2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Child Restraints
Older Children
Older children who have outgrown booster seats should wear the vehicle’s seat belts. The manufacturer instructions that come with the booster seat state the weight and height limitations for that booster. Use a booster seat with a lap-shoulder belt until the child passes the fit test below:
- Sit all the way back on the seat. Do the knees bend at the seat edge? If yes, continue. If no, return to the booster seat.
- Buckle the lap-shoulder belt. Does the shoulder belt rest on the shoulder? If yes, continue. If no, try using the rear seat belt comfort guide, if available. See “Rear
Seat Belt Comfort Guides” under Lap-Shoulder Belt 54. If a comfort guide is not available, or if the shoulder belt still does not rest on the shoulder, then return to the booster seat. - Does the lap belt fit low and snug on the hips, touching the thighs? If yes, continue. If no, return to the booster seat.
- Can proper seat belt fit be maintained for the length of the trip? If yes, continue. If no, return to the booster seat.
Q: What is the proper way to wear seat belts?
A: An older child should wear a lap-shoulder belt and get the additional restraint a shoulder belt can provide. The shoulder belt should not cross the face or neck. The lap belt should fit snugly below the hips, just touching the top of the thighs. This applies belt force to the child’s pelvic bones in a crash. It should never be worn over the abdomen, which could cause severe or even fatal internal injuries in a crash.
Also see “Rear Seat Belt Comfort Guides” under Lap-Shoulder Belt 54.
According to accident statistics, children are safer when properly restrained in a rear seating position. In a crash, children who are not buckled up can strike other people who are buckled up, or can be thrown out of the vehicle. Older children need to use seat belts properly.
Warning
Never allow more than one child to wear the same seat belt. The seat belt cannot properly spread the impact forces. In a crash, they can be crushed together and seriously injured. A seat belt must be used by only one person at a time.
Warning
Never allow a child to wear the seat belt shoulder belt under both arms or behind their back. A child can be seriously injured by not wearing the lap-shoulder belt properly. In a crash, the child would not be restrained by the shoulder belt. The child could move too far forward increasing the chance of head and neck injury. The child might also slide under the lap belt. The belt force would then be applied right on the abdomen. That could cause serious or fatal injuries. The shoulder belt should go over the shoulder and across the chest.
Infants and Young Children
Everyone in a vehicle needs protection! This includes infants and all other children. Neither the distance traveled nor the age and size of the traveler changes the need, for everyone, to use safety restraints. In fact, the law in every state in the United States and in every Canadian province says children up to some age must be restrained while in a vehicle.
Warning
Children can be seriously injured or killed if the shoulder belt is worn behind their back, under their legs, or wrapped around their neck. The shoulder belt can tighten but cannot be loosened if it is locked. The shoulder belt locks when it is pulled all the way out of the retractor. It unlocks when the shoulder belt is allowed to go all the way back into the retractor, but it cannot do this if it is wrapped around the child. Never leave children unattended in a vehicle and never allow children to improperly wear, or play with, the seat belts.
Every time infants and young children ride in vehicles, they should have the protection provided by appropriate child restraints. Neither the vehicle’s seat belt system nor its airbag system is designed for them.
Children who are not restrained properly can strike other people, or can be thrown out of the vehicle.
Warning
Never hold an infant or a child while riding in a vehicle. Due to crash forces, an infant or a child will become so heavy it is not possible to hold it during a crash. For example, in a crash at only 40 km/h (25 mph), a 5.5 kg (12 lb) infant will suddenly become a 110 kg (240 lb) force on a person’s arms. An infant or child should be secured in an appropriate child restraint.
Warning
Children who are up against, or very close to, any airbag when it inflates can be seriously injured or killed. Never put a rear-facing child restraint in the front outboard seat. Secure a rear-facing child restraint in a rear seat. It is also better to secure a forward-facing child restraint in a rear seat. If you must secure a forward-facing child restraint in the front outboard seat, always move the front passenger seat as far back as it will go.
Child restraints are devices used to restrain, seat, or position children in the vehicle and are sometimes called child seats or car seats.
There are three basic types of child restraints:
- Forward-facing child restraints
- Rear-facing child restraints
- Belt-positioning booster seats
The proper child restraint for your child depends on their size, weight, and age, and also on whether the child restraint is compatible with the vehicle in which it will be used.
