child is secured properly in a device that
is appropriate for their height, age and
weight. Child safety restraints must be
bought separately from your vehicle.
Failure to follow these instructions and
guidelines may result in an increased risk
of serious injury or death to your child.

WARNING:

All children are shaped

differently. The National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration and other safety
organizations, base their
recommendations for child restraints on
probable child height, age and weight
thresholds, or on the minimum
requirements of the law. We recommend
that you check with a NHTSA Certified
Child Passenger Safety Technician
(CPST) to make sure that you properly
install the child restraint in your vehicle
and that you consult your pediatrician to
make sure you have a child restraint
appropriate for your child. To locate a
child restraint fitting station and CPST,
contact NHTSA toll free at
1-888-327-4236 or go to
www.nhtsa.dot.gov. In Canada, contact
Transport Canada toll free at
1-800-333-0371 or go to www.tc.gc.ca
to find a Child Car Seat Clinic in your
area. Failure to properly restrain children
in child restraints made especially for
their height, age and weight, may result
in an increased risk of serious injury or
death to your child.

WARNING:

On hot days, the

temperature inside the vehicle can rise
very quickly. Exposure of people or
animals to these high temperatures for
even a short time can cause death or
serious heat related injuries, including
brain damage. Small children are
particularly at risk.

WARNING:

Do not place a

rearward facing child restraint in front of
an active airbag. Failure to follow this
instruction could result in personal injury
or death.

WARNING:

Properly secure

children 12 years old and under in a rear
seating position whenever possible. If
you are unable to properly secure all
children in a rear seating position,
properly secure the largest child on the
front seat. If you must use a forward
facing child restraint on the front seat,
move the seat as far back as possible.
Failure to follow these instructions could
result in personal injury or death.

WARNING:

Always carefully follow

the instructions and warnings provided
by the manufacturer of any child
restraint to determine if the restraint
device is appropriate for your child's size,
height, weight, or age. Follow the child
restraint manufacturer's instructions and
warnings provided for installation and
use in conjunction with the instructions
and warnings provided by your vehicle
manufacturer. A safety seat that is
improperly installed or utilized, is
inappropriate for your child's height, age,
or weight or does not properly fit the
child may increase the risk of serious
injury or death.

Child Safety

WARNING:

Do not allow a

passenger to hold a child on their lap
when your vehicle is moving. Failure to
follow this instruction could result in
personal injury or death in the event of a
sudden stop or crash.

WARNING:

Do not use pillows,

books or towels to boost your child's
height. Failure to follow this instruction
could result in personal injury or death.

WARNING:

Properly secure child

restraints or booster seats when they are
not in use. They could become projectiles
in a sudden stop or crash. Failure to
follow this instruction could result in
personal injury or death.

WARNING:

Do not put the shoulder

section of the seatbelt or allow the child
to put the shoulder section of the
seatbelt under their arm or behind their
back. Failure to follow this instruction
could reduce the effectiveness of the
seatbelt and increase the risk of injury or
death in a crash.

WARNING:

Do not leave children

or pets unattended in your vehicle.
Failure to follow this instruction could
result in personal injury or death.

When installing a child restraint with
seatbelts:
•

Place the vehicle seat in the upright
position before you install the child
restraint.

•

Use the correct seatbelt buckle for that
seating position.

•

Insert the belt tongue into the buckle.
Make sure the tongue is securely
fastened in the buckle.

•

Keep the buckle release button
pointing up and away from the child
restraint, with the tongue between the
child restraint and the release button,
to prevent accidental unbuckling.

•

Put the seatbelt in the automatic
locking mode.

CHILD RESTRAINT ANCHOR
POINTS

WHAT ARE THE CHILD RESTRAINT
ANCHOR POINTS

Anchor points allow you to quickly and
safely install a child restraint.

LOCATING THE CHILD RESTRAINT
LOWER ANCHOR POINTS

(If Equipped)

Crew Cab

E308373

Super Cab

Child Safety

E308385

E312604

The lower child restraint anchors are at the
rear section of the rear seat between the
cushion and seat backrest.

Note:

Regular Cab vehicles do not have

lower anchors.

LOCATING THE CHILD RESTRAINT
TOP TETHER ANCHOR POINTS

Regular Cab

E308389

Crew Cab

E308390

Super Cab

Child Safety

E308396

CHILD RESTRAINTS

CHILD RESTRAINT POSITION
INFORMATION

Install the child restraint tightly against the
vehicle seat. It may be necessary to lift or
remove the head restraint.

Rear Facing Child Restraints

Seatbelt Only

LATCH (Lower Anchors

Only)

Combined Weight of Child

and Child Restraint

Up to 65 lb (29 kg)

Over 65 lb (29 kg)

Forward Facing Child Restraints

Seatbelt and LATCH
(Lower Anchors and

Top Tether Anchor)

Seatbelt and Top

Tether Anchor

LATCH (Lower

Anchors and Top

Tether Anchor)

Combined Weight of

Child and Child

Restraint

Up to 65 lb (29 kg)

Over 65 lb (29 kg)

Child Safety

CHILD RESTRAINTS RECOMMENDATION

Recommended Restraint Type

Child Size, Height, Weight, or Age

Use a child restraint (sometimes

called an infant carrier, convertible

seat, or toddler seat).

