Avenue RFing in 07 Malibu ... unsuccessful with LATCH

[CarmenJ]

I could not get DD's Avenue to install RFing with LATCH in my grandpa's 07 Malibu today. I was trying to install it outboard; also tried in the middle briefly but gave up on that immediately because the seat was nearly straight up and down, almost no recline.

I lack common sense and was about to install the seat FFing (DD is 28mos and 30lbs, but I bought this seat very recently specifically so I could RF her to 35) when my grandpa asked why I didn't just use the seatbelt. Hah. I got a solid install with the seatbelt, no sweat.

It seemed to me like the issue was that the LATCH connectors were in the way of the bottom of the Avenue, so it would not sit flat. No matter how tight I got the LATCH, the seat was slidingng loosey goosey left and right, well over an inch each way I'm sure. If the LATCH anchors were a little farther apart or if the seat were a little narrower, this would not have been an issue. And it's not an issue at all in our 02 Grand Am.

I was under the impression that the Avenue is a fairly narrow seat as far as convertibles go... not the narrowest, but not huge, either. How in the world do you install anything wider with LATCH in the Malibu? Is there a trick I don't know?

[Judi]

Pull the tail of the latch through the cover and pull while pressing down on the seat.

To fix the uprightness, use a rolled towel or up to 3 lengths of pool noodles in the bight of the vehicle seat.

[daniele_ut]

I haven't tried installing an Avenue in my 2005 Malibu, which is the same body as your grandpa's, but I haven't had any trouble installing my Keyfit (with LATCH or seatbelt, outboard and center), a Marathon (RF and FF, LATCH or seatbelt, outboard and center), or Nautilus (LATCH or seatbelt, outboard and center). I just reinstalled both carseats after a friend watched the kids yesterday. It took me 15 minutes to get both seats acceptably installed in her BMW and I nearly killed my back. It took me under 2 minutes to do each one in my Malibu.

One thing to consider, which side were you installing it on? On the driver outboard side the LATCH anchors for the outboard and center position overlap each other so that you can't use them at the same time. Is it possible that you had the anchor for the driver outboard side and the anchor for the driver's side of the center set (which are spaced too closely to be used together)

Basically, they look like this in the car:

P.............P.....C...........D..C........... D