PlainRecalls

2003 Recalls

Compiled from official public sources by the editorial team.

408 recalls · Page 7 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 21 critical, 29 moderate, and 0 lower-severity recalls. The page references 41 distinct recalling firms operating in 8 distinct product categories, with 21 of 50 records disclosing affected-unit counts. Issuing-agency distribution on this slice leans toward NHTSA (29), CPSC (21), 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.

← 2002 2004 →
CPSC Moderate Apr 8, 2003

CPSC, TNT Fireworks Announce Recall of Party Poppers Sold at Wal-Mart
CPSC Moderate Apr 7, 2003

CPSC, Maytag Corporation Announce Recall of Kenmore Elite-Brand TRIO Model Refrigerators

Maytag Corp. of Newton, Iowa
NHTSA Moderate Apr 7, 2003

AUDI 2001: TIRES

AUDI
NHTSA Critical Apr 7, 2003

LINCOLN 2003: WHEELS

LINCOLN
CPSC Moderate Apr 4, 2003

CPSC, Learning Curve Int'l Inc. Announce Recall of Lamaze Activity Toys

Racing Champions Ertl/Learning Curve Int'l., Inc. (RCE/LCI), of Chicago, IL
NHTSA Moderate Apr 3, 2003

KIA 2002: SEATS:MID/REAR ASSEMBLY

KIA
CPSC Moderate Apr 2, 2003

CPSC, Dollar Tree Stores Inc. Announce Recall of Plush Bears and Snowman Dolls

Dollar Tree Stores Inc., of Chesapeake, Va.
CPSC Moderate Apr 2, 2003

CPSC, Raven Industries Announce Recall of Handheld Remote Controls

Raven Industries, of Earth City, Mo.
NHTSA Critical Apr 1, 2003

KENWORTH,PETERBILT 2000-2001: SUSPENSION:FRONT:HUB

KENWORTH,PETERBILT
NHTSA Moderate Mar 31, 2003

KENWORTH 2000-2003: SERVICE BRAKES, AIR

KENWORTH
NHTSA Moderate Mar 31, 2003

BMW 2003: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

BMW
NHTSA Critical Mar 31, 2003

NISSAN 2003: POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)

NISSAN
CPSC Moderate Mar 27, 2003

CPSC, Hitachi Koki U.S.A., Ltd. Announce Recall to Repair Circular Saws

Hitachi Koki U.S.A., Ltd., of Norcross, Ga.
CPSC Moderate Mar 27, 2003

CPSC, Maytag Corp. Announce Recall to Repair Gas Ranges

Maytag Corp., of Newton, Iowa
CPSC Moderate Mar 27, 2003

CPSC, OWT Industries Inc. and Sears Announce Recall of Electric Routers Used in Woodworking

OWT Industries, Inc., of Pickens, S.C.
CPSC Moderate Mar 27, 2003

CPSC, The Toro Company Announce Recall of Snowthrowers

The Toro Company, of Bloomington, Minn.
NHTSA Critical Mar 26, 2003

ASTON MARTIN 2000: STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS

ASTON MARTIN
NHTSA Critical Mar 24, 2003

CADILLAC 2003: STEERING

CADILLAC
NHTSA Critical Mar 24, 2003

ISUZU 2002: STRUCTURE

ISUZU
CPSC Moderate Mar 21, 2003

CPSC, Raymond Oak Inc. Announce Recall of Toy Chests
NHTSA Critical Mar 21, 2003

FREIGHTLINER,WESTERN STAR 2000-2001: SUSPENSION:FRONT:HUB

FREIGHTLINER,WESTERN STAR
CPSC Moderate Mar 20, 2003

CPSC, Comarco Inc. Announce Recall to Replace Detachable Plugs On Power Adapters

Comarco Inc., of Irvine, Calif.
CPSC Moderate Mar 20, 2003

CPSC, S. Rothschild & Co. Announce Recall to Repair Girls' Hooded Winter Jackets
NHTSA Moderate Mar 20, 2003

