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2021 Tesla Model 3 Child Safety Seats Owners Manual

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1 2021 Tesla Model 3 Child Safety Seats
2 Guidelines for Seating Children
3 Choosing a Child Safety Seat
4 Seating Larger Children
5 Installing Child Safety Seats
6 Installing Seat Belt Retained Child Seats
7 Installing LATCH (ISOFIX) Child Seats
8 Attaching Upper Tether Straps
9 Testing a Child Safety Seat
10 Child Safety Seat Warnings

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2021 Tesla Model 3 Child Safety Seats

2021 Tesla Model 3

Guidelines for Seating Children

Your Model 3 seat belts are designed for adults and larger children. You must restrain infants and small children in the second-row seats only, and you must use a suitable child safety seat appropriate for the child’s age, weight, and size.

Warning
Never seat a child on a seat with an ACTIVE AIRBAG in front of it. DEATH or SERIOUS INJURY to the child can occur. See Passenger Front Airbag Status. Do not associate the Easy Entry setting with the driver’s profile when a child is seated in the second row. Doing so can cause the driver’s seat to push against the child, especially when a child is seated in a forward-facing child seat or booster seat. Do not rely on Model 3 to recognize or accommodate a child seated in the second row while using this setting (see Driver Profiles).

Refer to the following label located on the sun visors.

Note
The image shown below is representative only and may not be identical to the label(s) in your vehicle.
2021 Tesla Model 3 Child Safety Seats-Fig-01

Choosing a Child Safety Seat

All children aged 12 and under should ride in the second and third-row seats. Always use a child safety seat suitable for a young child’s age and weight. The following table is based on child safety seat recommendations determined by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the United States (for more information, go to www.nhtsa.gov/ChildSafety/Guidance).

 
Category Infants Toddlers Young children
Age Birth to 1 year* Over 1 year* 4 years and older, and less than 57 in. (145 cm) tall
Weight Up to at least 20 lbs (9 kg)** Over 20 lbs (9 kg) (minimum) and up to 40 lbs (18 kg)* Over 40 lbs (18 kg)
Type of child safety seat Rear-facing (or convertible) Forward-facing (or convertible)* Seat belt retained booster seat
Seat position Rear-facing only* Forward facing* Forward-facing
Recommended attachment method If the combined weight of the child and safety seat is up to 65 lbs (29.5 kg), attach using either LATCH** (lower anchor only) or the seat belt only.*** If the combined weight of the child and safety seat is over 65 lbs (29.5 kg), attach using the seat belt only.*** If the combined weight of the child and safety seat is up to 65 lbs (29.5 kg), attach using either LATCH** (both lower anchors and top tether anchor), or the seat belt and upper tether strap.*** If the combined weight of the child and safety seat is over 65 lbs (29.5 kg), attach using the seat belt and upper tether strap.*** Attach booster seats using the seat belt only.

* Many child safety seats currently available allow children to ride rear-facing using the child safety seat’s integrated 5-point harness for a longer period of time BASED UPON SPECIFIC HEIGHT AND WEIGHT LIMITS. Keep your child in a rear-facing seat for as long as possible. CHECK THE CHILD SAFETY SEAT MANUFACTURER’S INSTRUCTIONS AND CAREFULLY FOLLOW ALL INSTRUCTIONS

** ISOFIX is the international standard for attachment points for child safety seats in passenger cars. The system has other regional names including LATCH (“Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children”) in the United States and LUAS (“Lower Universal Anchorage System”) or Canfix in Canada. It has also been called the “Universal Child Safety Seat System” or UCSSS.

*** Subject to instructions provided by the child safety seat manufacturer.
Warning
Laws that govern how and where children should be carried when traveling in a vehicle are subject to change. It is the driver’s responsibility to keep up to date on, and comply with, all current regulations in the region(s) where Model 3 is driven. To check the child passenger safety laws for states in the U.S., go to: http://www.ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/laws/childsafety_laws.html. Do not use LATCH/Isofix/i-Size anchors with a child restraint system or booster seats that have an integrated safety belt where the combined weight of the child plus the child restraint system exceeds 65 lbs (29.5 kg).

Seating Larger Children

If a child is too large to fit into a child safety seat but too small to safely fit into the standard seat belts, use a booster seat appropriate for the child’s age and size. Carefully follow the manufacturer’s instructions to secure the booster seat.

Installing Child Safety Seats

There are two general methods used to install child safety seats:

  • Seat belt retained – these seats are secured using the vehicle’s seat belts.
  • LATCH retained – these seats attach to anchor bars built into the vehicle’s rear seats.

Check the child safety seat manufacturer’s instructions and the table provided in this document to determine which installation method to use. Some child safety seats can be installed using either method. Always follow the child safety seat manufacturer’s instructions.

Installing Seat Belt Retained Child Seats

First, make sure that the child safety seat is appropriate for the weight, height, and age of the child.

Avoid dressing the child in bulky clothing and do not place any objects between the child and the restraint system.

Adjust harnesses for every child, every trip.

To securely hold child safety seats, all passenger seating positions are equipped with an automatic locking retractor (ALR) that, by pulling the seat belt beyond the length needed for a typical adult occupant, locks the belt into place until the seat belt is unbuckled and the webbing is fully retracted. The ALR mechanism operates as a ratchet, winding in slack and preventing the seat belt from extending any further until it has been completely rewound. When installing a child safety seat, engage the belt’s automatic locking retractor by pulling the seat belt webbing until it is fully extended. The ALR system engages only when the seat belt is at its maximum extension point.

