Q: How do I properly secure a car seat in the rear seat?

asked by on December 15, 2015

How do I properly secure a car seat in the rear seat?

Car seats or booster seats meant for restraining children are either secured via the LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) system compatible anchors or by using the vehicle’s seat belts to secure the seat. Here are a few steps to ensure your car seat is installed into the rear seats of your vehicle safely and securely:

  1. Put the car seat on the center of the vehicle’s seat and make sure it rests in a natural, level position.

  2. Carefully read the manual to your car seat to ensure that you know how the seat belt should be properly looped through the child restraint and whether or not the seat needs to be tethered at the top to be secured.

  3. Loop the lap and shoulder belts through the car seat and fasten the latch plate into the seat belt buckle. After it is secured, pull the shoulder belt all of the way out and then let it retract, as this will

lock the belt in place. Push down on the car seat and pull on the shoulder bet to remove slack.

  1. If the seat needs a top tether, then locate the top tether anchors either on the tops of the passenger seat or against the rear panel (regular cab only).
  • If using the seatback-mounted tether anchors, loop the tether(s) through both the tether anchor on the seat the car seat is secured into and the center tether anchor.

  • If using a tether anchor mounted onto the rear panel, then the tether needs to be uncovered and the tether(s) coming from the seat must not stretch over the headrest.

Tips

  • To check the car seat once installed, grab ahold of it and move it back and forth. If it moves more than an inch in any direction, it needs to be secured further or re-installed.

  • Child restraints cannot be mounted in the center passenger seating positions for safety reasons.

The statements expressed above are only for informational purposes and should be independently verified. Please see our terms of service for more details

Get an instant quote for your car

Our certified mechanics come to you ・Backed by 12-month, 12,000-mile guarantee・Fair and transparent pricing


Experienced Mechanic?

Earn up to $70/hr

What others are asking

Car vibrates at 35 mph and over
Hello there. Vibrations are a common symptom that have quite a few different causes. The most common causes are tires, rims, tire balance, wheel bearings (https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/wheel-bearings-replacement), or ball joints (https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/ball-joint-front-replacement). In some cases, when the tires are mounted onto the...
Car hesitates while accelerating - 1990 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL
Hello. It sounds like the spark plug wires (https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/ignition-cable-spark-plug-wires-replacement), distributor cap (https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/distributor-rotor-and-cap-replacement), and rotor button should be replaced. It may even be necessary to replace the distributor shaft as well. The throttle body should be cleaned (https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/clean-throttle-body) as well as...
Grating/Scraping noise when turning wheel sharp while in reverse
Hey there, thank you for asking about your 2012 Toyota Corolla. This is often times a common issue on cars with what are called "constant velocity" joints (CV joints) when they are not lubricated enough or have dirt and debris...
Car has P0441 (emission code),mechanic states it could cost from $50-$700, it has multiple things wrong, where to begin?
This trouble code relates to a purge flow malfunction. The evaporative emissions purge valve takes fuel vapors in the tank and introduces them into the engine in an effort to reduce emissions. The problem can be as simple as the...
Car won't accelerate
Not moving when in gear with a manual transmission is usually an indication of a clutch issue. Other mechanical issues within the transmission are possible as well. If the clutch disc is badly worn, this can make it not only...
water in fuel?
Hello, and thank you for writing in. Considering the issue only happened once, it may have been a fluke. With temperatures that cold, the engine struggles to regulate fuel and spark until it warms up. When it is that cold,...
oil pressure light blinking when start,My car is toyota 86,can advise me?
Hello, thank you for writing in. The moment you put your key in the ignition, or get into the vehicle with a keyless starting system, the vehicle begins to run tests on its monitored components. The oil pressure system is...
Car overheats and coolant reservoir makes a hissing noise
Malfunctioning fans will typically only cause the car to overheat at idle or in traffic. Of course, if the fan is not functioning it should be replaced and that can be accomplished by a mobile mechanic if you request radiator...
I have no codes but when in park car idles up and down and allready changed tps
You need to have the engine idle relearned by disconnecting the battery for two minutes and then starting and idle engine in park and then drive for two minutes each and then do same with a/c on and blower on...

Related articles

How the Parking Brake Works
A parking brake (also known as an emergency brake) is part of the vehicle’s braking system. You will see a...
How Air Bags Work
Designed Designed to protect the occupants of a vehicle in the case of an accident, air bags inflate when the vehicle collides with another object, or otherwise suffers a sudden deceleration. Absorbing the energy of the impact, vehicle owners need...
A Buyer’s Guide to the 2012 Scion iQ
The The 2012 Scion iQ delivers the type of driving experience you would expect from a microcar. The higher fuel economy coupled with a tight turning radius provides an excellent vehicle for those who do a lot of city driving...