Diono Recalls Certain Radian, Rainier, Olympia & Pacifica Carseat Models

Diono Radian RXT, Radian R100, Radian R120, Rainier, Pacifica & Olympia Car Seat Recall

Diono is recalling certain Radian R100, Radian R120, Radian RXT, Olympia, Pacifica, and Rainier convertible+booster carseats. Approximately 500,000 seats are affected. When the carseat is secured to the vehicle forward-facing using just a lap belt and without using the top tether, the seat may not adequately protect the child from injury in the event of a crash. As such, these seats do not conform to the specific requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 213. This is a voluntary recall. There are no reported injuries or deaths associated with these seats in these use modes. Owners of affected seats can continue to safely use their Diono carseats until the “recall remedy kits” are mailed out in about 6 weeks.

To clarify, only seats made in the date range listed below are recalled and the problem only relates to the installation of these models in the forward-facing position if the seat is installed in an older vehicle with just a lap belt and no top tether. If your Diono convertible was made during the recall period but your seat is installed rear-facing, or if it is installed forward-facing using the tether, you don’t need to be overly concerned but you should make sure your seat is registered with Diono so you can receive your recall remedy kit which will include several items. More on that below.

To determine if your Diono seat is recalled, find the sticker label on the side of the seat which includes the model number and the date of manufacture, then check to see if falls into the date range listed below. If you purchased your Diono convertible seat sometime in the last 4 years, there is a good chance it’s now part of this recall.

My seat is affected by this recall. Now what?

The recall is expected to begin November 22, 2017. At that time Diono will begin notifying registered owners and will provide a free remedy kit to those who request it. If you know that you never registered your Diono carseat, you can register it online here. If you’re not sure, you can contact Diono customer service at 1-855-215-4951 to confirm the registration and to make sure they have your current mailing address. 

The remedy kits won’t be ready to ship until the end of November.

What will the Remedy Kit contain?

The free remedy kit will contain an updated instruction manual, an energy-absorbing EPP foam insert that goes under the child and a new style of chest clip. These additions are only necessary when installing your Diono carseat forward-facing with a lap-only seatbelt and no top tether. This is an unlikely scenario for most parents unless you drive a vehicle more than 15 years old, or a school bus.

Do I really need the Remedy Kit?

If you are currently using your Diono carseats forward-facing in a seating position with just a lap belt and no top tether, you will want to add the EPP foam insert and new chest clip as soon as possible. Or, better yet, look for a different seating position that may have a tether anchor you can use!

For the vast majority of Diono carseat owners who are either using their seat rear-facing or have it tethered forward-facing, you don’t really need the remedy kit but should probably order it anyway just in case you wind up needing to install your seat in an old vehicle with lap belts and no tether anchors someday.  Or, maybe on a school bus. 🙂

You can pre-order a remedy kit by calling Diono customer service at 1-855-215-4951. Just keep in mind that the remedy kit won’t ship until late November or December.

Additional information from the Diono website:

https://us.diono.com/safety-notice/

Diono is a leading designer and manufacturer of child safety seats and other juvenile products.  We are committed to improving safety for babies and young children traveling in cars.  As a result of our rigorous quality control, and ongoing product testing, we have established that if our convertible child safety seat is installed forward-facing in vehicles with a lap-belt (type 1) only without top tether, it crosses into a technical non-compliance.  If our convertible child safety seat is being used with a lap and shoulder safety belt (type 2) or with our SuperLATCH system, or top tether the child safety seat is unaffected.

Please Note: In September of 2005 a U.S. law passed requiring a three-point belt in every back seat for all cars manufactured after 2007 – most vehicle manufacturers complied well before that date.

It is highly unlikely that you will be affected by this voluntary recall.  To check if you are, please answer the following questions.

A) Is your child safety seat installed forward-facing with the lap and shoulder belt, or with our SuperLATCH system, or using the top tether?  If the answer is yes you are unaffected by this notice.

B) Is your child safety seat installed forward-facing with the lap belt only and top tether. If the answer is yes you are unaffected by this notice.

C) Is your child safety seat installed forward-facing with the lap belt only? If the answer is yes, you might be affected by this notice.

If the answer to C is yes you are only affected if your seat was manufactured after 11/25/13.  You will be able to locate this information on the manufacturer’s label on the product.

The Diono Safety Team is ready to assist any concerns, questions and inquiries from concerned parents, customers or advocates who need our support while we implement this voluntary recall. We have a toll-free number set up for any consumer inquiries 1-855-463-4666.