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Installing Child Restraints
When installing a child safety seat with combination lap and shoulder belts:
Child Seats
Use a child safety seat (sometimes called an infant carrier, convertible seat, or toddler seat) for infants, toddlers, or children weighing
40 lb (18 kg) or less (generally age four or younger).
Using Lap and Shoulder Belts
WARNING:
Airbags can kill or injure a child in a child restraint. Never place a rear-facing child restraint in front of an active airbag. If you must use a forward-facing child restraint in the front seat, move the seat upon which the child restraint is installed all the way back.
WARNING:
Airbags can kill or injure a child in a child restraint. Properly restrain children 12 and under in the rear seat whenever possible.
WARNING:
Depending on where you secure a child restraint, and depending on the child restraint design, you may block access to certain seatbelt buckle assemblies and LATCH lower anchors, rendering those features potentially unusable. To avoid risk of injury, make sure occupants only use seating positions where they are able to be properly restrained. |
When installing a child safety seat with combination lap and shoulder belts:
- Use the correct seatbelt buckle for that seating position.
- Insert the belt tongue into the proper buckle until you hear a snap and feel it latch. Make sure the tongue is securely fastened in the buckle.
- Keep the buckle release button pointing up and away from the safety seat, with the tongue between the child restraint and the release button, to prevent accidental unbuckling.
- Place the vehicle seat upon which the child restraint will be installed in the upright position.
- For second-row seating positions, adjust the recliner slightly to improve child restraint fit. If needed, remove the head restraints.
- For third-row seating positions, stow the head restraints to improve child restraint fit. See Head Restraints .
- Put the seatbelt in the automatic locking mode. See Step 5. This vehicle does not require the use of a locking clip.
Perform the following steps when installing the child restraint with combination lap and shoulder belts:
Note:
Although the child restraint illustrated is a forward facing child restraint, the steps are the same for installing a rear facing child restraint.
Note:
The lock-off device on some child restraints may not accommodate the shoulder portion of the inflatable seatbelt. Follow all instructions provided by the manufacturer of the child restraint regarding the necessary and proper use of the lock-off device. In some instances these devices have been provided only for use in vehicles with seatbelt systems that would otherwise require a locking clip.
Standard seatbelts
- Position the child safety seat in a seat with a combination lap and shoulder belt.
- After positioning the child safety seat in the proper seating position, pull down on the shoulder belt and then grasp the shoulder belt and lap belt together behind the belt tongue.
- While holding the shoulder and lap belt portions together, route the tongue through the child restraint according to the child restraint manufacturer's instructions. Be sure the belt webbing is not twisted.
- Insert the belt tongue into the proper buckle (the buckle closest to the direction the tongue is coming from) for that seating position until you hear a snap and feel the latch engage. Make sure the tongue is latched securely by pulling on it.
- To put the retractor in the automatic locking mode, grasp the shoulder portion of the belt and pull downward until you pull all of the belt out.
Note:
The automatic locking mode is available on the front passenger and rear seats.
- Allow the belt to retract to remove slack. The belt will click as it retracts to indicate it is in the automatic locking mode.
- Try to pull the belt out of the retractor to make sure the retractor is in the automatic locking mode (you should not be able to pull more belt out). If the retractor is not locked, unbuckle the belt and repeat Steps 5 and 6.
- Remove remaining slack from the belt. Force the seat down with extra weight, for example, by pressing down or kneeling on the child restraint while pulling up on the shoulder belt in order to force slack from the belt. This is necessary to remove the remaining slack that exists once the extra weight of the child is added to the child restraint. It also helps to achieve the proper snugness of the child restraint to your vehicle. Sometimes, a slight lean toward the buckle provides extra help to remove remaining slack from the belt.
- Attach the tether strap (if the child restraint is equipped).
- Before placing the child in the seat, forcibly move the seat forward and back to make sure the seat is securely held in place. To check this, grab the seat at the belt path and attempt to move it side to side and forward and back. There should be no more than 1 in (2.5 cm) of movement for proper installation.
We recommend checking with a NHTSA Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician to make certain the child restraint is properly installed. In Canada, check with Transport Canada for referral to a Child Car Seat Clinic.
Inflatable seatbelts
- Position the child safety seat in a seat with a combination lap and shoulder belt.
- After positioning the child safety seat in the proper seating position, grasp the shoulder belt and lap belt together behind the belt tongue.
- While holding the shoulder and lap belt portions together, route the tongue through the child restraint according to the child restraint manufacturer's instructions. Be sure the belt webbing is not twisted.
- Insert the belt tongue into the proper buckle (the buckle closest to the direction the tongue is coming from) for that seating position until you hear a snap and feel the latch engage. Make sure the tongue is latched securely by pulling on it.
- To put the retractor in the automatic locking mode, grasp the lap portion of the inflatable seatbelt and pull upward until you pull all of the belt out.
Note:
The automatic locking mode is available on the front passenger and rear seats.
Note:
Unlike the standard seatbelt, the inflatable seatbelt's unique lap portion locks the child restraint for installation. The ability for the shoulder portion of the belt to move freely is normal, even after the lap belt has been put into the automatic locking mode.
Note:
The lock-off device on some child restraints may not accommodate the shoulder portion of the inflatable seatbelt. Follow all instructions provided by the manufacturer of the child restraint regarding the necessary and proper use of the lock-off device. In some instances, these devices have been provided only for use in vehicles with seatbelt systems that would otherwise require a locking clip.
