Tyco Recalls Big Bird Battery-Powered Toothbrushes Due to Battery Leak Risk
Tyco is recalling Big Bird Sparklin Smile toothbrushes because reversed batteries may rupture or leak, causing burns or eye injuries.
What this means for you
Real risk of harm even if no illness or injury has been reported yet. Stop using the product and follow the agency's guidance.
Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a risk-of-harm product with reported minor burn injuries and a potential serious eye injury, fitting the High severity criteria for injury reports without confirmed fatalities or FDA Class I classification.
Plain-English summary
Tyco Toys, Inc. is voluntarily recalling approximately 330,000 "Big Bird Sparklin Smile" battery-operated toothbrushes (stock no. 2524) in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). These products were sold nationwide between 1986 and 1991 for up to $10.00 each under the Ideal and Tyco brand names through toy, variety, and discount stores, as well as limited catalog mail-order sales.
The recall is being issued because if one of the four "AA" size batteries is inadvertently reversed, the battery may rupture or leak. Tyco has received three reports of minor burn injuries to children from leaking batteries and learned from a news report that an exploding battery in this toothbrush may have caused serious eye injury to an adult. While these incidents appear to be due to defective or improperly installed batteries, Tyco is recalling the toothbrush to eliminate the possibility of further incidents.
Consumers who have the Big Bird toothbrush should mail it to Tyco Industries - Toothbrush Recall, 540 Glen Avenue, Moorestown, NJ 08057, for a refund of the purchase price. Retailers are instructed to remove these products from shelves and return them to Tyco. No other Sesame Street, Ideal, or Tyco toys are affected by this recall.
The recalled product
- Product
- Ideal Big Bird Sparklin Smile battery operated toothbrushes
- Manufacturer
- Ideal
- Category
- Consumer Product — Toys
Distribution
Distributed nationwide across the United States.
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