Infant cars seats to be recalled, may cause serious injuries

MACEDONIA, Ohio -- A recall of 4 million infant car seats that may cause serious injuries will begin in two weeks, the manufacturer announced on Friday.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Friday warned consumers the carrying handles on Century seats can break and send children crashing to the ground.

Although safe for use as rear-facing car seats, Century seats made between January 1991 through July 1997 should not be held by the handle, the NHTSA warned.

Century Products Co., a division of Graco Children's Products Inc., has received more than 2,700 reports of handle-related problems, including handles breaking, cracking, or possibly not being locked while the seat is used as a carrier, according to the NHTSA.

The seats are labeled "Century" on the front and the date of manufacture - "010191" through "073197" -- can be found on a label on the side of the seat, according to a statement on Century's Web site.

"Parents should avoid using the handle and instead hold the body of the seat securely when carrying an infant outside a motor vehicle," said NHTSA Administrator Sue Bailey.

Century officials could not be reached for comment late Friday, but a company hotline and an announcement on its Web site said the seats would be recalled and replacement handles would be available on or after Oct. 13.

Consumers can call Century toll-free at (800) 865-1419 for more information.

For more US news, myCNN.com will bring you news from the areas and subjects you select.

Century Products
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.