American product recalls hit a 10-year high in the first quarter of 2022, according to a report released by Sedgwick Brand Protection in May.
The research suggests that more than 900 million items have been recalled so far this year, with reasons including dangerous ingredients and dodgy designs.
From dry shampoo to air fryers, read on to discover America's biggest recalls of 2022 – and find out if you own any of the problematic products on our list...
One of the largest and most recent product recalls came in late October, when Unilever US voluntarily recalled a selection of its aerosol dry shampoos.
The reason? The bottles were potentially contaminated with the carcinogen benzene. Affected brands within the Unilever US portfolio included Dove, Bed Head, and TRESemmé (among others), with all recalled products manufactured prior to October 2021.
The Food and Drink Administration (FDA) has advised people to stop using the aerosols entirely. However, the statement on its website notes that Unilever "is recalling these products out of an abundance of caution."
Around 13,000lbs of frozen meat pizza from Chicago-based Home Run Inn were recalled in August.
Several people had reported finding pieces of metal in the company's Chicago's Premium Pizzeria Deluxe Sausage Classic Pizza.
They were part of a batch made on 6 June this year, according to the US Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).
The affected pizzas, which are in 33.5oz cartons, had been shipped to a distributor in Illinois before being sent on to retailers. They carry the establishment number EST. 18498-A and a best-by date of 6 December 2022.
Thankfully, nobody has reported an injury as a result of eating one of the pizzas. However, Home Run Inn has advised people to discard or return the products as a precaution.
UPPAbaby announced an urgent recall of around 14,400 of its All-Terrain RIDGE Jogging Strollers in September after a child was injured by the rear disc brakes.
According to a report by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the disc brakes have openings that can lacerate or even amputate the tips of children's fingers when they're not sitting in the stroller.
The affected products, which all have serial numbers starting 1401RDGUS, were sold between October 2021 to August 2022 via stores including Nordstrom, Buy Buy Baby, Neiman Marcus, and Pottery Barn Kids.
UPPAbaby have urged people who own one of the affected strollers to stop using it immediately and contact them for replacement brakes.
Hearing Lab Technologies and Lucid Audio issued a voluntary recall of their HearMuffs, compression earmuffs that are designed for babies and children.
Four models have been affected: the LA-infant-AM-WH, LA-infant-ASM-WH, LA-infant-ASM-WHPlus, and LA-kids-AM-WH.
The products are powered by two AAA alkaline batteries, which the manufacturers have found can rupture unexpectedly, potentially causing burns or even hearing loss.
Customers have been advised to stop using the products immediately and register their faulty products to receive two replacement AAA batteries at no cost.
Another product was recalled from nurseries around the nation in October, when 108,000 chenille baby blankets from Mittal International were deemed unsafe.
The woven blankets were available in 11 colors and feature a "Made in India" label with a picture of an elephant.
According to the announcement, the blankets have loose threads that can put babies at risk of strangulation, choking or entrapment, though thankfully no injuries have been reported.
The products were sold at T.J. Maxx, HomeGoods, and Marshalls stores around the US for between $10 and $13. An additional 3,550 blankets have been recalled in Canada.
These recalled Clarks shoes might have been sold under the name "Breeze," but you definitely wouldn't want to wear them on your next beachside stroll.
According to the CPSC, "prolonged and direct contact with the shoes’ upper material can expose the wearer to the chemicals benzidine and/or dimethoxybenzidine, which are toxic and can cause adverse health effects."
Five styles of Breeze shoes – Breeze Ave, Breeze Shore, and three colorways of Breeze Step – are included in the recall. All the affected models are dark navy, navy or navy-and-white in color.
Although no negative side-effects have been reported, users are advised to stop wearing the shoes immediately and return them to Clarks for a full refund.
Citing a risk of laceration, manufacturer AGIT Global is recalling around 124,000 of its paddles for stand-up paddle boards.
The safety recall notice identifies paddles that "were sold with certain 8', 8'6", 9'6", and 10'6" Wave Storm, Storm Blade, Ozoboard, True Wave, Bloo Tide, Dorsal, and Rock It Surf Stand-up paddleboards" as being particularly dangerous, as they can potentially snap in half during use.
