LATCH Retrofit Kits that Endanger Kids’ Lives
I’m a big fan of Amazon and Walmart when you can’t buy from your local small business owner: they provide items at good prices (often on sale) and ship to your front door fast. This is great because you can sit behind your keyboard or phone and not have to interact with anyone (awesome for us introverts!). However, what you miss out on is someone telling you how dangerous a product is because Amazon and Walmart don’t care that they’re dangerous—they want a sale.
The latest craze getting passed around social media from these two retailers is add-on LATCH retrofit kits. Yay. 🙄
I know, every time you turn around, there’s a Child Passenger Safety Technician ready to burst your happy carseat bubble. Yep, here I am this time too. I see questions about non-approved aftermarket add-on LATCH retrofit kits online a few times a week. I bought one and an add-on LATCH strap to prove to you how dangerous these items are. I’m guessing you might want to buy an add-on LATCH retrofit kit because you want to add a LATCH location to a seating position that doesn’t have LATCH anchors.
We’ve covered dangerous illegal Chinese “carseats” in the past. You can still find them for sale; I’m not going to link them. Once again, you can buy dangerous “safety” items on both sites, and probably others, and it’s up to you, the consumer, to determine if these items are worth your child’s life to use. Often common sense goes right out the window when faced with something that looks like it might make life simpler.
First, let’s talk about LATCH because I believe it’s drilled into parents and caregivers from pregnancy on, in magazine articles, by friends, and other prenatal sources, that it’s necessary to use in order to achieve a safe carseat installation. That is not always true. LATCH, or Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children, is an alternative method for installation. It was implemented in the early 2000s for ease of use and the goal was for it to be uniform across vehicles for carseat installation. It was felt that seat belt installations were difficult, and perhaps that was true. At the time, locking clips were necessary in many vehicles and very few carseats had built-in lockoffs.
Through the years, LATCH has morphed into a “must use” for new parents, though there never has been a standard for vehicle cushion placement around the lower anchors (have you ever had to search for them in seat bights (cracks) as you’ve moved carseats?) and top tether use remains pathetically low in the U.S. (please, for the love of all things chocolate, when installing your carseat forward-facing, attach the top tether!). Weight limits set by both vehicle and carseat manufacturers constrain LATCH; it is not the panacea originators created it to be.
Every seating position has a seat belt, unless it is damaged. Seat belts have no weight limits that any child or carseat can reach. I’m not advocating that they’re always better or easier to use—just that sometimes LATCH is hyped to the point where seat belts aren’t even considered. The seat belt is always available to use for carseat installations. Your carseat is designed to be installed with a seat belt and several are, in fact, designed to be better installed specifically with a seat belt. Huh. Go figure!
Everything Is Regulated . . . For A Reason
Lower LATCH anchors are welded or otherwise attached very specifically to the vehicle or vehicle seat frame (feel free to read this document sometime just before bed if you have insomnia; it’s long, boring, and technical—perfect to put you to sleep!). That seat frame is bolted to the vehicle frame. The lower anchors must withstand a pull test to 11,000 N. The add-on LATCH retrofit kit you purchase online does not. It is held to the vehicle seat only by the carseat’s lower LATCH connectors in the front and the top tether in the back, if the child is forward-facing and you attach the top tether. If the child is rear-facing, only the lower LATCH connectors are attached. Think about that pulling through in a crash. And, as with all good child safety devices, the kit comes with no instructions on installation or use.
(As a quick aside, looking at the anchors of the Accord above, you could theorize why vehicle manufacturers don’t allow LATCH borrowing when installing a carseat in the center seating position. These anchors are attached to the vehicle very differently!)
FMVSS 225, the safety standard governing vehicle LATCH, also regulates the length, width, and diameter of lower anchor bars to maintain consistency across vehicles so that manufacturers of carseats know their hardware will attach and detach from the vehicle. The non-approved add-on LATCH kits are flat sheet metal cut and bent into shape. Legitimate LATCH strap manufacturers design the connectors to attach to round anchor bars, as specified in FMVSS 225. Sure, the connectors may attach to the LATCH kit bars, but will you be able to get them off? As a parent, you want to know you’ll be able to uninstall your carseat without potentially having to cut it out because the lower connectors won’t release. And what if your carseat has rigid LATCH and can’t be cut out?
