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Maclaren

Maclaren is a British company that seems to think it invented what it calls the "baby buggy." The company's official history describes how its founder, a former test pilot, designed a stroller that was rugged and easy to handle. Maybe so, but that doesn't mean it's trouble-free.

Svetlana of Hallandale Beach FL (10/20/07)
Hello, I've purchased a MacLaren (Quest 2006 Citrus Lime) stroller this year (July 2007) from tinyride.com. During my first trip to the park I've realized that I cant put anything in the universal organizer heavier then a travel pack of wipes and one diaper. I like to take pictures of my son and I hanged a camera (digital) on the handle of the stroller in it's case, well, the stroller along with my baby tripped backwards as soon as I let my hands off the handle. Thanks to a soft camera case my toddler was not hurt but he was crying scared.

5 month later I use the stroller very rare - 2 times a week to go to the park, which is 5 minutes away from my home. We have nice asphalt and nothing that I could think of that would damage the stroller. (To think original purpose of a stroller is to ride a baby safely from point A to point B and pick up a few grocerie bags on the way) I have a car and never ever go out to the store in a hot weather, which we have here in Florida all year round.

I started to hear squeaky sounds about a month ago and thought of using a WD-40. At a close look right I realized that the wheel is loose comparing to the other one. I called MacLaren customer service immediately and they told me to take it to a local authorized repair specialist. (9334 SW 56th Street in Miami, FL) I called him on Monday and asked him when I can come by to have the wheel replaced. He took model of stroller and serial number and said to come by anytime this week.

I drove 1 1/2 hours with my son just to get there. The place looked nasty and I have to mention that it appeared to me that his main source of income came from repairing shoes and used vacuum cleaners. He looked at the stroller and said to me that that something has melted on the base of the wheel and also that all the other wheels look completely worn out and I will have to replace them as well (!!! 5 month I had this stroller!)

Of course I called Maclaren on the spot trying to figure out what to do next. They told me that the warranty is not going to cover wheels, that it covers them only for 1 month after purchase and if I dont notice anything by then I will have to pay out of my own pocket.

How can over $200 stroller have such bad wheels??? If I knew that I would have to pay $35 x4 for each set of wheels every 6-month I would of never bought that stroller. I have enough things to take care of in my life to have a headache about wheels on the stroller. So as I agreed to pay for the wheels authorized repair agent told me that he doesnt have wheels for this model (even though he took serial number, color and a year/model and told me to come by anytime!!!)

Once again I was on the phone with Maclaren and a nice lady told me that she will attend to this matter personally, asked me to email her my proof of purchase and include a short letter about the problem. Im still waiting for her response.

Kathy of Jamaica Estates NY (04/19/07)
I bought a 2004 Maclaren Sport stroller. It gets use the most is maybe one day per week for a couple hours. However, after very little use, the back wheels, especially the rear left wheel, became very worn. This is such a shame after spending so much for the stroller in the first place. The sales person at Buy Buy Baby told me that Maclaren strollers are supposed to last at least 5 years. It seems more like 5 months.

My friends who bought Maclaren strollers also have the rear left wheel worn down. I started to look closely at other Maclaren strollers and noticed that some of them tend to have the same problem. The Maclaren strollers look off balance and all lean a little. They also tend to tip over too easily.

My child has fallen over in the Maclaren stroller too many times. One time he was already in the stroller and just simply leaned back and the stroller fell over. Regarding the worn down wheel, I have to take the stroller to an authorized service agent and the wheel replacement will cost at least $35.

Carmen of San Clemente CA (04/06/07)

This stroller has a terrible center of gravity. All the weight is on the back because the front is too light weight. I constantly had to remind myself not to put anything with even the slightest weight on the back for fear of tipping back - a situation I prevented several times by jumping the foot between the stroller and myself to stop the tipping. As my daughter got closer to two years old, it actually became safer b/c she was heavier so it allowed for more ballast in the front - except when she fell asleep and stretched! Well, her head went way back as I tried to jump the foot between me and the stroller without success. My poor daughter went back as the stroller tipped back to the floor!

Luckily I had a soft sided package of wipes in the back which just happened to cushion her head as she hit the floor! Very Scary.

