23E058 – Seat Cover May Cause Air Bag to Deploy Incorrectly – TigerTough Seat Covers

SEOCONTENT-START

~'<l:;:J Jigg]j,ugh. SEAT COVERS THAT WORK. Sewn Products dba TigerTough 165 MN-19, Vesta, MN 56292 7298 Hudson Blvd N, Oakdale, MN 55128 IMPORTANT SAFETY RECALL July 28, 2023 This notice applies to your upper vehicle seat covers models T62213BLK and T62131 BLK NHTSA Recall No. [YY-000]/[MFR Recall No] [000] Dear Valued TigerTough Customer: This notice is sent to you in accordance with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act. TigerTough has decided that a defect which relates to product safety exists in certain T62213BLK and T62131 BLK seat covers manufactured between January 31, 2023 and June 28, 2023 and sold in the US market. Our records indicate that you purchased the affected seat covers, likely for a commercial installation. TigerTough is initiating a voluntary recall of these seat covers to inform you of the issue and to advise you of the product improvement kit being made available to correct the issue. Due to a manufacturing error in this lot, the stitching used to secure the side flap and breakaway to allow side airbag deployment was incorrect on some seat covers. The side airbag may not deploy, posing an impact hazard. The defect does not affect the integrity of the other safety features of your vehicle. This is a noncompliant side flap. The stitches are compact, close together and have a very short stitch length. This thread is more dense and has a higher tensile strength than the correct thread. ~ JigqJough. ‘<l::;J SEAT COVERS THAT WORK. Sewn Products dba TigerTough 165 MN-19, Vesta, MN 56292 7298 Hudson Blvd N, Oakdale, MN 55128 This is a compliant side flap. The stitch length is much longer, less compact and less tension. This thread is less dense than the noncompliant thread. TigerTough is providing a free replacement seat back cover to replace the one that you purchased. The product will look identical when received and it should take less than 10 minutes to install the replacement seat cover. If you purchased this seat cover as a large batch for a commercial customer, TigerTough will send you the number of seat covers in your original order. Because of the safety nature of this recall, you must notify all vehicle owners who had this seat cover installed. While your customers are waiting for the new seat back cover to arrive, they should remove the seat back cover completely; refer to the included document for instructions. (The bottom seat cover and headrest cover are unaffected by this issue and are not being recalled nor replaced.) Alternatively, if the customer cannot remove the seat back cover completely due to the nature of their work, they may simply use scissors or a utility knife to remove the side stitching as shown in the included document, which will not inhibit air bag deployment and will only be a visual defect. If you have questions about the recall or replacement product, please contact TigerTough Customer Service at 1-507-246-3545 or at [email protected] If you received this notice in error, please contact TigerTough Customer Service at 1-507-246-3545. ~ Jigq-Jpugft. ~ SEAT COVERS THAT WORK. Sewn Products dba TigerTough 165 MN-19, Vesta, MN 56292 7298 Hudson Blvd N, Oakdale, MN 55128 If you believe that TigerTough has failed or is unable to remedy the defect without charge within a reasonable time, you may contact the following: Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E., Washington, D.C. 20590, call the toll free Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153), or visit http://www.NHTSA.gov. TigerTough designs, engineers, and tests its products with safety as our number-one priority. We place great importance on your trust in us, and we apologize for any inconvenience or concern this has caused for you. Sincerely, Nathan Zitzmann Managing Director Sewn Products LLC dba TigerTough 165 MN 19 Vesta, MN 56292 Enclosures 162131 / 162213 SHORT TERM REPAIR INSTRUCTIONS If you wish to continue using your seat cover while you wait for the replacement seat back cover, follow the steps below. Insert a knife or scissors between the airbag tearway and the seat cover. Cut all of the white thread With the seam cut open, the so that the seam is allowd to airbag won’t be impeded in any come open. way. If you’d prefer to remove your seat back cover while you wait for the replacement cover, please follow the instructions on the back side of this sheet. 162131 / 162213 SEAT BACK COVER REMOVAL INSTRUCTIONS 1. Undo the Hook & Loop fasteners on the back of the seat back cover. 2. Undo the Hook & Loop fasteners on the top of the seat back cover. 3. Pull the front of the seat cover to pull the flaps out from between the seat back and seat bottom. 4. Pull the cover up off the seat back and over the headrest. Installation instructions will be sent with the replacement seat back cover.