When I tried to install my aftermarket LATCH kit in the 3rd row of my Acura MDX, I had a moment of panic then anger when I couldn’t remove it. First, it didn’t fit correctly in the seat bight; the anchors sat far below the crack, unable to be accessed or moved to a location where they could be used. Second, once I got the kit in, it took me several minutes and swear words to get it out due to the design of my car. If I hadn’t been able to get the kit out, it would have meant metal spikes sticking up in my cargo area because I usually keep that seat folded down for hauling things around.
Vehicle Seat Structure
Do a Google search of diagrams of vehicle seats, you can see that there’s not much structure to them and each vehicle seat is designed differently. Unless you remove your upholstery and padding, you have no idea where the structural metal is to hold a device like the add-on LATCH retrofit. It may easily pull through during a crash, leaving your child’s carseat very loose and your child able to hit an interior surface of the vehicle, like the front seat, door pillar, or roof. Did you know crash investigators talk about scuff marks? They do and they’re not talking about shoes.
A very basic way to think of crash forces is weight x speed = restraining force. If a 20 lbs. rear-facing child is in a 23 lbs. Graco 4Ever, the add-on LATCH retrofit kit will need to be able to hold 460 lbs. of force without the tether anchoring it around the seat back. Will it? I seriously doubt it. What about a 40 lbs. forward-facing child in the same 4Ever? Let’s see: 40 lbs. x 23 lbs. = 920 lbs. of restraining force with hopefully the tether helping to hold it. Now will it stay in a crash and protect the child?
- It’s not anchored to the vehicle seat.
- There will be belt stretch, both lower LATCH connector belt and top tether belt stretch, and harness stretch; this is expected and designed to help mitigate crash forces.
- The harness will be loose: this is probably the #1 most common error we see as techs. Before your child can benefit from the energy management of ride down, they must first come to a stop against the harness. You don’t want space between your child and their harness for that reason.
- Will you remember to stop using LATCH at the weight limit? That’s another common error we see as techs.
This is all assuming a frontal crash, which is the most common type of crash. Physics says that crash forces will pull the LATCH retrofit kit forward, toward the point of impact. The same holds for a side impact. The problem here is that since the LATCH retrofit kit isn’t attached to the vehicle per FMVSS regulations, it will slide through the vehicle seat bight until it hits a stopping point. This may be several inches. Remember how we want your child’s seat to be installed with less than 1” of movement? Now it has several inches as it slides across the vehicle seat, twisting toward the point of impact. The more movement it has during the crash, the more movement the child has in the seat and the seat will strike the vehicle interior. If the carseat comes loose because the LATCH kit slides through the vehicle seat bight, it is now a massive projectile. Don’t underestimate crash forces.
Let’s go over this again. Five reasons why non-approved LATCH retrofit kits are a bad idea:
- There are no safety standards regulating how they must be designed.
- There are no safety standards regulating how they must be installed.
- There are no safety standards regulating how they must be used.
- It may move (a lot) during a crash because the LATCH kit isn’t anchored to the vehicle seat.
- User error is highly likely because it may not ship with installation or user instructions.
Non-Approved Add-On LATCH Straps
While the add-on LATCH kits seem to be the “new” kids on the block in terms of internet crazes, the add-on LATCH straps have been around since LATCH originated. Carseat manufacturers sold LATCH straps for their own carseats that weren’t manufactured with them. Fortunately, that time was short-lived because there was a lot of misuse with those LATCH straps as you can imagine—using one manufacturer’s LATCH strap on another manufacturer’s carseat, at the very least.
I purchased an add-on LATCH strap to satisfy my curiosity about the quality of these products. The strap I chose was at random, though I was intrigued by the indicator on the adjuster that tells the parent/caregiver when the strap is “on” (on what, I’m not sure because the indicator never changed to off, even when “off” any LATCH anchor). The listing also made the dubious claim of having a “safer” buckle than a metal buckle. First, this is an adjuster, not a buckle, and yes, that is an important distinction to make. Second, I have never seen any claims, studies, heard telephone stories, or otherwise that one is safer than the other.
The connectors themselves felt lightweight and cheap. Anyone who has been hit in the leg with a LATCH connector when moving carseats around knows they have weight to them. I doubt you’d notice these hitting you unless someone was really swinging them.
