Subaru Forester: Child restraint systems

Infants and small children should always be placed in an infant or child restraint system in the rear seat while riding in the vehicle. You should use an infant or child restraint system that meets Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards or Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, is compatible with your vehicle and is appropriate for the child’s age and size. All child restraint systems are designed to be secured in vehicle seats by lap belts or the lap belt portion of a lap/shoulder belt (except those described in “Installation of child restraint systems by use of lower and tether anchorages (LATCH)”).

Children could be endangered in an accident if their child restraints are not properly secured in the vehicle. When installing the child restraint system, carefully follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

According to accident statistics, children are safer when properly restrained in the rear seating positions than in the front seating positions.

All U.S. states and Canadian provinces require that infants and small children be restrained in an approved child restraint system at all times while the vehicle is moving.

Never let a passenger hold a child on his or her lap or in his or her arms while the vehicle is moving.

The passenger cannot protect the child from injury in a collision, because the child will be caught between the passenger and objects inside the vehicle.

Additionally, holding a child in your lap or arms in the front seat exposes that child to another serious danger.

Since the SRS airbag deploys with considerable speed and force, the child could be injured or even killed.

Children should be properly restrained at all times. Never allow a child to stand up, or to kneel on any seat. Unrestrained children will be thrown forward during sudden stop or in an accident and can be injured seriously.

Additionally, children standing up or kneeling on or in front of the front seat are exposed another serious danger. Since the SRS airbag deploys with considerable speed and force, the child could be injured or even killed.

Where to place a child restraint system

The following are SUBARU’s recommendations on where to place a child restraint system in your vehicle.

A: Front passenger’s seat

You should not install a child restraint system (including a booster seat) due to the hazard to children posed by the passenger’s airbag.

B: Rear seat, window-side seating positions

Recommended positions for all types of child restraint systems.

In these positions, Automatic/Emergency Locking Retractor (A/ELR) seatbelts and lower anchorages (bars) are provided for installing a child restraint system.

Some types of child restraints might not be able to be secured firmly due to projection of the seat cushion.

In this seating position, you should use only a child restraint system that has a bottom base that fits snugly against the contours of the seat cushion and can be securely retained using the seatbelt.

C: Rear seat, center seating position

Installing a child restraint system is not recommended, although the A/ELR seatbelt and an upper anchorage (tether anchorage) are provided in this position.

Some types of child restraints might not be able to be secured firmly due to projection of the seat cushion.

In this seating position, you should use only a child restraint system that has a bottom base that fits snugly against the contours of the seat cushion and can be securely retained using the seatbelt.

If it is unavoidable to install a child restraint system in the rear seat’s center seating position, lower the center head restraint to the lowest position and install the child restraint system by correctly passing the rear center seatbelt through the belt guide.

Put children aged 12 and under in the rear seat properly restrained at all times. The SRS airbag deploys with considerable speed and force and can injure or even kill children, especially if they are 12 years of age and under and are not restrained or improperly restrained. Because children are lighter and weaker than adults, their risk of being injured from deployment is greater.

For that reason, be sure to secure ALL types of child restraint devices (including forward facing child seats) in the REAR seats at all times.

You should choose a restraint device which is appropriate for the child’s age, height and weight. According to accident statistics, children are safer when properly restrained in the rear seating positions than in the front seating positions.

SINCE YOUR VEHICLE I S EQUIPPED WITH A PASSENGER’S SRS AIRBAG, NEVER INSTALL A REARWARD FACING CHILD SAFETY SEAT IN THE FRONT PASSENGER’S SEAT. DOING SO RISKS SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH TO THE CHILD BY PLACING THE CHILD’S HEAD TOO CLOSE TO THE SRS AIRBAG.

Choosing a child restraint system

Choose a child restraint system that is appropriate for the child’s age and size (weight and height) in order to provide the child with proper protection. The child restraint system should meet all applicable requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards for the United States or of Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standards for Canada. It can be identified by looking for the label on the child restraint system or the manufacturer’s statement of compliance in the document attached to the system.

Also it is important for you to make sure that the child restraint system is compatible with the vehicle in which it will be used.

Installing child restraint systems with A/ELR seatbelt

- Child restraint systems and seatbelts can become hot in a vehicle that has been closed up in sunny weather; they could burn a small child. Check the child restraint system before you place a child in it.

