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Frequently Asked Questions About Installing Child Restraints With LATCH
Can a child seat be installed in the center
position using the inner LATCH lower
anchorage?
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?
No
Never “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?
Yes
The 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 head restraints be removed?
Yes
All head restraints are removable.
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.
Locating The Upper Tether
Anchorages
There are tether strap
anchorages behind each
rear seating position
located on the back of
the seat.
0101132181US
LATCH Anchorage Locations
1 — LATCH Anchorage Bar
2 — LATCH Anchorage Locations
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SAFETY
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!
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.
Please refer to “To Install A LATCH-
Compatible Child Restraint” for typical
installation instructions.
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.
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
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 Restraints Using theTopTether
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
manufacturer’s instructions.
0502135677US
Tether Strap Anchorage Locations
3 —Tether Strap Anchorages
137
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 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.
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.
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.
Lap/Shoulder Belt Systems For
Installing Child Restraints In This
Vehicle
16086V0101NA
Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR)
Locations
ALR = Switchable Automatic Locking
Retractor (ALR)
TopTether Anchorage Symbol
138
SAFETY
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 Restraint
Always 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?
Yes
Contact between the front passenger seat and
the child restraint is allowed, if the child
restraint manufacturer also allows contact.
Can the head restraints be removed?
Yes
All head restraints can be removed.
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.
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 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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