The fine stems from a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigation into the company’s behavior in the largest child seat recall in U.S. history. Graco Children’s Products recalled 6.1 million car seats last year because the buckles could get stuck. That could put a child’s life at risk in an emergency. The agency and the car seat maker were involved in an extended dispute over the recall.
The fine announced Friday “uses NHTSA’s enforcement authority to not only hold a manufacturer accountable, but to keep our kids safe,” Mark Rosekind, the agency’s administrator, said in a statement.
Laurel Hurd, president of Graco Children’s Products, said in a statement the company regretted that it fell short of NHTSA’s expectations for data collection and reporting procedures.
“We accept this fine and the additional funding requested by NHTSA for a joint venture involving child passenger safety initiatives in the future,” Hurd said.
Federal rules require a manufacturer to report a safety defect within five days of becoming aware of it.