'07 Dodge Magnum problems

[MomTo1]

I was in an accident last week and my van is in the shop being fixed. My loaner car is a 2007 Dodge Magnum. Nice car, except it SUCKS for installing seats. I've tried every flipping seat I have (Century Bravo, Graco Comfortsport, Evenflo Chase, FPSVD) and I can't get a good install with any of them in any position.

It has latch in all 3 rear seating positions, but the sets are very close together, so all the seats I have are wider than the latch positions, making it a pain in the butt to get them hooked and tightened correctly. I have my FPSVD installed with latch right now and while it's not rock solid, it's an acceptable install.

The seatbelts are another issue though. The front passenger seat and the middle back seat have switchable retractor belts. The 2 outboard positions in the back have ELR with lightweight latchplates. The biggest problem though is that the female end is so.darn.long. I've tried the 3 full twists (3 right?) and that doesn't do a darn thing. On every seat I have it sits right in the belt path opening making it impossible to tighten.

Is there something I'm not thinking of? I'm just venting I guess and I want my van back! I have captains chairs and can get an awesome install with every seat I've ever had.

[Splash]

Check to make sure the anchors don't overlap. ALL lower anchors are in sets 11 inches apart, so those are no closer and no wider than every other set if you are using the right ones. Some cars with small backseats overlap them in order to <s>confuse the heck out of parents and encourage misuse</s> fit them all in there.

Like this (L left, R right, C center)


L_____C_L___R_C_____R

Or this

L____C_L___C_R_____R

[daniele_ut]

We rented a 2007 Magnum a few months ago while our Subaru was in the shop and had no problem at all getting a rock solid seatbelt install with our Marathon in the center seat. I don't remember having a problem with a long female belt stalk. We have this problem in our Subaru and can't get a good install in the center with any seat in that car. We only had the car for a week, so I'm having a hard time remembering what I did, I just remember that it was a LOT easier to install my MA in that car than in my Subaru. I also don't remember lightweight latchplates, but I didn't try an outboard install.

We had a similar problem when I tried to use LATCH in a Trailblazer from my company's motor pool, but eventually I was able to position the MA so that even though the anchors weren't as wide as the base of the seat, the install was tight.

[MomTo1]

Huh. Not sure what the problem was then. I couldn't get a good install anywhere. Oh well. Luckily we had no where to go and I got my van back yesterday. Maybe I'm just spoiled by the van, but I get such great installs in my van.