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What does this mean for parents who own BOB strollers?
What does this mean for parents who own BOB strollers? (Photo: Courtesy BOB)

The BOB Stroller Safety Controversy, Explained

The Consumer Product Safety Commission tried to recall strollers it claimed were defective, but the newly appointed chair stopped it

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What does this mean for parents who own BOB strollers?
(Photo: Courtesy BOB)

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For many outdoorsy parents, a good running stroller ranks high on the list of must-have items. And 鈥檚 collapsible, off-road models are some of听the most popular. But a by The Washington Post听may change that.

On Tuesday, the paper released an investigative article detailing a battle from early 2017 through late 2018between the stroller company and the Consumer Product Safety Commission over allegedly defective front-wheel attachments. As outlined in the story, the CPSC had 200 documented consumer complaints of front wheels spontaneously falling off various models of BOB strollers, causing all manner of injuries to both parents and children, from cuts to broken bones. The culprit: the quick-release lever that secured the wheel to the front fork. 鈥淭he quick release is a metal skewer with a curved handle on one end and a metal nut on the other that tightens the wheel to the stroller fork,鈥 the Post听wrote. 鈥淭he stroller鈥檚 instructions told parents that 鈥榣ess than a half turn鈥 of the quick release can be 鈥榯he difference between safe and unsafe clamping force.鈥欌

But the company never issued a formal recall.

Why? First, BOB鈥檚 parent company, Britax, refused, claiming that the stroller was not defective and that the company听had already done enough听to ensure听safety by educating customers about how to properly tighten the quick-release lever (in 2013, it released a safety video and added safety messaging to its product tags). Then, the Post uncovered, newly appointed Republican CPSC chairwoman Ann Marie Buerkle prevented staffers from further pressuring BOB into agreeing to a voluntary recall听and kept information of the stroller complaints secret from Democratic commissioners. The Post wrote that Buerkle denied all of these claims and declined an interview.

Ultimately, the commission voted to sue Britax, BOB鈥檚 parent company. 鈥淭he agency wanted the defective strollers to be repaired or replaced at Britax鈥檚 cost and for the company to launch a campaign to warn the public about the stroller鈥檚 dangers,鈥 the Post wrote. 鈥淭his is how recalls are typically handled.鈥 But听just after the lawsuit was filed, an additional Republican CPSC commissioner nominee听gained Senate approval, altering the balance of power from a three-to-one听Democrat-Republican split to a two-two听split. A vote on subpoenaing top BOB employees鈥攖o gain essential information for the agency鈥檚 lawsuit鈥攅nded in a stalemate. The case languished.

In the end, the commission gained another Republican member and voted three to two听to agree to end the lawsuit with a settlement with Britax: rather than an official recall, BOB would launch a centering on听a nine-minute educational video instructing customers on how听to make sure the quick-release lever on their stroller鈥檚 front tire was tightened correctly. BOB also had to offer customers replacement parts鈥攁 bolt or a 鈥渕odified quick release鈥濃攁nd discounts on new strollers for customers who had BOB models built before September 30, 2015. (The discounts were only offered for one year.)

What does this mean for parents who own BOB strollers? Unfortunately, the answer isn鈥檛 clear-cut, since BOB does not have a legal mandate to inspect, repair, and/or replace all strollers built within certain years. If you鈥檙e concerned about your rig, contact BOB鈥檚 .

Lead Photo: Courtesy BOB

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