FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 24, 1999
Release # 99-084
Company Phone Number: (800) 728-2108 CPSC Consumer Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: Nychelle Fleming, (301) 504-7063
CPSC, Peg Perego Announce Recall of Children's Riding Vehicles
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety
Commission (CPSC), Peg Perego USA Inc., of Fort Wayne, Ind., is recalling
about 274,000 battery-powered children's riding vehicles for repair. Pedals can
stick and electrical components can overheat, presenting fire and injury
hazards to children.
CPSC and Peg Perego have received about 320 reports of electrical
components overheating or pedals sticking. Thirty fires have been reported,
resulting in one child suffering second-degree burns to his hand and at least
$55,000 in property damage. One child suffered a concussion and six children
received bruises when accelerator pedals stuck and the vehicles hit trees,
fences, walls or parked automobiles.
The Peg Perego vehicles being recalled run on 12 volts, powered by two
6-volt batteries, and were manufactured before December 1997. The vehicles
are made of plastic and have been sold under the following model names:
Corral 270, Diablo, Dragon, Gaucho, Gaucho Grande, Gaucho High Torque,
Gaucho Sport, Magica, Magnum, Ranger GT, Thunderbolt, Thundercat, and
Tornado. The model name and Peg Perego appear on each vehicle. The
company will help consumers identify if their model is part of the recall. Peg
Perego 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 1990
through 1997 for about $100 to $550.
Consumers should remove the vehicles' batteries right away and not let
children use the vehicles until the repair has been made. Consumers should
contact Peg Perego at (800) 728-2108 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. EST Monday
through Friday or at their web site, www.perego.com, to order a free repair kit, which can be
installed by the consumer or by an authorized Peg Perego service center.
Service centers will not have repair kits.
The 12-volt, two battery Peg Perego vehicles manufactured since 1998
and the 6-volt, one battery vehicles are not included in this recall.