For each type of child restraint, there are many different models available. When purchasing a child restraint, be sure it is designed to be used in a motor vehicle and is certified to comply with US Federal or Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. If it is, the child restraint will have a label saying that it meets federal motor vehicle safety standards. The NHTSA website includes a list of registered car seat manufacturers (https://www.nhtsa.gov) and links to their registration pages for consumers. Registration helps manufacturers identify purchasers for recall notices. The instruction manual that is provided with the child restraint states the weight and height limitations for that particular child restraint. In addition, there are many kinds of child restraints available for children with special needs.
Warning
To reduce the risk of neck and head injury in a crash, infants and toddlers should be secured in a rear-facing child restraint until age two, or until they reach the maximum height and weight limits of their child restraint.
A young child’s hip bones are still so small that the vehicle seat belt may not remain low on the hip bones, as it should. Instead, it may settle up around the child’s abdomen. In a crash, the belt would apply force on a body area that is unprotected by any bony structure. This alone could cause serious or fatal injuries. To reduce the risk of serious or fatal injuries during a crash, young children should always be secured in an appropriate child restraint.
Child Restraint Systems
Rear-Facing Infant Restraint
A rear-facing child restraint provides restraint with the seating surface against the back of the infant. The harness system holds the infant in place and, in a crash, acts to keep the infant positioned in the restraint.
A forward-facing child restraint provides restraint for the child’s body with the harness. A belt-positioning booster seat is used for children who have outgrown their forward-facing child restraint. Boosters are designed to improve the fit of the vehicle’s seat belt system until the child is large enough for the vehicle seat belts to fit properly without a booster seat. See the seat belt fit test in Older Children 68.
Securing an Add-On Child Restraint in the Vehicle
Warning
A child can be seriously injured or killed in a crash if the child restraint is not properly secured in the vehicle. Secure the child restraint properly in the vehicle using the vehicle seat belt or LATCH system, following the instructions that came with that child restraint and the instructions in this manual.
To help reduce the chance of injury, the child restraint must be secured in the vehicle. Child restraints must be secured in vehicle seats by lap belts or the lap belt portion of a lap-shoulder belt, or by the LATCH system. See Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH System) 0 74 for more information. Never use a seat belt extender when installing a child restraint. Use only seats and related equipment that are certified to comply with US Federal or Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards to secure a child restraint. Children can be endangered in a crash if the child restraint is not properly secured in the vehicle.
When securing an add-on child restraint, refer to the following:
- Instruction labels provided on the child restraint
- Instruction manual provided with the child restraint
- This vehicle owner’s manual
The child restraint instructions are important, so if they are not available, obtain a replacement copy from the manufacturer.
Keep in mind that an unsecured child restraint can move around in a collision or sudden stop and injure people in the vehicle. Be sure to properly secure any child restraint in the vehicle — even when no child is in it.
In some areas Certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians (CPSTs) are available to inspect and demonstrate how to correctly use and install child restraints. In the U.S., refer to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website to locate the nearest child safety seat inspection station. For CPST availability in Canada, check with Transport Canada or the Provincial Ministry of Transportation office.
Securing the Child Within the Child Restraint
Warning
A child can be seriously injured or killed in a crash if the child is not properly secured in the child restraint. Secure the child properly following the instructions that came with that child restraint.
Where to Put the Restraint
According to accident statistics, children and infants are safer when properly restrained in an appropriate child restraint secured in a rear seating position. Whenever possible, children aged 12 and under should be secured in a rear seating position.
Never put a rear-facing child restraint in the front. This is because the risk to the rear-facing child is so great if the airbag deploys.
Warning
- A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be seriously injured or killed if the front passenger airbag inflates. This is because the back of the rear-facing child restraint would be very close to the inflating airbag. A child in a forward-facing child restraint can be seriously injured or killed if the front passenger airbag inflates and the passenger seat is in a forward position.
- Even if the passenger sensing system has turned off the front passenger frontal airbag, no system is fail-safe. No one can guarantee that an airbag will not deploy under some unusual circumstance, even though it is turned off.
- Secure rear-facing child restraints in a rear seat, even if the airbag is off. If you secure a forward-facing child restraint in the front seat, always move the front passenger seat as far back as it will go. It is better to secure the child restraint in a rear seat.
