Important Safety Information Combi Infant Carrier Separation From Base

For immediate release
March 5, 2008

Transport Canada is advising the public of a safety issue with respect to the Combi infant carrier models listed below. This safety notice affects 536 units. The following models, manufactured between August 5, 2006 and October 27, 2007, are affected:

Safety Risk: Any moderate to severe collision could exert enough force on the latching system of the infant carrier to cause it to separate from its base. It is therefore imperative that the infant carrier be securely fastened without its base with the vehicle's seat belt, in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions, until a repair kit is received.

Consumer Action and Recourse: Consumers who have completed and returned their registration card, or registered their infant car seat on-line at www.combi.ca, will receive a repair kit free of charge. Those who have not registered their infant car seat should contact ISIS Inc., the importer of the Combi infant carrier, at 1-800-667-4111. Again, the infant carrier should not be used with the base until the repair kit is received. Consumers should not return the affected units to a retailer.

Transport Canada Investigation and Company Action: During in-vehicle evaluation and research testing performed by Transport Canada's Crashworthiness Research Division, at the Department's motor vehicle test facilities in Blainville, Quebec, four Combi infant carriers separated from their bases. Additional sled testing and analysis determined that the separation was due to inertial unlatching of the release mechanism.

The manufacturer and the importer attended a meeting called by Transport Canada on February 7, 2008, to review these test results and examine the affected units. From this meeting, it was determined that the shell of the infant carrier is prone to separating from its base due to inertial unlatching of the release mechanism when subjected to moderate to severe frontal collisions.

Transport Canada advised the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of the U.S. Department of Transportation on the findings of this investigation.

A public information notice was issued by Transport Canada on March 4, 2008, and further information on the affected Combi infant carrier systems can be found on Transport Canada's website at: www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/childsafety/notices/TP14566P/2008p01/menu.htm

-- 30--

Media requiring more information:
Media Relations
Transport Canada
613-993-0055