**************************************************************************************************************

OMB Control No.: 2127-0004 Part 573 Safety Recall Report 23E-058 The information contained in this report was submitted pursuant to 49 CFR §573 Manufacturer Name : Sewn Products DBA TigerTough Submission Date : JUL 26, 2023 NHTSA Recall No. : 23E-058 Manufacturer Recall No. : NR Manufacturer Information : Manufacturer Name : Sewn Products DBA TigerTough Address : 165 MN 19 Vesta MN 56292 Company phone : 5072463545 Population : Number of potentially involved : 500 Estimated percentage with defect : 100 % Equipment Information : Brand / Trade 1 : TigerTough Seat Covers Model : T62213BLK & T62131BLK Part No. : T62213BLK & T62131BL Size : NR Function : Seat Cover Descriptive Information : Only units from one specific supplier exhibit the potential defect. Production Dates : JAN 31, 2023 – JUN 28, 2023 Description of Defect : Description of the Defect : Due to a manufacturing error in this lot, the stitching used to secure the side flap and breakaway of this aftermarket upper vehicle seat cover to allow side airbag deployment was incorrect. The stitching was too strong and did not match the specifications, which had previously been tested to ensure that the seat cover would not interfere with side airbag operation. The defect does not affect the integrity of the other safety features of your vehicle. FMVSS 1 : NR FMVSS 2 : NR Description of the Safety Risk : The side airbag may not deploy, posing a risk of serious injury or death. Description of the Cause : Contract manufacturer did not follow the specification and used incorrect thread/stitching to secure the side flap and breakaway. Identification of Any Warning that can Occur : NR Involved Components : Part 573 Safety Recall Report 23E-058 Page 2 The information contained in this report was submitted pursuant to 49 CFR §573 Component Name : Upper vehicle seat cover only. Component Description : NR Component Part Number : NR Supplier Identification : Component Manufacturer Name : NR Address : NR NR Country : NR Chronology : When one of the affected seat covers was sent for custom embroidery, the TigerTough embroiderer noticed that the thread over the side airbag cover on this particular model appeared to be different than normal and alerted their manager. This was first noticed on 6/28/23. This is the report that triggered the company’s internal investigation. Once notified, the Firm conducted a further audit of all seat covers from this particular manufacturer to identify the lots in error and worked with its supplier to isolate the affected lots. The seat cover in question is single source and only manufactures this particular seat cover. Other seat covers sold by TigerTough are unaffected. Description of Remedy : Description of Remedy Program : The manufacturer will be sending out newly manufactured seat cover (upper section only) with the correctly specified breakaway thread for the side airbag cover. How Remedy Component Differs from Recalled Component : The manufacturer-approved replacement seat cover will be labeled with an additional suffix to a white label with the model number on the interior of the seat cover. The replacement seat cover will be accompanied by clear written instructions demonstrating the proper application of the replacement upper seat cover. These instructions will assist the consumer in clearly distinguishing the new correct seat covers from any existing feature or component of the existing seat covers being recalled. Identify How/When Recall Condition was Corrected in Production : Existing inventory has had the noncompliant thread removed and has been resewn with compliant thread. We’ve ceased production at the contract manufacturer and have moved production back inhouse. Part 573 Safety Recall Report 23E-058 Page 3 The information contained in this report was submitted pursuant to 49 CFR §573 Recall Schedule : Description of Recall Schedule : The company will send the attached draft communications to retailer/ commercial installers and consumers after NHTSA review and, ideally, no later than 7 business days from this submission. Because most of the purchasers are commercial installers, the company does not foresee challenges in reaching end users because the commercial installers know their customers and have their contact information. Many of the vehicles on which these seat covers are installed are fleet vehicles. Planned Dealer Notification Date : AUG 02, 2023 – AUG 16, 2023 Planned Owner Notification Date : NR – NR Purchaser Information : The following manufacturers purchased this defective/noncompliant equipment for possible use or installation in new motor vehicles or new items of motor vehicle equipment: Name : NR Address : NR NR Country : NR Company Phone : NR * NR – Not Reported

**************************************************************************************************************

**************************************************************************************************************

**************************************************************************************************************

**************************************************************************************************************

**************************************************************************************************************

SEOCONTENT-END