- Allow the belt to retract to remove slack. The belt clicks as it retracts to indicate it is in the automatic locking mode.
- Try to pull the belt out of the retractor to make sure the retractor is in the automatic locking mode (you should not be able to pull more belt out). If the retractor is not locked, unbuckle the belt and repeat Steps 5 and 6.
- Remove remaining slack from the belt. Force the seat down with extra weight, for example, by pressing down or kneeling on the child restraint while pulling down on the lap belt in order to force slack from the belt. This is necessary to remove the remaining slack that exists once the extra weight of the child is added to the child restraint. It also helps to achieve the proper snugness of the child restraint to your vehicle. Sometimes, a slight lean toward the buckle will additionally help to remove remaining slack from the belt.
- Attach the tether strap (if the child restraint is equipped).
- Before placing the child in the seat, forcibly move the seat forward and back to make sure the seat is securely held in place. To check this, grab the seat at the belt path and attempt to move it side to side and forward and back. There should be no more than 1 in (2.5 cm) of movement for proper installation.
We recommend checking with a NHTSA Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician to make certain the child restraint is properly installed. In Canada, check with Transport Canada for referral to a Child Car Seat Clinic.
Using Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren (LATCH)
|
WARNING:
Do not attach two child safety restraints to the same anchor. In a crash, one anchor may not be strong enough to hold two child safety restraint attachments and may break, causing serious injury or death. |
The LATCH system is composed of three vehicle anchor points: two lower anchors where the vehicle seatback and seat cushion meet (called the seat bight) and one top tether anchor behind that seating position.
LATCH compatible child safety seats have two rigid or webbing mounted attachments that connect to the two lower anchors at the LATCH equipped seating positions in your vehicle. This type of attachment method eliminates the need to use seatbelts to attach the child restraint. However, you can still use the seatbelt to attach the child restraint if the lower anchors are not used. For forward-facing child restraints, you must also attach the top tether strap to the proper top tether anchor if a top tether strap has been provided with your child restraint. We recommend the use of a child safety seat having a top tether strap. See Using Tether Straps in this chapter.
Your vehicle has LATCH lower anchors for child restraint installation at the seating positions marked with the child restraint symbol.
Second Row Bench Seat
Second Row Bucket Seats
The LATCH anchors are at the rear section of the rear seat between the cushion and seatback, below the locator symbols on the seatback. Follow the child restraint manufacturer’s instructions to properly install a child restraint with LATCH attachments.
The locator symbols are on round plastic buttons for the center seat and on rectangular tags for the outboard seats.
Follow the instructions on attaching child safety seats with tether straps. See Using Tether Straps in this chapter.
Attach LATCH lower attachments of the child restraint only to the anchors shown.
Each time you use the safety seat, check that the seat is properly attached to the lower anchors and tether anchor, if applicable. Tug the child restraint from side to side and forward and back where it is secured to the vehicle. The seat should move less than one inch when you do this for a proper installation.
If the safety seat is not anchored properly, the risk of a child being injured in a crash greatly increases.
Combining Seatbelt and LATCH Lower Anchors for Attaching Child Safety Seats
When used in combination, either the seatbelt or the LATCH lower anchors may be attached first, provided a proper installation is achieved. Attach the tether strap afterward, if included with the child restraint.
Using Tether Straps
Many forward-facing child safety seats include a tether strap which extends from the back of the child safety seat and hooks to an anchoring point called the top tether anchor. Tether straps are available as an accessory for many older safety seats. Contact the manufacturer of your child restraint for information about ordering a tether strap, or to obtain a longer tether strap if the tether strap on your safety seat does not reach the appropriate top tether anchor in the vehicle.
Some of the rear seats of your vehicle have built-in tether strap anchors behind the seats as described below.
The tether strap anchors in your vehicle are in the following positions (shown from top view).
Second Row Bench Seat
Second Row Bucket Seats
Attach the tether strap only to the appropriate tether anchor as shown. The tether strap may not work properly if attached somewhere other than the correct tether anchor.
Once the child safety seat has been installed using either the seatbelt, the lower anchors of the LATCH system, or both, you can attach the top tether strap.
If you install a child restraint with rigid LATCH attachments, do not tighten the tether strap enough to lift the child restraint off the vehicle seat cushion when the child is seated in it. Keep the tether strap just snug without lifting the front of the child restraint. Keeping the child restraint just touching the vehicle seat gives the best protection in a severe crash.
Perform the following steps to install a child safety seat with tether anchors:
Second Row Seating Positions
Second Row Bucket Seating Positions
- For center seating positions, route the child safety seat tether strap over the back of the seat. For outboard seating positions, route the tether strap under the head restraint and between the head restraint posts. If the top of the safety seat hits the head restraint, recline the seat back slightly to obtain proper fit.
- Locate the correct anchor for the selected seating position.
- Tighten the child safety seat tether strap according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Third Row Seating Positions
- Route the child safety seat tether strap over the back of the seat.
- Clip the tether strap to the anchor. If the tether strap is clipped incorrectly, the child safety seat may not be retained properly in the event of a crash.
- Tighten the child safety seat tether strap according to the manufacturer’s instructions. If the safety seat is not anchored properly, the risk of a child being injured in a crash greatly increases.
If your child restraint system has a tether strap, and the child restraint manufacturer recommends its use, we also recommend its use.