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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.
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 2nd row head restraints can be
removed in every seating position if
they interfere 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 retrac- tor.
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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.
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.
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8. If the child restraint has a top tether strap and theseating 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.
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
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
“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 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
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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 according to the child restraint manufacturer ’s instructions.WARNING!
•An incorrectly anchored tether strap could lead to
increased head motion and possible injury to the
child. Use only the anchorage position directly be-
hind 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 slip into the
opening between the seatbacks as you remove slack
in the strap.
Installing Child Restraints In Commercial Vehicles
— Vehicles Not Equipped With Rear Seating
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 instructions below to secure the child
restraint using the seat belt and tether anchorage.
Tether Strap Mounting
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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 Vehicle 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 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 belt in the passenger seating position is equipped
with a Switchable Automatic 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, 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 under “Occu-
pant Restraint Systems”.
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Lap/Shoulder Belt Systems For Installing Child
Restraints In This Vehicle
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.
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 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.
Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) Locations For Front
Bucket Seats
ALR = Switchable Automatic Locking RetractorTop Tether Anchorage Symbol
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6. Try to pull the webbing out of the retractor. If it islocked, 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.
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 (Commercial Vehicle)
This vehicle is equipped with a tether strap anchorage
located behind the front passenger seatback, near the floor.
When installing a forward-facing child restraint, always
secure the top tether strap to the tether anchorage.
1. Look behind the front passenger seat to find the tether anchorage. You may need to move the seat forward to
provide better access to the tether anchorage.
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 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.
4. Remove slack in the tether strap according to the child restraint manufacturer ’s instructions.
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WARNING!
An incorrectly anchored tether strap could 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.
Transporting Pets
Air Bags deploying in the front seat could harm your pet.
An unrestrained pet will be thrown about and possibly
injured, or injure a passenger during panic braking or in a
collision.Pets should be restrained in the rear seat (if equipped) in
pet harnesses or pet carriers that are secured by seat belts.
SAFETY TIPS
Transporting Passengers
NEVER TRANSPORT PASSENGERS IN THE CARGO
AREA.
WARNING!
•
Do not leave children or animals inside parked
vehicles in hot weather. Interior heat build-up may
cause serious injury or death.
• It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo area,
inside or outside of a vehicle. In a collision, people
riding in these areas are more likely to be seriously
injured or killed.
• Do not allow people to ride in any area of your
vehicle that is not equipped with seats and seat belts.
• Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and
using a seat belt properly.
Tether Strap Installation
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