Recalls

FDA inspection triggers recall by Florida pharmacy

Wed, 08 May 2013 16:28:43 -0400

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration is warning doctors and pharmacists to avoid drugs made by a Florida specialty pharmacy called The Compounding Shop, due to potential safety problems uncovered by health inspectors.

The St. Petersburg, Fla.-based pharmacy has agreed to recall all of its sterile drugs and is in the process of notifying customers, the FDA said in a statement. The agency said health care professionals should quarantine drugs from the company and not administer them to patients.

The Compounding Shop is a compounding pharmacy, which means it mixes custom formulations of drugs to meet doctors' specifications. In recent weeks the FDA has cracked down on compounding pharmacies across the country, triggering several national recalls.

FDA officials warn that contamination of compounded drugs can lead to life-threatening infections.

BMW recalls 3 Series for faulty air bags

Mon, 06 May 2013 16:46:09 -0400

DETROIT (AP) — BMW is recalling 45,500 3 Series sedans in the U.S. and Canada because their passenger air bags may not inflate properly.

The recall affects 3 Series from the 2002 and 2003 model years. The defective air bags have an inflator housing that can rupture during deployment and send shrapnel flying into the vehicle.

The 3 Series is one of 3.4 million vehicles being recalled worldwide by six different automakers, including Toyota, Honda and General Motors. All the companies used passenger air bags made by Takata Corp.

The initial recall was announced last month in Japan, but BMW needed more time to determine which vehicles were affected.

BMW says it has had no reports of injuries because of the issue. It will contact owners and replace the air bags for free.

GM recalls nearly 40k cars due to engine, fire risk

Mon, 06 May 2013 16:44:51 -0400

DETROIT (AP) — General Motors Co. is recalling 38,197 Chevrolet Malibu Eco, Buick LaCrosse and Buick Regal sedans in the U.S. because a defective battery control module could stall the engine or cause a fire.

Vehicles from the 2012 and 2013 model years equipped with GM's eAssist hybrid system are affected. Vehicles built after December 2012 are not part of the recall.

GM says some vehicles may have a malfunctioning generator control module that causes a gradual loss of battery power and stalls the engine. If the module overheats, it could cause smoke or fire in the trunk.

GM will notify owners and repair the module for free.

The company knows of two trunk fires related to the issue, which happened in the first 1,000 miles of operation. No injuries have been reported.

Plastic fragments prompt recall of frozen pizzas

Fri, 03 May 2013 13:34:45 -0400

LITTLE CHUTE, Wis. (AP) — Nestle Pizza is recalling four frozen-pizza products that might be contaminated with plastic fragments.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said the following products are subject to recall:

— California Pizza Kitchen Limited Edition Grilled Chicken with Cabernet Sauce.

— DiGiorno Crispy Flatbread Pizza Tuscan Style Chicken.

— DiGiorno pizzeria! Bianca/White Pizza.

— California Pizza Kitchen Crispy Thin Crust White.

The USDA says one consumer reported a chipped tooth after biting into one of the California Pizza Kitchen products. The problem was apparently related to the spinach in the pizza, so the company is recalling other pizza products that used the same lot of spinach.

The fragments are of clear, brittle plastic with sharp edges.

Consumers can contact Nestlé USA Consumer Services at 800-456-4394 or nestlepizza@casupport.com.

Honda recalls nearly 205K vehicles to fix shifters

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 20:59:27 -0400

DETROIT (AP) — Honda is recalling nearly 205,000 minivans and SUVs in the U.S. to fix a problem with the automatic shifters.

The recall includes the Honda CR-V small SUV and Odyssey minivan from the 2012 and 2013 model years. Also covered is the 2013 Acura RDX SUV.

Honda says the device that stops drivers from shifting out of park without a foot on the brake may not work properly. The problem occurs in below-freezing temperatures.

The company says no complaints, crashes or injuries have been reported due to the problem. It was discovered during an internal investigation.

Honda will notify owners in mid-May and will make repairs free of charge.

Nissan recalls SUVs to fix brake problem

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 20:58:14 -0400

DETROIT (AP) — Nissan is recalling more than 19,000 Nissan and Infiniti SUVs because a brake part can fail and make it harder for the driver to stop the car.

The recall affects Nissan Pathfinder and Infiniti JX SUVs from the 2013 model year.

The automaker says an iron brake caliper part wasn't made properly and can crack or fail. If that happens, the brake calipers can move and hit the wheel. That can reduce braking power and increase the risk of a crash.

The SUVs were made from Dec. 3, 2012, through Jan. 29, 2013.

Nissan will notify owners starting in May. Dealers will inspect the SUVs and replace the parts free of charge if needed.

Fla. compounding pharmacy recalls sterile drugs

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 19:46:38 -0400

LAKE MARY, Fla. (AP) — A Florida-based compounding pharmacy is voluntarily recalling all lots of its sterile non-expired drug products sold nationwide over concerns the products are not sterile and may contain bacteria.

