Walmart Recalls 850,000 Ozark Trail Water Bottles After Lids Eject Into Faces, Cause Permanent Vision Loss

Two people lost their vision permanently because of a water bottle lid.

Walmart recalled approximately 850,000 Ozark Trail 64 oz Stainless Steel Insulated Water Bottles after the CPSC received reports that the screw-cap lids ejected forcefully when consumers attempted to open them. Three people were struck in the face. Two of them suffered permanent vision loss after being hit in the eye.

The bottles are silver with a black one-piece screwcap lid, model number 83-662.

How the Defect Works

The hazard occurs when consumers store food, carbonated beverages, or perishable liquids like juice or milk inside the capped bottle. Over time, the contents can produce gas buildup. When the consumer unscrews the lid, the built-up pressure causes the lid to eject violently.

The CPSC classified this as a "serious impact and laceration hazard." That language understates what happened. The lids launched with enough force to permanently blind two people.

The Scope

The affected bottles were sold at Walmart stores nationwide and on walmart.com. The product was a mass-market item at a price point accessible to millions of consumers — exactly the kind of product that ends up in homes, offices, gym bags, and school backpacks across the country.

Walmart is offering a full refund. Consumers can return the bottle to any Walmart store.

What This Case Reveals

Water bottles are not supposed to be dangerous. When a consumer product this mundane causes permanent injury, it raises a question about the design review process that allowed it to reach shelves.

A 64 oz stainless steel bottle with a screw-cap lid has a foreseeable use case that includes storing beverages other than water. If the design cannot safely contain the pressure generated by juice, milk, or carbonation, the design is defective.

The manufacturer and retailer share responsibility for ensuring products are safe under reasonably foreseeable use. Storing juice in a water bottle is not misuse. It is predictable behavior.

Stop using the recalled bottles immediately and visit your nearest Walmart for a full refund.

For the latest consumer product safety alerts, visit the 411 Press recall tracker or browse CPSC recalls.