SunSetter · Recalled
SunSetter Recalls Vinyl Covers for Motorized Awnings Due to Impact and Fall Hazards; One Death Reported (Recall Alert)
If a powered awning is activated while the cover is secured with bungee tie-downs, when the cover is removed, the awning can open unexpectedly with enough force to strike a consumer standing in the awning's path, causing them to fall and suffer death or serious injury.
- Units
- About 270,000 units (In addition, approximately 11,000 units were distributed in Canada)
- Reports
- 14
- Injuries
- 6
- Deaths
- 1
- Price
- $100
- Remedy
- Repair
Reports, injuries, deaths and price are read out of the notice’s wording by rules, so they can miss unusual phrasing. The official notice is the record.
Affected
This recall involves all soft vinyl awning covers used with SunSetter® Motorized, Motorized XL, Motorized PRO, Motorized PROXL, and Oasis Freestanding Motorized Retractable Awnings distributed by SunSetter from June 1999 to January 2019 and supplied with bungee tie-downs. Covers for manually operated awnings are not affected by this recall.
The file
- Sold at
- The recalled covers were sold for about $100 or distributed as a promotional item or as part of a package with motorized awnings directly by SunSetter, through independent dealers nationwide, and through Costco Wholesale, between June 1999 and January 2019.
- Product type
- Not stated
- Made in
- United States
- Recalled by
- SunSetter Products LP, of Malden, Mass.
Incident log
The Firm has received 14 reports of incidents, including one report of a death and six reports of injuries. In one reported incident, a 73-year-old man died after falling from a ladder and over a balcony when a motorized awning opened unexpectedly and struck him while he was removing the cover's bungee tie-downs.
What the notice says to do
Consumers should not attempt to install covers for the motorized awnings or remove any installed covers until they have received instructions from SunSetter. Consumers should contact SunSetter for free breakaway safety clips (that replace the bungee tie-downs provided with the cover) and instructions for their use, and instructions on how to safely remove any installed bungee tie-downs (available at https://www.sunsetter.com/safety). SunSetter is contacting all known purchasers directly.
SunSetter toll-free at 844-313-0144 from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET daily, online at www.sunsetter.com/safety-clips, or by email at safety-clips@sunsetter.com
Recall notice published by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. This site is independent: always confirm on the official notice before acting.
