Bad Boy to pay penalty for unreported defects

NATCHEZ — The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says a Natchez-based company that makes off-road buggies has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $715,000.

The commission said last Friday that the settlement resolves its claims that Bad Boy Enterprises, LLC, failed to immediately report a defect involving Classic Buggies off-road utility vehicles with Series brand and SePex brand electric motors. The commission says the defect resulted in sudden acceleration incidents and injuries to consumers.

The off-road utility vehicles with Series motors were sold between 2003 and June 2007, and the off-road utility vehicles with a SePex motors were sold between 2007 and June 2010. The commission says both could suddenly accelerate during use or while the ignition was in idle.

The company could not immediately be reached last Friday.