- See Passenger Sensing System 0 63 for additional information.
- A child in a child restraint in the center front seat can be badly injured or killed by the frontal airbags if they inflate. Never secure a child restraint in the center front seat. It is always better to secure a child restraint in a rear seat.
Do not use child restraints in the center front seat position.If the vehicle does not have a rear seat that will accommodate a rear-facing child restraint, a rear-facing child restraint shouldnot be installed in the vehicle, even if the airbag is off. When securing a child restraint with theseat belts in a rear seat position, study the instructions that came with the child restraint to make sure it is compatible withthis vehicle.
Child restraints and booster seats vary considerably in size, and some may fit in certain seating positions better than others. Do not install a child restraint in any rear seating position where it cannot be installed securely. Depending on where you place the child restraint and the size of the child restraint, you may not be able to access adjacent seat belts or LATCH anchors for additional passengers or child restraints. Adjacent seating positions should not be used if the child restraint prevents access to or interferes with the routing of the seat belt. The seat in front of an installed child restraint should be adjusted to ensure proper installation according to the child restraint manual. Wherever a child restraint is installed, be sure to follow the instructions that came with the child restraint and secure the child restraint properly.
Keep in mind that an unsecured child restraint can move around in a collision or sudden stop and injure people in the vehicle. Be sure to properly secure any child restraint in the vehicle — even when no child is in it.
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH System)
The LATCH system secures a child restraint during driving or in a crash. LATCH attachments on the child restraint are used to attach the child restraint to the anchors in the vehicle. This system is designed to make installation of a child restraint easier. In order to use the LATCH system in your vehicle, you need a child restraint that has LATCH attachments. LATCH-compatible rear-facing and forward-facing child seats can be properly installed using either the LATCH anchors or the vehicle’s seat belts. Do not use both the seat belts and the LATCH anchorage system to secure a rear-facing or forward-facing child restraint.
Booster seats use the vehicle’s seat belts to secure the child and the booster seat. If the manufacturer recommends that the booster seat be secured with the LATCH system, this can be done as long as the booster seat can be positioned properly and there is no interference with the proper positioning of the lap-shoulder belt on the child. Make sure to follow the instructions that came with the child restraint, and also the instructions in this manual. When installing a child restraint with a top tether, you must also use either the lower anchors or the seat belts to properly secure the child restraint. A child restraint must never be installed using only the top tether.
For a forward-facing 5-pt harness child restraint where the combined weight of the child and restraint are up to 29.5 kg (65 lb), use either the lower LATCH anchorages with the top tether anchorage, or the seat belt with the top tether anchorage. Where the combined weight of the child and restraint are greater than 29.5 kg (65 lb), use the seat belt with the top tether anchorage only.
Recommended Methods for Attaching Child Restraints
See Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt in the Center Front Seat) 91 or Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt in the Rear Seat) 85 or Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt in the Front Passenger Seat) 89. Child restraints built after March 2014 are labeled with the maximum child weight, with which the LATCH system can be used for installing the child restraint.
The following explains how to attach a child restraint with these attachments in the vehicle. Not all vehicle seating positions have lower anchors. In this case, the seat belt must be used (with top tether where available) to secure the child restraint. See Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt in the Center Front Seat) 91 or Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt in the Rear Seat) 85 or Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt in the Front Passenger Seat) 89.
Lower Anchors
Lower anchors (1) are metal bars built into the vehicle. There are two lower anchors for each LATCH seating position that will accommodate a child restraint with lower attachments (2). A top tether (3, 4) is used to secure the top of the child restraint to the vehicle. A top tether anchor is built into the vehicle. The top tether attachment hook (2) on the child restraint connects to the top tether anchor in the vehicle in order to reduce the forward movement and rotation of the child restraint during driving or in the event of a crash. The child restraint may have a single tether (3) or a dual tether (4). Either will have a single attachment hook (2) to secure the top tether to the anchor. Some child restraints with a top tether are designed for use with or without the top tether being attached. Others require the top tether always to be attached. In Canada, the law requires that forward-facing child restraints have a top tether, and that the tether be attached. Be sure to read and follow the instructions for your child restraint.3
Lower Anchor and Top Tether Anchor Locations
Seating positions with top tether anchors.
