Frequently Asked Questions About Installing Child Restraints With LATCH
Can the LATCH anchorages and the seat belt be used together to attach a rear-facing or forward-facing child restraint? NoDo not use the seat belt when you use the
LATCH anchorage system to attach a rear- facing or forward-facing child restraint.
Booster seats may be attached to the LATCH anchorages if allowed by the booster seat
manufacturer. See your booster seat owner’s manual for more information.
Can a child seat be installed in the center posi- tion using the inner LATCH lower anchorages? NoUse the seat belt and tether anchor to install a
child seat in the center seating position.
Can two child restraints be attached using a common lower LATCH anchorage? NoNever “share” a LATCH anchorage with two or
more child restraints. If the center position
does not have dedicated LATCH lower anchor-
ages, use the seat belt to install a child seat in the center position next to a child seat using
the LATCH anchorages in an outboard position.
Can the rear-facing child restraint touch the back of the front passenger seat? Ye sThe child seat may touch the back of the front
passenger seat if the child restraint manufac- turer also allows contact. See your child re-
straint owner’s manual for more information.
Can the head restraints be removed? YesSecond row all positions.
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Locating The LATCH Anchorages
The lower anchorages are round bars that are
found at the rear of the seat cushion where it
meets the seatback, below the anchorage
symbols on the seatback. They are just visible
when you lean into the rear seat to install the
child restraint. You will easily feel them if you
run your finger along the gap between the
seatback and seat cushion.
Locating The Upper Tether Anchorages
There are tether strap anchorages behind
each rear seating position located on the
back of the seat.
LATCH-compatible child restraint systems
will be equipped with a rigid bar or a flexible
strap on each side. Each will have a hook or
connector to attach to the lower anchorage
and a way to tighten the connection to the
anchorage. Forward-facing child restraintsand some rear-facing child restraints will also
be equipped with a tether strap. The tether
strap will have a hook at the end to attach to
the top tether anchorage and a way to tighten
the strap after it is attached to the anchorage.
Center Seat LATCH
WARNING!
• Do not install a child restraint in the
center position using the LATCH system.
This position is not approved for install-
ing child seats using the LATCH attach-
ments. You must use the seat belt and
tether anchor to install a child seat in the
center seating position.
• Never use the same lower anchorage to
attach more than one child restraint.
Please refer to “To Install A LATCH-
Compatible Child Restraint” for typical
installation instructions.
Always follow the directions of the child re-
straint manufacturer when installing your
child restraint. Not all child restraint systems
will be installed as described here.
Lower Anchors
Tether Anchors
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To Install A LATCH-Compatible Child Re-
straint In Vehicles With Rear Seating
If the selected seating position has a Switch-
able Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) seat
belt, stow the seat belt, following the instruc-
tions below. See the section “Installing Child
Restraints Using the Vehicle Seat Belt” to
check what type of seat belt each seating
position has.
1. Loosen the adjusters on the lower strapsand on the tether strap of the child seat so
that you can more easily attach the hooks
or connectors to the vehicle anchorages.
2. 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. 3. Attach the lower hooks or connectors of
the child restraint to the lower anchorages
in the selected seating position.
4. If the child restraint has a tether strap, connect it to the top tether anchorage.
See the section “Installing Child Re-
straints Using the Top Tether Anchorage”
for directions to attach a tether anchor.
5. 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 manufac-
turer’s instructions.
6. 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.
How To Stow An Unused Switchable-ALR
(ALR) Seat Belt
When using the LATCH attaching system to
install a child restraint, stow all ALR seat
belts that are not being used by other occu-
pants or being used to secure child restraints.
An unused belt could injure a child if they play with it and accidentally lock the seat belt
retractor. Before installing a child restraint
using the LATCH system, buckle the seat belt
behind the child restraint and out of the
child’s reach. If the buckled seat belt inter-
feres with the child restraint installation,
instead of buckling it behind the child re-
straint, route the seat belt through the child
restraint belt path and then buckle it. Do not
lock the seat belt. Remind all children in the
vehicle that the seat belts are not toys and
that they should not play with them.
WARNING!
• Improper installation of a child restraint
to the LATCH anchorages can lead to
failure of the restraint. The child could
be badly injured or killed. Follow the
child restraint manufacturer’s directions
exactly when installing an infant or child
restraint.
• Child restraint anchorages are designed
to withstand only those loads imposed
by correctly-fitted child restraints. Un-
der no circumstances are they to be
used for adult seat belts, harnesses, or
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68
WARNING!
for attaching other items or equipment
to the vehicle.
