LATCH in my SUV

[Mickayla]

I have LATCH clips in my SUV but when the FD installed them they used the seatbelt. I was wondering why they did this. Apparently I have the 'wrong' LATCH for center install? They installed it super tight so I have no problems with that, but Id like to be able to put someone on the side and because the seatbelt was used its hard for the passenger to click the buckle. I was hoping to figure out why and see if we could work out a way that I could have a passenger in the back.

MA RFing in a 04 Pathfinder

Thanks!

[snowbird25ca]

You'll need to check your truck manual to see what positions allow the use of LATCH. Many - if not most vehicles, only have dedicated LATCH anchors for the outboard position and don't allow you to use the other anchors when installing a seat in the middle, so if you want to have the seat installed in the middle you have to use the seatbelt.

LATCH vs seatbelt wouldn't change the width of the seat or how the base is in relation to the belt buckle, so I'm not sure that it would affect how hard/difficult it is to buckle the other buckle anyways. If it's a big issue in your vehicle, ie you need access to that seat belt regularly and you just really can't do it with the car seat installed, it may mean having to move your dd outboard.

[Patriot201]

I agree.

It could be that the PAthfinder doesn't allow LATCH to be used in the center.

LATCH isn't safer, it is just easier (in mos cases). If you have a solid seatbelt installation, that's great!

[jen_nah]

The reason they used the vehicle seatbelt is b/c your vehicle does not have LATCH anchor for the center seating position. Your LATCH anchors are for your outboard positions only. If you want to keep your dd in the center postion (the safest) then you will need to keep using the vehicle seatbelt for the installation of the MA.

[natysr]

Yep, definately check the owners manuel.

We HAD an 03 Pathfinder

now we have an 05 Pathfinder.

In both pathfinders there are only two latch positions that can be used. In the 05 model, it is the two outboard seats. The center cannot use LATCH.

Now, in our old 03 model, one latch position was outboard, and the other latch position was off-set...it was smack in the middle of one outboard and the center seat, so it straddled the two seats. This was the one we used for the infant seat at the time. I actually liked it being off-set like that. it wasn't right next to the door, yet another passenger could sit in the back with plenty of room.

Now I don't know where the LATCH positions are in an 04 model. I thought the 05 was the first year of the new body style. But I also think for somereason there were some other differences between the 03 and 04...isn't the 04 the Platinum model? not sure what the difference is.