13 of the Most Embarrassing, Dangerous, Repulsive Product Recalls

Ah, the joys of being a consumer in the modern age! From the foul-mouthed Teletubby doll to the shockingly deadly electric “Worm Getter” worm probes, it seems like every day there’s a new product being recalled for one reason or another. And while it’s easy to laugh at some of these stories, it’s important to remember that these recalls are a sign of a healthy and vigilant consumer market... or maybe just a sign that some manufacturers will shovel out any old stuff.

In this list, we’ll take a look at some of the most outrageous product recalls in recent memory. From toys that teach bad words to toys that contain asbestos, these stories are sure to make you shake your head in disbelief. But they’re also a reminder of the importance of being an informed consumer and making sure the products you buy are safe. So without further ado, let’s dive in and explore some of the wildest product recalls of all time.

13 Cool pencils, cool message… not

Product Recalls Pencils In 1998, a 10-year-old student noticed that when they sharpened pencils with the message Too Cool to Do Drugs on them, the message changed to, uhh, the opposite. This led to the pencils being recalled. TOO COOL TO DO DRUGS COOL TO DO DRUGS DO DRUGS DRUGS CRACKED — *Snopes*
**Snopes**

12 Faster, Slower, Cursing?

Product Recalls Po the Teletubby In 1998, a Teletubby doll named Po caused a stir when parents said it was teaching their kids bad words. The company that sold the dolls said Po was actually saying faster, faster and slower, slower in Cantonese. It got recalled anyway. tummy! press press Teletubbie™ CRACKED — *Poshmark*
**CBS News**

11 Oops.

Product Recalls Mario Party 8 In 2007, Nintendo had to take back all the copies of Mario Party 8 in the UK because of a mistake in the assembly process, which led to the inclusion of a pretty offensive word in the final game. CRACKED — *Nintendo*
**Wired**

10 Mazda: spiders strike again.

Product Recalls Mazda6 sedans Mazda had to call back 42,000 of their Mazda6 sedans in the U.S. because of a potential fire hazard caused by yellow sac spiders building webs in the fuel tank hose, which blocked the air flow. MAZDA.6 CRACKED — *Everyonephoto Studio/Shutterstock*,
*Tobias Hauke/Shutterstock*
**CNN**

9 Shockingly deadly product.

Product Recalls Electric Worm Getter worm probes In 1993, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled 83,000 electric Worm Getter worm probes because they were linked to over 30 deaths due to electric shock and electrocution. CRACKED — *Richard Peterson/Shutterstock*,
*Polina Tomtosova/Shutterstock*
**Consumer Product Safety Commission**

8 Women: unwelcome navigators.

Product Recalls BMW GPS In 2010, BMW had to recall their GPS systems because they found out that German drivers didn't want to take directions from a female voice. 12 in - - STOR 117 Olsa .. eto zu D - 24 - CRACKED — *berni0004/Shutterstock*
**CU Independent**

7 EA’s “oopsie.”

Product Recalls TIGER SPORTS PlayStation H PGA TOUR GOLF E ано Tiger Woods 99 ЕА had to take back the PlayStation version of their golf game because it had a South Park video on it, somehow. CRACKED — *EA Sports*
**IGN**

6 Germs in hand soap.

Product Recalls ANTIMICROBIAL FOAMING HAND SOAP SAVON A MAINS MOUSSANT ANTIMICROBIEN TRICLOSAN CARD TECLOSAN LAURE IN - - - - - - - - - - Biomax foam - - - - 1L Antimicrobial soap A Quebec company recalled a batch of their Antimicrobial Foaming Hand Soap in October 2012 because it contained germs that could be harmful to people with weakened immune systems. CRACKED — *Avmor*
**CBC**

5 Pregnant Midge: Unhappy Walmart.

Product Recalls Midge doll In 2002, Walmart stopped selling the Mattel Happy Family set, which had a pregnant Midge doll wearing a it's a girl! pink skirt and a removable stomach with a baby inside. Mom loves newbo baby ppy famil Mom & Baby CRACKED — *eBay*
**CNN**