The Amazon listing is rife with misspellings and language clearly run through a translator. It’s fine if you want to buy a product from China (I have no qualms depending on the product—many fine high-end and not-so-high-end U.S. carseat manufacturers produce their seats there), but the issue again is that this is an unregulated safety product for your child. Ease of installation is not worth potentially having a strap that secures a carseat snap or come off the anchor during a crash and harm your child. I’ve been around a very long time in this field and am not naïve enough to know that parents only use LATCH for ease of installation, but generally solutions exist for every problem and cheap Chinese fixes would be my last choice.
Children’s products are regulated by strict federal standards for a reason: children are our future and since they are unable to make choices for themselves, they depend on us to make proper decisions for them. As adults we look for guidance from our parents and mentors, our friends, websites like CarseatBlog, and increasingly social media as we raise our children. We need to use a critical eye when evaluating these child safety products and realize that someone in an online parenting group presenting items like these as “fixes” is only giving their opinion, not their expertise regarding safety products. When in doubt, always consult a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician.
I am interested only in using one for a booster install to keep it attached while the child is not in the car because I will have a forgetful child in the 3rd row and I feel it will be safer than having a car seat flying around if he forgets to buckle it when he leaves the car. I have him in the 3rd row because I have to have small children in the 2nd row so I can help them and get them out when they fall asleep. The alternative is to not have him in a car seat anymore.
I think there’s a middle ground between using something that’s not designed for either your vehicle or booster and your child not riding in the seat. Even though it seems like it may be a better alternative to not installing the booster with LATCH and having it be a projectile, there’s still a chance it may pull through the seat bight during a crash. Simplistically, weight x speed = crash force, so if a booster with hook-on LATCH weighs 12 lbs. and you’re traveling at 30 mph (the crash test speed), that’s 360 lbs. of force put on the retrofit. Boosters with LATCH tend to weigh more, especially those with rigid LATCH. I would try to remind your child each ride to buckle the booster in. It’ll take time, but eventually it will become habit.
What’s your recommendation for a convertible carseat, rear facing, in a 99 Ford Escort Wagon with NO LATCH system and the belts aren’t securing it enough that it doesn’t move an inch or less.
Heather, if you are having trouble getting a secure installation in your Escort Wagon, I suggest a convertible or all-in-one that has tensioning lockoffs for both rear-facing & forward-facing beltpaths. Any Britax convertible with ClickTight would work. A Graco TriGrow SnugLock (available at Walmart) would also work. So would a Graco 4Ever DLX with SnugLock (not all 4Ever DLX models have SnugLock so you have to look for a model that specifically says it has the SnugLock feature). HTH!
We have a 2014 buick enclave and the third row only has one seat (the middle) that has a top tether anchor. I am trying to figure out if our car is a candidate for retrofitting a top tether anchor to the two other seats in the third row, and where I can get this done. The dealer said they can’t do it, since all anchors are welded as part of the seat. Is there a kit available for our vehicle and who could help us install it?
Sorry, Jen, but there will be no retrofits for your Enclave. Vehicles manufactured after 9/1/2000 had their top tether anchors already installed at the factory, so there’s no need for retrofitting. The engineers didn’t design for tethers to be added afterwards if the vehicle didn’t come with them in the position you want them in. So, if you have to put a forward-facing carseat in a position where there’s no tether, I suggest using one that has a lockoff and/or a belt-tensioner, like Graco’s SnugLock, Nuna’s belt tensioning plate, or Britax’s ClickTight. I have a list of seats here that’s a little out-of-date, but I’ll update it soon: https://carseatsite.com/lockoffsbelttensioners.
So what exactly would you recommend? I have an 8-seater vehicle and 4 kids. There are only 3 LATCH points, 1 of which I can’t use because it’s in the middle of the back bench and my oldest’s booster seat won’t fit beside it. I have 2 kids about to be using their stage 2 seats as highback boosters, and need the LATCH to hold the seat in place so they can use the actual seatbelt.
Hi Allison. For boosters, LATCH is an optional feature, so in the 3rd row back bench (Chrysler Pacifica—the family car that’s not built for families?), that child will have to buckle the booster in every time they get out of it. It will have to become a habit.
hi, Our son’s preschool has a ford van passenger van from 2000 that does not have top tether anchor points. I have spoken with CHP, who says it IS still legal using the belt system to install a forward facing seat, but understandably we’re concerned that it doesn’t have the top tether. The dealership didn’t have a solution for me to retrofit.