Installing Child Restraints Using The Ve-
hicle Seat Belt In Vehicles With Rear Seat-
ing
Child restraint systems are designed to be
secured in vehicle seats by lap belts or the lap
belt portion of a lap/shoulder belt.
WARNING!
• Improper installation or failure to prop-erly secure a child restraint can lead to
failure of the restraint. The child could
be badly injured or killed.
WARNING!
• Follow the child restraint manufacturer’sdirections exactly when installing an in-
fant or child restraint.
The seat belts in the passenger seating posi-
tions are equipped with a Switchable Auto-
matic Locking Retractor (ALR) that is de-
signed to keep the lap portion of the seat belt
tight around the child restraint so that it is
not necessary to use a locking clip. The ALR
retractor can be “switched” into a locked
mode by pulling all of the webbing out of the
retractor and then letting the webbing retract
back into the retractor. If it is locked, the ALR
will make a clicking noise while the webbing
is pulled back into the retractor. Refer to the
“Automatic Locking Mode” description in
“Switchable Automatic Locking Retractors
(ALR)” under “Occupant Restraint Systems”
for additional information on ALR.
Lap/Shoulder Belt Systems For Installing
Child Restraints In This Vehicle
Frequently Asked Questions About Installing Child Restraints With Seat Belts
What is the weight limit (child’s weight +
weight of the child restraint) for using the
Tether Anchor with the seat belt to attach a forward facing child restraint? Weight limit of the Child RestraintAlways use the tether anchor when using the
seat belt to install a forward facing child re-
straint, up to the recommended weight limit of the child restraint.
Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR)
Locations — Vehicle With Rear Seating
ALR = Switchable Automatic Locking
Retractor
Top Tether Anchorage Symbol
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Frequently Asked Questions About Installing Child Restraints With Seat Belts
Can the rear-facing child restraint touch the back of the front passenger seat? Ye sContact between the front passenger seat and
the child restraint is allowed, if the child re- straint manufacturer also allows contact.
Can the head restraints be removed? YesSecond Row: The head restraints may be re-
moved from all positions.
Can the buckle stalk be twisted to tighten the seat belt against the belt path of the child re- straint? No
Do not twist the buckle stalk in a seating posi-
tion with an ALR retractor.
Installing A Child Restraint With A Switch-
able Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR):
Child restraint systems are designed to be
secured in vehicle seats by lap belts or the
lap belt portion of a lap/shoulder belt.
WARNING!
• Improper installation or failure to prop-
erly secure a child restraint can lead to
failure of the restraint. The child could
be badly injured or killed.
• Follow the child restraint manufactur-
er’s directions exactly when installing an
infant or child restraint. 1. Place the child seat in the center of the
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 posi-
tion to make room for the child seat. You
may also move the front seat forward to
allow more room for the child seat.
2. Pull enough of the seat belt webbing from the retractor to pass it through the belt
path of the child restraint. Do not twist the
belt webbing in the belt path.
3. Slide the latch plate into the buckle until you hear a “click.” 4. Pull on the webbing to make the lap
portion tight against the child seat.
5. To lock the seat belt, pull down on the shoulder part of the belt until you have
pulled all the seat belt webbing out of the
retractor. Then, allow the webbing to re-
tract back into the retractor. As the web-
bing retracts, you will hear a clicking
sound. This means the seat belt is now in
the Automatic Locking mode.
6. Try to pull the webbing out of the retractor. If it is locked, you should not be able to
pull out any webbing. If the retractor is
not locked, repeat step 5.
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7. Finally, pull up on any excess webbing totighten the lap portion around the child
restraint while you push the child restraint
rearward and downward into the vehicle
seat.
8. If the child restraint has a top tether strap and the seating position has a top tether
anchorage, connect the tether strap to the
anchorage and tighten the tether strap.
See the section “Installing Child Re-
straints Using the Top Tether Anchorage”
for directions to attach a tether anchor.
9. 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.
Any seat belt system will loosen with time, so
check the belt occasionally, and pull it tight if
necessary.Installing Child Restraints Using The Top
Tether Anchorage
WARNING!
Do not attach a tether strap for a rear-facing
car seat to any location in front of the car
seat, including the seat frame or a tether
anchorage. Only attach the tether strap of a
rear-facing car seat to the tether anchorage
that is approved for that seating position,
located behind the top of the vehicle seat.
See the section “Lower Anchors and Tethers
for CHildren (LATCH) Restraint System” for
the location of approved tether anchorages
in your vehicle.