VOLVO 2001-2003: SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE

VOLVO
NHTSA Critical Mar 19, 2003

INFINITI 2000-2001: WHEELS

INFINITI
NHTSA Moderate Mar 19, 2003

CHEVROLET,GMC,OLDSMOBILE 2002: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH

CHEVROLET,GMC,OLDSMOBILE
CPSC Moderate Mar 18, 2003

CPSC, MOSA Sports Announce Recall of Bicycle Helmets
CPSC Moderate Mar 17, 2003

CPSC, Lands' End, Inc., Announce Recall of Little Kids' Parkas

Lands' End Inc., of Dodgeville, Wis..
NHTSA Critical Mar 17, 2003

HYUNDAI 2002-2003: TIRES:TEMPORARY/EMERGENCY SPARE TIRE

HYUNDAI
CPSC Moderate Mar 13, 2003

CPSC, Trudeau Corp. Announce Recall of Fondue Sets

Trudeau Corp., of Woodridge, Ill.
CPSC Moderate Mar 11, 2003

CPSC, Blue Star Candles, L.P. Announce Recall of Christmas Candles

Blue Star Candles, L.P., of Lubbock, Texas
CPSC Moderate Mar 11, 2003

CPSC, Fire-Lite Alarms Announce Recall of Power Supply for Alarm Systems

Fire-Lite Alarms, Inc. of Northford, Conn.
CPSC Moderate Mar 11, 2003

CPSC, Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. Announce Recall of Small Engines

Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A., of Irvine, Calif.
NHTSA Critical Mar 11, 2003

NISSAN 2002-2003: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE

NISSAN
NHTSA Critical Mar 10, 2003

LEXUS 2003: SEATS:MID/REAR ASSEMBLY

LEXUS
NHTSA Critical Mar 10, 2003

FORD,MERCURY 2002-2003: VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD

FORD,MERCURY
NHTSA Critical Mar 10, 2003

MINI 2003: SUSPENSION:REAR:SHOCK ABSORBER

MINI
NHTSA Critical Mar 10, 2003

JEEP 2004: STEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION)

JEEP
NHTSA Critical Mar 10, 2003

DODGE 2002: STEERING:COLUMN

DODGE
NHTSA Critical Mar 10, 2003

DODGE 2002: VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:EXTERIOR

DODGE
NHTSA Moderate Mar 10, 2003

CHRYSLER 2003: POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY

CHRYSLER
NHTSA Critical Mar 7, 2003

CHEVROLET,DODGE,FORD,GMC 2000-2003: STRUCTURE

CHEVROLET,DODGE,FORD,GMC
CPSC Moderate Mar 6, 2003

CPSC, Atico International USA Inc. Announce Recall of Hot Pots
CPSC Moderate Mar 6, 2003

CPSC, Makita U.S.A. Announce Recall to Repair Electric Sanders

Makita U.S.A. Inc., of La Mirada, Calif.
NHTSA Moderate Mar 6, 2003

CHEVROLET,GMC,HUMMER,OLDSMOBILE 2002-2003: POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

CHEVROLET,GMC,HUMMER,OLDSMOBILE
NHTSA Critical Mar 6, 2003

INTERNATIONAL 2003: UNKNOWN OR OTHER

INTERNATIONAL
NHTSA Critical Mar 6, 2003

INTERNATIONAL 2003: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR

INTERNATIONAL
NHTSA Critical Mar 6, 2003

INTERNATIONAL 2003: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY

INTERNATIONAL
NHTSA Critical Mar 5, 2003

TOYOTA 2002-2003: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

TOYOTA
CPSC Moderate Mar 4, 2003

CPSC, IBM Announce Recall to Repair Computer Monitors

IBM, of Armonk, N.Y.

Nearby Recall Years

Browse recalls from adjacent calendar years to see how federal enforcement volume has shifted over time.

2001 2002 2004 2005 2006

Compare 2003 with 2002 →

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.