IKEA Recalls 29-Million Dressers, Chests
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Following the death of three children, IKEA is pulling the plug on 29-million dressers and chests that regulators say can tip over too easily.
IKEA has been under increased pressure to do more about the Malm brand products but had always stopped short of recall. That changed following the death of a 22-month-old child earlier this year. Two children died after IKEA's Malm chests fell on them in 2014.
Three other deaths linked to different IKEA dressers have occurred since 1989.
"The child gets up on the furniture, the parent has turned his or her back for a moment and this is what happens," said IKEA USA President Lars Peterson as he demonstrated with a doll mimicking a child climbing up the front of the dresser.
The weight from the child as he demonstrated caused the dresser to fall forward onto the doll, crushing it.
We're recalling MALM & other chests & dressers in the US. Recalled product types found here: https://t.co/o1Xcy1OCK9 pic.twitter.com/5MnztBNePd
— IKEA USA News (@IKEAUSANews) June 28, 2016
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The Swedish retail giant says the furniture should be removed from rooms that are accessible to children.
"It is too dangerous to have the recalled furniture in your home unanchored, especially if you have young children," said Peterson.
Customers are entitled to a full refund for chests and dressers manufactured between January 2002 and June 2016. Chests and dressers manufactured prior to January 2002 will be eligible for a partial store credit.
People who bought the Malm chests and dressers, and want to keep them, can order a free wall-anchoring repair kit. Consumers can install the kit themselves or IKEA will provide a one-time, free in-home installation service, upon request.
The recall affects about 8 million MALM chests and dressers and 21 million additional children's and adult chests and dressers in the U.S. In addition, 6.6 million were sold in Canada.
