Pacific Cycle Recalls Infant Bicycle Helmets Due to Choking and Magnet Ingestion Hazards; Sold Exclusively at Target

Recall Insight

This CPSC action (record #16162) was formally reported on May 17, 2016. It is classified under Moderate severity, with a current status of Active. The recalling firm is not specified in the federal record. Federal records indicate About 129,000 units are affected, a scale large enough to require multi-state distribution tracking.

The documented reason for this recall is: The magnetic buckle on the helmet's chin strap contains small plastic covers and magnets that can come loose, posing a risk of choking and magnet ingestion to young children. 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 immediately take the helmets away from children and contact Pacific Cycle for instructions on how to receive a free replacement helmet. — 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 and NHTSA 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 10 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.