Do not install a child restraint in the center front seating position. See Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt in the Center Front Seat) 91 or Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt in the Rear Seat) 85 or Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt in the Front Passenger Seat) 89 for more information.
To assist in locating the lower anchors on double and crew cab models, each seating position with lower anchors has two labels near the crease between the seatback and the seat cushion.
For regular cab models, there are top tether anchor symbols to assist you in locating the top tether anchors. Do not install a child restraint in the center seating position. See Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt in the Center Front Seat) 91 or Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt in the Rear Seat) 85 or Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt in the Front Passenger Seat) 89 for more information.
For regular cab models, the top tether anchors are on the back panel behind the passenger seat(s) or center seat. Be sure to use an anchor directly behind the seating position where the child restraint will be placed. For double and crew cab models, the top tether is routed through loops (2) to the top tether anchors (1). Be sure to use the correct anchor for the seating position where the child restraint will be placed. Be sure to read the following instructions to properly install a child restraint using these loops and anchors. Do not secure a child restraint in a position without a top tether anchor if a national or local law requires that the top tether be attached, or if the instructions that come with the child restraint say that the top tether must be attached.
According to accident statistics, children and infants are safer when properly restrained in a child restraint system or infant restraint system secured in a rear seating position. See Where to Put the Restraint 73 for additional information.
Securing a Child Restraint Designed for the LATCH System
Warning
- A child could be seriously injured or killed in a crash if the child restraint is not properly attached to the vehicle using either the LATCH anchors or the vehicle seat belt. Follow the instructions that came with the child restraint and the instructions in this manual.
- Do not attach more than one child restraint to a single anchor, except for the center top tether anchors in the crew cab models. Attaching more than one child restraint to a single anchor could cause the anchor or attachment to come loose or even break during a crash.
- A child or others could be injured. To reduce the risk of serious or fatal injuries during a crash, attach only one child restraint per anchor.
- Children can be seriously injured or strangled if a shoulder belt is wrapped around their neck. The shoulder belt can tighten but cannot be loosened if it is locked. The shoulder belt locks when it is pulled all the way out of the retractor. It unlocks when the shoulder belt is allowed to go all the way back into the retractor, but it cannot do this if it is wrapped around a child’s neck. If the shoulder belt is locked and tightened around a child’s neck, the only way to loosen the belt is to cut it.
Buckle any unused seat belts behind the child restraint so children cannot reach them. Pull the shoulder belt all the way out of the retractor to set the lock, and tighten the belt behind the child restraint after the child restraint has been installed.
Caution
Do not let the LATCH attachments rub against the vehicle’s seat belts. This may damage these parts. If necessary, move buckled seat belts to avoid rubbing the LATCH attachments.
Do not fold the rear seat cushion when the seat is occupied. Do not fold the empty rear seat with a seat belt buckled. This could damage the seat belt or the seat. Unbuckle and return the seat belt to its stowed position, before folding the seat.
If you need to secure more than one child restraint in the rear seat, see Where to Put the Restraint 73.
Regular Cab Models
- For models without a rear seat, forward-facing child restraints should only be installed in the right front seating position with belts and a top tether. See Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt in the Center Front Seat) 91 or Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt in the Rear Seat) 85 or Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt in the Front Passenger Seat) 89. If the child restraint manufacturer recommends that the top tether be attached, adjust the top tether to its full length and attach it to the anchor. Refer to the child restraint instructions and the following steps:
- Find the top tether anchor.
- Route, attach, and tighten the top tether according to your child restraint instructions and the following instructions: If the position you are using has an adjustable headrest or head restraint, adjust it accordingly to allow proper fitment. If you are using a dual tether, route the tether around the headrest or head restraint posts. If the child restraint is installed next to a center seat, make sure the top tether does not interfere with the center seating position shoulder belt/retractor. If it does, find another suitable seating position to install the child restraint. If the position you are using has an adjustable headrest or head restraint, adjust it accordingly to allow proper fitment. If you are using a single tether, route the tether in between the headrest or head restraint posts.
- Make sure the child restraint top tether hook is completely closed and secured to the top tether anchor.
- Secure the child restraint in the right front seating position with the vehicle belts. See Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt in the Center Front Seat)0 91 or Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt in the Rear Seat) 85 or Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt in the Front Passenger Seat) 89.