4 Toxic toy of the year.

Product Recalls Aqua Dots/ Bindeez Beads A toy called Aqua Dots in the U.S. and Bindeez Beads in Australia was recalled after it was found to be contaminated with a chemical that can turn into a dangerous drug. Three children in Australia had to be hospitalized. THEMED THEMED SINCE THEMED THEMED HEMED PART FIRST ... QUA OOTS NOUA OOTS AQUA OOTS AQUA OOTS AQUA OOTS DOT PAGS mam GING ADVECTURE VERMOH CCIAN I | ! adidas SCIE I I I MADICALLY MARICALLE ECTS JEON MINTS MARITALTY 1 WATER MARKET adidas FREE I BOTH RUS WITH a WATER! CON DE PAMANO — *CPSC.gov*
**CNN**

3 Donkey-gate: Walmart.

Product Recalls Five Spice Donkey Meat In January 2014, Walmart had to take back donkey meat in China because it contained entirely too much fox (which is to say, more than zero percent of it). They apologized to customers and gave them their money back. Walmart B CRACKED — *testing/Shutterstock*,
*Eric Isselee/Shutterstock*
**CNN**

2 Dangerous dolls recalled.

Product Recalls Sky Dancers In 2000, Galoob Toys Inc. recalled 8.9 million Sky Dancers flying dolls due to reports of 150 injuries, including eye injuries, broken teeth, a mild concussion, a broken rib, and facial lacerations. CRACKED — *CPSC.gov*
**Consumer Product Safety Commission**

1 Asbestos-y fingerprints.

Product Recalls CSI Fingerprint Examination Toy Kit The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization did a study in 2007 and found out that the hit had asbestos in it. That's not something you want anywhere, let alone in a toy for kids, so the kit was recalled. AGES 10+ CSI: ADULT SUPERVISION RECOMMENDED WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD Small parts Not for - - 3 years CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION WARNING: FINGERPRINT - DE - EXAMINATION KIT - - - - USE FINGERPRINT BRUSH COLLECT TO DUST CRAMING, REAL - RECORD PRINTS VINGERPRINTS WITH BRESSONS CSI TEAM CSI: um not zue - F CRIME SCEN AT — *Reddit*
**Parker Waichman LLP**

Must Read

Everything That Isn’t A Cockroach That Can Also Survive A Nuclear Bomb

Turns out, there’ll be a whole lot of insects tanking a nuke

Authors: By Eli Yudin
Published: April 24, 2024
Comments: 0

PICTOFACT

24 Funny Times Something Completely Backfired on Someone

‘Grass caught on fire’

Authors: By Ian Garner
Published: April 24, 2024
Comments: 2

Roseanne Barr Almost Starred in ‘Married… With Children’

And she would have had babies with screaming Sam Kinison

Authors: By Matt Solomon
Published: April 24, 2024
Comments: 0

I Would Feed My Right Hand to A Gator to Stop Adam Sandler From Making ‘Happy Gilmore 2’

An alligator ended Chubbs Peterson’s golf aspirations — could it close down Sandler’s sequel dreams, too?

Authors: By Keegan Kelly
Published: April 24, 2024
Comments: 5

Isn’t It Weird to Add Celebrities to a Game Where They Get Shot?

Wow, I just took out my favorite singer with a headshot

Authors: By Eli Yudin
Published: April 24, 2024
Comments: 1

Rob Schneider Pivots From Cancel Culture Comedy to His Other Shtick

After driving away the anti-woke crowd with his holiday gala meltdown, Schneider will try to win them back with some old-fashioned Christian entertainment

Authors: By Keegan Kelly
Published: April 24, 2024
Comments: 2

20 of the Dumbest Things Done by Police Officers

Nathan Fielder Says Emma Stone Is Great at Comedy Because She’s ‘Near Un-Offendable’

35 of the Funniest Tweets from April 24, 2024

These Are Ray Romano’s Three Favorite Episodes of ‘Everyone Loves Raymond’

12 Trivia Tidbits for Wednesday, April 24, 2024