WASHINGTON — The government recalled thousands of Simplicity and Graco cribs today, warning that babies could suffocate or strangle in them.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission said the Simplicity recall was linked to at least one death and involved thousands of cribs, possibly hundreds of thousands, though many had previously been recalled for other defects. The agency said about 217,000 Graco dropsied cribs made by LaJobi also were being recalled.

The problem with both types of cribs stems from hardware failures.