

What to do

Bendix will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake light switch free of charge.

The recall is expected to begin February 1, 2021.

Owners may contact Bendix customer service at (877) 345-9526.

Lake Champlain Chocolates is recalling various milk chocolate bars.

The products may contain foreign objects -- specifically brittle plastic pieces.

No adverse health effects are reported.

A list of the recalled products with their Best By dates may be found here.

The recalled products were sold through retailers and distributors nationwide and in the company’s three Vermont retail stores.

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled products should not consume them; rather they should discard them.

Consumers with questions may contact the company at info@lakechamplainchocolates.com.

Jayco is recalling 1,656 model year 2016-2020 Seneca Class C motorhomes.

The mounting brackets for the leveling system hydraulic pump and reservoir may fail, allowing the components to contact the ground.

Contact with the ground may cause the pump and reservoir to detach or leak hydraulic fluids, increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

The remedy for this recall is currently under development.

The recall is expected to begin February 15, 2021.

Owners may contact Jayco customer service at (800) 283-8267. Jayco's number for this recall is 9903529.

Consumers who own a Ford vehicle may want to double-check to make sure that it’s safe to take out on the road. The company announced this week that it is recalling approximately 3 million vehicles that are equipped with Takata airbags. 

These airbags have already been linked to at least 18 deaths in the U.S. due to an issue that causes the propellant in the airbags’ inflators to degrade over time. In some cases, that degradation can cause the airbags to explode and send tiny bits of metal into the passenger cabin. 

The recall affects certain vehicles in the 2006 to 2012 model years, including the Ford Fusion, Ranger, and Edge; Lincoln/MKZ/Zephyr and MKX; and Mercury Milan. All told, the company said it will spend $610 million to repair affected vehicles. 

Ford isn’t the only automaker dealing with this kind of problem. Volkswagen also announced a recall of 2012-2014 Beetles and Beetle Convertibles this week over similar issues. 

GM recalls over 600,000 vehicles for unsafely installed seatbelts

While Ford and Volkswagen grappled with unsafe airbags, GM had its hands full this week with a seatbelt issue affecting hundreds of thousands of vehicles. 

It was discovered that some of the seat belt brackets in affected vehicles were not properly attached to the seat frames. Without this connection, a passenger could potentially become seriously injured in a crash because they would not be restrained properly. 

GM said it would notify owners who have an affected vehicle and work with dealers to correct the issue free of charge. 

Trailers recalled due to fire hazards

Two companies issued recalls this week for issues connected to fire hazards. 

Keystone announced a recall for nearly 350 of its Cougar recreational trailers after it was discovered that the Solar Prep wiring in the products may not be connected correctly to the breaker. This could cause an electrical short, which increases the risk of a fire. 

At the same time, Forest River recalled 15 of its 2021 model year Puma travel trailers because the outdoor cooktop was able to be stowed while the propane hose was attached and the burner was still on. Putting away a lit burner would, of course, cause a fire, so the company is recalling the affected models so that a bracket can be attached to prevent improper stowing. 

Essar recalls potentially toxic rubbing alcohol

While it’s not a particularly large recall, Essar’s callback of a single lot of its rubbing alcohol product should serve as a warning about the dangers of certain chemicals in consumer products. 

The company said a single lot of its Soho Fresh 70% Rubbing Alcohol was contaminated with methanol. Exposure to this chemical can be very dangerous and cause a range of symptoms, including blindness, seizures, coma, and permanent damage to the nervous system. In some cases, too much exposure can even cause death.

The company advised customers who bought an affected product to stop using it immediately and either discard it or return it to the place of purchase. 

Aston Martin The Americas is recalling 151 model year 2021 DBXs.

The vehicles were incorrectly built without headliner foam blocks.

The missing foam blocks can increase the risk of injury to unbelted occupants in a crash.

What to do

Aston Martin will notify owners, and dealers will install the headliner foam blocks free of charge.

The recall is expected to begin January 31, 2021.

Owners may contact Aston Martin customer service at (888) 923-9988. Aston Martin's number for this recall is RA-30-1471.