When securing a child restraint in a rear seating 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) on page 3-50 for how and where to install the child restraint using LATCH. If a child restraint is secured in the vehicle using a safety belt and it uses a top tether, see Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH System) 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 strap must be anchored.
If the child restraint or vehicle seat position does not have the LATCH system, you will be using the safety belt to secure the child restraint in this position. Be sure to follow the instructions that came with the child restraint. Secure the child in the child restraint when and as the instructions say.
If more than one child restraint needs to be installed in the rear seat, be sure to read Where to Put the Restraint
For outboard second row seating positions, remove the safety belt from the guide. Do not secure the child restraint with the safety belt routed through the guide.
When installing a rear-facing child restraint, it may be necessary to move the front seat forward to properly install the child restraint per the child restraint manufacturer instructions.
Position the release button on the buckle so that the safety belt could be quickly unbuckled if necessary.
This vehicle has airbags. A rear seat is a safer place to secure a forward-facing child restraint. See Where to Put the Restraint
In addition, the vehicle has a passenger sensing system which is designed to turn off the front outboard passenger frontal airbag and knee airbag under certain conditions. See Passenger Sensing System (U.S. and Canada) on page 3-36 and Passenger Airbag Status Indicator (U.S. and Canada)for more information, including important safety information.
Never put a rear-facing child seat 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 airbag(s), no system is fail-safe. No one can guarantee that an airbag will not inflate under some unusual circumstance, even though the airbag(s) are off. Secure rear-facing child restraints in a rear seat, even if the airbag(s) are 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 (U.S. and Canada) for additional information.
If the child restraint uses a top tether, see Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH System) 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 strap 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:
When the passenger sensing system has turned off the front outboard passenger frontal airbag and knee airbag, the off indicator on the passenger airbag status indicator should light and stay lit when the vehicle is started. See Passenger Airbag Status Indicator (U.S. and Canada)
Position the release button on the buckle, so that the safety belt could be quickly unbuckled if necessary.
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 passenger sensing system has turned off the airbags, 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 (U.S. and Canada)
To remove the child restraint, unbuckle the vehicle safety belt and let it return to the stowed position.