Note
An automatic locking retractor disengages only when the seat belt is unbuckled and fully retracted. The belt can then be worn as a normal belt, sliding freely in and out and locking tight only in an emergency. Once disengaged, the belt must be fully extended to re-engage the locking mechanism whenever you install a child safety seat.

Always follow the detailed instructions provided by the child safety seat manufacturer. General guidelines are provided below.

  1. Place the child safety seat in Model 3, and fully extend the seat belt. Route and buckle the seat belt in accordance with the child safety seat manufacturer’s instructions.
    2021 Tesla Model 3 Child Safety Seats-Fig-02
  2. Allow the seat belt to retract, and remove all slack in the seat belt while firmly pushing the child safety seat into the Model 3 seat.
  3. If the seat belt retained child safety seat has an upper tether, attach it to the back of the seat (see Attaching Upper Tether Straps).

Installing LATCH (ISOFIX) Child Seats

Lower LATCH anchors are provided in the second row outboard seats. The anchors are located between the seat’s back rest and rear cushion. The exact location of each anchor is identified by a child safety seat identification button, illustrated below. The button is located on the seat back, directly above its associated anchor.

2021 Tesla Model 3 Child Safety Seats-Fig-03

In the second row, install LATCH child safety seats in the outboard seating positions only. Use only a seat belt retained seat in the center position.

2021 Tesla Model 3 Child Safety Seats-Fig-04

To install a LATCH child safety seat, slide the safety seat latches onto the anchor bars until they click into place. Carefully read and follow the instructions provided by the child safety seat manufacturer.

2021 Tesla Model 3 Child Safety Seats-Fig-05

Once installed, test the security of the installation before seating a child. Attempt to twist the child safety seat from side to side and try to pull it away from the seat, then check to ensure the anchors remain securely in place.

Note
Lower LATCH anchors should not be used with child seats or booster seats that have an integrated safety belt in situations where the combined weight of the child plus the child restraint is more than 65 lbs (29.5 kg). In these situations, use the safety belt instead.

Attaching Upper Tether Straps

If an upper tether strap is provided, attach its hook to the anchor point located on the shelf behind the rear seats.

Note
The location of anchor points may not be readily visible but can be found by identifying a slice in the seat’s material.
Warning
Tighten upper tether straps according to the instructions provided by the manufacturer of the child safety seat.
USE ONLY SEAT BELT RETAINED CHILD SAFETY SEATS IN THE CENTER SEATING POSITION.
2021 Tesla Model 3 Child Safety Seats-Fig-06

To access an anchor point, press down on the back of its cover.

2021 Tesla Model 3 Child Safety Seats-Fig-07
For single-strap tethers at the outboard seating positions, run the strap over the outside-facing side of the head support (same side of the head support as the seat belt retraction mechanism).
2021 Tesla Model 3 Child Safety Seats-Fig-08

For a single-strap tether in the center seating position, fully lower the head support (see Head Supports) and run the strap over the top center of the head support.

2021 Tesla Model 3 Child Safety Seats-Fig-09

Testing a Child Safety Seat

Before seating a child, always make sure the child safety seat is not loose:

  1. Hold the child safety seat by the belt path and try to slide the safety seat from side to side and front to back.
  2. If the seat moves more than one inch (2.5 cm), it is too loose. Tighten the belt or reconnect the LATCH retained child safety seat.
  3. If you are unable to reduce slack, try a different seat location or try another child safety seat.

Child Safety Seat Warnings

Warning
Extreme hazard! Do not seat a child on the front passenger seat even if you are using a child safety seat. This seat has an airbag in front of it. Although this airbag is disabled when Model 3 detects a lightweight passenger, do not rely on technology to protect your child. Child restraint systems are designed to be secured in vehicle seats by lap belts or the lap belt portion of a lap-shoulder belt. Children could be endangered in a crash if their child restraints are not properly secured in the vehicle. According to collision statistics, children are safer when properly restrained in the rear seating positions than in the front seating positions. Do not use a forward facing child safety seat until your child weighs over 20 lbs (9 kg) and can sit independently. Up to the age of two, a child’s spine and neck are not sufficiently developed to avoid injury in a frontal impact. Do not allow a baby or infant to be held on a lap. All children should be restrained in an appropriate child safety seat at all times. To ensure children are safely seated, follow all instructions provided in this document and by the manufacturer of the child safety seat. Children should ride in a rear facing child safety seat using the seat’s integrated 5-point harness for as long as possible. Do not use seat belt extenders on a seat belt that is being used to install a child safety seat or booster seat. When seating larger children, make sure the child’s head is supported and the child’s seat belt is properly adjusted and fastened. The shoulder portion of the belt must be away from the face and neck, and the lap portion must not be over the stomach. Never attach two child safety seats to one anchor point. In a collision, one anchor point may be incapable of securing both seats. Child restraint anchors 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.  Always check harnesses and tether straps for damage and wear.  Never leave a child unattended, even if the child is secured in a child safety seat.  Never use a child safety seat that has been involved in a collision. Have the seat inspected or replaced as described in the child safety seat manufacturer’s instructions.

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