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What to Do If Your Baby Product Is Recalled

Stop using it as the notice says, contact the company for the refund, repair or replacement, and never sell or pass it on. What to do with recalled baby gear.

By Baby Product Recalls editorial teamUpdated 3 min readHow we research

A teal pram parked on a dirt path under a tree in a park

If a baby product you own is recalled, do what the notice says, which for most baby gear means stop using it now. Contact the company through the phone number or website in the notice to claim the refund, repair or replacement, keep the product away from children meanwhile, and never sell or give it away.

The steps are the same whatever the product, though car seats work a little differently.

What to do, in order

  1. Read the full notice. Confirm that your model number and date code are listed, using how to check a baby product for a recall.
  2. Stop using it if the notice says so. CPSC’s recall handbook gives companies this wording for the remedy line: “Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled” product “and contact the firm” for a refund, free repair or free replacement.
  3. Put it where children cannot reach it. IKEA’s dresser notice, for example, told owners to place an unanchored recalled chest “in an area that children cannot access.” See furniture tip-overs for anchoring, and childproofing devices for the rest of the room.
  4. Contact the company. Use the consumer contact in the notice, not a general customer service line. Have the model number, date code and a photo ready.
  5. Claim the remedy and apply it. A repair kit only helps once it is installed. Recall remedies explains refund, repair and replacement.
  6. Dispose of it only as the company instructs. Some remedies ask for proof first. Fisher-Price’s April 10, 2025 recall of a toy sold with SnugaPuppy activity centers asked owners to mark the toy “Recall”, upload a photo and only then put it in the trash. Never leave a recalled product out whole where someone could take it home.

Can I sell or pass on a recalled product?

Do not pass it on

CPSC says “it is illegal to sell any recalled product,” whether online or in person, under Section 19 of the Consumer Product Safety Act. Its resellers guide says a recalled product “should be destroyed and not sold or given away to others.” The one exception the guide names is a product repaired in accordance with the recall.

That includes yard sales, online marketplaces, consignment stores and hand-me-downs to friends. The Rock ’n Play reannouncement of January 9, 2023 put it plainly: “It is illegal to sell or distribute the recalled sleepers.”

What about car seats?

Car seat recalls run through NHTSA, and the process differs:

  • You may hear first by mail. NHTSA says manufacturers notify registered owners by first-class mail within 60 days of telling NHTSA about a recall decision. This is why registering a car seat matters.
  • Follow the interim guidance. NHTSA tells owners to “follow any interim safety guidance provided by the manufacturer” until the remedy arrives.
  • The remedy is free. NHTSA says it monitors each recall so owners receive “safe, free, and effective remedies.”

Many car seat recalls are fixed with a part, a new label or a corrected manual rather than a new seat. Our count of NHTSA child seat campaigns is on recalls by the numbers.

Report a problem, even without a recall

A teal pram parked on a dirt path under a tree in a park
A report about a stroller, crib or swing goes to SaferProducts.gov; a report about a car seat goes to NHTSA.

If a baby product broke, hurt your child or nearly did, report it even if it is not recalled. SaferProducts.gov takes reports on consumer products, and CPSC says each report is reviewed by its staff and could contribute to a decision to seek a recall. NHTSA takes complaints about car seats through its “Report a Safety Problem” form.

Reports are public once published, with personal details removed on the NHTSA side. Keep the product, the packaging and any photos until the company or agency tells you otherwise.

When the company does not answer

Keep a record of each call and email with the date. If the recall line does not respond, CPSC’s hotline is 800-638-2772, and NHTSA’s vehicle safety hotline is 888-327-4236. The section overview, how baby product recalls work, lists which agency covers which product, and buying used baby gear covers what to check before anything secondhand comes into the house.

Frequently asked questions

Can I keep using a recalled crib or stroller until the replacement arrives?

Follow the notice. Most CPSC recall notices for baby products tell owners to stop using the product immediately, so plan another safe option, such as a different crib, bassinet or play yard that is not recalled, while you wait.

Can I sell or give away a recalled baby product?

No. CPSC says it is illegal to sell any recalled product, online or in person. Its resellers guide adds that a recalled product should be destroyed and not sold or given away. The exception is a product that has been repaired as the recall directs.

Do I need the receipt to get a recall refund?

Each recall sets its own terms, so read the notice and ask the company's recall line what it needs. Have the model number and date code from the product's label ready when you call.

What should I do with a recalled car seat?

Read NHTSA's recall summary and the letter from the maker, and follow any interim safety guidance it gives. Manufacturers must provide a free remedy, and many car seat remedies are a replacement part, a label or a new manual.

Filed under Recall basicsStart with How Baby Product Recalls Work in the U.S.

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