- Do not leave an unsecured child restraint system in your vehicle.

Unsecured child restraint systems can be thrown around inside of the vehicle in a sudden stop, turn or accident; they can strike and injure vehicle occupants as well as result in serious injuries or death to the child.

When you install a child restraint system, follow the manufacturer’s instructions supplied with it. After installing the child restraint system, check to ensure that it is held securely in position. If it is not held tight and secure, the danger of your child suffering personal injury in the event of an accident may be increased.

Installing a rearward facing child restraint

1. Place the child restraint system in the rear seating position.

2. Run the lap and shoulder belt through or around the child restraint system following the instructions provided by its manufacturer.

3. Insert the tongue plate into the buckle until you hear a click.

4. Take up the slack in the lap belt.

5. Pull out the seatbelt fully from the retractor to change the retractor over from the Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR) to the Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) function. Then, allow the belt to rewind into the retractor. As the belt is rewinding, clicks will be heard which indicate the retractor functions as ALR.

6. Push and pull the child restraint system forward and from side to side to check if it is firmly secured. Sometimes a child restraint can be more firmly secured by pushing it down into the seat cushion and then tightening the seatbelt.

7. Pull at the shoulder portion of the belt to confirm that it cannot be pulled out (ALR properly functioning).

8. To remove the child restraint system, press the release button on the seatbelt buckle and allow the belt to retract completely. The belt will return to the ELR mode.

NEVER INSTALL A REARWARD FACING CHILD SEAT IN THE FRONT PASSENGER’S SEAT. DOING SO RISKS SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH TO THE CHILD BY PLACING THE CHILD’S HEAD TOO CLOSE TO THE SRS AIRBAG.

NOTE
When the child restraint system is no longer in use, remove it and restore the ELR function of the retractor. That function is restored by allowing the seatbelt to retract fully.

Installing forward facing child restraint

1. Place the child restraint system in the rear seating position.

2. Run the lap and shoulder belt through or around the child restraint system following the instructions provided by its manufacturer.

3. Insert the tongue plate into the buckle until you hear a click.

4. Take up the slack in the lap belt.

5. Pull out the seatbelt fully from the retractor to change the retractor over from the Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR) to the Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) function. Then, allow the belt to rewind into the retractor. As the belt is rewinding, clicks will be heard which indicate the retractor functions as ALR.

6. Before having a child sit in the child restraint system, move it back and forth and right and left to check if it is firmly secured. Sometimes a child restraint can be more firmly secured by pushing it down into the seat cushion and then tightening the seatbelt.

7. Pull at the shoulder portion of the belt to confirm that it cannot be pulled out (ALR properly functioning).

8. If the child restraint system requires a top tether, latch the hook onto the top tether anchorage and tighten the top tether. For additional instructions, refer to “Top tether anchorages”.

9. To remove the child restraint system, press the release button on the seatbelt buckle and allow the belt to retract completely. The belt will return to the ELR mode.

NOTE
When the child restraint system is no longer in use, remove it and restore the ELR function of the retractor. That function is restored by allowing the seatbelt to retract fully.

Installing a booster seat

- Child restraint systems and seatbelts can become hot in a vehicle that has been closed up in sunny weather; they could burn a small child. Check the child restraint system before you place a child in it.

- Do not leave an unsecured child restraint system in your vehicle.

Unsecured child restraint systems can be thrown around inside of the vehicle in a sudden stop, turn or accident; they can strike and injure vehicle occupants as well as result in serious injuries or death to the child.

When you install a child restraint system, follow the manufacturer’s instructions supplied with it. After installing the child restraint system, check to ensure that it is held securely in position. If it is not held tight and secure, the danger of your child suffering personal injury in the event of an accident may be increased.

1. Place the booster seat in the rear seating position and sit the child on it. The child should sit well back on the booster seat.

2. Run the lap and shoulder belt through or around the booster seat and the child following the instructions provided by its manufacturer.

3. Insert the tongue plate into the buckle until you hear a click. Take care not to twist the seatbelt.

Make sure the shoulder belt is positioned across the center of child’s shoulder and that the lap belt is positioned as low as possible on the child’s hips.

4. To remove the booster seat, press the release button on the seatbelt buckle and allow the belt to retract.

- Never use a belt that is twisted or reversed. In an accident, this can increase the risk or severity of injury to the child.

