2015 Britax ClickTight Convertible Carseat Recall

RECALL: Britax Marathon ClickTight, Boulevard ClickTight, and Advocate ClickTight Convertible Carseats

Britax is recalling all Marathon Clicktight (CT), Boulevard CT, and Advocate CT convertible carseat model numbers manufactured between August 1, 2014 and July 29, 2015 (see list below). There is a defect with the harness release button that can cause the harness release button to stick in the down position and not lock the harness system. This will allow the harness to loosen during use. No injuries have been reported and roughly 200,000 seats are affected.

NHTSA Recall Information

 

You have a ClickTight model if the seating panel opens to reveal the belt path like this:

You can find your date of manufacture label on the ClickTight panel, under your child’s left leg:

 

Here’s where the harness release button is:

 

Britax issued this recall after confirming consumer complaints. We were told that NHTSA did not previously have an active investigation of this issue and did not initiate the recall. The fix kit will be sent automatically to owners who have registered their carseat within 7-10 days. It will include a food-grade dry lubricant that will not attract dirt and should not otherwise degrade over time. A label will also be included to indicate if the seat has had the remedy applied.

What Should I Do?

• Consumers not having a button sticking issue should confirm that the harness release button presses and releases as expected and may continue using the seat.
• If your carseat is affected because the harness release button becomes stuck, then discontinue using the seat IMMEDIATELY and use a different carseat until your fix kit arrives and you apply the fix as instructed.
• For more information on this recall, go to http://britaxclicktightconvertiblerecall.com/.
• If you haven’t yet registered your carseat, do so NOW: https://us.britax.com/service-support/product-registration/ .

This recall does NOT affect Frontier 90 ClickTight or Pinnacle 90 ClickTight combination carseats. It also does NOT affect Britax “G4.1”, G4, G3 or older convertible carseats.

We are told this issue is related to a manufacturing tolerance issue on a part from a supplier on a relatively small percentage of parts. Due to the nature of the part, we are advised that seats that have been used regularly for some time and have not previously exhibited this issue previously are extremely unlikely to develop this issue over time.  These seats that have not exhibited any problems in regular use would be safe to continue to use if you are able to tighten the harness and the straps remain locked and the button does not get stuck.

Also, in an emergency, it is possible to free a stuck harness adjustment button. This can be done by opening the ClickTight panel and pushing the plunger of the button mechanism out from underneath. Once it has been unstuck, the harness can be tightened and will lock for the duration of the trip. You must then discontinue use of an affected carseat as per Britax instructions below.

We are also told that there was a production change and retailers will be stocking updated models very soon.  A recall also applies to Canada: Transport Canada Recall Information.

From Britax: 

Dear Britax Consumer:

Britax Child Safety, Inc., in cooperation with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Transport Canada, is conducting a recall of certain Advocate ClickTight, Boulevard ClickTight, and Marathon ClickTight model convertible car seats.  Britax has decided that these  models manufactured between August 1, 2014 and July 29, 2015 contain a defect with the harness adjuster button (red), which may pose a safety hazard.

Affected Model Numbers and Names:

Advocate ClickTight:

• E9LT95Q ADVOCATE CT US, CIRCA
• E9LT95Z ADVOCATE CT US, LIMELIGHT
• E9LT95N ADVOCATE CT US, TAHOE
• E1A025Q ADVOCATE CT XE CIRCA

Boulevard ClickTight:

 

• E1A015Q BOULEVARD CT XE CIRCA
• E1A016A BOULEVARD CT XE KALEIDOSCOPE
• E1A016H BOULEVARD CT XE METRO
• E1A135Q BOULEVARD CT US UCS, CIRCA
• E9LT85Q BOULEVARD CT US, CIRCA
• E9LT85S BOULEVARD CT US, SPLASH
• E9LT86A BOULEVARD CT US, KALEIDOSCOPE
• E9LT86F BOULEVARD CT US UCS, BLAKENEY
• E9LT86G BOULEVARD CT US UCS, WESTIN
• E9LT86H BOULEVARD CT US, METRO

