Product recalls.

Products ranging from child-safety seats to chain saws are recalled when there are safety defects. Various federal agencies, such as the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), monitor consumer complaints and injuries and, when there's a problem, issue a recall.

But the odds of hearing about an unsafe product are slim. Manufacturers are reluctant to issue a recall in the first place because they can be costly. And getting the word out to consumers can be haphazard. If you return the warranty card that comes with a product, you're more likely to receive notification on a recall for it.

A selection of the most far-reaching recalls appears monthly in CONSUMER REPORTS. Below is a listing of products recalled from December 2002 through November 2003, as reported in issues of CONSUMER REPORTS. For details on these products and hundreds more, go to our Web site, www.ConsumerReports.org, to access our free, comprehensive list of product recalls.

If you wish to report an unsafe product or get recall information, call the CPSC's hotline, 800-638-2772, or visit its Web site, www.cpsc.gov. Recall notices about your automobile can be obtained from a new-car dealer or by calling the NHTSA hotline at 800-424-9393 or go to www.nhtsa.dot.gov. Questions about food and drugs are handled by the FDA's Office of Consumer Affairs, 888-463-6332 or www.fda.gov.

Major product recalls in 2003

VEHICLES

'03 BMW 325i, 325Ci, 330i, and M3