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Af ter selecting a proper child seat
and a good place to install the seat,
there are three main steps in
installing the seat:All child seats must be
secured to the vehicle with the lap
part of a lap/shoulder belt or with
the LATCH (lower anchors and
tethers for children) system. A
child whose seat is not properly
secured to the vehicle can be
endangered in a crash.
Af ter installing a child
seat, push and pull the seat
f orward and f rom side-to-side to
verify that it is secure.
A child seat secured with a seat belt
should be installed as f irmly as
possible. However, it does not need
to be ‘‘rock solid.’’ Some side-to-side movement can be expected and
should not reduce the child seat’s
ef f ectiveness.
If the child seat is not secure, try
installing it in a dif f erent seating
position, or use a dif f erent style of
child seat that can be f irmly secured.
Make sure the child is properly
strappedinthechildseat
according to the child seat maker’s
instructions. A child who is not
properly secured in a child seat
can be seriously injured in a crash.
Look f or FMVSS
213 or CMVSS 213 on the box.
Rear-facing for infants, forward-
f acing f or small children.
Bef ore purchasing a conventional
child seat, or using a previously
purchased one, we recommend that
you test the seat in the specif ic
vehicle seating position or positions
where the seat will be used. The f ollowing pages provide
guidelines on how to properly install
a child seat. A f orward-f acing child
seat is used in all examples, but the
instructions are the same f or rear-
f acing child seats.
Selecting a Child Seat, Installing a Child Seat
Installing a Child Seat
Properly secure t he child seat t o
the vehicle.
Make sure t he child seat is f irmlysecured. Secure the child in the child seat.
T he child seat should meet U.S. or
Canadian Mot or Vehicle Saf et ySt andard 213.
T he child seat should be of theproper type and size to f it the child.
T he child seat should f it thevehicle seat ing posit ion (orposit ions) where it will be used.
3.
1.
2. 1.
2. 3.
46
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Make sure there are no objects
near the anchors that could
prevent a secure connection
between the child seat and the
anchors. Move the seat belt buckle or
tongue away f rom the lower
anchors.
To install a LATCH-compatible child
seat:
Place the child seat on the vehicle
seat, then attach the seat to the
lower anchors according to the
child seat maker’s instructions.
Your vehicle is equipped with
LATCH (lower anchors and tethers
f or children) at the outer second row
seats. The lower anchors are located
between the seat-back and seat
bottom, and are to be used only with
a child seat designed f or use with
LATCH.
The location of each lower anchor is
indicated by a small button above the
anchor point.
Some LATCH-compatible seats
have a rigid-type connector as
shown above.
1.
2. 3.
CONT INUED
Installing a Child Seat
Installing a Child Seat with
LATCH
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
47
LOWER
ANCHORS
BUTTON
Rigid-type
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Whatever type you have, follow
the child seat maker’s instructions
for adjusting or tightening the fit. Lift
the head restraint (see page
), then route the tether strap
through the legs of the head
restraint and over the seat-back,
making sure the strap is not
twisted.
Attach the tether strap hook to the
tether anchor, then tighten the
strap as instructed by the child
seat maker.
Other LATCH-compatible seats
have a f lexible-type connector as
shown above. Push and pull the child seat
f orward and f rom side-to-side to
verify that it is secure.
4. 5.
6.7.
91
Installing a Child Seat
48
TETHER STRAP HOOK
ANCHOR
Flexible-type
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When not using the LATCH system,
all child seats must be secured to the
vehicle with the lap part of a lap/
shoulder belt.
With the child seat in the desired
seating position, route the belt
th rough the child seat according
to the seat maker’s instructions,
then insert the latch plate into the
buckl e. To
activate the lockable retractor,
slowly pull the shoulder part of the
belt all the way out until it stops,
th en let the belt feed back into the
retractor.
After the belt has retracted, tug on
it. If the belt is locked, you will not
be able to pull it out. If you can pull
thebeltout,itisnotlocked,and
you will need to repeat these steps.
In
addition, the lap/shoulder belts in
all seating positions except the
driver’s have a lockable retractor
that must be activated to secure a
child seat.
If you intend to install a child seat in
the center seating position of the
secondroworinthethirdrow,make
sure the detachable seat belt is
securely latched (see page ). 1.
2.
3.
17
CONT INUED
Installing a Child Seat
Installing a Child Seat with a L ap/
Shoulder Belt
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
49
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To deactivate the lockable retractor
and remove a child seat, unlatch the
buckle, unroute the seat belt, and let
the belt fully retract.
Push and pull the child seat
f orward and f rom side-to-side to
verify that it is secure enough to
stay upright during normal driving
maneuvers. If the child seat is not
secure, unlatch the belt, allow it to
retract f ully, then repeat these
steps.
To remove slack, it may help to
putweightonthechildseat,or
push on the back of the seat while
pulling up on the belt. Af ter conf irming that the belt is
locked, grab the shoulder part of
the belt near the buckle, and pull
up to remove any slack from the
lap part of the belt. Remember, if
the lap part of the belt is not tight,
the child seat will not be secure.
4. 5.
Installing a Child Seat
50
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Each second row seat has a tether
anchorage point behind the seat-
back.
A
child seat with a tether can be
installed in any seating position in
the second or third row seats.
Since a teth er can pro vide additional
security to the lap/shoulder belt
installation, we recommend using a
te ther whenever one is required or
available.
Af ter properly securing the child
seat (see page ), lif t the head
restraint, then route the tether
strap over the seat-back and
through the head restraint legs.
1.
49
CONT INUED
Installing a Child Seat
Installing a Child Seat with a
TetherSecond Row Inst allat ion
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
51
TETHER ANCHORAGE POINT
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Attach the tether strap hook to the
anchor, making sure the tether
strap is not twisted.
Tighten the strap according to the
seat maker’s instructions. Each
third row seat has a tether
an chorage point on the tailgate sill.
After properly securing the child
seat (see page ), lif t the head
restraint, then route the tether
strap over the seat-back and
through the head restraint legs.
Slide the anchor cover open as
shown, then attach the tether
strap hook to the anchor, making sure the strap is not twisted.
Tighten the strap according to the
seat maker’s instructions.
Follow steps 1 and 2 of the second
row seat installation.
2.
2. 1.3.
51
Installing a Child Seat
T hird Row Inst allat ion
52
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To determine if a lap/shoulder belt
properly f its a child, have the child
put on the seat belt, then ask
yourself :
When a child reaches the
recommended weight or height limit
for a forward-facing child seat, the
child should sit in a back seat on a
booster seat and wear a lap/shoulder
belt.
Does the child sit all the way back
against the seat?
Do the child’s knees bend
comf ortably over the edge of the
seat?
The f ollowing pages give
instructions on how to check proper
seat belt f it, what kind of booster
seat to use if one is needed, and
important precautions f or a child
who must sit in f ront.
1.
2.
CONT INUED
Checking Seat Belt Fit
Protecting L arger Children
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
53
Allowing a child age 12 or under
to sit in front can result in injury
or death if the passenger’s front
airbag inflates.
If a child must ride in front,
move the vehicle seat as far
back as possible, use a booster
seat if needed, have the child
sit up properly and wear the
seat belt properly.