Customer Reviews

American-Retro Red Pedal Racer

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I read many reviews before purchasing on-line and rarely find rosy reviews of any value. Case in point - everything I read about the American Retro pedal car at Amazon and else where suggested that this was a very good product. Considering the price and reviews, I assumed the toy was a quality purchase. After ordering the car for my 4-year-old I found that the car looks nice, the body is well constructed, the paint is good and the rims are nice. However, the "solid rubber tires" are a type of foam rubber (not what I would think of as solid rubber or durable), the pedal mechanism is cheap (this makes it difficult to keep the car in motion and it is subject to jamming), and the steering mechanism is cheap (which makes it difficult to steer and the tires rub the nice paint when the car turns). Additionally, the axles are weak, which causes the rear tires to splay out slightly when a 40-pound child is in the car and allows the front tires to wobble around as the car is driven. The assembly instructions are also a joke since they consist of a single page, which is a parts list and a picture. As a reference I bought an InStep brand pedal car for my 2 year old for one forth the cost of the American Retro. Overall the InStep car is as well constructed as the American retro, however, the InStep car has solid rubber tires, a better pedal mechanism, a better steering mechanism and a detailed 8 page set of assembly instructions. The InStep car is not as nice looking as the American retro, but taking price and quality into account I think the InStep pedal car was a better deal. Most importantly, after 30 minutes with the American Retro, my 4-year-old began to share the InStep car with my 2-year-old rather than continue to struggle with the American Retro. Lesson learned yet again- expensive does not necessarily equal quality.

I totally concur with David, this car is nice looking but not very useful as a pedal car. I purchased the car fo my daughter and she hardly ever plays with it. The pedals are hard to use and prone to jamming. In addition, the steering is a joke. The steering wheel is flimsy and fastened only by one nut. The mechanism would not allow you to turn the wheel more that a few degrees each way so turning is nearly impossible or too laborious for a child. I found the padding on the seat too thin and the metal edges in some areas too sharp for a toy. A kid could really get injured in one of these things.

For the amount of money they charge for this car, it really should be of better design. First off, the instructions consist of a one page diagram... thats it. For the mechanically inclined, like myself, you will be able to figure it out, but not without some frustration. My Dad broke a fragile (and important) clip that is used to drive the rear axle. I have gotton no reply from American Retro about a replacement, so we had to make one ourselves. Their piece is cheap and VERY prone to breakage on installation. Once assembled the wheels will wobble (due to the slightly bent axles) and the car is tough to pedal for most kids. Steering is also stiff and when you see the linkage design you'll know why. If this car cost about $50 it MIGHT be worth the metal its made out of, but otherwise please save your money for something else.

I had ordered this Pedal Racer. However, after reading the reviews I refused shipment until I could get some more information. Safety, quality and durability are my primary concerns. I emailed American Retro. They have ignored me and refused to answer.

I never write reviews but was compelled to for this due to its cost andd outrageously poor design. It took two guys (both trained in engineering) 2 days to get assembly right. The instructions were barely helpful. Once built, the front wheels were not parallel and adjustment for this is not possible. So the car looks great but doesn't drive (and when pushed it begins to come apart due to bad design). This is worse than frustrating when your[...]and his friends are dying to use it. Don't go near this product.

Today I sent back the American-Retro Pedal Plane to the online vendor, [...]. I have almost identical complaints that others have voiced: poor steering mechanism really limits the plane's steering in one direction, the wheel axle holes are not aligned and the wheels wobble badly and the spring that operates the propeller keeps popping off. I don't care how GOOD these planes look, they are not quality made.

Additionally the instructions were a joke, a badly photocopied single sheet of paper with primitive drawings and all too terse text. Finally, the washers for the wheels had a hole too small to fit over the end of the axle, so I had to provide my own.

This is really an unacceptable experience for someone who has decided to spend over $300 for a child's toy. We did it because we thought the fun, experience and lasting value of a pedal plane would be an unforgettable childhood experience, and that is indeed what it has been as my child held my hand as the UPS merchant took away the box containing the pedal plane we were returning.

I only hope that in reading this review, you can avoid a similar experience.

THe overall quality of the car is good, but there were a few problems with the assembly. THe rear axle supports, part A5, needed to have some slag filed off from the hole for the axle so the axle would turn
freely. The copper U clamps, part A2, were difficult to close over the axle and have the bolt holes line
up. It is a good idea to include several extras in the parts pack. I had to drill a hole in the end of the
fork of the steering column to insert a cotter pin where the fork fits into the steering linkage, so it would
not pop out when turning the steering wheel. FInally, I had to elongate the squared off end of the
steering column so the crown nut holding the steering wheel on the column would have enough
purchase on the thread ends to tighten and stay on. As it came, the crown nut would not tighten far enough
on the threads to stay on, and would come loose as soon as the steering wheel was turned a few times.

This was a complete disaster! 1st: Incredibly difficult to put together; 2nd: Incredibly expensive; 3rd: The tires aren't level so it won't roll properly; 4th: My 4 year old can't work the "simple" push/pull of the pedals; 5th: Shabby construction -- my husband had to go buy replacement screws and nuts just to hold it together; 6th: The steering is a joke.

There are only two good things about this toy: 1. It looks amazing, and 2. I got it for half-price, so I don't feel TOO embarrassed for buying such a pile of you-know-what.

This pedal racer is made well and it's great looking! It's perfect for the adult collector or for a very lucky kid! My big kid (husband) loved it! The price was terrific compared to other online sellers.

I don't have words to discribe my son's face when he saw this car on the net, he wants it bad and that desire make me wish I was his age to try it.