2003 Recalls
370 recalls · Page 1 of 8
2003 Recall Year Insight
Federal agencies issued 370 product recalls indexed by PlainRecalls in calendar year 2003. That represents about 0.44% of the 83,949 total recalls we track from 1995 through the present, and averages roughly 1.0 recalls per day across the FDA, CPSC, NHTSA, and USDA FSIS combined. Year-level views are the cleanest way to see macro patterns: volume spikes often correlate with new regulatory priorities (e.g., infant-sleep products after 2021, lithium-ion batteries after 2022), supply-chain contamination events, or changes in agency enforcement intensity, while quiet years can reflect either genuine product-safety improvements or reduced agency staffing and reporting lag. With 8 pages at 50 recalls each, browsing this year end-to-end gives a statistically representative sample of what the federal recall pipeline looked like in 2003.
On this page of 50 records, severity classification shows 11 critical, 39 moderate, and 0 lower-severity recalls. The page references 39 distinct recalling firms operating in 7 distinct product categories, with 33 of 50 records disclosing affected-unit counts. Issuing-agency distribution on this slice leans toward CPSC (34), NHTSA (16), which matters because each agency's recall authority, hazard framing, and remedy mechanism differ — an FDA food recall, a CPSC consumer-product recall, and a NHTSA vehicle recall are legally distinct instruments even when the underlying hazard language sounds similar. Reviewing the dominant agency for a given year is one of the fastest ways to understand where federal attention was concentrated.
Year-indexed browsing serves three practical purposes: historical research (tracking how a hazard class evolved over time), consumer action (finding whether a product purchased in 2003 was later recalled), and journalistic or regulatory context (understanding what the enforcement landscape looked like in a given period). Every record on this page links to a full detail view with the hazard, remedy, distribution, and agency-assigned recall number — always use that recall number to verify current status directly with the issuing agency before acting on time-sensitive remedies, because agencies amend, terminate, and expand recalls in the months and years after initial publication. Data on this page reflects federal agency public filings; the agency's live record remains authoritative for legal, medical, or safety decisions. Verify with FDA openFDA, CPSC, NHTSA, or USDA FSIS for the system-of-record on any specific recall. PlainRecalls indexes this archive for research and consumer awareness purposes.
CPSC, Mr. Christmas Inc. Announce Recall of Christmas Candleholders
Mr. Christmas Inc., of New York, N.Y.
CPSC, Avon Products Inc. Announce Recall to Repair Jack-In-the-Box Toys
The Learning Journey International, L.L.C., of Phoenix, Ariz.
CPSC, Wal-Mart Expand Recall of Candles With Flammable Paint
Qingdao Kingking Applied Chemistry Co., Ltd., China
CPSC, Deere & Company Announce Recall of Compact Utility Tractors
Deere & Company, of Moline, Ill.
CPSC, Family Dollar Services Inc. Announce Recall of Extension Cords
Royal United Corp., of North Bergen, N.J.
CPSC, Crate and Barrel Announce Recall of Hanukkah Menorah
Crate and Barrel, of Northbrook, Ill.
CPSC, Guth Lighting Announce Recall of Lighting Fixtures
Guth Lighting (division of JJI Lighting Group), of St Louis, Mo.
HYUNDAI 2001-2004: EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
HYUNDAI
CPSC, Emerson Tool Company Announce Recall of Wet/Dry Vacuums
Emerson Tool Company, a division of Emerson Electric Co., of St. Louis, Mo.
MAZDA 2003: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY
MAZDA
CPSC, Hill-Rom Announce Recall of Rocking Chairs
Hill-Rom, a Hillenbrand Industry, of Batesville, Ind.
MAZDA 2001: SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
MAZDA
CPSC, Arctic Cat Inc. Announce Recall of Snowmobiles
Arctic Cat Inc., of Thief River Falls, Minn.
CPSC, First & Main Inc. Announce Recall of Plush Toys
First & Main Inc., of Lombard, Ill.
CPSC, Schylling Associates Inc. Announce Recall of More "Jack-In-the-Box" Type Toys
Schylling Associates Inc., of Rowley, Mass.
