Safety experts recommend that children ride rearwardfacing in the vehicle until they are two years old or until they reach either the height or weight limit of their rear facing child safety seat. Two types of child restraints can be used rearward-facing: infant carriers and convertible child seats.

The infant carrier is only used rearward-facing in the vehicle. It is recommended for children from birth until they reach the weight or height limit of the infant carrier.

Convertible child seats can be used either rearwardfacing or forward-facing in the vehicle. Convertible child seats often have a higher weight limit in the rearwardfacing direction than infant carriers do, so they can be used rearward-facing by children who have outgrown their infant carrier but are still less than at least two years old. Children should remain rearward-facing until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by their convertible child seat. Both types of child restraints are held in the vehicle by the lap/shoulder belt or the LATCH child restraint anchor system. Refer to “Lower Anchors and Tether for CHildren (LATCH)”.

WARNING!
• Rearward-facing child seats must never be used in the front seat of a vehicle with the front passenger air bag unless the air bag is turned off. An air bag deployment could cause severe injury or death to infants in this position.

• Improper installation can lead to failure of an infant or child restraint. It could come loose in a collision. The child could be badly injured or killed. Follow the manufacturer’s directions exactly when installing an infant or child restraint.

Here are some tips for getting the most out of your child restraint:

• Before buying any restraint system, make sure that it has a label certifying that it meets all applicable Safety Standards. The manufacturer also recommends that you try a child restraint in the vehicle seats where you will use it before you buy it.

• The restraint must be appropriate for your child’s weight and height. Check the label on the restraint for weight and height limits.

• Carefully follow the instructions that come with the restraint. If you install the restraint improperly, it may not work when you need it.

• The seat belts in the passenger seating positions are equipped with either an Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) or a cinching latch plate or both. Both types of seat belts are designed to keep the lap portion of the seat belt tight around the child restraint so that it is not necessary to use a locking clip. The ALR will make a ratcheting noise if you extract the entire belt from the retractor and then allow the belt to retract into the retractor. For additional information on ALR, refer to “Automatic Locking Mode”.

• In the rear seat, you may have trouble tightening the lap/shoulder belt on the child restraint because the buckle or latch plate is too close to the belt path opening on the restraint. Disconnect the latch plate from the buckle and twist the short buckle-end belt several times to shorten it. Insert the latch plate into the buckle with the release button facing out.

• If the belt still cannot be tightened, or if pulling and pushing on the restraint loosens the belt, disconnect the latch plate from the buckle, turn the buckle around, and insert the latch plate into the buckle again. If you still cannot make the child restraint secure, try a different seating position.

• Buckle the child into the restraint exactly as the manufacturer’s instructions tell you.

WARNING!
When your child restraint is not in use, secure it in the vehicle with the seat belt or remove it from the vehicle. Do not leave it loose in the vehicle. In a sudden stop or accident, it could strike the occupants or seatbacks and cause serious personal injury.