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Installing Child Restraints
When installing a child safety restraint with combination lap and shoulder belts:
Many forward-facing child safety restraints include a tether strap which extends from the back of the child safety restraint and hooks to an anchoring point called the top tether anchor. Tether straps are available as an accessory for many older safety restraints.
Child Safety Restraint
Use a child safety restraint (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:
Do not place a rearward facing child restraint in front of an active airbag. Failure to follow this instruction could result in personal injury or death.
WARNING:
Properly secure children 12 years old and under in a rear seating position whenever possible. If you are unable to properly secure all children in a rear seating position, properly secure the largest child on the front seat. If you must use a forward facing child restraint on the front seat, move the seat as far back as possible. Failure to follow these instructions could result in personal injury or death.
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 restraint with combination lap and shoulder belts:
- Use the correct seatbelt buckle for that seating position.
- Insert the belt tongue into the correct buckle until you hear a distinct click 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 restraint, 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.
- Put the seatbelt in the automatic locking mode. See Step 5. Your 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 rearward facing child restraint.
- Position the child safety restraint in a seat with a combination lap and shoulder belt.
- Pull down on the shoulder belt and then grasp the shoulder belt and lap belt together.
- While holding the shoulder and lap belt portions together, route the tongue through the child restraint according to the child restraint manufacturer's instructions. Make sure the belt webbing is not twisted.
- Insert the belt tongue into the correct buckle (the buckle closest to the direction the tongue is coming from) for that seating position until you hear a distinct click 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 all of the belt is pulled 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 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 up on the shoulder 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 correct snugness of the child restraint to your vehicle. Sometimes, a slight lean toward the buckle helps 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 correct installation.
We recommend checking with a NHTSA Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician to make certain the child restraint is correctly installed. In Canada, check with Transport Canada for referral to a Child Car Seat Clinic.
Using Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH)
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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.
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. |
The LATCH system is composed of three vehicle anchor points: two lower anchors where the seat backrest and seat cushion meet (called the seat bight) and one top tether anchor behind that seating position.
LATCH compatible child safety restraints 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 the seatbelt can still be used to attach the child restraint. For forward-facing child restraints, the top tether strap must also be attached to the correct top tether anchor, if a top tether strap has been provided with your child restraint.
Your vehicle has LATCH lower anchors for child restraint installation at the seating positions marked with the child restraint symbol.
Note:
In addition to those shown, other seating positions may also have LATCH lower anchor points. You can identify these with the child restraint symbol shown on those seating positions.
The LATCH anchors are at the rear section of the rear seat between the cushion and seat backrest above the symbols as shown. Follow the child restraint manufacturer's instructions to correctly install a child restraint with LATCH attachments. Follow the instructions on attaching child safety restraints with tether straps.
Attach LATCH lower attachments of the child restraint only to the anchors shown.
Use of Inboard Lower Anchors from the Outermost Seating Positions (Center Seating Use)
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WARNING:
The standardized spacing for LATCH lower anchors is
11 in (280 mm) center to center. Do not use LATCH lower anchors for the center seating position unless the child restraint manufacturer's instructions permit and specify using anchors spaced at least as far apart as those in this vehicle. |
Do not attach a child restraint to any lower anchor if an adjacent child restraint is attached to that anchor.
Each time you use the safety restraint, check that the seat is correctly 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 your vehicle. The seat should move less than
1 in (2.5 cm) when you do this for a correct installation.
If the safety restraint is not anchored correctly, the risk of a child being injured in a crash greatly increases.
Combining Seatbelt and LATCH Lower Anchors for Attaching Child Safety Restraints
When used in combination, either the seatbelt or the LATCH lower anchors may be attached first, provided a correct installation is achieved. Attach the tether strap afterward, if included with the child restraint.
Using Tether Straps
Many forward-facing child safety restraints include a tether strap which extends from the back of the child safety restraint and hooks to an anchoring point called the top tether anchor. Tether straps are available as an accessory for many older safety restraints.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 the safety restraint does not reach the appropriate top tether anchor in your vehicle.
Once the child safety restraint has been installed using either the seatbelt, the lower anchors of the LATCH system, or both, you can attach the top tether strap.
The tether strap anchors in your vehicle are in the following positions (shown from top view):
Perform the following steps to install a child safety restraint with tether anchors:
Note:
If you install a child restraint with rigid LATCH attachments, do not tighten the tether strap enough to lift the child restraint off your 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 your vehicle seat gives the best protection in a severe crash.
Front Passenger Seating Position
- Adjust the front passenger seat fully forward.
- Route the child safety restraint tether strap over the back of the seat, under the head restraint and between the head restraint posts.
- Locate the correct anchor on the back panel of the seat for the selected seating position. The anchors are labeled with the tether strap symbol and are partially covered by the gap panel. Pull the panel back to fully expose the anchors.
- Clip the tether strap to the anchor as shown.
- Adjust the front passenger seat fully rearward.
- Tighten the child safety restraint tether strap according to the manufacturer's instructions. If your child restraint system is equipped with a tether strap, and the child restraint manufacturer recommends its use, we also recommend its use.
Rear Seats
- Route the child safety restraint tether strap over the back of the seat, under the head restraint and between the head restraint posts.
- Locate the correct anchor on the back panel of the seat for the selected seating position. The anchors are labeled with the tether strap symbol and are partially covered by the gap panel. Pull the panel back to fully expose the anchors.
- Clip the tether strap to the anchor as shown.
- Tighten the child safety restraint tether strap according to the manufacturer's instructions. If your child restraint system has a tether strap, and the child restraint manufacturer recommends its use, we also recommend its use.
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