CPSC, Wal-Mart Announce Recall of Candles Because of Flammable Paint
Qingdao Kingking Applied Chemistry Co., Ltd., China
CPSC, Zutopia (a division of Wet Seal Inc.) Announce Recall of Girl's Loungewear
The Wet Seal Inc., of Foothill Ranch, Calif.
DODGE 2004: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
DODGE
CPSC, S.K. Enterprises Announce Recall of Pressure Washers
Shanghai Mei Hao Electric Appliance Co. Ltd., Shanghai, China
CPSC, Specialized Announce Recall of Brake Rotors On Mountain Bikes
Specialized Bicycle Components Inc., Morgan Hill, Calif.
HONDA 2002-2003: STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR
HONDA
NISSAN 2000-2003: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
NISSAN
DODGE 2000-2002: EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
DODGE
DODGE 2000-2002: TIRES
DODGE
CPSC, Coldwater Creek and Cape Craftsman Announce Recalls of Candleholders
Cape Craftsman, of Wilmington, N.C.
CPSC, Firms Announce Recall of Infinity and Lifestyle Spas
MAAX Spas, of Beamsville, Ontario, Canada
FORD 2001: SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
FORD
CPSC, Home Interiors & Gifts, Inc. Announce Recall of Snow Play Candleholder
Home Interiors and Gifts, Inc. of Carrollton, Texas
JAGUAR 2003: EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
JAGUAR
DODGE 2004: POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
DODGE
FREIGHTLINER 2003: SERVICE BRAKES, AIR
FREIGHTLINER
FREIGHTLINER 2003: STEERING
FREIGHTLINER
CPSC, Club Car Inc. Announce Recall to Repair Hunting Vehicles
Club Car Inc., of Augusta, Ga.
HYUNDAI 2001-2003: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
HYUNDAI
CPSC, abcDistributing Announce Recall of Fleece Pants with Long Waist Drawstring on Jacket
abcDistributing of North Miami, Fla.
CPSC, Bachtold Brothers Inc. Announce Recall of Brush Cutters
Bachtold Brothers Inc., of Gibson City, Ill.
CPSC, Barnett of the Caribbean Announce Recall of Showerhead Hot Water Heaters
Sintex of Brazil, distributed by Barnett of the Caribbean, of Bayamon, Puerto Rico
CPSC, Lakeside Collection Announce Recall of Fleece Pant Sets with Long Waist Drawstring on Jacket
Lakeside Collection of Lincolnshire, Ill.
CPSC, LTD Commodities Announce Recall of Fleece Pants with Long Waist Drawstring on Jacket
LTD Commodities, of Bannockburn, Ill.
CPSC, SCI Promotion Group LLC and Scripto-Tokai Corp. Announce Recall of Mini-Flashlights
SCI Promotion Group LLC of Ontario, Calif.
CPSC, American Greetings Corp. Announce Recall of Cloth Santa Decorations Sold at Wal-Mart
American Greetings Corp., of Cleveland, Ohio
CPSC, American Greetings Corp. Announce Recall of Crazy Bounce Balls
American Greetings Corp., of Cleveland, Ohio
CPSC, American Greetings Corp. Announce Recall of Zipper Pulls
American Greetings Corp., of Cleveland, Ohio
BMW 2003: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
BMW
CPSC, Meijer Inc. Announce Recall of Children's Jackets
Meijer Inc., of Grand Rapids, Mich.
CPSC, The May Department Stores Co. Announce Recall of Girls' Hooded Fleece Jackets
The May Department Stores Co., of St. Louis, Mo.
CPSC, Toys "R" Us, Inc. Announce Recall of Solid-colored and Multi-colored Sidewalk Chalk
Agglo Corporation, Hong Kong (China)
CPSC, Merit Furniture Distributors Announce Recall of Bunk Beds
CPSC, Planet 3 Announce Recall of Television Stands Sold at Circuit City
Planet 3, of Deerfield, Ill.
FORD 2000-2001: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
FORD
Nearby Recall Years
Browse recalls from adjacent calendar years to see how federal enforcement volume has shifted over time.
Data Sources
- Source: FDA openFDA Enforcement API — calendar-year recall filings for food, drugs, and devices
- Source: CPSC + NHTSA + USDA FSIS — consumer product, vehicle, and meat/poultry recall feeds for 2003
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.