177
Children Too Large For Booster Seats
Children who are large enough to wear the
shoulder belt comfortably, and whose legs are
long enough to bend over the front of the seat
when their back is against the seatback,
should use the seat belt in a rear seat. Use this
simple 5-step test to decide whether the child
can use the vehicle’s seat belt alone:
1. Can the child sit all the way back againstthe back of the vehicle seat?
2. Do the child’s knees bend comfortably over the front of the vehicle seat – while
the child is still sitting all the way back?
3. Does the shoulder belt cross the child’s shoulder between the neck and arm? 4. Is the lap part of the belt as low as
possible, touching the child’s thighs and
not the stomach?
5. Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?
If the answer to any of these questions was
“no,” then the child still needs to use a booster
seat in this vehicle. If the child is using the lap/
shoulder belt, check seat belt fit periodically
and make sure the seat belt buckle is latched.
A child’s squirming or slouching can move the
belt out of position. If the shoulder belt
contacts the face or neck, move the child
closer to the center of the vehicle, or use a
booster seat to position the seat belt on the
child correctly.
WARNING!
Never allow a child to put the shoulder belt
under an arm or behind their back. In a
crash, the shoulder belt will not protect a
child properly, which may result in serious
injury or death. A child must always wear
both the lap and shoulder portions of the
seat belt correctly.
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SAFETY
178
Recommendations For Attaching Child Restraints
Restraint Type
Combined Weight
of the Child + Child RestraintUse Any Attachment Method Shown With An “X” Below
LATCH – Lower Anchors OnlySeat Belt Only
LATCH – Lower Anchors + Top Tether AnchorSeat Belt + Top Tether Anchor
Rear-Facing
Child Restraint Up to 65 lbs
(29.5 kg) X
X
Rear-Facing
Child Restraint More than 65 lbs
(29.5 kg) X
Forward-Facing Child Restraint Up to 65 lbs
(29.5 kg) X
X
Forward-Facing Child Restraint More than 65 lbs
(29.5 kg) X
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179
Lower Anchors And Tethers For CHildren
(LATCH) Restraint System
LATCH LabelYour 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 anchorages are used
to install LATCH-equipped child seats without
using the vehicle’s seat belts. Some seating
positions may have a top tether anchorage but
no lower anchorages. In these seating posi
-
tions, the seat belt must be used with the top
tether anchorage to install the child restraint.
Please see the following table for more infor -
mation.
LATCH Positions For Installing Child
Restraints In This Vehicle
LATCH Positions
Lower Anchorage Symbol (2 Anchorages
Per Seating Position)
Top Tether Anchorage Symbol
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SAFETY
180
Frequently Asked Questions About Installing Child Restraints With LATCH
What is the weight limit (child’s weight + weight of
the child restraint) for using the LATCH anchorage
system to attach the child restraint? 65 lbs (29.5 kg)Use the LATCH anchorage system until the
combined weight of the child and the child
restraint is 65 lbs (29.5 kg). Use the seat belt
and tether anchor instead of the LATCH system
once the combined weight is more than 65 lbs
(29.5 kg).
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
position using the inner LATCH lower anchorages
from the outboard seating positions? No
Use 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
anchorages, 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? YesThe child seat may touch the back of the front
passenger seat if the child restraint
manufacturer also allows contact. See your
child restraint owner’s manual for more
information.
Can the rear head restraints be removed? YesThe head restraints can be removed in every
rear seating position if they interfere with the
installation of the child restraint
Ú
page 35.
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181
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. Each anchorage is under a
cover with the anchorage symbol on it. Lift the
cover to access the lower anchorage.
LATCH Anchorage Locations
Locating The Upper Tether Anchorages
There are tether strap anchorages
behind each rear seating position
located in the panel between the
rear seatback and the rear window.
They are found under a plastic cover with the
tether anchorage symbol on it.
Upper Tether Anchorage Location
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
Always follow the directions of the child
restraint manufacturer when installing your
child restraint. Not all child restraint systems
will be installed as described here.
1 — LATCH Anchorage Bar
2 — LATCH Anchorage Locations
WARNING!
Do not install a child restraint in the center
position using the LATCH system. This
position is not approved for installing child
seats using the LATCH attachments. 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. See
Ú
page 182 for typical installation instruc -
tions.
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SAFETY
182
To Install A LATCH-Compatible Child
Restraint
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
Ú
page 183 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 anchorages.
2. Place the child seat between the lower anchorages for that seating position. If the
second row seat can be reclined, you may
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
Ú
page 186 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 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 buck -
ling it behind the child restraint, 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.
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183
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.
The seat belts in the passenger seating posi-
tions are equipped with a Switchable Auto -
matic 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. See the “Automatic Locking Mode” description
Ú
page 164 for additional information on ALR.
Please see the table below and the following
sections for more information.
Lap/Shoulder Belt Systems For Installing
Child Restraints In This Vehicle
Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) Locations
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. Under no
circumstances are they to be used for
adult seat belts, harnesses, or for
attaching other items or equipment to the
vehicle.
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.
ALR — Switchable Automatic Locking Retractor
Top Tether Anchorage Symbol
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SAFETY
184
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
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? YesContact between the front passenger seat
and the child restraint is allowed, if the child
restraint manufacturer also allows contact.
Can the rear head restraints be removed? YesThe head restraints can be removed in every
rear seating position if they interfere with the
installation of the child restraint
Ú
page 35.
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.
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