MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened an investigation into the timeliness of Graco’s reporting of a safety defect in child seats.
Earlier this year, Graco recalled more than six million car seats due to defective harness buckles. Reports show parents had been complaining about not being able to unlatch the buckle and their kids getting stuck.
According to the NHTSA, Graco finally began the recall after a push from its agency. The recall became the largest for child safety seats in U.S. history.
By law, once a manufacturer knows that an item contains a safety related defect, it has five business days to notify the NHTSA. The investigation will focus on whether Graco violated that law.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said, “Any delays by a manufacturer in meeting their obligations to report safety issues with the urgency they deserve, especially those that impact the well-being of our children, erodes that trust and is absolutely unacceptable.”
“There is no excuse for delaying a recall to address any safety related defect,” said NHTSA Deputy Administrator David Friedman. “If Graco delayed in protecting children and infants from this defect, we will hold them accountable.”
If NHTSA’s investigation finds that Graco was untimely in reporting the defect, the manufacturer could be fined up to $35 million in civil penalties.