center seat latch question

[Kelley O]

My son has a nautalis in my Mom's chevy trailblazer, in the rear center seat. Our cars do not have latch, so this is the only time we've used it. I read on here that most cars only have latch for outboard seats. Is this correct, and if so, if we are actually using the outboard latch anchors for the center is this Ok? We will check the owner's manual when we see her next. If the car is only equipped with outboard latch anchors, even though we have a good fit now in the center, should we move him?

[Jeanum]

Good question about center LATCH as there are a number of vehicles that have dedicated sets of LATCH anchors for the outboard (side) rear seating positions only, and borrowing of the outboard LATCH anchors to do a center LATCH installation isn't always allowable, depending on both the vehicle manufacturer and the carseat manufacturer. This is where the handy LATCH manual (http://www.saferidenews.com/SRNDNN/Products/LATCHManual/tabid/56/Default.aspx), published by Safe Ride News who compiles LATCH info. from vehicle makers and carseat manufacturers, comes to the rescue to sort it all out for us. :)

The LATCH manual indicates '02 and newer Trailblazers have dedicated sets of lower LATCH anchors for the outboard rear seating positions only, and GM currently doesn't allow borrowing of the outboard anchors to install in the center, nor does Graco. You would need to either reinstall the carseat using the seatbelt in the center, provided that you can achieve a proper seatbelt installation there, or outboard using LATCH or the seatbelt. GM actually used to allow "borrowing" of the outboard position's lower LATCH anchors to do a center LATCH installation if the carseat manufacturer also allowed it, but then rescinded it, apparently due to concerns that the performance using borrowed anchors was somehow detrimental. Graco currently doesn't allow borrowing anchors, either, after previously allowing it several years ago in vehicles that allowed for it, so it's a definitely a double negative on that in your situation. :o

The other caveat about the Trailblazer's center rear seating position is that the spacing between the seatbelt anchorages is fairly narrow, and GM actually used to disallow a center seatbelt installation in the Trailblazer's owner's manuals until late in the '03 model year. Then GM retroactively stated it was allowable to install in the Trailblazer's center rear position in all model years using the seatbelt provided that the carseat can be installed properly with less than 1 inch of movement at the belt path. Lots of rescinding in this particular situation, making it all kind of dizzying for techs and for parents. :o

So to sum it all up, a seatbelt install in the center, or a LATCH or seatbelt installation outboard are your allowable options to switch to when you reinstall in the Trailblazer. :)

[Kelley O]

Thanks so much for the help!