CPSC announced the recall on September 17, 2026, covering certain activity boards sold exclusively at Target stores and Target.com. Consumers should stop using affected toys immediately and can choose a free replacement, a $30 refund by check, or a $40 Melissa & Doug online store credit after completing the recall process.
Quick Facts
- Product: Melissa & Doug Lights & Sounds Fire Truck Activity Board
- Units affected: About 84,000
- Hazard: Fire hose port can detach and create a serious choking risk
- Incidents: 26 reports of the port coming loose and one minor cut
Latest Melissa & Doug Fire Truck Activity Board Recall Developments
September 2026
September 17, 2026 – CPSC announced the recall of about 84,000 Melissa & Doug Lights & Sounds Fire Truck Activity Boards because the black fire hose port can come loose and detach, creating a risk of serious injury from choking. Melissa & Doug received 26 reports of the part coming loose and one report of a minor cut.
[1]
September 17, 2026 – CPSC instructed consumers to stop using recalled toys immediately. Melissa & Doug is offering a free replacement activity board, a $30 refund by check, or a $40 store credit for use at melissaanddoug.com.
[1]
What Is the Melissa & Doug Fire Truck Activity Board Recall?
The recall involves the Melissa & Doug Lights & Sounds Fire Truck Activity Board, a compact red fire-engine toy with wheels, lights, sounds, a white rotating ladder, and multiple activity-board features.
A black plastic connector designed to resemble a fire hose can loosen and detach from the toy. CPSC warns that the detached part creates a serious choking hazard.
The recalled activity boards measure approximately 10.5 inches high, 14.31 inches wide, and 3.06 inches deep and weigh about 1.6 pounds.
Why Was the Melissa & Doug Fire Truck Toy Recalled?
The central problem is the black fire hose port attached to the activity board. CPSC says the component can become loose and separate from the toy.
Once detached, the part can become accessible to a young child and may be placed in the mouth. Small toy components can block the airway and cause a potentially life-threatening choking emergency.
CPSC’s recall notice describes the hazard as a risk of serious injury from choking rather than simply a cosmetic or durability problem.
How Many Incidents Have Been Reported?
Melissa & Doug has received 26 reports of the small fire hose port coming loose from the activity board. The company also received one report involving a minor cut.
CPSC does not report a choking injury in the recall notice. However, the recall was initiated because the loose component can detach and create a choking hazard.
The lack of a reported choking injury does not mean the affected toys should remain in use. Consumers should follow CPSC’s instruction to stop using recalled boards immediately.
Why Are Small Toy Parts a Serious Choking Risk?
Young children commonly place objects in their mouths, making detachable toy pieces particularly concerning. A separate
Target Gigglescape Popping Toy recall also involved a detachable toy part that posed a choking hazard. MedlinePlus explains that small objects can become lodged in the throat or airway and prevent oxygen from reaching the lungs and brain.
[2]
A complete airway blockage is a medical emergency. MedlinePlus notes that without oxygen, brain damage can occur within minutes, making rapid intervention essential.
Children under age three are considered especially vulnerable to choking on small toy parts and similar objects.
What Do Federal Small-Parts Rules Require?
CPSC’s small-parts regulation is designed to prevent choking, aspiration, and ingestion injuries involving products intended for children under three. Toys for that age group cannot contain or release small parts that meet the federal small-parts test.
[3]
CPSC explains that a small part can include a separate toy component or a piece that breaks or detaches during testing that simulates normal use and abuse.
The Melissa & Doug recall notice focuses specifically on the detachable fire hose port and does not state in the notice that CPSC separately found a violation of the federal small-parts ban.
How Can Consumers Identify the Recalled Fire Truck Activity Board?
The affected toy is the Melissa & Doug Lights & Sounds Fire Truck Activity Board. It is primarily red plastic with four black wheels, a white rotating ladder, and a black connector resembling a fire hose.
Consumers should check the manufacturing date wheels on the bottom of the toy and the date codes printed on the packaging.
Affected toys have one date wheel pointing to 25 and the other pointing to either 4 or 5, or one wheel pointing to 26 and the second pointing to 3.