AGIT Global is offering customers free neoprene paddle sleeves, which are designed to zip up over the handle, providing a more comfortable grip and offering better protection against potential breakage.
On 10 November, it was announced that around 149,000 Mockingbird single-to-double strollers were being recalled over concerns that the frame can crack.
Manufacturer Mockingbird has received 138 reports of cracks occurring in the side of the product's aluminum frame, resulting in eight injuries to infants.
The strollers were sold at retailers including Target, babylist.com, and hellomockingbird.com between March 2020 and September 2022, with prices ranging from $395 to $450.
The affected models all have a lot number between 20091 and 22602; this can be found on the top-left side of the stroller. If you've bought one of the faulty products, you're advised to stop using it immediately and contact Mockingbird to receive a free frame reinforcement kit.
In April, General Electric Appliances (GE) issued a recall for six refrigerator models over concerns that the freezer handle could detach during use.
The company has received more than 70 reports of handles detaching, resulting in 37 injuries, including three "serious" falls.
The affected refrigerators, which were made between February 2020 and August 2021, have the model numbers GFE26JYMKFFS, GFE26JYMNFFS, GNE27EYMKFFS, GNE27EYMNFFS, GNE27JYMKFFS, and GNE27JYMNFFS.
By way of remedy, GE directly contacted known customers to arrange a free home visit from an expert who can assess and repair the handles.
MYX Fitness has recalled around 162,000 units of its MYX I, MYX II, and MYX II Plus exercise bikes, following 864 reports of the pedals coming loose.
According to the CPSC, the fault has led to 75 injuries and consumers should stop using the bike immediately.
The models retailed for up to $1,600 via retailers including MYX Fitness itself and Amazon, and were sold between November 2019 and July 2022.
MYX announced that it would be contacting all known owners directly to resolve the issue.
From defective exercise bikes to a treadmill that "runs" far from smoothly.
In late October, Johnson Health issued a recall of 192,000 Horizon Fitness treadmills, which are manufactured in China and Vietnam.
The recall followed the discovery that the workout equipment can unexpectedly change speed or stop, with the fault reported 874 times and resulting in 71 cases of injury, including "bruises, abrasions, and two broken bones."
The models impacted by the recall are the T101-05 China and the T101-05 Vietnam. They were sold between March 2018 and October 2022 via a number of online retailers, as well as in wellness stores around the country.
If you have one, you can contact Horizon to receive a free USB with a software update that will repair the issue.
Seatbelts are designed to make us safer when we're on the road – but this was far from the case for the hundreds of thousands of Hyundai vehicles that were recalled this May.
Two people in the US (and one in Singapore) were injured by metal fragments when the seatbelt pretensioners in their Hyundai cars exploded, resulting in 239,000 recalls in America and 42,000 in Canada.
The vehicles covered in the recall include 2019-2022 Accents, 2021-2023 Elantras, and 2021-2022 Elantra hybrid vehicles.
Impacted units will need to be returned to dealerships to have the pretensioners sealed with a cap. Hyundai was ordered by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) to notify affected owners by 15 July.
The middle of an energy crisis isn't the best time for a major recall of portable generators.
However, the CPSC announced in November that 321,160 Generac and DR 6500- and 8000-watt portable generators were being recalled for a grisly reason: when unlocked, the handle of the generator can crush, or even sever, the user's finger.
This alarming design oversight has resulted in 37 injuries, including 24 amputated fingers.
It's not the first time people have been urged to stop using these products. The generators were also recalled for the same reason in July last year, after seven reports of finger amputations.
The recall has since been expanded to include 6500-watt and 8000-watt Generac models with unit type numbers XT8000E, XT8000EFI, GP6500, GP6500E, GP8000E, and HomeLink 6500E portable generators, as well as DR models PRO 6500M and PRO 6500E, all sold between 29 July 2021 and 3 November this year.
Earlier this year, car manufacturer General Motors issued product recalls for over 120,000 units of Chevrolet cars, namely the 2013-2015 and 2014-2015 Chevrolet Spark EVs.
