By Lake Front Staff
SAN ANTONIO—While Samsung’s global recall of 2.5 million Note 7 smartphones is probably the largest product disaster in recent history, the tech giant is not alone when it comes to major product fails.
Here’s a quick rundown of some of the biggest recalls in history.
WHEN TAKING TYLENOL COULD KILL YOU
There was a time taking Tylenol was like taking cyanide, literally. In one of the most notorious recalls of the modern era, Johnson & Johnson recalled more than 20 million bottles of Tylenol capsules after someone laced the painkillers with cyanide and returned them to store shelves in Chicago. Seven people died as a result. Thus was born the tamper-resistant packaging we know today. While it is a bit harder to open, consumers can be confident they will not die trying to get rid of a simple headache. The perpetrator remains at large to this day.
THE FORD PINTO YOU NEVER KNEW YOU NEVER KNEW
And there is a good reason for that. Cars can and have exploded outside of a Hollywood movie set. In 1978 Ford was forced to recall more than 1.5 million Pintos due to the faulty position of fuel tanks. Cases were reported of fuel tanks bursting into flames after a rear-end collision. At least 27 people died as a result.
EASY BAKE, EASY BURN
In 2007 kids using the Easy Bake oven were more likely to produce a burn than a baked good. After reports of kids burning themselves while playing with the ovens, Hasbro recalled a million of the toy ovens.
SCALDING CUP OF JOE
Would you like a second-degree burn with that? Keurig soon found out the answer is a resounding “NO.” The manufacturers of the popular coffee makers were forced to recall about 7 million single-serve coffee brewing machines in 2014 because of reported burns. The Mini Plus Brewing Systems could overheat and spray scorching water during brewing. Keurig received about 200 reports of steaming water escaping from the brewer and 90 reports of burn-related injuries.
HIGH-RISK HIGH CHAIR
Placing your child in this Graco high chair produced in 2010 meant there was a high risk your kid would end up with his face in the spaghetti bowl. The company recalled more than 1 million high chairs due to reports of tipping. There were at least 24 reports of injuries.
DEADLY DRESSERS
Dressed to kill took on a new meaning when Ikea announced it would recall 29 million chests and dressers that could easily tip over. More than three dozen were injured in incidents dating back as far as 1989. The recall included a number of Ikea models.
CUTTING THE CORD
Some consumers using Microsoft AC power cords were in for a big shock earlier this year. The company had to recall about 2.44 million AC power cords because of a potential fire hazard and users reporting being shocked. 56 incidents were reported of the cords overheating and emitting flames, and there were five incidents where the cords gave users an electric shock.
FIRESTONE FAIL
2000 was not a good year for Firestone. About 6.5 million tires were recalled that year due to blowouts or flats. Most of the tires were used in SUVs and pickup trucks. A report issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported 271 reports of deaths and 800 injuries related to the faulty tires.
TOXIC TREATS
In 2013, more than 500 pets died after pet owners purchased treats from Nestle Purina PetCare’s “Waggin’ Train” and “Canyon Creek” brands as well as Del Monte Corp.’s “Milo’s Kitchen” brand. Both companies recalled their products, as did two other companies. We still don’t know exactly what substance killed these pets.
HOVER BOARDS FROM HELL
More than 500,000 hover boards were recalled this year after dozens of the two-wheeled toys overheated, burned riders and set property on fire. There were 99 reports of exploding or fiery battery packs with 18 reported injuries at the time of the recall. Swagway led all 10 hover board makers ordered to recall their products with 267,000 pulled from the market.
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