Marathon ClickTight:

• E1A005R MARATHON CT XE VERVE
• E1A006B MARATHON CT XE TWILIGHT
• E1A116L MARATHON CT TARGET, VIBE
• E9LT71Q MARATHON CT US, COWMOOFLAGE
• E9LT75R MARATHON CT US, VERVE
• E9LT76B MARATHON CT US, TWILIGHT
• E9LT76L MARATHON CT US, VIBE
• E9LT76N MARATHON CT US, RIO
• E9LT76P MARATHON CT US UCS, PRESCOTT
• EXA116L MARATHON CT US, VIBE

 

ONLY THE SEATS WITH THIS CLICKTIGHT DIAL ARE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL

NOTE: No other ClickTight products are included in this recall.  If your Britax product has a different model number than the model numbers listed above, it is NOT included in this recall.

Description of the Defect:  

The ClickTight model convertible car seats identified in the table above have harness adjuster buttons (red) which may remain down in the “release” position after the harness is tightened. This will enable the shoulder harnesses to loosen from a child’s movements while secured in the seat. A loose harness may not adequately protect a child in the event of a motor vehicle crash.

Remedy of the Defect:

To remedy this condition, we are providing you this free kit that includes a non-toxic food-grade lubricant to apply directly to the harness adjuster button (red).  After this one-time application of lubricant, the adjuster button will function normally, move freely inside the finger guide, and will not remain down in the “release” position after the harness is tightened.                                                                         

What You Should Do:

Follow the instructions included in the remedy kit. We recommend that you apply the lubricant to the harness adjuster button (red) immediately.   If you have any questions, contact our Customer Service Department at 1-888-427-4829 and press 3 or for consumers outside of US and Canada please call 704-409-1699 or email [email protected].

To view a video on how to remove the harness adjuster button (red) and apply the lubricant, visit BritaxClickTightConvertibleRecall.com.

In our continued commitment to child passenger safety, Britax is conducting a voluntary recall
of certain ClickTight model convertible car seats in cooperation with the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Transport Canada. The car seats and model
numbers included in this recall are identified on www.BritaxClickTightConvertibleRecall.com.
This recall does NOT involve the actual return of product. All registered owners are
automatically being sent a free remedy kit that includes a non-toxic, food grade lubricant, and
an instruction sheet for applying the lubricant to the harness adjuster button (red). Also
included is a label to apply to the seat indicating that the “fix” has been completed.

You can continue to safely use your ClickTight convertible car seat as long as you confirm that
the shoulder harness straps remain tensioned. There have not been any reports of injury as a
result of this defect.

Q: How do I know if my car seat is part of the recall?
A: You can confirm if your ClickTight convertible car seat is included in the recall by visiting
www.BritaxClickTightConvertibleRecall.com and verifying the model number and date of
manufacture (DOM) as follows:

Look for the DOM Label: The DOM label is located under the car seat cover to
the right of the ClickTight dial.

Look for the model numbers and date range identified on
www.BritaxClickTightConvertibleRecall.com.

If your product is part of the recall, carefully read and follow the detailed
instructions included in the remedy kit (see below for further details).

Q: My car seat is part of the recall. What should I do?
A: All registered owners of the recalled ClickTight convertibles car seats are automatically
being sent a free remedy kit that includes a non-toxic, food-grade lubricant and an
instruction sheet for applying the lubricant to the harness adjuster button. Also included
is a label to apply to the seat indicating that the remedy has been completed.
Consumers who have not registered their product, or need to verify their existing
registration, should visit: www.BritaxClickTightConvertibleRecall.com, contact our
Customer Service Department at 1-888-427-4829 (choose option 3) or for consumers
outside of the U.S. and Canada please call 704-409-1699 or email
[email protected]. Free remedy kits are automatically sent out upon registration
within 7-10 business days.

Q: Does this recall affect the performance of the ClickTight technology?
A: No. It is important to note that the revolutionary ClickTight Installation System is unaffected; this voluntary recall only focuses on the harness adjustment.