Anne of Mechanicsburg PA (07/31/06)
Purchased a MacLaren double stroller two years ago. Used infrequently, but valued greatly (worked great initially). The plastic connector cracked where the handles meet the frame, so the stroller droops on one side and cannot be pushed. Emailed MacLaren, they said to send it in. Received phone call that the stroller was damaged beyond repair and they can destroy it or ship it back damaged and I can purchase a new one at 15% off, which incidentally is more expensive than retailers on the web.

The representative cited two other locations where the metal was bent on the stroller (never noticed, never had a problem) and so it was not possible to just fix the cracked piece of plastic that provides support to the stroller. So, in total, these three issues (two bent areas and cracked plastic) yield a stroller that is unrepairable. For a $200+ stroller, I expect a bit more. Feels like a strategy to get folks to pay more cash for more product.

Lisa of Harding, South Africa (07/05/06)
I purchased 2 Maclaren Daytripper strollers about 8 months ago as I have 2 little ones under 3 years. The one pram the part where the child sits has lifted up from underneath (looks like the metal inside the material has lifted). Cannot use as child cannot sit.

Michael of Seattle WA (06/29/06)
Bought a Maclaren Triumph stroller last August. During the winter, the rear wheels started to wear out. In less than 8 months. I called them, spoke to Ms. Glaser, who argued that I was using it too much. In 8 months? In the end she agreed to send a new set of wheels. That was a month ago. They never arrived. Later, I looked at other Maclaren's in the playground and saw that 90% had the same sort of premature wear, indicative of defective design or materials or both.

This is a very pricey stroller and the company's attempt to put the blame on the customer is at the least annoying. Worse yet, the worn wheels affect manueverability, which, in traffic or crossing the street, could present a grave safety issue.

A new set of wheels cost $35. The stroller cost $120. Without the wheels the stroller is useless. Again, worn wheels potentially put the baby in the stroller and the parents at risk in an emergency situation. I believe there are grounds for a class-action suit on behalf of the thousands of owners of defective Maclarens.

Molly of Colorado Springs CO (08/01/05)
We purchased a Mac 3 stroller last April. Since that time, we have had to replace the tires twice, and are now waiting for a third set of tires. With normal usage (ie.walks on pavement 3-4 times/week)the tires only last 4-6 months. We called Maclaren July 5th,2005 to order replacement tires and were told that the tires were on backorder for 2-3 weeks. My stroller now sits in the garage because one of the tires now has a hole in it.

I phoned again on July 25th to check on the status of our order, still 2-3 week backorder. I asked to speak to a supervisor (Dottie Dohm). She called my back the next day and said she would check on the status of the tires and call me back on a day or two. It is now Aug. 1st and I still haven't heard from Dottie and I still don't have tires for my stroller. It is very disappointing when you spend $300+++ for a stroller that we now cannot use.

Many companies make car, bicycle and motorcycle tires that withstand greater wear-n-tear than a stroller and they last longer than 4-6 months. It is hard for me to believe that Maclaren can't find a tire of better quality for their stroller.

Jb of West Roxbury MA (04/01/05)
We returned our Global Stroller bought in Aug 2003 because the rear wheels fell off while I was walking my 18 month old daughter in Febraury. It also had some other damage to the locking/ folding mechanism. When I called outraged about the $300+ carriage being a piece of junk they said the wheel problem was normal wear and tear and that wheels need to be replaced from time to time. They assured me they would recondition the whole carriage including all the bent bars/folding mechanism, locking mechanism as well as replace all four wheels for $30 and $15 shipping.

Dumbfounded but with only one carriage, I sent it to them as I really had little choice. I also had to incur the cost of shipping it to them. I instructed them via phone specifically to NOT send it back while we were on vacation. When we returned we found the carriage in a snow drift on our porch. When opened, the replaced bars had scratches and bend marks apparently from tools they used to install them. The FRONT wheels are put on so tight that they no longer swivel properly so its impossible to steer it. I am forced to lock them in the straightforward position which as you know makes it very difficult to push in many situations.

Jane of New York NY (03/01/05)
I purchased the Maclaren Techno Classic stroller less than one year ago - the 2004 model. I have treated it well, but still the front wheel just snapped off when crossing a busy New York street. I took to Planet Kids, an authorized dealer who are repairing it. However, I am not satisfied. How do I know it will not happen again?

