Consumer Product Recalls

About Consumer Product Recalls

Consumer product recalls are issued when a product sold to the public presents an unreasonable risk of injury or death. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is the federal agency responsible for overseeing the safety of thousands of consumer products — from household appliances and furniture to children's toys, clothing, power tools, and recreational equipment.

Recalls can be initiated voluntarily by the manufacturer or retailer, or they can result from a CPSC investigation following reports of consumer injuries or incidents. Common hazards that trigger product recalls include fire and burn risks (particularly from overheating lithium-ion batteries, faulty wiring, or flammable materials), laceration and puncture hazards from structural failures, choking and strangulation risks in children's products, toxic chemical exposures, fall hazards from unstable furniture, and tip-over risks from appliances or large items.

Recalled consumer products often come with a remedy — usually a free repair, a replacement, or a refund. To claim your remedy, you typically need to register the recall on the manufacturer's website or call their recall hotline. The CPSC recall notice will list the exact steps. In some cases — particularly for hazardous items like certain baby products or items with high injury risk — the CPSC may advise you to stop using the product immediately and dispose of it rather than return it.

If you have children, pay particular attention to recalls involving toys, cribs, car seats, strollers, and infant sleep products. The CPSC maintains a separate registration system for these items at SaferProducts.gov, where you can report unsafe products and track recalls that affect products you own.