1. Look behind the seating position where you plan to install the child restraint to
find the tether anchorage. You may need to move the seat forward to provide better
access to the tether anchorage. If there is
no top tether anchorage for that seating
position, move the child restraint to an-
other position in the vehicle if one is
available.
2. Route the tether strap to provide the most direct path for the strap between the an-
chor and the child seat. If your vehicle is
equipped with adjustable rear head re-
straints, raise the head restraint, and
where possible, route the tether strap un-
der the head restraint and between the
two posts. If not possible, lower the head
restraint and pass the tether strap around
the outboard side of the head restraint.
3. Attach the tether strap hook of the child restraint to the top tether anchorage as
shown in the diagram.
4. Remove slack in the tether strap accord- ing to the child restraint manufacturer’s
instructions.
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WARNING!
• An incorrectly anchored tether strapcould lead to increased head motion and
possible injury to the child. Use only the
anchorage position directly behind the
child seat to secure a child restraint top
tether strap.
•
If your vehicle is equipped with a split rear
seat, make sure the tether strap does not
WARNING!
slip into the opening between the seat-
backs as you remove slack in the strap.
Installing Child Restraints In Commercial
Vehicles
This commercial vehicle is not designed for use
as a family vehicle and is not intended for
carrying children in the front passenger seat(s).
Never install rear-facing child restraints in this
vehicle. If you must carry a child in a forward-
facing child restraint, the passenger seat should
be moved to the full rearward position and the
child must be in a proper restraint system based
on its age, size and weight. Follow the instruc-
tions below to secure the child restraint using
the seat belt and tether anchorage.
WARNING!
Rear-facing infant restraints must never
be secured in the passenger seat of a
vehicle with a passenger air bag. In a
collision, a passenger air bag may deploy
causing severe injury or death to infants
riding in rear-facing infant restraints.
Installing Child Restraints Using The Ve-
hicle Seat Belt In Vehicles Without Rear
Seating
Child restraint systems are designed to be
secured in vehicle seats by lap belts or the
lap belt portion of a lap/shoulder belt.
WARNING!
• Improper installation or failure to prop-
erly secure a child restraint can lead to
failure of the restraint. The child could
be badly injured or killed.
• Follow the child restraint manufactur-
er’s directions exactly when installing an
infant or child restraint.
The seat belts in the passenger seating posi-
tion are equipped with a Switchable Auto-
matic Locking Retractor (ALR). This seat belt
is designed to keep the lap portion of the seat
belt tight around the child restraint so that it
is not necessary to use a locking clip. The
ALR retractor can be “switched” into a
locked mode by pulling all of the webbing out
of the retractor and then letting the webbing
retract back into the retractor. If it is locked,
Tether Strap Attachment
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the ALR will make a clicking noise while the
webbing is pulled back into the retractor. For
additional information on ALR, refer to the
“Automatic Locking Mode” description un-
der “Occupant Restraints.”
Lap/Shoulder Belt Systems For Installing
Child Restraints In This VehicleInstalling A Child Restraint With A Switch-
able Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR):
Child restraint systems are designed to be
secured in vehicle seats by lap belts or the lap
belt portion of a lap/shoulder belt.
WARNING!
• Improper installation or failure to prop-
erly secure a child restraint can lead to
failure of the restraint. The child could
be badly injured or killed.
• Follow the child restraint manufacturer’s
directions exactly when installing an in-
fant or child restraint.
1. Place the child seat in the center of the seating position.
2. Pull enough of the seat belt webbing from the retractor to pass it through the belt
path of the child restraint. Do not twist the
belt webbing in the belt path.
3. Slide the latch plate into the buckle until you hear a “click.”
4. Pull on the webbing to make the lap portion tight against the child seat. 5. To lock the seat belt, pull down on the
shoulder part of the belt until you have
pulled all the seat belt webbing out of the
retractor. Then, allow the webbing to re-
tract back into the retractor. As the web-
bing retracts, you will hear a clicking
sound. This means the seat belt is now in
the Automatic Locking mode.
6. Try to pull the webbing out of the retractor. If it is locked, you should not be able to
pull out any webbing. If the retractor is not
locked, repeat step 5.
7. Finally, pull up on any excess webbing to tighten the lap portion around the child
restraint while you push the child restraint
rearward and downward into the vehicle
seat.
8. If the child restraint has a top tether strap and the seating position has a top tether
anchorage, connect the tether strap to the
anchorage and tighten the tether strap.
See “Installing Child Restraints Using the
Top Tether Anchorage” for directions to
attach a tether anchor.
Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR)Locations For Front Bucket Seats
ALR = Switchable Automatic Locking
Retractor
Top Tether Anchorage Symbol
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