>>7856181>not wanting to pay licensing fees again, etc.That makes no sense. Both Hot Wheels & Babs are Mattel properties, so there's no trouble with the licensee. Since the #9 bags are popping up on eBay, that's proof that the Barbies were made & ready to be given out like the rest until the very last minute.
It was definitely a safety issue that popped up just as they were about to release this set. The question is what was the issue with the Barbie. It must be due to some slight change in the new version vs. the totally safe 2001 version. (All the toys are new molds with slight differences compared to the older toys. See in the thread above.) I'd hazard a guess that either the head or the red cap came off too easily, causing a choking hazard. Kids are going to try to pull that hat off, so it' a likely scenario.