- Never place the shoulder belt under the child’s arm or behind the child’s back. If an accident occurs, this can increase the risk or severity of injury to the child.

- The seatbelt should fit snugly in order to provide full restraint.

Loose fitting belts are not as effective in preventing or reducing injury.

- Place the lap belt as low as possible on the child’s hips. A high-positioned lap belt will increase the risk of sliding under the lap belt and of the lap belt sliding up over the abdomen, and both can result in serious internal injury or death.

- Make sure the shoulder belt is positioned across the center of child’s shoulder. Placing the shoulder belt over the neck may result in neck injury during sudden braking or in a collision.

Installation of child restraint systems by use of lower and tether anchorages (LATCH)

- Child restraint systems and seatbelts can become hot in a vehicle that has been closed up in sunny weather; they could burn a small child. Check the child restraint system before you place a child in it.

- Do not leave an unsecured child restraint system in your vehicle.

Unsecured child restraint systems can be thrown around inside of the vehicle in a sudden stop, turn or accident; they can strike and injure vehicle occupants as well as result in serious injuries or death to the child.

When you install a child restraint system, follow the manufacturer’s instructions supplied with it. After installing the child restraint system, check to ensure that it is held securely in position. If it is not held tight and secure, the danger of your child suffering personal injury in the event of an accident may be increased.

Some types of child restraint systems can be installed on the rear seat of your vehicle without use of the seatbelts. Such child restraint systems are secured to the designated anchorages provided on the vehicle body. The lower and tether anchorages are sometimes referred to as the LATCH system (Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren).

Your vehicle is equipped with four lower anchorages (bars) and three upper anchorages (tether anchorages) for accommodating such child restraint systems.

The lower anchorages (bars) are used for installing a child restraint system only on the rear seat window-side seating positions.

For each window-side seating position, two lower anchorages are provided.

Each lower anchorage is located where the seat cushion meets the seatback.

The tether anchorages (upper anchorages) are provided at the locations shown in the above illustration.

1) Cover

You will find marks “” on the cover at the bottom of the rear seat seatbacks. These marks indicate the positions of the lower anchorages (bars).

Each lower anchorage is located where the seat cushion meets the seatback.

1. Use the “” marks to locate the two lower anchorages (bars) for the position where you want to install the child restraint system.

2. While following the instructions supplied by the child restraint system manufacturer, connect the lower hooks onto the lower anchorages located at “” marks on the bottom of the rear seatback. When the hooks are connected, make sure the adjacent seatbelts are not caught.

3. [If your child restraint system is of a flexible attachment type (which uses tether belts to connect the child restraint system properly to the lower anchorages)] While pushing the child restraint into the seat cushion, pull both left and right lower tether belts up to secure the child restraint system firmly by taking up the slack in the belt.

4. Connect the top tether hook to the tether anchorage and firmly tighten the tether. For information on how to set the top tether, refer to “Top tether anchorages”.

5. Before seating a child in the child restraint system, try to move it back and forth and right and left to verify that it is held securely in position.

6. To remove the child restraint system, follow the reverse procedures of installation.

If you have any question concerning this type of child restraint system, ask your SUBARU dealer.

Top tether anchorages

Your vehicle is equipped with three top tether anchorages so that a child restraint system having a top tether can be installed in the rear seat. When installing a child restraint system using top tether, proceed as follows, while observing the instructions by the child restraint system manufacturer.

Since a top tether can provide additional stability by offering another connection between a child restraint system and the vehicle, we recommend that you use a top tether whenever one is required or available.

Anchorage location

1) For right seat
2) For center seat
3) For left seat

There is an anchorage located on the rear edge of the ceiling above each seating position.

To hook the top tether

1. Remove the headrest at the windowside seating position where the child restraint system has been installed with the lower anchorages or seatbelt; lift up the headrest while pressing the release button. Store the headrest in the cargo area. Avoid placing the headrest in the passenger compartment to prevent it from being thrown around in the passenger compartment in a sudden stop or a sharp turn.

2. For both window-side seating positions, remove the cover for the appropriate upper anchorage.

3. Attach the child restraint top tether hook to the appropriate upper anchorage.

4. Tighten the top tether securely.

Please contact your SUBARU dealer if you have any question regarding the installation of a child restraint system.

Always remove the headrest when mounting a child restraint system with a top tether. Otherwise, the top tether cannot be fastened tightly.