2003 Recalls
408 recalls · Page 6 of 9
2003 Recall Year Insight
Federal agencies issued 408 product recalls indexed by PlainRecalls in calendar year 2003. That represents about 0.40% of the 101,704 total recalls we track from 1995 through the present, and averages roughly 1.1 recalls per day across the FDA, CPSC, and NHTSA 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 9 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 15 critical, 35 moderate, and 0 lower-severity recalls. The page references 40 distinct recalling firms operating in 7 distinct product categories, with 31 of 50 records disclosing affected-unit counts. Issuing-agency distribution on this slice leans toward CPSC (31), NHTSA (19), 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, or NHTSA for the system-of-record on any specific recall. PlainRecalls indexes this archive for research and consumer awareness purposes.
CPSC, Stihl Inc. Announce Recall of Chain Saws
Stihl Inc., Virginia Beach, Va.
CPSC, Central Sprinkler Company Update Voluntary Recall To Replace O-Ring Fire Sprinklers
Central Sprinkler Company, an affiliate of Tyco Fire Products LP, of Lansdale, Pa.
CPSC, Starbucks Coffee Co. Announce Recall of Children's Tumbler Cups
Starbucks Coffee Co., of Seattle, Wash.
VOLVO 2000-2002: SUSPENSION:FRONT
VOLVO
BMW 2003: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
BMW
CPSC, International Playthings Inc. Announce Recall of Toy Vehicles
International Playthings Inc., of Parsippany, N.J.
CPSC, Lane Furniture Industries Inc. Announce Recall of High-Leg Recliner Chairs
Lane Furniture Industries Inc., of Tupelo, Miss.
CPSC, Monarch Velo, LLC doing business as Catlike USA Announce Recall of Bike Helmets
Monarch Velo, LLC, doing business as Catlike USA, of Houston, Texas
CPSC, Sea Gull Lighting Inc. Announce Recall of Ceiling Light Fixtures
Sea Gull Lighting Inc., of Riverside, N.J.
CPSC, The Step2 Company Announce Recall of Toy Drumsticks
The Step2 Company, of Streetsboro, Ohio
CPSC, United General Supply Co. Announce Recall of Extension Cords
United General Supply Co., of Houston, TX
INTERNATIONAL 2002: SUSPENSION:FRONT:HUB
INTERNATIONAL
INTERNATIONAL 2003: STEERING:LINKAGES
INTERNATIONAL
MITSUBISHI 2003: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
MITSUBISHI
CPSC, Swimways Corp. Announce Recall of Pool Dive Sticks
Swimways Corp., of Virginia Beach, Va.
TOYOTA 2001-2003: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
TOYOTA
VOLVO 2003: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:DIESEL
VOLVO
CPSC, Weil-McLain Announce Recall of Ultra 155 & 230 Gas Boilers
The Weil-McLain Company, of Michigan City, Ind.
FERRARI 2001: POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:COOLING UNIT AND LINES
FERRARI
CPSC, Amen Wardy Home Announce Recall of Multi-purpose Lighters Shaped Like Matchsticks
Amen Wardy Home, of Las Vegas, Nev.
CPSC, Homelite Announce Recall of Chainsaws
Homelite Consumer Products, Inc., of Anderson, S.C.
CPSC, Wal-Mart Announce Recall of Fabric Lanterns
Wal-Mart Stores Inc., of Bentonville, Ark.
CPSC, Baby's Dream Furniture Inc. Announce Recall to Repair Cribs
Baby's Dream Furniture Inc., of Buena Vista, Ga.
KENWORTH,PETERBILT 2001-2003: TRAILER HITCHES:FIFTH WHEEL ASSEMBLY
KENWORTH,PETERBILT
INFINITI 2003: POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
INFINITI
CPSC, DCD Incorporated Announce Recall of Exercisers
INTERNATIONAL 2002: VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER
INTERNATIONAL
BMW 2003: VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS
BMW
CPSC Warns Consumers to Replace Star ME-1 Dry Fire Sprinklers Made by Sprinkler Corporation of Milwaukee -- Administrative Lawsuit Settled, Firm Fina…
Sprinkler Corporation of Milwaukee, Inc. (SCM), formerly known as Star Sprinkler Corporation
CPSC, American Household Inc., (Formerly Sunbeam Corp.) Announce Recall of Star ME-1 Dry Fire Sprinklers, Administrative Lawsuit Settlement
Chemetron Corporation, an inactive subsidiary of AHI, of Boca Raton, Fla.
KIA 2003: SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:ANTILOCK:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE
KIA
CPSC, Country Home Products, Inc. Announce Recall to Repair Cordless Electric Lawnmowers
Country Home Products Inc., of Vergennes, Vt.
CPSC, DesignPac Inc. Announce Recall of Oil Lamps
DesignPac Inc. of Northlake, Ill.
CPSC, WestPoint Stevens Inc. Announce Recall of Electric Blankets
WestPoint Stevens Inc., of West Point, Ga.
CPSC, Fisher-Price Announce Recall of Little People® Animal Sounds Farms
Fisher-Price, of East Aurora, N.Y.
CPSC, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Announce Recall of Battery Packs
Panasonic Consumer Electronics, of Secaucus, N.J.
CHEVROLET,GMC,OLDSMOBILE 2003: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
CHEVROLET,GMC,OLDSMOBILE
VOLKSWAGEN 2002: TIRES
VOLKSWAGEN
SUBARU 2000-2003: SUSPENSION:REAR
SUBARU
CPSC, Battat Incorporated Announce Recall of Drumsticks Sold with Toy Drum Sets
CPSC, Dynacraft Industries Inc. Announce Recall of BMX Bicycles
CPSC, Thomson Announce Recall of Home Entertainment Amplifiers
CPSC, BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc. Announce Recall of Red Devil Gas Grills
e4L Inc., of Encino, Calif.
CPSC, Playskool Announce Recall of Magic Start Crawl 'n Stand Toys Sold Only at Wal-Mart
CPSC, Polaris Industries Inc. Announce Recall of Polaris Xpedition 325, Trail Boss 325, and Magnum 325 ATVs
Polaris Industries Inc., of Minneapolis, Minn.
TOYOTA 2003: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
TOYOTA
LAND ROVER 2003: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CABLES
LAND ROVER
CPSC, Kindermusik International Announce Recall of "Fiddlesticks" Instruments
Kindermusik International, of Browns Summit, N.C.
CPSC, Black Diamond Equipment Announce Recall of Bionic Crampons
Black Diamond Equipment, of Salt Lake City, Utah
LINCOLN 2000: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
LINCOLN
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 - consumer product and vehicle recall feeds for 2003
Every figure on PlainRecalls is rendered directly from official FDA, CPSC and NHTSA recall records, no number is typed in by an editor. Figures cover calendar year 2003 across the FDA, CPSC and NHTSA federal recall feeds. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of July 2026.