The models were originally recalled back in 2014 due to an issue with the hood latches, which could possibly corrode. But General Motors has now said that the recall eight years ago failed to fix the problem. People who own one of the affected vehicles are being encouraged to take their car to a dealer for inspection, with any damaged parts replaced free of charge.
In November, the company issued an additional recall of 340,000 SUVs, including certain models of 2021 Chevrolet Tahoes and Suburbans, GMC Yukons, and Cadillac Escalades.
This was due to concerns that the vehicles' daytime running lights don't always turn off when the headlights are on, increasing glare and potentially raising the risk of a crash. Owners of the affected vehicles will be contacted by General Motors from 19 December, according to the Associated Press.
A recall announcement came in October from Nissan, with the Japanese-born car manufacturer identifying a fault with its 2020-23 Titan and Frontier pickup trucks. Around 203,000 of the pickups were recalled, with owners receiving a letter from the automaker early this month.
The reason for the recall? According to Today, there was a design issue that meant the cars could "roll away unexpectedly when shifted into park."
It wasn't the first round of recalls from Nissan this year. Back in June, over 300,000 SUVs were recalled due to an issue that saw cars' hoods unexpectedly open. This brings the total number of units recalled by Nissan in 2022 to over 500,000.
Due to 241 reports that its BLACK+DECKER Easy Garment Steamers can "expel, spray or leak hot water during use," Empower Brands has recalled 518,500 units of the product.
The faulty items reportedly have date codes of 102ZJ through 201ZJ, and were sold from June 2021 to September 2022 at retailers such as Walmart, Target, and Bed Bath & Beyond.
As a result of the water spillages, the garment steamers have caused 32 burn injuries, including two cases of second-degree burns.
Consumers have been advised to stop using the steamers and contact Empower Brands to receive a free replacement upper assembly part.
Tesla recalled almost 579,000 vehicles across the US in February, due to its cars' "Boombox" function, which can play sounds through an external speaker.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated that the function violated federal safety standards as it can mask audible warnings for pedestrians, especially as electrical cars already make little sound when moving.
The mass recall impacted 2020-2022 Tesla Model X, S, and Y cars, in addition to 2017-2022 Model 3s. The Boombox feature will be repaired with an update that will disable the function when vehicles are in drive, reverse, or neutral. Tesla stated that the company is not aware of any crashes or injuries happening as a result of the Boombox feature.
November saw Tesla recall another 40,168 Model X and Model S vehicles, which were manufactured between 2017 and 2021.
The company had concerns that the cars' power steering assist feature can fail. Due to an October firmware release, it's estimated that 1% of the affected vehicles could experience a loss of power steering assist when driving over potholes or bumps in the road, according to CNBC.
The latest announcement brings the total number of Tesla vehicles recalled this year to 619,168.
Demand for air fryers has rocketed – but certain models of this handy kitchen appliance are some of the "hottest" products on the market in more ways than one...
In April this year, Insignia issued an urgent recall of 635,000 air fryers after Best Buy received 68 reports of the ovens catching fire, burning, or melting during use.
The recall covered certain models of the Insignia Digital Air Fryer, Insignia Analog Air Fryer, and Insignia Digital Air Fryer Oven, which were available at Best Buy from November 2018 to February 2022. They retailed for between $30 and $150.
Consumers who purchased one of the affected models have been advised to stop using the air fryer immediately and register it online to arrange a return. People who bought their air fryer from Best Buy can receive store credit of $50, or the full price of the fryer if they can show proof of purchase.
If you’re the owner of a Fitbit Ionic, then it’s probably a smart move to return it. One million Fitbit Ionic smartwatches have been recalled in the US due to the lithium-ion battery overheating, with at least 78 people feeling the burn in more ways than one.
A further 693,000 watches that have been sold internationally have also been recalled.
Production on the Ionic brand stopped in 2020 but the watches were sold internationally until December 2021. Fitbit issued a recall notice in March, urging customers to return affected products in exchange for a $299 refund and a 40% discount on select Fitbit models.
