CPSC, Empire Industries Announce Recall of Children's Riding Vehicles
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recall (2000-08-31). Hazards: fire, burn, injury. About 113,000 units in the US.
| Agency | U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission |
|---|---|
| Recall number | 00176 |
| Published | 2000-08-31 |
| Last updated | 2026-08-19 |
| Product category | Toy Ride-on |
| Products | "Power Drivers" and "Buddy L" battery-powered children's riding vehicles |
| Firm named in the title | Empire Industries |
| Firms | Empire Industries, of Tarboro, N.C. (manufacturer) |
| Units (US) | 113,000 |
| Hazard classes | fire, burn, injury |
| Remedy classes | replace, dispose, stop use |
| Sold | Toy stores and retail catalogs sold the vehicles nationwide, from July 1995 through December 1997, for about $130 to $250. |
Description
The recalled battery-powered children's riding vehicles were marketed as "Power Drivers" or "Buddy L" and are powered by two 6-volt batteries, and were manufactured from July 1995 to December 1996. The vehicles are made of plastic and were sold under the following model names: Go-Kart, Beach Splash, Sun Dream, Trail Tracker, Rescue Patrol, and Chevy Z-71 Pick-Up Truck. The model name "Power Drivers" or "Buddy L" appear on each vehicle. The company will help consumers identify if their model is part of the recall. Power Driver vehicles are intended for children 3 to 8 years old, and the vehicles' speed ranges from 2.5 to 5 mph, depending on the model.
Hazard
The vehicles' battery chargers can overheat, presenting fire and injury hazards to children.
Remedy
Consumers should stop using the vehicles immediately. Empire Industries is no longer in business and cannot provide charger adapters or other replacement parts. Consumers should discontinue use of these products, and discard or destroy them.
Incidents and injuries
CPSC and Empire have received about 100 reports of chargers overheating, melting or burning. Five house fires have been reported, resulting in at least $100,000 in property damage. One child and one adult received burns to hands on overheated charger jacks.
Machine access
This record, with every extracted field, the source record (contact text and images withheld) and provenance: GET https://api.data.aroqon.com/v1/product-recalls/cpsc-00176. Look up a model number or UPC with /v1/product-recalls/lookup?code=…. About the dataset · free and paid keys.
Source: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recall notice (US Government work). Not affiliated with or endorsed by CPSC. Structured by Data Foundry (product-recall-structuring@2); last changed 2026-09-28. Always confirm with the agency notice.