A crash test conducted at 30 miles per hour ended in seconds with a catastrophic outcome. A counterfeit baby car seat, priced at $299 on Amazon, broke apart upon impact during testing performed by CNN in collaboration with the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute.
The product failed to comply with fundamental safety standards established by U.S. regulators. The item was a fake version of the Doona car seat and stroller combination, which retails for approximately $500 in its authentic form. CNN released its findings on December 29, 2019, following a months-long inquiry initiated after receiving reports from concerned individuals.
Seven separate business owners informed CNN that counterfeiters had targeted their products on Amazon’s third-party marketplace. The counterfeit seat was not sold directly by Amazon but rather by external vendors.
Notably, the product listing incorporated images of Ivanka Trump, then-President Donald Trump’s daughter, using the genuine Doona product. Those photographs were used without authorization to mislead potential buyers into believing the counterfeit item was legitimate. Marketed as a 4-in-1 baby car seat and stroller, the fake product was priced $200 below the authentic version.
Parents seeking an affordable option for a critical safety device instead encountered a hazardous item. Amazon responded by contacting affected customers, urging immediate discontinuation of use, and offering full refunds.
However, the counterfeit had already been distributed through Amazon’s website and application, installed in vehicles, and used to transport children. This incident extends beyond a single defective product. It highlights a fundamental issue within Amazon’s operational model.
The company maintains an extensive third-party marketplace enabling outside sellers to offer items alongside Amazon’s own inventory. This system depends on automated verification and trust, which was compromised in this case.
CNN’s investigation uncovered a broader trend of counterfeit children’s products on the platform. Multiple business owners reported that their legitimate merchandise had been replicated and sold by unauthorized sellers. The fake Doona represented the most severe example, as a car seat that disintegrates during a crash poses an immediate life-threatening risk. The crash test was conducted under standard procedures at 30 miles per hour, a typical collision speed.
The counterfeit seat did not merely fail; it fragmented entirely. A child in such a seat during an actual collision would have received no protection whatsoever.
Amazon’s third-party marketplace has driven substantial company growth but also creates persistent vulnerabilities. Counterfeit and dangerous items continue to bypass safeguards. The company’s post-incident response—contacting customers and processing refunds—does not eliminate the prior exposure to risk.
The product was listed, purchased, and used before any action was taken. The investigation was prompted by citizen reports of irregularities.
CNN verified these claims through testing, resulting in a shattered car seat on a test track. The counterfeit listing employed a common tactic: using stolen images from the genuine manufacturer to create a convincing but fraudulent product page at a lower price point. Amazon’s marketplace remains enormous, and the company has faced ongoing challenges in effective oversight.
This case demonstrates the stakes involved. Unlike a counterfeit handbag, a counterfeit car seat is expected to protect a child during a collision.
The test results were unequivocal: the seat failed to meet basic standards and broke apart. Amazon’s response did not include announcements of systemic changes to monitoring procedures for dangerous counterfeit goods. The investigation revealed a pattern, not an isolated incident.
The mechanism that allowed the fake Doona onto the platform remains operational, as does the system that permitted other counterfeit children’s products identified by CNN. The crash test demonstrated the potential consequences when that system fails.