Hi Sarah,
All car seats certified for use in the USA must pass minimum head excursion limits even without a top tether in use. Most do require a top tether to meet a stricter standard. So, it is still legal in general, though there could be some state laws that affect that.
If it is an Econoline E-series Club Wagon Van (7-passenger), there should be one anchor for the front passenger seat plus 5 “TA points under upholstery on rear rail of seat frame (drilled holes)”. Ford or the dealer or manual should confirm this, as well as if a Ford anchor kit is needed. The LATCH manual does not list any information for 8-15 passenger Econoline vans from year 2000.
Another possibility is a custom anchor, such as one of these from special needs restraint manufacturers:
https://ezonpro.com/our-products/vehicle-mounts/
https://www.merrittcarseat.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Instructions_for_Heavy_Duty_Tether_Anchor.pdf
I cannot vouch for these products, especially if they are not used with the manufacturer’s own restraints, so you would have to research and determine if they are suitable for this situation.
Hi there, I have a 96 Mazda sedan (protege) and my 5 year old sits forward facing in his car seat. I had installed the seat using the seat belt, but the other day it really had a lot of forward travel (tilt) with a hard stop. I believe there are spots where you can install the top tether, but my Mazda dealership said they don’t make that part anymore. How can I find a safe aftermarket part? Or is it just a matter of getting a snugger fit? Haven’t taken this in for a CPST test.
Thanks!
Hi Sheila. That top tether can make a big difference in holding the top of the carseat back in a quick stop or crash, but it’s possible you may not have your carseat installed tightly enough too. My trick for a forward-facing installation is to get in front of the carseat and use my knees to press the front of the seat back as I’m pulling as tightly on the seat belt as I can to feed it back into the retractor (lap/shoulder belt) or pulling on the tail of the belt (lap-only belt). Does your carseat fit well in your back seat? Sometimes the carseat’s shape doesn’t mesh well with the vehicle’s back seat shape and that can cause an incompatibility.
I can confirm that Mazda’s tether anchor retrofit program has ended, unfortunately. There’s really nothing else you can safely do at this point, other than make sure you have the tightest installation you can get and that your child’s harness is properly secured. We cover that here: https://carseatblog.com/44497/proper-harness-use/
Just came across this blog while trying to justify one of these universal car seat mounts. I think a good solution is using one of these in addition to a retracting seat belt. This way you have a crash resistant car seat with the added security of a top tether.
Also, you may want to double check your math. I’m not sure why you’re equation specifies speed, and I’m doubly not sure why you then multiplied weight times weight. A good rule of thumb is to check your units. lbs x lbs = lbs^2 which doesn’t mean anything.
Instead you could look at the basic physics equation F = ma or Force = mass * acceleration. Your mass would be 20lbs for the child plus 23lbs for the car seat which is 43 lbs. This transfers to about 20 kg.
Now for acceleration, let’s use a worst case scenario example of traveling 60 mph and then coming to a dead stop during a crash during a crash over the span of let’s say 0.5 seconds. Convert 60 mph to meters/second to give you a little more than 26 meters/second. This means the absolute value of your acceleration is abs[(0-26)/0.5] = 52 m/s^2
So the force the restraint would have to endure is 20kg * 52 m/s^2 Lets check the units. Kg * m/s^2 is the same unit as a newton. So that means that we have 1040 kg*m/s^2 or 1040 Newtons of force to endure. For reference, that’s about the force it takes to lift 200 lbs.
Thank you, Mr. Nelson, for your comments. As always, we are extremely reluctant to endorse this type of third party equipment that has not been crash tested or approved by the vehicle or child restraint manufacturer, essentially leaving your child as the crash test dummy. Might it be a benefit? Yes, it’s possible. Might it be a detriment to the safety of a child? Also possible, especially given variables of different vehicles and installations. We only recommend manufacturer pre-installed LATCH hardware, or that supplied directly by the vehicle or child restraint manufacturer as a retrofit.
I also note that the calculations used by the author in the article were, as described, a “very basic way” to estimate crash forces, without the need to use any calculus on actual deceleration curves, or even better estimates using the change in velocity divided by the time width of a square pulse approximation of an actual deceleration curve. “Weight x speed” is an estimate often used for simplification and, of course, is not the actual calculation, even with the typo you duly noted for the units.