The recalled packaging may display one of the following date codes:
- OET 25100
- OET 25150
- OET 26064
The Melissa & Doug name is embossed on the battery compartment box on the bottom of the toy.
Where Were the Recalled Toys Sold?
The recalled activity boards were sold exclusively at Target stores nationwide and online at Target.com. They were available from July 2025 through August 2026 for about $30.
Because the toys were sold for more than a year, recalled units may remain in children’s rooms, playrooms, grandparents’ homes, daycare environments, or stored toy collections.
Parents and caregivers should check activity boards even if the toy has not shown visible signs of the fire hose port becoming loose.
What Should Consumers Do With a Recalled Activity Board?
CPSC instructs consumers to stop using recalled fire truck activity boards immediately and register through Melissa & Doug’s recall program.
Consumers may choose a free replacement Fire Truck Activity Board, a full $30 refund issued by check, or a $40 Melissa & Doug website store credit.
The company requires consumers to remove the batteries, write “RECALL” and a unique code on the front of the toy, cut the black hose off, and upload a photograph showing the destroyed product.
After the recall registration is successfully confirmed, consumers are instructed to dispose of the activity board in ordinary household trash.
What If the Fire Hose Port Has Already Come Loose?
An activity board should be removed from a child’s reach immediately if the fire hose port has loosened or detached. The loose component should also be kept away from children.
Parents and caregivers should not attempt to glue, tape, or otherwise reinstall the loose part and continue using the toy. The CPSC remedy calls for discontinuing use and completing the recall process.
If a child placed the detached part in their mouth, experienced choking symptoms, or sustained another injury, medical evaluation and documentation may be important.
What Are Signs of a Choking Emergency?
Choking symptoms can include difficulty breathing, inability to speak or cry normally, weak or ineffective coughing, unusual breathing sounds, bluish skin, or loss of consciousness.
[2]
A complete airway obstruction is an emergency and requires immediate action. Caregivers should call 911 or seek emergency medical assistance when a child cannot breathe or becomes unresponsive.
The appropriate first-aid technique varies depending on the child’s age, so parents and caregivers should follow recognized infant or child choking-response guidance.
Who May Be Affected?
Families who purchased a Melissa & Doug Fire Truck Activity Board from Target between July 2025 and August 2026 should check whether their toy falls within the recalled date codes.
Children who played with an activity board whose fire hose port loosened or detached may have been exposed to the choking hazard described by CPSC.
Parents whose child experienced choking, swallowing of the part, cuts, or another injury should consider preserving photographs, Target purchase records, medical documentation, and information identifying the recalled toy.
What Evidence May Matter in a Melissa & Doug Fire Truck Activity Board Claim?
Product identification and injury documentation can be important when evaluating a potential toy-injury claim.
- The recalled activity board and detached component
- Photographs showing the loose or detached fire hose port
- The manufacturing date wheels on the bottom of the toy
- Packaging showing an affected date code
- Target receipts or online purchase records
- Medical records documenting choking or other injuries
If an injury occurred, consumers may want to document the toy and component thoroughly before completing destruction requirements associated with the recall remedy.
Who May Be Liable for a Defective Toy Injury?
Potential liability depends on the facts and applicable state law. Manufacturers, importers, distributors, retailers, or other companies involved in supplying an allegedly defective toy may potentially be evaluated after an injury.
Possible claims can involve defective design, manufacturing defects, inadequate warnings, negligence, breach of warranty, or other product-liability theories.
CPSC identifies Melissa & Doug of Wilton, Connecticut as the importer. The recall itself does not establish civil liability against Melissa & Doug, Target, the manufacturer, or another entity.
Current Melissa & Doug Fire Truck Activity Board Lawsuit and Recall Status
The principal documented federal action is the September 17, 2026 CPSC recall covering about 84,000 Lights & Sounds Fire Truck Activity Boards. The recall provides consumers with replacement, refund, or store-credit options.
The CPSC recall notice does not announce a class action, multidistrict litigation proceeding, or nationwide personal-injury settlement involving the activity board.
An individual claim may still warrant legal review if a child suffered a medically documented choking injury or another significant injury allegedly connected with the detached fire hose component.
Do I Qualify for a Melissa & Doug Fire Truck Activity Board Claim?
