Installing Child Restraints
Children 12 years or younger should ride properly buckled
up in a rear seat, if available. According to crash statistics,
children are safer when properly restrained in the rear seats
rather than in the front.
Every state in the United States and all Canadian provinces
require that small children ride in proper restraint systems.
This is the law, and you can be prosecuted for ignoring it.
NOTE:
For additional information, refer towww.seatcheck.org
or call 1-866-SEATCHECK. Canadian residents should
refer to Transport Canada’s website for additional infor-
mation: http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/motorvehiclesafety/
safedrivers-childsafety-index-53.htm
Rear-Facing Car Seats And Air Bags
WARNING!
•Never place a rear-facing child restraint in front of an
air bag. A deploying passenger Advanced Front Air
Bag can cause death or serious injury to a child 12
years or younger, including a child in a rear-facing
child restraint.
•Only use a rear-facing child restraint in a vehicle with
a rear seat.
Lower Anchors And Tethers For CHildren (LATCH)
Restraint System
Your vehicle is equipped with the child restraint anchorage
system called LATCH, which stands for Lower Anchors and
Tethers for CHildren. The LATCH system has three vehicle
anchor points for installing LATCH-equipped child seats.
There are two lower anchorages located at the back of the
seat cushion where it meets the seatback and one top tether
anchorage located behind the seating position. These an-
chorages are used to install LATCH-equipped child seats
without using the vehicle’s seat belts. Some seating posi-
tions may have a top tether anchorage but no lower anchor-
ages. In these seating positions, the seat belt must be used
with the top tether anchorage to install the child restraint.
NOTE:The LATCH system was phased into vehicles during
the 2000–2002 model years. Certain 2000 and 2001 model
year vehicles did not feature lower anchorages. These
vehicles had tether anchorages only. See the section
“LATCH and Tethers in Your Vehicle” for more information.
Locating The LATCH And Tether Anchorages
The lower anchorages are round bars that are found at the
rear of the seat cushion where it meets the seat-
back. If the bars are not readily visible, they are
located below the anchorage symbols on the seat-
back (if equipped). You will easily feel them if you
run your finger along the gap between the seat-
back and seat cushion.
There are tether strap anchorages behind the rear
seating positions located on the back of the seat or
near the floor. See the section “LATCH and Teth-
ers in Your Vehicle” for more information about
finding tethers in your vehicle, as not all seating positions
have a tether anchorage and some may be hidden behind a
panel or cover.
Always follow the directions of the child restraint manufac-
turer when installing your child restraint. Not all child
restraint systems will be installed as described here.
Installing Child Restraints Using The LATCH Lower
Anchorages
1. If the selected seating position has a Switchable Auto-
matic Locking Retractor (ALR) seat belt, stow the seat
belt, following the instructions below. See the section
“Seat Belt Systems in Your Vehicle” to check what type of
seat belt each seating position has.
2. Loosen the adjusters on the lower straps and on the
tether strap of the child seat so that you can more easily
attach the hooks or connectors to the vehicle anchorages.
3. Place the child seat between the lower anchorages for
that seating position. For some second row seats, you
may need to recline the seat and/or raise the head
restraint to get a better fit. If the rear seat can be moved
forward and rearward in the vehicle, you may wish to
move it to its rear-most position to make room for the
child seat. You may also move the front seat forward to
allow more room for the child seat.
4. Attach the lower hooks or connectors of the child re-
straint to the lower anchorages in the selected seating
position.
5. If the child restraint has a tether strap, connect it to the
top tether anchorage. See the section “LATCH and Teth-
ers in Your Vehicle” for directions to attach a tether
anchor.
6. Tighten all of the straps as you push the child restraint
rearward and downward into the seat. Remove slack in
the straps according to the child restraint manufacturer ’s
instructions.
7. Test that the child restraint is installed tightly by pulling
back and forth on the child seat at the belt path. It should
not move more than 1 inch (25.4 mm) in any direction.
INSTALLING CHILD RESTRAINTS 5
