Children’s Mario Kart Ride-On Racer Recalled Due To Crash Hazard

Motor vehicles are among the most often recalled consumer products on the market. However, this particular recall, which was posted on April 25 by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, involves a toy vehicle manufactured by JAKKS Pacific, Mario Kart™ 24V Ride-On Racer Cars.

According to the CPSC, if the acceleration pedal on the battery-operated play car toy becomes clogged with debris, it can stick after the user’s foot is removed from the pedal, posing a potential crash hazard. About 17,500 units are subject to the recall.

The recall includes certain battery-operated Mario Kart™ 24V Ride-on Racers with specific date codes only. The toy vehicles are red, white, and blue in color with the letter “M” prominently displayed in the center of a white circle on the front of the vehicle. Each vehicle has an 8-digit alphanumeric manufacturing date code in the format of XXXXVEO1. This code is located at the bottom of the blue panel on the underside of the vehicle. Vehicles subject to recall have the following date codes: 1752VE01, 1782VE01, 1952VE01, 2242VE01, 2352VE01, 2852VE01, and 0583VE01. Vehicles that are available in stores now are not subject to the recall.

JAKKS Pacific is advising customers to immediately stop using the 24V Ride-On cars if the date code matches one of the date codes listed above. JAKKS Pacific will provide impacted customers with a free repair kit. The repair kit includes a free replacement pedal with installation instructions.

As of now, the company has received 65 reports of incidents involving the pedals sticking. 15 of these incidents involved the vehicle crashing into a permanent structure. Only one minor injury was reported. One child sustained a minor chafing to his hand.

Children’s motorized toy car lawsuits 

Generally, children’s motorized toy cars are safe. They don’t go especially fast and injuries are usually minor. However, one lawsuit filed in 2001 involved Fisher-Price Inc. paying $1.1 million to settle claims that it failed to report serious safety defects in its battery-powered Power Wheels vehicles.

A recall was issued in October 1998 after the CPSC determined the vehicles posed a major fire risk, even when they weren’t being used. No deaths were reported, but at the time of the recall, the CPSC had heard of reports related to at least 150 fires. 9 children sustained minor burn injuries as a result of the fire hazard.

In this case, the government fined Fisher-Price for failing to report the safety hazard earlier even after they knew about it. Fisher-Price denied foreknowledge of the problem but agreed to settle the case to avoid protracted litigation and disruption to their business.

Talk to a Florida Product Liability Lawyer Today 

The Florida personal injury lawyers at Halpern, Santos & Pinkert represent the interests of Florida residents who have been injured by dangerous or defective products. If you have suffered an injury due to a dangerous or defective product, call our office today to schedule a free consultation and learn more about how we can help.

Sources:

cpsc.gov/Recalls/2024/JAKKS-Pacific-Recalls-Childrens-Mario-Kart-Ride-On-Racer-Car-Toys-Due-to-Crash-Hazard

washingtonpost.com/archive/business/2001/06/07/toymaker-settles-power-wheels-case/7d2a9ca0-a4aa-48bf-bf64-ecc047a7f86b/