SunSetter Products has recalled approximately 270,000 vinyl covers due to impact and fall hazards, according to an announcement from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The recall involves all vinyl awning covers used with SunSetter Motozies, Motorized XL, Motorized PRO, Motorized PROXL, and Oasis Freestanding Motorized Retractable Awnings.
If a powered awning is activated while the cover is secured with bungee tie-downs, when the cover is removed, the awning can open unexpectedly with enough force to strike a person standing in the awning's path, according to the CPSC. The recall does not involve covers for manually operated awnings produced by SunSetter.
The manufacturer received 14 reports of incidents, including one report of a death and six reports of injuries. In one reported incident, a man died after falling from a ladder when a motorized awning opened unexpectedly and struck him while he was removing the cover's bungee tie-downs. The recalled covers were sold as standalone items or distributed as a promotional item or as part of a package with motorized awnings directly by SunSetter, through independent dealers, and through Costco Wholesale between 1999 and January 2019.
The CPSC says consumers should not attempt to install covers for the motorized awnings or remove any installed covers until they have received instructions from SunSetter. The manufacturer can provide breakaway safety clips and instructions for their use on request as well as instruction on how to safely remove any installed bungee tie-downs. The manufacturer is contacting known purchasers directly, according to the CPSC.
