CPSC, Chicco USA Inc. Announce Recall of Preschool Toys
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recall (2001-07-02). Hazards: suffocation. About 6,000 units in the US.
| Agency | U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission |
|---|---|
| Recall number | 01182 |
| Published | 2001-07-02 |
| Last updated | 2026-03-10 |
| Product category | Toy Balls |
| Products | Build-A-Ball toy |
| Firm named in the title | Chicco USA Inc. |
| Firms | Chicco USA Inc., of Bound Brook, N.J. (importer) |
| Manufactured in | China |
| Units (US) | 6,000 |
| Hazard classes | suffocation |
| Remedy classes | refund |
| Sold | Amazon.com, Army & Air Force Exchanges and other toy stores nationwide sold these toys, from January 1999 through April 2001, for about $6. |
Description
The Build-A-Ball toy consists of five multi-colored and various-sized plastic balls that can be taken apart to be stacked on top of each other or placed inside each other. The five balls in the toy set range in size from about 2 inches to 4 inches in diameter. One-half of the balls are white, green, blue, red or yellow, and the other half is clear. "chicco" is written inside the balls. The balls are packaged in a box labeled "chicco," "Build-a-Ball," "Cod. 66167," and "Made in China." The packaging also indicated the toy is for children ages 1-3 years or 1-4 years. The text on the packaging is written in 11 languages.
Hazard
Some of the larger-sized ball halves can become stuck on a young child's face, covering the nose and mouth, and causing suffocation.
Remedy
Parents and caregivers should take these balls away from young children immediately and return the toys to the store where purchased for a refund.
Incidents and injuries
CPSC received a report of a 2-year-old boy who had a ball-half stuck on his face, covering his nose and mouth. A nearby adult was able to pull the toy from his face. No injury to the child was reported.
Machine access
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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.