Children weighing 40 lb (18 kg) or less (generally

age four or younger).

Use a belt-positioning booster

seat.

Children who have outgrown or no longer properly

fit in a child restraint (generally children who are
less than 57 in (1.45 m) tall, are greater than age

four and less than age 12, and between 40 lb (18 kg)

and 80 lb (36 kg) and upward to 100 lb (45 kg) if

recommended by your child restraint manufacturer).

Use a vehicle seatbelt having the

lap belt snug and low across the

hips, shoulder belt centered across

the shoulder and chest, and seat

backrest upright.

Children who have outgrown or no longer properly

fit in a belt-positioning booster seat (generally chil-

dren who are at least 57 in (1.45 m) tall or greater

than 80 lb (36 kg) or 100 lb (45 kg) if recommended

by child restraint manufacturer).

You are required by law to properly use
child restraints for infants and toddlers in
the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Many states and provinces require that
small children use approved booster seats
until they reach age eight, a height of 57 in
(1.45 m) tall, or 80 lb (36 kg). Check your
local and state or provincial laws for
specific requirements about the safety of
children in your vehicle.

When possible, properly restrain children
12 years of age and under in a rear seating
position of your vehicle. Accident statistics
suggest that children are safer when
properly restrained in the rear seating
positions than in a front seating position.

When installing a rear facing child restraint,
adjust the vehicle seats to avoid
interference between the child restraint
and the vehicle seat in front of the child
restraint.

INSTALLING CHILD
RESTRAINTS

USING SEATBELTS

WARNING:

Depending on where

you secure a child restraint, and
depending on the child restraint design,
you may block access to certain seatbelt
buckle assemblies and LATCH lower
anchors, rendering those features
potentially unusable. To avoid risk of
injury, make sure occupants only use
seating positions where they are able to
be properly restrained.

Note:

The following does not apply to the

front center position of Super Cab and Crew
Cab vehicles.

Note:

Although the child restraint

illustrated is a forward facing child restraint,
the steps are the same for installing a rear
facing child restraint.

Child Safety

Perform the following steps when
installing a child restraint with seatbelts.

Position the child restraint in a seat
with a seatbelt.

E142529

2. Pull down on the shoulder belt and

then grasp the shoulder belt and lap
belt together.

E142530

3. While holding the shoulder and lap belt

portions together, route the tongue
through the child restraint according
to the child restraint manufacturer's
instructions. Make sure you did not
twist the belt webbing.

E142531

4. Insert the belt tongue into the proper

buckle for that seating position until
the latch engages. Make sure the
tongue is latched securely by pulling
on it.

E142875

5. To put the retractor in the automatic

locking mode, grasp the shoulder
portion of the belt and pull downward
until you pull all of the seatbelt out.

Note:

The automatic locking mode is

available on the front passenger and rear
seats. This mode is also available on the
center seat of a Regular Cab. This vehicle
does not require the use of a locking clip.

6. Allow the belt to retract to remove

slack. The seatbelt clicks as it retracts
to indicate it is in the automatic locking
mode.

Child Safety

Pull the seatbelt out of the retractor to
make sure the retractor is in the
automatic locking mode. You should
not be able to pull more belt out. If the
retractor is not locked, unbuckle the
belt and repeat Steps 5 and 6.

E142533

8. Remove remaining slack from the belt.

Force the seat down with extra weight,
for example, by pressing down or
kneeling on the child restraint while
pulling up on the shoulder belt in order
to force slack from the belt. This is
necessary to remove the remaining
slack that exists once you add the extra
weight of the child to the child restraint.
It also helps to achieve the proper
snugness of the child restraint to your
vehicle. Sometimes, a slight lean
toward the buckle helps to remove
remaining slack from the belt.

9. If the child restraint has a tether strap,

attach it.

E142534

10.

Before placing the child in the seat,
forcibly move the seat forward and
back to make sure the seat is securely
held in place.

To check this, grab the seat at the belt path
and attempt to move it side to side and
forward and back. There should be no
more than 1 in (2.5 cm) of movement.

We recommend checking with a NHTSA
Certified Child Passenger Safety
Technician to make certain the child
restraint is properly installed. In Canada,
check with Transport Canada for referral
to a Child Car Seat Clinic.

Using Seatbelts

WARNING:

Always use both the

lap and shoulder portion of the seatbelt
in the center seating position.

Note:

The following applies to the front

center position of Super Cab and Crew Cab
vehicles.

The seatbelt webbing below the tongue is
the lap portion of the seatbelt. The
webbing above the tongue is the shoulder
belt portion of the seatbelt.

