Recall Campaign 1999080001 - BABYSMART Infant Restraint/Booster Seat Exchange (1999080001)

Publication date: 1999-12-01
Reference number: 1999080001

RECALL CAMPAIGN 1999080001 - BABYSMART INFANT RESTRAINT/BOOSTER SEAT EXCHANGE

CAMPAIGN SERVICE BULLETIN

Reference Number(s): S-RC-1999080001, Date of Issue: December 01, 1999

MERCEDES-BENZ:	ALL MERCEDES-BENZ CENTERS
GROUP:	00 OF SERVICE INFORMATION BINDER
GROUP:	I OF INFORMATION - PARTS & ACCESSORIES BINDER

SUBJECT

BABYSMART INFANT RESTRAINT/BOOSTER SEAT EXCHANGE

SERVICE INFORMATION

Attached are sample second notification letters that will be mailed as applicable, to all registered Mercedes-Benz BabySmart-compatible Infant Restraint owners in December 1999 and Booster Seat owners in February 2000. The letters instruct clients to contact their nearest Mercedes-Benz Center to have their BabySmart-compatible Infant Restraints and Booster Seats exchanged free-of-charge.

The BabySmart-compatible Infant Restraints and Booster Seats will be allocated in proportion to the amount of affected seats originally purchased by your retail center. This will allow retail centers to determine and control the distribution of seats within their market. The BabySmart-compatible Infant Restraints and Booster Seats will not be available for open ordering until enough seats have been allocated to complete this recall campaign.

Retailers may return for credit, all recalled BabySmart-compatible Infant Restraints and Booster Seats collected from clients by completing a PRP 3 and returning the seats to their facing Parts Distribution Center (PDC). PRP's must include order number 'PRP3SEAT' and client returned seats must include the client name to receive credit.

This recall campaign has been initiated out of concern that if the BabySmart-compatible Infant Restraint and/or Booster Seat is incorrectly positioned, or moves several or more inches forward of the front passenger seatback, the front passenger airbag may not be automatically deactivated in BabySmart-equipped Mercedes-Benz vehicles. This situation may arise because the two transponders in the base of the Infant Restraint or Booster Seats would be pushed out of range of the antenna located in the vehicle seat bottom. The status of the BabySmart airbag deactivation system in the vehicle is always correctly indicated to the driver by the illumination or non-illumination of the "AIRBAG OFF" indicator.

There are approximately 6,000 BabySmart-compatible Infant Restraints and Booster Seats affected (approximately 2,000 Infant Restraints and 4,000 Booster Seats).

PLEASE INFORM YOUR CLIENTS OF THE FOLLOWING NOTE AND WARNING CONTENT.

NOTE: Clients who have not yet registered their BabySmart Infant Restraints/Booster Seats with Britax, should contact the Mercedes-Benz Client Assistance Center at 1-800-FOR-MERC directly to do so.

WARNING: CHILDREN 12 AND UNDER CAN BE KILLED BY A DEPLOYING FRONT AIR BAG. THEY SHOULD NOT BE TRANSPORTED IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT WITH THE BABYSMART INFANT RESTRAINT OR BOOSTER SEAT DESIGNED TO DEACTIVATE THE AIR BAG UNTIL THE SEAT HAS BEEN REPLACED. ALL CHILDREN SHOULD BE PLACED IN THE BACK SEATS OF BABYSMART-EQUIPPED MERCEDES-BENZ VEHICLES.

PARTS INFORMATION

Part Name	Part Number
Infant Restraint to be returned	Q 6 91 0155
Booster Seat to be returned	Q 6 91 0163 and Q 6 91 0157
New Infant Restraint	B Q 691 0176
New Booster Seat	B Q 691 0177

NOTE: This recall campaign does not require a warranty claim submission.

Fig 1: Restraint Owner Notification Letter

Fig 2: Booster Seat Owner Notification Letter