The smartwatch recall was just one of 77 in what's called the "consumer product sector" in the first quarter of 2022, according to the latest data available. In total, over 6.96 million units were recalled across the sector as a whole, marking a dramatic 161% increase from the previous quarter.
Things haven’t gone smoothly as of late for J.M. Smucker. In May, the company voluntarily recalled a huge number of its Jif peanut butter products that had been manufactured in Lexington, Kentucky, after they were linked to salmonella outbreaks that had left some people hospitalized.
The contamination has also affected products that use Jif peanut butter as an ingredient, including Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream and Rich’s Peanut Butter Cups.
Companies that use the popular brand in their own products have also been impacted, with Disney World Florida pulling any items containing the peanut butter from its theme park menus.
California-based product development company Lyons Magnus found itself in hot water after 53 of its products were discovered to be at risk of microbial contamination.
Lyons Magnus is the distributor for popular brands such as oat milk company Oatly and Stumptown Cold Brew Coffee, both of which have been affected by the recall.
According to a company press release, the drinks could contain the bacteria Cronobacter sakazakii. Although no customers have reported becoming sick, the organism can cause vomiting, fever, and urinary tract infections. Not what you want when you're reaching for that morning coffee...
The scale of the risk isn't clear, but Oatly reported on Twitter that its recall may be limited to seven batches of oat milk that were made at a single site back in April. Other beverage brands potentially affected by the contamination and being recalled include Imperial, Aloha, and Glucerna.
The latter is manufactured by Abbott Laboratories, the company that hit headlines due to the devastating baby formula shortage. More on that later...
Customers have been asked to toss products or return them to stores for a refund. King's Hawaiian is also recalling its Pretzel Slider Buns, Pretzel Hamburger Buns, and Pretzel Bites due to the products containing an ingredient supplied by Lyons Magnus.
Philips recalled its Adult SMART Pads Cartridge and Infant/Child Smart Pads Cartridge defibrillator pads earlier this year.
The recall was made after Philips "identified that for affected pads, some gel may fold onto itself, resulting in reduced surface area of gel on the pad, or it may separate almost completely leaving only a small amount of gel on the pad to make contact with a patient’s skin to a reduced surface area of gel on the pads that make contact with the skin," according to the company's website.
The defect meant the pads could deliver less effective treatment, and potentially even burn patients. The FDA recall notice suggests that almost 1.5 million units could be affected.
In August, the CPSC announced that 2 million MamaRoo infant swings and 220,000 Rockaroo rockers, both sold by Thorley Industries' 4moms line, were being recalled.
Tragically, a 10-month-old baby died after becoming entangled in restraint straps. The straps hang below both the swings and rockers when they're not in use.
Both models were available to purchase at Target and Buy Buy Baby, as well as online at Amazon and 4moms.com. The products have been on sale since January 2010, with an additional 70,000 units recalled in Canada.
According to the CPSC, the recall covers versions 1.0 and 2.0 (model number 4M-005), version 3.0 (model number 1026), and version 4.0 (model number 1037).
Ford announced the recall of 200,000 Lincoln Navigators and Ford Expeditions earlier this year, following reports that the cars' fan motors can catch fire.
According to USA Today, 25 fires have been reported so far, with many of them causing severe damage. Owners received news of the recall via mail back in September, with Ford dealers primed to replace customers' front blower motor assembly for free.
This setback comes just a few months after Ford was forced to recall 2.9 million cars due to concerns that the bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission could degrade or detach. An investigation by the car manufacturer revealed that heat and humidity could be a possible reason for the degradation of the bushing. The affected models are the 2013-2019 Escape, the 2013-2018 C-Max, the 2013-2016 Fusion, the 2013-2021 Transit Connect, and the 2015-2018 Edge.
In another disaster for the automaker, Ford recalled a further 634,000 SUVs in November (including 520,000 in the US) due to a risk of cracked fuel injectors, which can pose a fire hazard. The company has received 54 reports of under-hood fires in its 2020-2023 model-year Bronco Sport and Escape SUVs with three-cylinder 1.5-litre engines. In total, Ford has now recalled over 3.6 million vehicles in the US so far this year.
