CPSC, Coaster Co. of America Announce Recall of Bunk Beds

Recall Insight

This CPSC action (record #04135) was formally reported on May 13, 2004. It is classified under Moderate severity, with a current status of Active. Coaster Co. of America, Santa Fe Springs, Calif. is listed as the recalling firm. Federal records indicate 22,000 units are affected.

The documented reason for this recall is: A gap between the step of the built-in ladder and the top bunk allows enough room for a child's body to slip through but will not allow for a child's head to pass through. This poses a serious strangulation risk. Federa… Distribution information was not included in the agency filing, so consumers should assume broad potential exposure until the firm publishes point-of-sale details. The remedy documented by the agency is: Consumers should stop using the bunk beds immediately and call Coaster of America for a free repair kit. — consumers holding this product should act on that instruction rather than relying on general guidance.

To put this record in context, PlainRecalls indexes 83,949 recalls across the FDA, CPSC, NHTSA and USDA FSIS going back to 1995. Within the same product category, the database holds 6 closely related recalls, of which 6 were also issued by CPSC. That clustering is a signal — repeated actions in a narrow category often indicate a systemic quality-control issue, a supplier-wide contamination, or a design defect that has propagated across product lines. This recall is roughly 22 years old; older recalls can remain relevant because many units enter resale, rental, and secondary-market channels where the original warning never reaches the end user. Always cross-check the recall number against the official agency page before relying on any summary.