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Installing Child Restraints
When installing a child safety seat with combination lap and shoulder belts:
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 seat and the release button, to prevent accidental unbuckling.
- Place the vehicle seat upon which the child seat will be installed in the upright position.
- 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.
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 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 in order to force slack from the belt. This is necessary to remove the remaining slack that will exist 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 provide 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 you put the lap belt 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 will exist 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)
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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 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 the seatbelt can still be used to attach the child restraint. 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.
Your vehicle has LATCH lower anchors for child restraint installation at the seating positions marked with the child restraint symbol.
The LATCH anchors are at the rear section of the rear seat between the cushion and seatback below the symbols as shown. Follow the child restraint manufacturer's instructions to properly install a child restraint with LATCH attachments. Follow the instructions on attaching child safety seats with tether straps.
Attach LATCH lower attachments of the child restraint only to the anchors shown.
Use of Inboard Lower Anchors from the Outboard 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. |
The lower anchors at the center of the second row rear seat are spaced
18 in (46 cm) apart. You cannot install a child restraint with rigid LATCH attachments at the center seating position. You can only use LATCH compatible child restraints (with attachments on belt webbing) at this seating position provided that the child restraint manufacturer's instructions permit use with the anchor spacing stated. 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 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 your 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 your vehicle.
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.
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 seat 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.
- Route the child safety seat tether strap over the head restraint.
- Locate the correct anchor for the selected seating position.
- Open the tether anchor cover.
- Clip the tether strap to the anchor.
- Tighten the child safety seat 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.