There is obviously a fault with the materials used. I did much research when puchasing this product and believed that Maclaren was a trustworhy company. The experience has caused great inconvneience.

The economic damage is that I spent $289 plus tax on this stroller and it is not reliable. A product of this so say calibre should last at least ONE year!  

Alyson of New York NY (01/28/05)
I have already made a report with consumer affairs regarding the wheel falling off my daughter's stroller twice before. After having it fixed two separate times at an authorized Maclaren dealer, two front wheels have again fallen off with my daughter in the stroller and myself being 32 weeks pregnant pushing it.

Alyson of New York NY (1/28/05):
I have already made a report with Consumer Affairs regarding the wheel falling off my daughter's stroller twice before. After having it fixed two separate times at an authorized Maclaren dealer, two front wheels have again fallen off with my daughter in the stroller and myself being 32 weeks pregnant pushing it.

Renee of Massapequa NY (11/6/04):
I purchased a Maclaren "Baby Buggy" in April of 2004. I have had nothing but trouble with this stroller. I thought like I am sure everyone else did, Maclaren is the best. Wrong! This stroller has no coverage for children, it is not sturdy at all. I had a problem with the hood. It had gotten warped. I called Maclaren and told them my problem. They had the nerve to tell me to send it back, at my expense, after spending $300.00 for it.

I refused and after several complaint phone calls they sent for it. I told them that this is my only carriage and how long will it take, since it was August and unable to take a baby out without the hood, due to the sun exposure. they told me 2 days. Well 1 month went by and nothing. Finally I received my hood back. I was just very upset after spending so much money on the carriage, only having it for 3 months and having to send it for repair. Then only to find out that after several upseting phone calls, it would be on its way back to me.

I would never recommend these useless carriages to anyone. Stick to Graco's. Price is good and so is the feedback.

Kamyra of New York NY (4/12/04):
Dear Consumer Advocate -- Thank you for what you are doing to hold Maclaren accountable for the faulty 2003 Techno XT Strollers. I own a red XT and also had the horrible experience of the front wheel falling off while walking home from church with my infant son.

Helen of New York NY (3/10/04):
We bought a Maclaren Techno XT stroller on 12/31/2003. Everybody raved about how wonderful Maclaren strollers are for Manhattan streets, but yesterday as I was strolling my 20-month-old daughter down the streets, the left front wheel snapped and fell off as I was walking. Horrified and humiliated (people watching me), I tried to manage with 3 wheels to a safer place to get a cab home, the right back wheel then snapped also!

This was a horrifying experience, and I was very upset how such expensive and supposedly top of the line stroller can have such problems! I tried to call Maclaren only to get answering machine because all of their reps are busy. We found their authorized dealer, El Bambi and described the problem, they said they could fix it. When we got there, they said that the Marclaren is aware of the problem and that we are not the first one to have gone to them for such problem. I was appalled.

That was 3/9/04. Today, 3/10/04, I got a call from Bill at Maclaren returning my message left in the answering machine yesterday. I told him El Bambi will take a week to fix the stroller and in the meantime I am stranded at home or I'll have to pay big bucks for cabs or struggle holding my 30lb daughter if she falls asleep en route to where I want to go, Bill told me to take my stroller to another place for repair.

I was, like, are you crazy, it was already a bear to get the broken stroller to El Bambi, and now he wants me to take it somewhere else? What really upset me was that he also told me that they are aware of the problem and he identified without me telling him that my stroller was made in a batch back in 2003. My concern is if they knew about the problem, why didn't they pull these strollers off the shelf and recall the strollers?

If my daughter had fallen on the street because of the incident (thank God she was not hurt), then it would have been due to the manufacturer's irresponsibility for not preventing this problem, which they already know about! This is simply unacceptable!

Bill called this afternoon to let me know they sped up the repair from 1 week to today, but when I asked him if the plastic pieces are going to hold and that the same problem will not happen again, he said, "Anything can happen," and if it happens again, they will fix it under warranty.

How can a manufacturer for baby products be so irresponsible? Please look into this and I really feel Maclaren needs clean up its act. Must we wait till some babies die because of this faulty stroller to make them clean up their act?

Helen should report this incident to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, which could order a recall.

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