Here are the major recalls of the year in Canada

Article By Dorcas Marfo Published December 26, 2023
Article Source: Here are the biggest recalls in Canada for 2023 | CTV News

This year, Health Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Transport Canada recalled various products, ranging from cantaloupes that triggered a salmonella outbreak in several provinces, to hundreds of thousands of vehicles, some due to the risk of airbag inflator explosions.

Here are some of the most notable recalls.

FEBRUARY

In February, Nissan recalled more than 800,000 small SUVs in Canada and the U.S. due to a key problem that caused the ignition to shut off while driving.

The recall covered specific Rogues from the 2014 to 2020 model years, as well as Rouge Sports from 2017 to 2022.

Nissan said the SUV’s jackknife folding keys may not stay fully open. If the key is partially folded and the driver touches the fob, this could inadvertently turn off the engine.

This can cause loss of engine power and power brakes, and the airbags might not inflate in a crash, Nissan said.

The company said it was not aware of any crashes or injuries caused by the problem.

With files from The Associated Press

MAY

In May, General Motors recalled 42,000 sport utility vehicles in Canada from the 2014 to 2017 model years due to the risk of the driver's airbag inflator exploding during deployment.

Transport Canada published a list of affected vehicles with at least 90 car makes and models, including three SUVs recalled by General Motors (GM).

In the U.S., GM recalled nearly one million Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Acadia SUVs from the 2014 to 2017 model years with modules produced by ARC Automotive Inc.

At least a dozen automakers, including GM, Chrysler-parent Stellantis, BMW, Hyundai Motor, Kia Corp. and others use ARC airbag inflators.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) demanded the recall of 67 million ARC inflators produced over an 18-year period, which came with resistance from the company who rejected that a defect existed.

The first known fatality occurred in Canada in July 2016, when the driver of a 2009 Hyundai Elantra in Newfoundland was killed by shrapnel from an airbag inflator that exploded during a low-speed collision.

The most recent incident occurred on March 22 this year, when a Michigan driver received facial injuries after an airbag inflator ruptured in their 2017 Chevrolet Traverse.

In June, an analysis from Transport Canada estimated that one in five of the 33.3 million vehicles, or 6.6 million, on the country's streets as of 2019 have an outstanding recall but continue to be driven on roads.

The transportation department noted that many recalls pertain to minor issues that are not urgent or life-threatening.

With files from CTVNews.ca's Daniel Otis, The Associated Press and The Canadian Press

Health Canada also issued a recall notice in May for more than 100,000 Peloton exercise bikes sold in Canada due to the risk of them breaking during use.

The recall notice at the time said Peloton had received one incident report and no injury reports in Canada.

The issue affected the seat posts on Peloton bike model PL01. About 108,000 affected bikes were sold in Canada from January 2018 to May 2023.

According to the notice, the issue occurred primarily in users taller than 180 centimetres (five feet 10 inches) and weighing more than 114 kilograms (251 pounds).

With files from CTVNews.ca's Michael Lee

JULY

Health Canada issued several additional recalls for unauthorized products in July, including skin lightening and skin treatment creams, due to serious health risks.

The recall history of these unauthorized products included those promoted for sexual enhancement, weight loss, as a workout aid, as "poppers," and for skin lightening or skin treating creams, starting from November 2017.

The various products were tested to have "dangerous ingredients" and were not labelled correctly to include these ingredients, according to the recall notice.

Health Canada issued more recalls for unauthorized products in December and added nearly 10 more items to watch out for.

AUGUST

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) issued several recalls for various brands of caffeinated energy drinks due to improper caffeine content and labelling issues.

The agency began recalling the drinks in July, which included nearly 40 brands such as "Monster," "C4," "G Fuel," celebrity-endorsed "Alani Nu" and American social media personality Logan Paul's "Prime" energy drink.

A full list of the energy drinks is available on the government of Canada's recalls website.

The CFIA said the energy drinks do not meet Canada's food safety standards.

The maximum caffeine level allowed in Canada is 180 milligrams in a single-serving, while English and French labelling is required on the drinks along with cautionary statements to inform consumers, the recall said.

According to the food inspection agency, customers can use these measures to spot whether caffeinated energy drinks meet these standards.

With files with CTVNews.ca's Natasha O'Neill

SEPTEMBER

In September, cycling company Shimano recalled some 760,000 bike cranksets in Canada and the U.S. due to a crash hazard that resulted in more than 4,500 incident reports in the U.S.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said the cranksets could separate and break, resulting in a crash. Six injuries were reported, including bone fractures, joint displacement and lacerations in the U.S.

Regulators said the cranksets were sold individually and on bicycles sold by other companies, including Trek and Specialized.

With files from The Associated Press

NOVEMBER

Toyota recalled hundreds of thousands of vehicles in Canada due to a lack of proper sizing and placement of batteries and warned the vehicles may catch fire when driven.

The company recalled nearly 250,000 RAV4s between the 2013 and 2018 model years.

According to the notice, some replacement 12-volt batteries of the size specified for the vehicles had smaller top dimensions than others. If the small-top battery was used for replacement and the hold-down clamp wasn't tightened correctly, Toyota said in its recall notice, the battery could move during a forceful turn.

Movement could cause the positive battery terminal to make contact with the hold-down clamp and short circuit, causing a fire risk, said Toyota in a news release.

In November, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency also issued several recalls for cantaloupe and melon fruits over salmonella contamination.

Food recall warnings were issued three times for Malichita cantaloupes sold between Oct. 11 and Nov. 14.

On Nov. 24, the recall was updated to include Rudy brand cantaloupes sold between Oct. 10 and Nov. 24.

To date, seven people in Canada and four people in the United States have died in a salmonella outbreak linked to Malichita and Rudy brand cantaloupes, which were first recalled on Nov. 1

The Public Health Agency of Canada said on Dec. 22 that 164 Canadians were confirmed to have salmonella linked to the outbreak.

There were 21 cases in Ontario, 18 in British Columbia, 111 in Quebec, four in Nova Scotia, four in Alberta, and two each in Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador.

The agency said 45 per cent of those who became ill were aged 65 and older, while more than a third were children five and younger.

It said people became sick between mid-October and early December and 61 have been hospitalized. Other salmonella infections are being investigated.

In the U.S., at least 302 people in 42 states got sick as of Dec. 15.

Consumers were warned not to buy, eat or sell Malichita or Rudy brand cantaloupes. Additional brands were recalled and public health officials said any fruit's brands that can't be verified should be thrown out. 

With files from The Canadian Press