Nuna Baby Recall Lawsuit Filed Over ‘Dangerously Defective’ RAVA Car Seats

Nuna Baby Essentials faces a proposed class action lawsuit after it recalled more than 600,000 Nuna RAVA convertible car seats in December 2024 due to a harness system defect that can put children at risk in the event of a crash.

The 56-page lawsuit claims that Nuna Baby Essentials’ voluntary recall was “wholly inadequate” as it left consumers without replacements, effective repairs or reimbursement for the “dangerously defective” car seats.

According to the case, the recalled RAVA car seats have harnesses that can fail to securely tighten, or remain tight, and restrain the child occupant. Nuna said in its recall notice that the issue arises when debris—such as dirt, crumbs, sand or other messes—gets lodged in the car seat’s front harness adjuster button and prevents the locking mechanism from working properly.

The lawsuit argues that Nuna, as a reputable and experienced manufacturer of purportedly high-end car seats, should have anticipated the need for its products to be durable enough to withstand the typical messes that come with car seat use by young children.

“The Products fail their core mission under this common set of circumstances, as when light debris falls into the area around the adjuster strap, the Defect manifests and the harness cannot clamp securely onto the adjuster strap,” the complaint says. “And in the event of a crash, the infant or child would not be securely fastened in the seat, significantly increasing the risk of injury.”

Rather than recall the unsafe car seats, Nuna merely instructed consumers to request a free “remedy kit” so owners can attempt to fix the defect themselves, the filing asserts.

“Nuna uses this Recall as a way to shirk its responsibilities of actually remediating the Defect, potentially as a cost-saving measure, while claiming that the Car Seats—which contained a Defect so serious it required a safety recall—can be made safe by mere cleaning and slight modification,” the suit alleges.

Which Nuna car seats are included in the recall?

The Nuna RAVA car seat recall includes the following models manufactured between July 16, 2016, and October 25, 2023:

Model numbers can be found on the label on the underside of the car seat, Nuna’s online recall notice says.

Per the filing, the affected products come equipped with uncovered, plastic harness adjuster buttons that are prone to collecting debris. The recall does not cover car seats manufactured after October 25, 2023, which were redesigned to include a fabric cover over the front harness adjuster, the case notes.

Inadequate recall process?

The class action suit alleges that Nuna’s recall notice—sent to consumers on January 15, 2025, in accordance with National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) requirements—is “poorly designed, ineffective, and inadequate” in offering covered individuals a meaningful remedy.

For one, Nuna’s only solution to the defect requires parents and caregivers to slightly modify parts of the car seat themselves. According to Nuna’s website, consumers must register their affected RAVA car seat to receive a new seat pad, cleaning kit and care instructions.

“By failing to recall the entire Product, the Recall Notice allows and encourages consumers to continue to use a product with the risk of severe injury,” the suit contends. “Indeed, the Recall puts the burden of remediation on consumers—as laypersons with no knowledge of the design of car seats—to alter the Product in a manner to make it safe, if that is even possible.”

Further, Nuna admitted in its NHTSA notice that it was still developing the remedy kit, and that they were not yet available to consumers, the filing relays. This is especially burdensome to consumers, the lawsuit claims, given that the company has instructed owners to immediately stop using the product when the defect becomes apparent but has not offered replacements or reimbursement.

“Thus, consumers are forced to—based on Nuna’s own warning—obtain another car seat that will (unlike Nuna) provide safe restraint for their children in the vehicle, thereby incurring further monetary damages for which Nuna is responsible,” the case asserts.

Nuna states on its website that a car seat is safe to continue to use if it passes the harness function test, the filing notes.

“Finally, and perhaps worst,” the lawsuit claims, Nuna requires consumers to provide proof that the harness on their car seat unintentionally loosens due to the defect and reserves the right to determine whether it will offer further repair or replacement of the car seat.

What’s more, the case contends that “many (if not most)” RAVA car seat owners have not yet received official notice of the recall. The plaintiffs, five California residents who say they would not have bought their Nuna RAVA car seats had they been aware of the product’s inherent dangers, seek compensation from the defendant and demand that an accurate recall notice be widely distributed to consumers.

Who does the Nuna RAVA car seat lawsuit look to cover?

The Nuna RAVA car seat lawsuit seeks to cover anyone who purchased the products listed on this page in California for personal use and not resale.

How do I join the lawsuit?

If you bought one of the RAVA car seats listed above, there’s nothing you need to do right now to join or sign up for the class action lawsuit. It’s usually only in the event of a class action lawsuit settlement that the people covered by the case, known as class members, need to act. More often than not, this involves filling out and filing a claim form online or by mail for settlement benefits.

For now, you can stay in the loop about class action and settlement news by signing up for ClassAction.org’s free weekly newsletter.

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