Position the child restraint in the front
center seat.

Child Safety

E162708

2. Slide the tongue up the webbing.

E142530

3. While holding both shoulder and lap

portions next to the tongue, route the
tongue and webbing through the child
restraint according to the child restraint
manufacturer's instructions. Make sure
you did not twist the belt webbing.

E142531

4. Insert the belt tongue into the proper

buckle for that seating position until
the latch engages. Make sure the
tongue is latched securely by pulling
on it.

E142533

5. When pushing down with your knee on

the child restraint, pull up on the
shoulder belt portion to tighten the lap
belt portion of the seatbelt.

6. Allow the seatbelt to retract and

remove any slack in the belt to securely
tighten the child restraint in the vehicle.

If the child restraint has a tether strap,
attach it.

E142534

Child Safety

8. Before placing the child in the seat,

forcibly move the seat forward and
back to make sure the seat is securely
held in place. To check this, grab the
seat at the belt path and attempt to
move it side to side and forward and
back. There should be no more than
1 in (2.5 cm) of movement.

9. Check from time to time to be sure that

there is no slack in the lap and shoulder
belt. The shoulder belt must be snug
to keep the lap belt tight during a crash.

USING LOWER ANCHORS AND
TETHERS FOR CHILDREN

WARNING:

Do not attach two child

safety restraints to the same anchor. In
a crash, one anchor may not be strong
enough to hold two child safety restraint
attachments and may break, causing
serious injury or death.

WARNING:

Depending on where

The Lower Anchors and Tethers for
Children (LATCH) system has three vehicle
anchor points:

•

Two lower anchors where the vehicle
seat backrest and seat cushion meet,
called the seat bight.

•

One top tether anchor behind that
seating position.

LATCH compatible child restraints have
two rigid or webbing mounted
attachments. These attachments connect
to the two lower anchors at the LATCH
equipped seating positions in your vehicle.
This type of attachment method
eliminates the need to use seatbelts to
attach the child restraint.

However, you can still use the seatbelt to
attach the child restraint if the lower
anchors are not used. For forward-facing
child restraints, you must also attach the
top tether strap to the proper top tether
anchor if a top tether strap has been
provided with your child restraint.

Follow the instructions later in this chapter
on attaching child restraints with tether
straps.

INSTALLING A CHILD RESTRAINT
IN A CENTER SEAT

WARNING:

The standardized

spacing for LATCH lower anchors is 11 in
(280 mm) center to center. Do not use
LATCH lower anchors for the center
seating position unless the child restraint
manufacturer's instructions permit and
specify using anchors spaced at least as
far apart as those in this vehicle.

The lower anchors at the center of the
second row rear seat are spaced 25.7 in
(652 mm) apart. The standardized spacing
for LATCH lower anchors is 11 in (280 mm)
center to center.

Child Safety

You cannot install a child restraint with
rigid LATCH attachments at the center
seating position. You can only use LATCH
compatible child restraints with
attachments on belt webbing at this
seating position provided that the child
restraint manufacturer's instructions
permit use with the anchor spacing stated.
Do not attach a child restraint to any lower
anchor if another child restraint is attached
to that anchor.

Each time you use the child restraint, check
that the seat is properly attached to the
lower anchors and tether anchor, if
applicable. Tug the child restraint from side
to side and forward and back where it is
secured to the vehicle. The seat should
move less than 1 in (2.5 cm).

If you did not properly anchor the child
restraint, the risk of a child being injured in
a crash greatly increases.

COMBINING THE SEATBELT AND

LOWER ANCHORS FOR
ATTACHING CHILD RESTRAINTS

When used in combination, you may attach
either the seatbelt or the LATCH lower
anchors first, provided a proper installation
is achieved. Attach the tether strap
afterward, if it is included with the child
restraint.

USING TETHER STRAPS

Many forward-facing child restraints
include a tether strap which extends from
the back of the child restraint and hooks
to an anchoring point called the top tether
anchor. Tether straps are available as an
accessory for many older child restraints.

Contact the manufacturer of your child
restraint for information about ordering a
tether strap, or to obtain a longer tether
strap if the tether strap on your child
restraint does not reach the appropriate
top tether anchor in the vehicle.

Attach the tether strap only to the
appropriate tether anchor. The tether strap
may not work properly if attached
somewhere other than the correct tether
anchor.

If you install a child restraint with rigid
LATCH attachments, do not tighten the
tether strap enough to lift the child
restraint off the vehicle seat cushion when
the child is seated in it. Keep the tether
strap just snug without lifting the front of
the child restraint. Keeping the child
restraint just touching the vehicle seat
gives the best protection in a severe crash.

Once you have installed the child restraint
using either the seatbelt, the lower anchors
of the LATCH system, or both, you can
attach the top tether strap.

ATTACHING THE FRONT SEAT
TETHER STRAP

Regular Cab

E175295

Route the child restraint tether strap
over the back of the seat and under the
head restraint.

Child Safety

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