First, it was the Cybertruck. Now, it’s the standard kart from Jakks Pacific.
The next race at Dry Dry Ruins is postponed because Mario has been ordered to park his kart. Just like the Tesla Cybertruck last week, the Jakks Pacific Mario Kart ride-on toy for kids is being recalled for unintended acceleration.
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, certain 24-volt Mario Kart ride-on cars may be a crash hazard to children. Debris can get clogged in the accelerator pedal mechanism, holding it to the floor even when the user’s foot is lifted, causing unintended acceleration. Around 17,500 of these Mario Karts are affected by this problem.
Jakk’s must have remedied the problem, as the CPSC states that none of the models currently on sale are affected. However, owners of affected Mario Karts will get a free replacement pedal kit with instructions and are told to stop using them until the pedal is fixed. There aren’t any instances of serious child injury, even after 65 reports of this issue and 15 reports of karts crashing into permanent structures. Only one minor injury has been reported: a chafed hand. Thankfully, none of these Mario Karts accelerated unexpectedly toward a street with oncoming cars.
If you have one of these Jakks Mario Karts and want to know if yours is part of the recall, there’s an eight-digit alphanumeric date code on the bottom of the kart. You can see which date codes are part of the recall here.
Part of me thinks a Mario Kart recall is very funny. However, the parent side of my brain realizes how scary that can be. If it unexpectedly accelerates into a dangerous situation, kids usually aren’t quick enough to think on their feet and handle it safely. This could be way more dangerous than slipping on a banana peel or being hit by a spinning turtle shell.
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