Milberg Files Nuna Car Seat Recall Class Action Lawsuit

Nuna Baby Essentials is facing a proposed class action lawsuit following the recall of over 600,000 RAVA convertible car seats in December 2024. The recall was initiated due to a defect in the harness system that could potentially endanger children in the event of a crash.

The lawsuit claims that Nuna’s recall does not offer consumers adequate repairs, replacements, or reimbursement for the defective car seats. Attorneys from Milberg’s nation-leading class action practice are heading up the lawsuit on a contingency-fee basis.

• Major claim: Nuna’s “RAVA” convertible car seats have a design flaw that can cause the harness to loosen and not function as intended, posing a crash risk to children and diminishing the value of the product.
• “Inadequate” Recall: Nuna issued a voluntary recall but the lawsuit argues that the remedy, in the form of a recall repair kit, is insufficient to solve the issue.
• Misrepresentations of safety: Plaintiffs accuse Nuna of misleading consumers about the safety of the car seats, leading to overpayment for a defective product that poses a serious injury risk.
• Class Action Status: The lawsuit seeks to represent all California purchasers of RAVA car seats.
• Potential Remedies: Plaintiffs seek a court order requiring Nuna to issue a new and improved recall that addresses the alleged defects. It also seeks damages, including punitive damages, for consumers who have purchased the affected car seats.
• How to Join: The class action is free to join. It is awaiting certification from the court. If approved, class members will be automatically notified and eligible for compensation.

Nuna Issues Major National Recall of RAVA Car Seats

The voluntary recall impacts RAVA models made between July 16, 2016 and October 25, 2023. Debris could block the front harness adjuster button, preventing it from clamping the strap correctly.

“A loose harness may fail to restrain the occupant, raising injury risk in a crash,” Nuna states in the recall notice.

Plaintiffs and class members are forced to either continue using a product that Nuna admits is unsafe and poses a serious risk of injury to children using the product—and which Nuna warns should not be used in the interim—or else to purchase a separate car seat to protect their children, thereby incurring further damages.

The company is offering affected consumers a new seat pad, cleaning kit, and care instructions for maintaining the harness adjuster. Details about how to order the recall kit, a list of which RAVA models are subject to the recall, and where to find the manufacture date and model number can be found on the company’s website.

Nuna tells owners to expect two letters. The first letter will will notify them of the recall, ask them to confirm status, provide instructions on how they can receive a new seat pad and cleaning kit, and show them how to test the car seat to ensure the harness is working properly. If it is, customers can continue to use the seats as instructed, according to Nuna. The second letter will notify owners when the seat pad and cleaning kit are available.

Lawsuit Calls Recall “Illusory” and “Wholly Inadequate”

Plaintiffs allege that Nuna’s recall is inadequate for several reasons:

• The recall does not address the underlying design defect that makes the car seats unsafe. It only offers to provide owners with instructions on how to slightly modify their car seat using the recall kit.
• It is poorly designed and ineffective. The recall puts the burden of remediation on consumers, who are required to request a recall kit that they—laypersons with no knowledge of the car seat design—must install themselves in order to make the product safe.
• Nuna has not been adequately notifying consumers about the recall. Plaintiffs claim they have not yet received official notice from Nuna about the recall, only learning about it through third parties.
• No monetary remedy is provided: Owners paid an average retail price of around $400 for the premium-branded RAVAs, but Nuna has not offered them reimbursement or any other monetary remedy for a defect that has diminished the value of their car seat.
• Nuna could deny the recall: Nuna tells consumers to provide proof that their car seat harness is not operating properly and unintentionally loosens, leaving itself the option to review whether further repair or replacement of the car seat is warranted.
• Recall kit still not available: Nuna admits in its January 15, 2025 NHTSA Recall notice that it is still “currently developing a free remedy kit” that is not even available yet, and there is no indication of when it will be available, placing additional responsibilities on owners, who Nuna has informed to stop using the product immediately when the defect is apparent.

“Without a real remedy available to them by Nuna, Plaintiffs, on behalf of themselves and Class Members, seek damages and all other relief available under law and equity from Defendant, including punitive damages for its appalling and unconscionable misconduct,” the complaint reads.

“Plaintiffs also seek classwide injunctive relief, including a state-of-the-art notice program for the wide dissemination of a factually accurate recall notice for the Products,” the complaint adds.

Milberg’s Nation-Leading Class Action Practice

The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California by Milberg class action attorneys Adam A. Edwards, William A. Ladnier, Virginia Ann Whitener, and Alex R. Straus.

They are part of a team that, from 2021 to 2023, filed the fifth-most class action lawsuits of any firm in the country and had the greatest geographic reach, filing class actions in 75 districts.

Over the same period, Milberg attorneys filed the third-most consumer protection lawsuits. In 2023, no firm filed more consumer protection lawsuits than Milberg.

Milberg pioneered the use of federal class action litigation 60 years ago and set a new standard for holding corporations accountable. Since then, we’ve recovered more than $50 billion for our clients.