Food and Drug Administration officials on Sunday encouraged health care providers who have received sterile products from Balanced Solutions Compounding Pharmacy to quarantine the products.

The recall includes a few dozen sterile products. The majority are injectable drugs.

The FDA identified gram-negative bacteria in the products, which can cause disease. But officials said the bacteria do not usually cause infection in humans.

An email and phone call to the company were not immediately returned Sunday.

Retailers recall potentially dangerous magnet sets

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 18:04:15 -0400

WASHINGTON (AP) — Six retailers have agreed to recall a brand of potentially dangerous high-powered magnet sets after the manufacturer refused to participate.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission said Friday that Barnes & Noble, Bed Bath & Beyond and four other stores are recalling "Buckyballs" and "Buckycubes" after the CPSC received 54 reports of children and teens ingesting the product.

The tiny, powerful magnets are sold as a desktop toy that can be molded into different shapes. They can be dangerous or deadly if accidentally swallowed or inhaled.

The CPSC filed a rare legal complaint against the company that manufactured the sets, New York-based Maxfield & Oberton, in July after recall negotiations failed. The company has since gone out of business but the products are likely still in homes and offices.

Chrysler recalls more than 247,000 cars, SUVs

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 16:38:46 -0400

DETROIT (AP) — Chrysler Group LLC is recalling more than 247,000 SUVs and cars for several problems, including faulty gas tank hoses, broken drive shafts and air bag warning lights that illuminate when there's no problem.

The largest of the recalls, posted Tuesday on the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website, covers about 139,000 Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger and Dodge Challenger sedans from the 2011 and 2012 model years. The automaker says that faulty wiring can cause the air bag warning lights to illuminate.

Cars made from April 11, 2011 to Dec. 14, 2011 are included. Chrysler says it will fix the vehicles for free and will start notifying owners about the problem this month.

The recall includes 119,000 cars in the U.S., with the rest in Canada, Mexico and other countries.

Chrysler also is recalling 78,500 two-wheel-drive Jeep Liberty and Dodge Nitro midsize SUVs because the drive shafts can break.

The SUVs are from the 2007 and 2008 model years. Chrysler says in documents filed with NHTSA that a heat shield can drop and rub against the drive shaft, causing it to wear and break. If the shaft breaks, the SUVs will lose power and the side air bags may inflate. Chrysler says it doesn't know of any crashes or injuries from the problem.

Dealers will install a bracket to hold the shield in place at no cost to customers.

The recall affects 61,400 vehicles in the U.S., 13,700 in Mexico, 1,000 in Canada and 2,300 elsewhere. Also included is a sister vehicle to the Liberty that is sold outside North America, the company said.

Chrysler says it has received less than 40 complaints about broken drive shafts in the vehicles.

Also, the automaker is recalling about 30,000 small SUVs because a faulty hose inside the gas tank can cause them to run out of fuel.

The recall affects Jeep Patriot and Jeep Compass four-wheel-drive vehicles from the 2012 model year. If they run out of gas, the engines can stall.

Chrysler says it's aware of one crash but no injuries or fires due to the problem.

The company says the SUVs have saddle-style gas tanks that go around the rear drive shaft. Fuel is pumped from one side of the tank to the other through a hose. But Chrysler says some of the hoses weren't formed right in manufacturing, and they can stop the flow of gas.

The problem stems from a worldwide shortage last year of a nylon resin called PA-12. The shortage sent automakers scrambling for substitutes, one of which was used in the Compass and Patriot fuel tank hoses.

Chrysler says the hoses were made with a new material, which required a higher manufacturing temperature than PA-12. Some malformed tubes were shipped to the tank maker before the problem was found by Chrysler engineers. The manufacturing process was changed and the tubes now work properly, Chrysler said.

Dealers will replace the hoses free of charge. Owners will be notified starting next month.

The recall affects about 20,500 SUVs in the U.S. and 2,300 in Canada. The rest are in Mexico and outside North America. They were made from Oct. 18, 2011 to May 7, 2012.

Spokesman Eric Mayne said it's rare that this many recalls are made public in one day. Chrysler constantly tests its vehicles to find problems and fix them before customers have any trouble, he said.

Chrysler recalls 30,000 SUVs for fuel tank problem

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 16:30:57 -0400

DETROIT (AP) — Chrysler is recalling about 30,000 small SUVs because a faulty hose inside the gas tank can cause them to run out of fuel.

The recall affects Jeep Patriot and Jeep Compass four-wheel-drive vehicles from the 2012 model year. If they run out of gas, the engines can stall.

Chrysler says it's aware of one crash but no injuries or fires due to the problem.

Dealers will replace the hoses free of charge. Owners will be notified starting next month.