Frequently Asked Questions About Installing Child Restraints With LATCH
Can the rear head restraints be removed? YesThe head restraints can be removed in every seat-
ing position if they interfere with the installation of the child restraint.
Refer to “Head Restraints” in “Getting To Know Your Vehicle” for further information.
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.
LATCH Lower Anchorages
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SAFETY 143
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 restraints and 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!
This vehicle does not have a center seating position.
Do not use the center lower LATCH anchorages to
install a child seat in the center of the back seat.
Always follow the directions of the child restraint manu-
facturer when installing your child restraint. Not all child
restraint systems will be installed as described here.
To Install A LATCH-Compatible Child Restraint
If the selected seating position has a Switchable Automatic
Locking Retractor (ALR) seat belt, stow the seat belt,
following the instructions 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 straps and on the tether strap of the child seat so that you can more easily
attach the hooks or connectors to the vehicle anchor-
ages.
Rear Seat Tether Strap Mounting
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2. Place the child seat between the lower anchorages forthat seating position. For some second row seats, you
may need to recline the seat and / or raise the head
restraint (if adjustable) 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
Restraints Using the Top Tether Anchorage” for direc-
tions 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 manufactur-
er ’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 occupants 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 interferes 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 re-
straint. The child could be badly injured or killed.
Follow the child restraint manufacturer ’s directions
exactly when installing an infant or child restraint.
(Continued)
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SAFETY 145
WARNING!(Continued)
•Child restraint anchorages are designed to withstand
only those loads imposed by correctly-fitted child
restraints. Under no circumstances are they to be
used for adult seat belts, harnesses, or for attaching
other items or equipment to the vehicle.
Installing Child Restraints Using The Vehicle Seat
Belt
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 properly 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 infant or child restraint. The seat belts in the passenger seating positions are
equipped with a Switchable Automatic Locking Retractor
(ALR) that 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, 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.
Please see the table below and the following sections for
more information.
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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 re-
straint) for using the Tether Anchor
with the seat belt to attach a forward facing child restraint? Weight limit of the Child Restraint Always use the tether anchor when
using the seat belt to install a for-
ward facing child restraint, up to the recommended weight limit of the child restraint.
Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) Locations
ALR = Switchable Automatic Locking RetractorTop Tether Anchorage Symbol
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SAFETY 147
Frequently Asked Questions About Installing Child Restraints With Seat Belts
Can the rear-facing child restraint
touch the back of the front passenger seat? Yes Contact between the front passenger
seat and the child restraint is al-
lowed, if the child restraint manufac- turer also allows contact.
Can the rear head restraints be re- moved? Yes
The head restraints can be removed
in every seating position if they inter- fere with the installation of the child restraint.
Refer to “Head Restraints” in “Get-
ting To Know Your Vehicle” for fur- ther information.
Can the buckle stalk be twisted to
tighten the seat belt against the belt path of the child restraint? No
Do not twist the buckle stalk in a
seating position with an ALR retractor.
Installing A Child Restraint With A Switchable
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 properly 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 infant or child restraint.
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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 (if adjustable) 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.
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 retract
back into the retractor. As the webbing 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 the section “Installing Child Restraints 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.
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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 toinstall 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 another position in the vehicle if one is
available.
2. Route the tether strap to provide the most direct path for the strap between the anchor and the child seat. If your
vehicle is equipped with adjustable rear head restraints,
raise the head restraint, and where possible, route the
tether strap under 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.
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