Product Liability · Lawsuit Filed

Britax Sued After Recall of 114,660 B-Safe and Endeavours Infant Car Seats With Handles That Can Detach

Published October 11, 2026

People who bought recalled Britax B-Safe or Endeavours infant car seats may be covered by a proposed class action alleging Britax Child Safety, Inc. sold seats whose carry handles can partially detach, and that its August 2026 recall offers a repair but no money. No class has been certified and there is nothing to file yet.

Infant car seat, representing the Britax B-Safe handle recall lawsuit
▼ Allegations Only · No Settlement Yet

This article describes a class action complaint and a related safety recall. The statements about Britax’s conduct are unproven allegations. Britax Child Safety, Inc. has not been found liable, there is no certified class, and nothing to claim from the lawsuit at this time. This page is informational and is not legal advice.

What Is This About?

On August 20, 2026, Britax Child Safety, Inc. told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration it was recalling 114,660 rear-facing infant car seats because the carry handle can partially detach. Three weeks later, on September 9, an Illinois parent who bought one of the recalled seats filed a proposed class action in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The case, Kasmer v. Britax Child Safety, Inc., No. 1:26-cv-10932, says buyers paid for seats marketed on safety that turned out to have a defect, and that the recall pays them nothing.

Britax has appeared in the case. None of the lawsuit’s allegations has been tested in court.

Status Complaint Filed Filed September 9, 2026 · N.D. Ill. · initial status hearing December 10, 2026
Recall 114,660 seats · NHTSA 26C006 B-Safe 35, B-Safe Ultra, B-Safe Gen2 family and Endeavours, made 2020–2023
Who It Covers (Proposed) U.S. buyers of the recalled seats for personal or household use Plus an Illinois subclass
Can I Claim? No — nothing to claim from the lawsuit yet The recall repair is a separate Britax program

What the Recall Says

Britax’s recall report to NHTSA says extended use and wear can loosen a screw in one side of the handle-hub assembly, letting the carry handle partially detach and creating a fall hazard for the child. The recall covers certain models in these lines, made between August 2020 and May 2023: Britax estimated about 1% of the seats have the defect. Its review, started after an August 1, 2026 consumer complaint about a detached handle mount and a minor injury, found 217 reports of handle detachment and 312 other reports of loose or wobbly handles over more than ten years, including three more reports of minor injury since 2016. Britax told NHTSA it had no reports of serious injury or death and that the problem should be noticeable because the handle may look or feel loose first. The full list of model numbers and manufacturing dates is in the NHTSA recall report.

The remedy is a repair kit with an external bracket to hold the handle hub more securely. When Britax filed the recall, the kit was still being developed and tested, and the report says Britax will reimburse owners who paid out of pocket to repair the condition. According to the complaint, Britax’s recall notice says the seats remain safe when properly installed in a vehicle or attached to a compatible stroller, but tells caregivers not to carry them by the handle until the repair is installed.

What the Lawsuit Alleges

The complaint says Britax built its brand on safety, with marketing such as “We’re all about safety,” and charged a premium for it, while selling seats with a handle defect. It argues the recall falls short because it offers no refund or compensation, left owners without a usable carry handle while the repair kit was still being developed, and puts the burden of getting a fix on busy parents.

The named plaintiff says she bought a B-Safe Gen2 FlexFit Plus seat in 2022 relying on Britax’s safety claims, and would not have bought it, or would have paid less, had she known about the defect.

Who Is in the Proposed Class and What It Seeks

The complaint proposes a nationwide class of everyone who bought the recalled seats in the United States for personal or household use, and an Illinois subclass. It brings claims under state consumer protection laws and the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act, plus fraudulent concealment, unjust enrichment and breach of the implied warranty of merchantability.

It asks the court for a program to reimburse class members for their losses, damages, and orders stopping the alleged deceptive practices, plus attorneys’ fees.

What Happens Next?

U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Kendall set an initial status hearing for December 10, 2026, and in October the court ruled on an agreed request to give Britax more time to answer the complaint. A class has not been certified, and there is no settlement or claim form from the lawsuit. The recall repair is handled separately through Britax and NHTSA.

Britax faced an earlier class action over a different product line; the Britax Frontier booster seat settlement has closed. Other car seat recalls OCA has covered include the Evenflo REO car seat recall.

Questions

Which Britax car seats are recalled for the handle problem?

Britax’s August 20, 2026 recall (NHTSA 26C006) covers 114,660 rear-facing infant car seats, including certain B-Safe 35, B-Safe Ultra, B-Safe Gen2, B-Safe Gen2 FlexFit, B-Safe Gen2 FlexFit Plus and Endeavours models made between August 2020 and May 2023. The NHTSA recall report lists the specific model numbers and manufacturing dates.

What is wrong with the recalled Britax car seat handles?

According to Britax’s recall report, extended use and wear can loosen a screw in the handle-hub assembly so the carry handle partially detaches on one side, creating a fall hazard. Britax reported 217 claims of handle detachment and 312 other handle complaints over more than ten years, with a small number of minor injuries and no reports of serious injury or death.

What does the Britax class action seek?

The complaint says the recall offers a repair kit, still in development when the recall was filed, but no money. It proposes a nationwide class of buyers of the recalled seats and an Illinois subclass, and asks for a program to reimburse class members’ losses, damages and court orders under consumer protection, fraud, unjust enrichment and implied warranty claims.

Is there any money to claim from the Britax lawsuit?

No. There is no settlement, certified class or claim form. The recall itself is a separate repair program run by Britax; if the lawsuit settles or a class is certified, class members would be notified of any way to take part.

Sources

• Class Action Complaint — Kasmer v. Britax Child Safety, Inc., U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Case No. 1:26-cv-10932 (filed September 9, 2026), via CourtListener: Complaint (PDF)
• Docket for Kasmer v. Britax Child Safety, Inc., No. 1:26-cv-10932 (N.D. Ill.), via CourtListener: CourtListener Docket
• Britax Child Safety, Inc. Part 573 Safety Recall Report 26C006 (submitted August 20, 2026), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: Recall Report (PDF)

For more class actions keep scrolling below.
Status Complaint Filed
Case Title Kasmer v. Britax Child Safety, Inc.
Case Number 1:26-cv-10932
Court U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
Judge Virginia M. Kendall
Date Filed September 9, 2026
Related Recall NHTSA 26C006 (August 20, 2026)
Court Docket CourtListener Docket

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