Your vehicle’s rear seat is equipped with the child restraint anchorage system called LATCH. The LATCH system provides for the installation of the child restraint without using the vehicle’s seat belts, instead securing the child restraint using lower anchorages and upper tether straps from the child restraint to the vehicle structure.

LATCH-compatible child restraint systems are now available.

However, because the lower anchorages are to be introduced over a period of years, child restraint systems having attachments for those anchorages will continue to also have features for installation using the vehicle’s seat belts. Child restraints having tether straps and hooks for connection to the top tether anchorages have been available for some time. For some older child restraints, many child restraint manufacturers offer add-on tether strap kits or retro-fit kits. You are urged to take advantage of all the available attachments provided with your child restraint in any vehicle.

NOTE: When using the LATCH attaching system to install a child restraint, please ensure that all seat belts not being used for occupant restraints are stowed and out of reach of children. Remind all children in the vehicle that the seat belts are not toys and should not be played with, and never leave your child unattended in the vehicle.

The rear outboard seating positions have lower anchorages capable of accommodating LATCH-compatible child seats having flexible, webbing-mounted lower attachments and child seats with fixed lower attachments. The rear seat lower anchors can be readily identified by the symbol located on the seatback directly above the anchorages and are just visible when you lean into the rear seat to install the child restraint. You will easily feel them if you run your finger along the intersection of the seatback and seat cushion surfaces. The vehicle’s seat belt must be used for the center position. Regardless of the specific type of lower attachment, never install LATCH-compatible child seats such that two seats share a common lower anchorage.

If you are installing LATCH-compatible child restraints in adjacent rear seating positions, you can use the LATCH anchors or the vehicle’s seat belt for the outboard position, but you must use the vehicle’s seat belt at the center position. If your child restraints are not LATCHcompatible, you can only install the child restraints using the vehicle’s seat belts. For typical installation instructions, refer to “Installing The LATCH-Compatible Child Restraint System”.