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Where to Put the Restraint
Accident statistics show that children are safer if
they are restrained in the rear rather than the front
seat. We recommend that child restraints be
secured in a rear seat, including an infant riding in
a rear-facing infant seat, a child riding in a
forward-facing child seat and an older child riding
in a booster seat.
Your vehicle has a rear seat that will accommodate
a rear-facing child restraint. A label on your sun
visor says, “Never put a rear-facing child seat
in the front.” This is because the risk to the
rear-facing child is so great, if the airbag deploys.
{CAUTION:
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can
be seriously injured or killed if the right
front passenger’s airbag in ates. This is
because the back of the rear-facing child
restraint would be very close to the
in ating airbag.
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
Even though the passenger sensing
system is designed to turn off the
passenger’s frontal airbag if the system
detects a rear-facing child restraint, no
system is fail-safe, and no one can
guarantee that an airbag will not deploy
under some unusual circumstance, even
though it is turned off. We recommend
that rear-facing child restraints be secured
in the rear seat, even if the airbag is off.
If you need to secure a forward-facing
child restraint in the right front seat,
always move the front passenger seat as
far back as it will go. It is better to secure
the child restraint in a rear seat.
Wherever you install a child restraint, be sure to
secure the child restraint properly.
Keep in mind that an unsecured child restraint can
move around in a collision or sudden stop and
injure people in the vehicle. Be sure to properly
secure any child restraint in your vehicle — even
when no child is in it.
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Page 69 of 528
Lower Anchors and Tethers for
Children (LATCH)
The LATCH system holds a child restraint during
driving or in a crash. This system is designed
to make installation of a child restraint easier. The
LATCH system uses anchors in the vehicle and
attachments on the child restraint that are made for
use with the LATCH system
Make sure that a LATCH-compatible child restraint
is properly installed using the anchors, or use
the vehicle’s safety belts to secure the restraint,
following the instructions that came with that
restraint, and also the instructions in this manual.
When installing a child restraint with a top
tether, you must also use either the lower anchors
or the safety belts to properly secure the child
restraint. A child restraint must never be installed
using only the top tether and anchor.
In order to use the LATCH system in your vehicle,
you need a child restraint that has LATCH
attachments. The child restraint manufacturer will
provide you with instructions on how to use
the child restraint and its attachments. The
following explains how to attach a child restraint
with these attachments in your vehicle.Not all vehicle seating positions or child restraints
have lower anchors and attachments or top
tether anchors and attachments.Lower Anchors
Lower anchors (A) are metal bars built into the
vehicle. There are two lower anchors for each
LATCH seating position that will accommodate a
child restraint with lower attachments (B).
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Page 70 of 528
Top Tether Anchor
A top tether (A, C) anchors the top of the child
restraint to the vehicle. A top tether anchor is built
into the vehicle. The top tether attachment (B)
on the child restraint connects to the top tether
anchor in the vehicle in order to reduce the forward
movement and rotation of the child restraint
during driving or in a crash.Your child restraint may have a single tether (A) or
a dual tether (C). Either will have a single
attachment (B) to secure the top tether to the
anchor.
Some child restraints that have a top tether are
designed for use with or without the top tether
being attached. Others require the top tether
always to be attached. In Canada, the law requires
that forward-facing child restraints have a top
tether, and that the tether be attached. In
the United States, some child restraints also have
a top tether. Be sure to read and follow the
instructions for your child restraint.
If the child restraint does not have a top tether,
one can be obtained, in kit form, for many
child restraints. Ask the child restraint
manufacturer whether or not a kit is available.
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Page 75 of 528
SeeSecuring a Child Restraint in a Rear Outside
Seat Position on page 79for more information
including important safety information.
If the vehicle has a third row, there is a top tether
anchor for the third row passenger’s side
position. Locate the anchor symbol on the ap of
carpet behind the seat. Lift up the carpet to
access the anchor.Do not secure a child restraint in the right front
passenger’s position or in the third row driver side
position, if your vehicle has one, if a national or
local law requires that the top tether be attached,
or if the instructions that come with the child
restraint say that the top tether must be attached.
There is no place to attach the top tether in
this position.
Accident statistics show that children are safer if
they are restrained in the rear rather than the front
seat. SeeWhere to Put the Restraint on page 68
for additional information.
Third Row
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Page 76 of 528
Securing a Child Restraint Designed for
the LATCH System
{CAUTION:
If a LATCH-type child restraint is not
attached to anchors, the restraint will not
be able to protect the child correctly. In a
crash, the child could be seriously injured
or killed. Make sure that a LATCH-type
child restraint is properly installed using
the anchors, or use the vehicle’s safety
belts to secure the restraint, following the
instructions that came with that restraint,
and also the instructions in this manual.
{CAUTION:
Each top tether anchor and lower anchor
in the vehicle is designed to hold only one
child restraint. Attaching more than one
child restraint to a single anchor could
cause the anchor or attachment to come
loose or even break during a crash. A
child or others could be injured if this
happens. To help prevent injury to people
and damage to your vehicle, attach only
one child restraint per anchor.
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Page 77 of 528
{CAUTION:
Children can be seriously injured or
strangled if a shoulder belt is wrapped
around their neck and the safety belt
continues to tighten. Secure any unused
safety belts behind the child restraint so
children cannot reach them. Pull the
shoulder belt all the way out of the
retractor to set the lock, if your vehicle
has one, after the child restraint has been
installed. Be sure to follow the
instructions of the child restraint
manufacturer.
Notice:Contact between the child restraint or
the LATCH attachment parts and the vehicle’s
safety belt assembly may cause damage to
these parts. Make sure when securing unused
safety belts behind the child restraint that
there is no contact between the child restraint
or the LATCH attachment parts and the
vehicle’s safety belt assembly.Folding an empty rear seat with the safety
belts secured may cause damage to the safety
belt or the seat. When removing the child
restraint, always remember to return the safety
belts to their normal, stowed position before
folding the rear seat.
1. Attach and tighten the lower attachments to
the lower anchors. If the child restraint does
not have lower attachments or the desired
seating position does not have lower anchors,
secure the child restraint with the top tether
and the safety belts. Refer to your child
restraint manufacturer instructions and the
instructions in this manual.
1.1. Find the lower anchors for the desired
seating position.
1.2. Put the child restraint on the seat.
1.3. Attach and tighten the lower
attachments on the child restraint to the
lower anchors.
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If the position you are
using has an adjustable
head restraint and
you are using a dual
tether, route the
tether around the head
restraint.
If the position you are
using has an adjustable
head restraint and you
are using a single tether,
route the tether under
the head restraint and in
between the head
restraint posts.
3. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure it is secure.Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear
Outside Seat Position
If your child restraint has the LATCH system, see
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children
(LATCH) on page 69.
There is no top tether anchor in the third row
driver’s-side position. Do not secure a child seat in
this position if a national or local law requires
that the top tether be anchored or if the
instructions that come with the child restraint say
that the top tether must be anchored. See
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH)
on page 69if the child restraint has a top
tether.
If your child restraint does not have the LATCH
system, you will be using the lap-shoulder
belt to secure the child restraint in this position. Be
sure to follow the instructions that came with the
child restraint.
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Page 80 of 528
Secure the child in the child restraint when and as
the instructions say.
1. Put the child restraint on the seat.
2. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and
shoulder portions of the vehicle’s safety belt
through or around the restraint. The child
restraint instructions will show you how.
Tilt the latch plate to adjust the belt if needed.3. Buckle the belt. Make sure the release button
is positioned so you would be able to unbuckle
the safety belt quickly if you ever had to.
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