- Did your family own a recalled Melissa & Doug Lights & Sounds Fire Truck Activity Board?
- Did the black fire hose port loosen or detach from the toy?
- Did your child place the loose part in their mouth or experience choking or another injury?
- Do you have the toy, photographs, purchase records, or medical documentation?
Answering yes to one or more questions does not automatically establish a lawsuit. An attorney can review the recalled toy, circumstances of the incident, medical documentation, product evidence, and applicable filing deadlines to determine whether further investigation may be appropriate.
Legal Process for a Melissa & Doug Fire Truck Activity Board Claim
- Free case review. An attorney reviews the recalled toy, incident circumstances, child’s injury, and available documentation.
- Investigation. Evidence may include the activity board, detached part, photographs, Target purchase records, medical records, and CPSC recall information.
- Filing. If the evidence and applicable law support a claim, a product-liability lawsuit may be filed against one or more potentially responsible parties.
- Discovery/negotiation. The parties may exchange records, obtain testimony, consult product-safety or medical experts, and discuss possible resolution.
- Resolution. A case may conclude through settlement, dismissal, court ruling, or trial depending on its facts and procedural history.
Compensation in a Toy Choking Injury Case
Depending on the circumstances, an injury claim may seek damages for emergency care, hospitalization, medical expenses, follow-up treatment, pain and suffering, and other losses permitted under applicable law.
Compensation amounts vary by case. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.
Important Melissa & Doug Fire Truck Activity Board Developments
| Event |
Month/Year |
Type |
Status |
Source |
Notes |
| Fire Truck Activity Board Recall |
September 2026 |
CPSC Consumer Product Recall |
Active |
[1] |
About 84,000 toys affected |
| Loose Fire Hose Reports |
September 2026 |
Incident Data |
26 reports |
[1] |
One minor cut reported |
| Consumer Recall Remedy |
September 2026 |
Recall Remedy |
Available |
[1] |
Replacement, refund, or credit |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Melissa & Doug Fire Truck Activity Board Recall Lawsuit?
The Melissa & Doug Fire Truck Activity Board Recall Lawsuit topic concerns potential individual claims involving activity boards whose fire hose port can loosen and detach, creating a serious choking hazard.
How many Melissa & Doug Fire Truck Activity Boards were recalled?
CPSC says about 84,000 Lights & Sounds Fire Truck Activity Boards are included in the September 2026 recall.
What is wrong with the Fire Truck Activity Board?
The black plastic fire hose port can loosen and detach. CPSC warns that the detached component can create a serious choking hazard.
How many incidents have been reported?
Melissa & Doug received 26 reports of the small fire hose port coming loose. One minor cut was also reported.
Where were the recalled toys sold?
The activity boards were sold exclusively at Target stores nationwide and Target.com from July 2025 through August 2026 for about $30.
How do I identify a recalled activity board?
Consumers should check the manufacturing date wheels on the bottom of the toy and the packaging date code. Recalled packaging codes include OET 25100, OET 25150, and OET 26064.
What is the recall remedy?
Consumers may choose a free replacement activity board, a $30 refund by check, or a $40 Melissa & Doug online store credit after completing the recall registration and destruction process.
Can I file a Melissa & Doug Fire Truck Activity Board Recall Lawsuit?
A family whose child suffered a medically documented choking injury or another significant injury allegedly connected with the detached fire hose port may warrant individual legal review. A recall does not itself establish liability, and any claim depends on the product, incident, injury, evidence, and applicable law.
Do I Have a Melissa & Doug Fire Truck Activity Board Lawsuit?
If your child suffered a serious injury after a fire hose component detached from a recalled Melissa & Doug Fire Truck Activity Board, you may have legal options. Contact Schmidt & Clark for a free case review.
Start My Free Case Review
References
[1] https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2026/Melissa-and-Doug-Recalls-Fire-Truck-Activity-Board-Toys-Due-to-Risk-of-Serious-Injury-from-Choking-Hazard-Sold-Exclusively-at-Target
[2] https://medlineplus.gov/choking.html
[3] https://www.cpsc.gov/Business–Manufacturing/Business-Education/Business-Guidance/Small-Parts-for-Toys-and-Childrens-Products
