Battery-Powered Riding Vehicles (Peg Perego) – Safety Concern (1999)

Check Your Product

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)

Reason for Recall

As stated by CPSC

Children's Riding Vehicles Recalled by Peg Perego NEWS from CPSC U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Office of Information and Public Affairs Washington, DC 20207 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 24, 1999 Release # 99-084 Company Phone Number: (800) 728-2108 CPSC Consumer Hotline: (800) 638-2772 CPSC Media Contact: Nychelle Fleming, (301) 504-7063 CPSC, Peg Perego Announce Recall of Children's Riding Vehicles WASHINGTON, D.C. - In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Peg Perego USA Inc., of Fort Wayne, Ind., is recalling about 274,000 battery-powered children's riding vehicles for repair. Pedals can stick and electrical components can overheat, presenting fire and injury hazards to children. CPSC and Peg Perego have received about 320 reports of electrical components overheating or pedals sticking. Thirty fires have been reported, resulting in one child suffering second-degree burns to his hand and at least $55,000 in property damage. One child suffered a concussion and six children received bruises when accelerator pedals stuck and the vehicles hit trees, fences, walls or parked automobiles. The Peg Perego vehicles being recalled run on 12 volts, powered by two 6-volt batteries, and were manufactured before December 1997. The vehicles are made of plastic and have been sold under the following model names: Corral 270, Diablo, Dragon, Gaucho, Gaucho Grande, Gaucho High Torque, Gaucho Sport, Magica, Magnum, Ranger GT, Thunderbolt, Thundercat, and Tornado. The model name and Peg Perego appear on each vehicle. The company will help consumers identify if their model is part of the recall. Peg Perego vehicles are intended for children 3 to 8 years old, and the vehicles' speed ranges from 2.5 to 5 mph, depending on the model. Toy stores and retail catalogs sold the vehicles nationwide from 1990 through 1997 for about $100 to $550. Consumers should remove the vehicles' batteries right away and not let children use the vehicles until the repair has been made. Consumers should contact Peg Perego at (800) 728-2108 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. EST Monday through Friday or at their web site, www.perego.com, to order a free repair kit, which can be installed by the consumer or by an authorized Peg Perego service center. Service centers will not have repair kits. The 12-volt, two battery Peg Perego vehicles manufactured since 1998 and the 6-volt, one battery vehicles are not included in this recall. Consumers can also view a video clip about this recall (transcript). This is in "streaming video" format.

Recommended Action

Per CPSC guidance

The CPSC advises consumers to stop using the product. Contact the manufacturer or return the product to the place of purchase.