The Recall Desk
SevereCPSC·02247·Announced 2002-09-09

Huffy Recalls Portable Basketball Hoops Due to Sharp Bolt Hazard

Huffy Sports is recalling about 70,000 portable basketball hoops because a sharp protruding bolt can cause serious leg or body lacerations.

What this means for you

Illness, injury, or structural failure has been reported. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a structural defect causing significant injury reports, including ten consumers requiring stitches, which aligns with the rubric criteria for significant injury reports.

Plain-English summary

Huffy Sports Company is recalling approximately 70,000 portable basketball hoops sold between November 2001 and May 2002. The recall is necessary because the hoops may have a sharp protruding bolt on the player's side of the pole, located about 20 inches from the ground. This defect can cause serious leg or body lacerations if a player collides with the pole while driving toward the basket, falling, or being pushed into it.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Huffy Sports have received 11 reports of injuries from the protruding bolts, including scrapes and lacerations. Ten of the injured consumers required stitches for their injuries. The affected products are vertically mounted, unassembled systems with a plastic base weighted by sand or water, featuring black painted poles and the Huffy brand name on the backboard, pole, or base.

Consumers should immediately examine their units for a protruding bolt in the area of play. If a bolt is present, they should contact Huffy Sports at (800) 558-5234 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. CST, Monday through Friday, to receive free bolt covers. The hoops were sold at sporting goods, department, and toy stores for between $100 and $200.

The recalled product

Product
Portable Basketball Hoops
Affected units
70,000

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.