Typical crash test pulses to mimic real world crashes are usually less than 100 milliseconds. The critical phase of a more severe crash pulse is often measured in the tens of milliseconds. As for mass (or weight as often used here in the USA), many children don’t even begin to be forward-facing until 2 years old and are often in the range of 30-60 pounds when a top-tether is required. I propose that your math is far from “worst case”. For better estimates, there are various online calculators that can generate typical crash forces based on occupant weight, vehicle velocity and other inputs.
For example, the G-force encountered in a standard vehicle crash test for child restraints can range from 20 G to over 30 G, depending on the velocity and pulse shape used. These encompass the forces experienced in the majority of actual impacts, though real-world crashes at faster speeds can be even more severe. Many child restraints fit children up to 65 pounds, and larger ones can weigh 25 pounds or more, for a combined weight of 90+ pounds. For a more typical combined weight of child and restraint system of 65 lbs., the equivalent of 1000 to 2000 lbs. of force on restraint systems is quite possible. Perhaps not coincidentally, the federal standard static pull test required on lower anchors is 11,000 Newtons, as mentioned above. That’s almost 2500 pounds.
That is why these systems need to be tested and effective in order to reduce the forces on the occupant to considerably lower numbers, usually by effectively increasing the “ride down” or deceleration times experienced by the passenger to much longer values. Will a chunk of uncertified mild steel manufactured overseas (by a random third party seller company or individual) to unknown specifications and sold for $30 on Amazon as a universal fitment for all vehicles be safe? Maybe. Each parent can determine if the risk is acceptable for their child, along with whether or not they believe some of the reassuring marketing, like this, “Car Child Seat Restraint Anchor Mounting Kit is Using special manufacturing process,therefore our product quality is deserved to be believed as a trustworthy helper.”
Hello! I drive an 03 suburban without top tether points for my forward facing kiddos. I’ve called around looking for retrofit kits and can’t find any. Is there a way to safely install a forward facing carseat without a top tether?
Hi Naomi. Fortunately, all forward-facing carseats are required to pass crash testing without top tethers; however, we know they’re much safer with them in use. Kudos to you for looking for a way to install your carseats with the tethers!
I’m curious, though. An ’03 Suburban should have tether anchors built-in. They became standard issue in 2002. Once tether anchors are built into a vehicle, they cannot be added in as aftermarket items. Do you need help finding yours? They are square metal brackets at the base of the seat near the legs and don’t look like tether anchors actually.
What do you suggest then I have a 99 vehicle with no tether what can I do to make it safe
It’s really difficult to find tether retrofits now, but there may be some available. What make and model do you have and I can look to see if there are some left? Otherwise, just get a solid install with the vehicle seat belt. That’s how we did it back in the good ol’ days!
In a 1999 Suburban, in the 3rd row outboard seating positions, you can use the rearmost cargo anchors (the ones by the back doors or hatch) as tether spots. Do not use the anchors that are closer to the seat.
Or sometimes we can find an alternative to forward facing harnessed seats for some kids. Options may include a high capacity rear facing seat, a booster, or a safety vest, depending on the age, temperament, and size of the child.
How would you install a carseat in a car older than 1996? The seatbelts do not have an autolock feature.
Hi Jacque. In older vehicles without locking seat belts, we use locking clips or built-in lockoffs if the carseats have them. Some manufacturers still provide the lockoffs with carseats, but with others, you have to call and have them send you one. If you don’t know how to install a locking clip, I have instructions and a video for a rear-facing only carseat here: https://carseatsite.com/lockingclips/. I also have a video on YouTube for a convertible carseat: https://youtu.be/1QtqQc1qFzU.
I’ll be honest, I’m confused. I tried to find the part of this post where you say what you would do if you had a car without anchors on the seat, but I’m not feeling like it’s clear. Would you use the seatbelt, or install a different kind of after market system that is safety approved?
I’m talking about for an infant car seat.
Hi Jamie. I’ll go back and make it more clear in the article about what to do.
If you don’t have lower anchors in your car, install your carseat with the seat belt. LATCH isn’t required to install the carseat, it’s an alternative method for installing it. It’s a federal regulation that carseats have the straps installed on them, but you don’t have to use them. You can always use the vehicle seat belt for installs. HTH!