- Before placing a child in the child restraint, make sure it is securely held in place. To check, grasp the child restraint at the belt path and attempt to move it side to side and back and forth. There should be no more than 2.5 cm (1 in) of movement for proper installation.
Double and Crew Cab Models
- Attach and tighten the lower attachments to the lower anchors. If the child restraint does not have lower attachments or the desired seating position does not have lower anchors, secure the child restraint with the top tether and the seat belt. Refer to the child restraint manufacturer instructions and the instructions in this manual.
- Find the lower anchors for the desired seating position.
- Put the child restraint on the seat.
- Attach and tighten the lower attachments on the child restraint to the lower anchors.
- For forward-facing child restraints, attachand tighten the top tether to the top tether anchor, if your vehicle has one. Follow the child restraint instructions and the vehicle LATCH anchor weight limits described at the beginning of this section, and the following steps:
- For a top tether in the rear driver side position:
- Remove the driver side head restraint and center headrest. See “Head Restraint or Headrest Removal and Reinstallation” later in this section.
- For first time use, remove and discard the rubber band from the top tether loop (2).
- Route the top tether (3) through the loop (2).
- Attach the top tether (3) to the driver side of the center top tether metal anchor (1).
- Make sure the child restraint top tether hook is completely closed and secured to the top tether anchor.
- For a top tether in the rear passenger side position:
- Remove the passenger side head restraint and center headrest. See “Head Restraint or Headrest Removal and Reinstallation” later in this section.
- Route the top tether (3) through the loop (2).
- Attach the top tether (3) to the passenger side of the center top tether metal anchor (1).
- Make sure the child restraint top tether hook is completely closed and secured to the top tether anchor.
- For a top tether in the rear center position:
- Remove the driver side head restraint and center headrest. See “Head Restraint or Headrest Removal and Reinstallation” later in this section.
- Route the top tether (1) through the center loop (2).
- Attach the top tether (1) to the driver side top tether metal anchor (3).
- Make sure the child restraint top tether hook is completely closed and secured to the top tether anchor.
- For a top tether in the rear driver side position:
- Tighten the top tether per the child restraint manufacturer’s instructions. When the top tether is properly tightened, the loop may bend. This is normal and will not damage the vehicle. If child restraints are installed in both outboard positions, both top tethers can be attached to the center anchor. Top tethers can be attached for child restraints in all three rear seating positions at the same time, following the routing instructions above.
- Before placing a child in the child restraint, make sure it is securely held in place. To check, grasp the child restraint at the LATCH path and attempt to move it side to side and back and forth. There should be no more than 2.5 cm (1 in) of movement for proper installation.
Head Restraint or Headrest Removal and Reinstallation
The second row outboard head restraints or center headrest can be removed if they interfere with the proper installation of the child restraint.
To remove the second row head restraints or center headrest:
- Press both buttons on the head restraint or headrest posts at the same time, and pull up on the head restraint or headrest.
- Store the head restraint or headrest in a secure place.
- When the child restraint is removed, reinstall the head restraint or headrest before the seating position is used.
Warning
With head restraints that are not installed and adjusted properly, there is a greater chance that occupants will suffer a neck/spinal injury in a crash. Do not drive until the head restraints for all occupants are installed and adjusted properly.
To reinstall the head restraint or headrest:
- Insert the head restraint or headrest posts into the holes in the top of the seatback. The notches on the posts must face the driver side of the vehicle.
- Push the head restraint or headrest down.
- Try to move the head restraint or headrest to make sure that it is locked in place.
Replacing LATCH System Parts After a Crash
Warning
A crash can damage the LATCH system in the vehicle. A damaged LATCH system may not properly secure the child restraint, resulting in serious injury or even death in a crash. To help make sure the LATCH system is working properly after a crash, see your dealer to have the system inspected and any necessary replacements made as soon as possible.
If the vehicle has the LATCH system and it was being used during a crash, new LATCH system parts may be needed. New parts and repairs may be necessary even if the LATCH system was not being used at the time of the crash.
Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt in the Rear Seat)
When securing a child restraint with the seat belts in a rear seat position, study the instructions that came with the child restraint to make sure it is compatible with this vehicle. If the child restraint has the LATCH system, see Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH System) 74 for how and where to install the child restraint using LATCH. If a child restraint is secured in the vehicle using a seat belt and it uses a top tether, see Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH System) 74 for top tether anchor locations. Do not secure a child seat in a position without a top tether anchor if a national or local law requires that the top tether be anchored, or if the instructions that come with the child restraint say that the top tether must be anchored.
In Canada, the law requires that forward-facing child restraints have a top tether, and that the tether be attached. If the child restraint or vehicle seat position does not have the LATCH system, you will be using the seat belt to secure the child restraint. Be sure to follow the instructions that came with the child restraint. If more than one child restraint needs to be installed in the rear seat, be sure to read Where to Put the Restraint 73.
Double Cab
- Remove the head restraint or headrest prior to installing a forward-facing child restraint in an outboard rear seating position. See “Head Restraint or Headrest Removal and Reinstallation” under Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH System) 74.
- Put the child restraint on the seat.
- Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and shoulder portions of the vehicle seat belt through or around the child restraint. The child restraint instructions will show you how.
- Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks. Position the release button on the buckle, away from the child restraint, so that the seat belt could be quickly unbuckled if necessary. The push button used to release the latch plate must be visible and not obscured by the child restraint. There must not be direct contact of the child restraint to the push button.
- Pull the shoulder belt all the way out of the retractor to set the lock. When the retractor lock is set, the belt can be tightened but not pulled out of the retractor.
- To tighten the belt, push down on the child restraint, pull the shoulder portion of the belt to tighten the lap portion of the belt, and feed the shoulder belt back into the retractor. When installing a forward-facing child restraint, it may be helpful to use your knee to push down on the child restraint as you tighten the belt. Try to pull the belt out of the retractor to make sure the retractor is locked. If the retractor is not locked, repeat Steps 5 and 6.
- For forward-facing child restraints, attach and tighten the top tether to the top tether anchor (loop). Refer to the child restraint instructions, the vehicle LATCH anchor weight limits, and instructions
listed in Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH System) 0 74. - Before placing a child in the child restraint, make sure it is securely held in place. To check, grasp the child restraint at the seat belt path and attempt to move it side to side and back and forth. When the child restraint is properly installed, there should be no more than 2.5 cm (1 in) of movement.
To remove the child restraint, unbuckle the vehicle seat belt and let it return to the stowed position. If the top tether is attached to a top tether anchor, disconnect it. Reinstall the head restraint or headrest before the seating position is used. See “Head Restraint or Headrest Removal and Reinstallation” under Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH System) 74 for additional information on installing the headrest properly.
Crew Cab
- Put the child restraint on the seat.
- Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and shoulder portions of the vehicle seat belt through or around the child restraint. The child restraint instructions will show you how.
- Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks. Position the release button on the buckle, away from the child restraint, so that the seat belt could be quickly unbuckled if necessary.
- Pull the shoulder belt all the way out of the retractor to set the lock. When the retractor lock is set, the belt can be tightened but not pulled out of the retractor.
- To tighten the belt, push down on the child restraint, pull the shoulder portion of the belt to tighten the lap portion of the belt, and feed the shoulder belt back into the retractor. When installing a forward-facing child restraint, it may be helpful to use your knee to push down on the child restraint as you tighten the belt. Try to pull the belt out of the retractor to make sure the retractor is locked. If the retractor is not locked, repeat Steps 4 and 5.
- If the child restraint has a top tether, follow the child restraint manufacturer’s instructions regarding the use of the top tether. See Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH System) 74 for more information on using the top tether anchors.
7. Before placing a child in the child restraint, make sure it is securely held in place. To check, grasp the child restraint at the seat belt path and attempt to move it side to side and back and forth. When the child restraint is properly installed, there should be no more than 2.5 cm (1 in) of movement.
To remove the child restraint, unbuckle the vehicle seat belt and let it return to the stowed position. If the top tether is attached to a top tether anchor, disconnect it. For outboard rear seating positions, if the child restraint cannot be installed properly with the head restraint in place, the head restraint may be removed. See your dealer for assistance with removal, and store the removed head restraint in a secure place. When the child restraint is removed, reinstall the head restraint before the seating position is used. For reinstallation instructions, see “Head Restraint or Headrest Removal and Reinstallation” under Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH System) 74.
Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt in the Front Passenger Seat)
This vehicle has airbags. A rear seat is a safer place to secure a forward-facing child restraint. See Where to Put the Restraint 73. In addition, the vehicle has a passenger sensing system that is designed to turn off the front outboard passenger frontal airbag under certain conditions. See Passenger Sensing System 63 and Passenger Airbag Status Indicator 113 for more information, including important safety information. Never put a rear-facing child restraint in the front. This is because the risk to the rear-facing child is so great, if the airbag deploys.
Warning
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be seriously injured or killed if the front outboard passenger frontal airbag inflates. This is because the back of the rear-facing child restraint would be very close to the inflating airbag. A child in a
forward-facing child restraint can be seriously injured or killed if the front outboard passenger frontal airbag inflates and the passenger seat is in a forward position.
Even if the passenger sensing system has turned off the front outboard passenger frontal airbag, no system is fail-safe. No one can guarantee that an airbag will not deploy under some unusual circumstance, even though it is turned off.
Secure rear-facing child restraints in a rear seat, even if the airbag is off. If you secure a forward-facing child restraint in the front outboard passenger seat, always move the seat as far back as it will go. It is better to secure the child restraint in a rear seat.
See Passenger Sensing System 63 for additional information.
If the vehicle does not have a rear seat that will accommodate a rear-facing child restraint, a rear-facing child restraint should not be installed in the vehicle, even if the airbag is off. If the child restraint uses a top tether, see Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH System) 74 for top tether anchor locations.
Do not secure a child seat in a position without a top tether anchor if a national or local law requires that the top tether be anchored, or if the instructions that come with the child restraint say that the top tether must be anchored. In Canada, the law requires that forward-facing child restraints have a top tether, and that the tether be attached. When using the lap-shoulder belt to secure the child restraint in this position, follow the instructions that came with the child restraint and the following instructions:
- Move the seat as far back as it will go before securing the forward-facing child restraint. Move the seat upward or the seatback to an upright position, if needed, to get a tight installation of the child restraint.
The push button used to release the latch plate must be visible and not obscured by the child restraint. There must not be direct contact of the child restraint to the push button.
When the passenger sensing system has turned off the front outboard passenger frontal airbag, the OFF indicator on the passenger airbag status indicator should light and stay lit when you start the vehicle. See Passenger Airbag Status Indicator 113. - Put the child restraint on the seat.
- Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and shoulder portions of the vehicle seat belt through or around the child restraint. The child restraint instructions will show you how.Tilt the latch plate to adjust the belt if needed.
- Push the latch plate into the buckle untilit clicks. Position the release button on the buckle, away from the child restraint, sothat the seat belt could be quicklyunbuckled if necessary.
- Pull the shoulder belt all the way out of the retractor to set the lock. When theretractor lock is set, the belt can betightened but not pulled out of theretractor.
- To tighten the belt, push down on the child restraint, pull the shoulder portion of the belt to tighten the lap portion of the belt, and feed the shoulder belt back into the retractor. When installing a forward-facing child restraint, it may be helpful to use your knee to push down on the child restraint as you tightenthe belt.
Try to pull the belt out of the retractor to make sure the retractor is locked. If the retractor is not locked, repeat Steps 5 and 6. - If the vehicle does not have a rear seat and the child restraint manufacturer recommends using a top tether anchor, attach the top tether to the top tether anchor. Refer to the instructions that came with the child restraint and to Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH System) 74.
- Before placing a child in the child restraint, make sure it is securely held in place. To check, grasp the child restraint at the seat belt path and attempt to move it side to side and back and forth. When the child restraint is properly installed, there should be no more than 2.5 cm (1 in) of movement.
If the airbag is off, the OFF indicator in the passenger airbag status indicator will come on and stay on when the vehicle is started. If a child restraint has been installed and the ON indicator is lit, see “If the On Indicator Is Lit for a Child Restraint” under Passenger Sensing System 63. To remove the child restraint, unbuckle the vehicle seat belt and let it return to the stowed position.
Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt in the Center Front Seat)
Warning
A child in a child restraint in the center front seat can be badly injured or killed by the frontal airbags if they inflate. Never secure a child restraint in the center front seat. It is always better to secure a child restraint in a rear seat.
Do not use child restraints in the center front seat position.