Q: Why is my car seat being recalled?
A: Britax has decided that the ClickTight model convertible car seats identified on www.BritaxClickTightConvertibleRecall.com and manufactured between August 1, 2014 and July 29, 2015 may contain a defect with the harness adjuster button (red), which would pose a safety hazard. These models have harness adjuster buttons (red) which may remain down in the “release” position after the harness is tightened. This will enable the shoulder harnesses to loosen from a child’s movements while secured in the seat. A loose harness may not adequately protect a child in the event of a motor vehicle crash.

Q: Have any injuries been reported? If so, what was the nature of the injury?
A: There have been no reported injuries associated with this recall.

Q: Why are we just learning about this voluntary recall now?
A: Britax has been working in conjunction with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Transport Canada to complete its product investigation. It typically takes a certain period of time to fully understand the cause for the reported product malfunction and to develop a suitable and permanent remedy to guard against additional issues. It is important that we identify the issue and that our solution is sound.

Q: I do not live in the United States or Canada. Is my ClickTight convertible car seat included in this recall?
A: Yes. For consumers and retailers outside of the U.S. and Canada with car seats included in this recall, Britax will make free remedy kits available. In order to receive your free remedy kit, please call our Customer Service Department at 704-409-1699 or email [email protected].

Q: When should I expect delivery of my remedy kit?
A: Within 7-10 business days of the announcement, Britax is sending free remedy kits automatically to all registered consumers who own car seats included in this recall. If you want to check your registration, please visit www.BritaxClickTightConvertibleRecall.com.

Q: Once I use the remedy kit, how do I know my car seat is safe?
A: To make sure the remedy was completed correctly and is working properly, secure your child in the car seat and pull forward on the shoulder harness straps. If the straps remain tight, the remedy is complete. If the straps loosen and do not remain snug, please contact our Customer Service Department at 1-888-427-4829 (choose option 3) or for consumers outside of the U.S. and Canada please call 704-409-1699 or email [email protected].

Q: What is the remedy kit?
A: The free remedy kit includes a non-toxic, food grade, lubricant, and an instruction sheet for applying the lubricant to the harness adjuster button (red). Also included is a label to apply indicating that the remedy has been completed.

Q: How do I use the remedy kit?
A: You do not need to remove your child seat from the vehicle to apply the remedy. Carefully read and follow the detailed instructions included in the remedy kit. We recommend that you apply the lubricant to the harness adjuster button (red) immediately. If you have any questions, contact our Customer Service Department at 1-888-427-4829 (choose option 3) or for consumers outside of U.S. and Canada please call 704-409-1699 or email [email protected].
To view a video on how to remove the harness adjuster button (red) and apply the lubricant, visit www.BritaxClickTightConvertibleRecall.com.

Q: Can I continue to use my car seat until the remedy kit arrives?
A: Yes. You can continue to safely use your ClickTight convertible car seat as long as you check and confirm that the shoulder harness straps remain tensioned. To check this, you should place your child in the seat and tighten the harness as usual, then pull firmly on the shoulder harnesses to confirm that they remain secure over the child’s shoulders. If, however, during the strap pull test the shoulder harness straps do loosen, we recommend that you discontinue use of the product until the lubricant has been applied to the harness adjuster button (red). If you have any questions, contact our Customer Service Department at 1-888-427-4829 (choose option 3) or for consumers outside of U.S. and Canada please call 704-409-1699 or email [email protected].

Q: What should I do if my remedy kit doesn’t fix the issue I’m experiencing?
A: If the shoulder harness straps loosen during the strap pull test, we recommend that you discontinue use of the product and contact our Customer Service Department at 1-888-427-4829 (choose option 3) or for consumers outside of U.S. and Canada please call 704-409-1699 or email [email protected].

Q: Will you be replacing my car seat?
A: No, Britax is not replacing the car seats included in the recall. A remedy kit is all that is necessary.

Q: Do I need to keep applying the lubricant after it dries?
A: No. The lubricant provided is a one-time use and is meant to dry. There is no need to reapply once it dries.