Original; see modified release: Children's Riding Vehicles Recalled by Empire Industries

NEWS from CPSC

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

Office of Information and Public Affairs Washington, DC 20207
This is the original of a document that has been modified. To see the modified version, click here

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 31, 2000 CPSC Contact: Kim Dulic or Mark Ross
Release # 00-176 (301) 504-7058 or 1188
Empire Media Contact: Tom Wilson
(631) 288-8010

CPSC, Empire Industries Announce Recall of Children's Riding Vehicles

WASHINGTON, D.C. - In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Empire Industries, of Tarboro, N.C., is recalling about 113,000 battery-powered children's riding vehicles, marketed as "Power Drivers" or "Buddy L," for repair. The vehicles' battery chargers can overheat, presenting fire and injury hazards to children.

CPSC and Empire have received about 100 reports of chargers overheating, melting or burning. Five house fires have been reported resulting in at least $100,000 in property damage. One child and one adult received burns to hands on overheated charger jacks.

The Power Driver vehicles being recalled are powered by two 6-volt batteries, and were manufactured from July 1995 to December 1996. The vehicles are made of plastic and were sold under the following model names: Go-Kart, Beach Splash, Sun Dream, Trail Tracker, Rescue Patrol, and Chevy Z-71 Pick-Up Truck. The model name "Power Drivers" or "Buddy L" appear on each vehicle. The company will help consumers identify if their model is part of the recall. Power Driver 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 July 1995 through December 1997 for about $130 to $250.

Consumers should stop using the vehicles immediately and contact Empire at (old phone number hidden as it is invalid) between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday to receive a free, new charger adapter with an overcurrent fuse. Consumers should not charge the vehicles or let children use the vehicles until they have received the new charger adapter with fuse.

Children's Riding Vehicle


The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission protects the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death from 15,000 types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, call CPSC's hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC's teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270, or visit CPSC's web site at http://www.cpsc.gov/talk.html. For information on CPSC's fax-on-demand service, call the above numbers or visit the web site at http://cpsc.gov/about/who.html. To order a press release through fax-on-demand, call (301) 504-0051 from the handset of your fax machine and enter the release number. Consumers can obtain this release and recall information at CPSC's web site at http://www.cpsc.gov.