Gummy vitamin manufacturer Airborne lived up to its name in an unfortunate way this year when at least 18 people were injured by the caps popping off unopened vitamin bottles. In one instance, an eye injury needed medical attention.
Due to this, Airborne was forced to recall approximately 3.7 million units of its vitamin gummies in March. The affected units involved 63- and 75-count bottles in blueberry pomegranate, orange, and assorted fruits flavors.
The recall notice, posted on the CPSC website, stated that customers who had purchased products from affected batches were entitled to full refunds.
The injury hazard linked to the vitamin gummy recall was just one of 1,178 reported incidents in the consumer product sector in the first quarter of 2022 – a staggering 116.5% increase from reported incidents in the fourth quarter of 2021.
In February, around 14.9 million units of baby formula were recalled when it was uncovered that bacteria in the food had tragically been linked to at least two infant deaths. The mass recall affected Abbott’s Similac, Alimentum, and EleCare brands of powdered infant formula, which were manufactured at Abbott’s factory in Michigan.
The FDA later closed down the factory when a whistleblower claimed that the facility was unsanitary and that documents had been falsified to conceal this fact.
Abbott Laboratories controls 43% of the baby formula market in America, so the shutdown has caused shortages across the country, with many parents struggling to feed their young children. To combat the situation, the FDA has approved imports of formula from the likes of Bubs Australia, British formula company Kendamil, and Nestlé NAN.
Dole Fresh Vegetables voluntarily recalled its lettuce and packaged salad products in around 40 US states back in January, due to listeria concerns.
Listeria is a bacterium that can cause serious illness in children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems. In extreme cases, it can even prove deadly.
The items at risk of contamination had been produced at the company's Ohio and California plants before being shipped nationwide to retailers. Although the recall has now ended, Sedgwick suggests that around 31.2 million units were affected.
There were 110 different food and beverage recalls in the first quarter of 2022, which affected a staggering 147.4 million units. Undeclared allergens were the leading cause of recalls in this sector.
With its colorful packaging and fresh range of scents, Pine-Sol cleaning products promise to transform your home. According to a recall notice distributed in October, however, certain items from the range have been doing more harm than good.
Although thankfully no incidents have been reported so far, it was discovered that the products were at risk of containing dangerous bacteria. This included Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an organism that can infect people with weakened immune systems.
The affected items, all made by parent company Clorox, include: Pine-Sol Scented Multi-Surface Cleaners with the scents Lavender Clean, Sparkling Wave, and Lemon Fresh; CloroxPro Pine-Sol All Purpose Cleaners in Lavender Clean, Sparkling Wave, Lemon Fresh, and Orange Energy; and Clorox Professional Pine-Sol Lemon Fresh cleaner.
The products were made between January 2021 and September 2022 at the company's facility in Forest Park, Georgia. Consumers are advised to take a picture of their bottle's universal product code (UPC), throw the product away in their household trash, and contact Pine-Sol for a full refund.
The medical device sector had 200 recalls in the first quarter of 2022, with 314.8 million units of products affected. That's a colossal increase when compared to the 11.6 million units that were recalled in quarter four of 2021...
The reason behind the tremendous surge? Medical technology company BD recalled around 288 million catheter port connectors in the first quarter of this year.
While it's unclear why the catheter port connectors were pulled from the market, the leading cause of recalls in the medical device sector for the first quarter of 2022 was mislabeling, followed by quality issues.
When we're feeling sick, we rely on cold and flu medicines to help us feel better. However, when production deviates from the FDA's Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulations, these trusted products could actually leave us feeling worse.
In January, Ultra-Tab Laboratories voluntarily recalled cold tablets sold in bulk containers. The FDA designated it as a Class II recall, meaning that the drug could cause temporary adverse health consequences if used, with a small chance of serious harm.
The recall affected three-component and four-component cold tablets containing acetaminophen, guaifenesin, and phenylephrine, with the four-component tablets containing the additional ingredient of dextromethorphan. In total, the recall affected an eye-watering 326.9 million units.
Now take a look at the things Americans are paying a lot more for.