LATCH in 2009 Honda Accord

[mommaon112903]

My parents are coming in this week and bringing my mom's new 2009 Accord. I know I can not install a car seat with the center LATCH, but what about Josef's Monterey? My mom will be taking Josef a lot this week and instead of lugging the Regent everywhere I am going to let him go in his Monterey.

Josef rides outboard in both vechicles (Hubby's middle seatbelt is twisted and there is NO way to get the twist out as it looks like it was installed twisted :mad:) so it does not bother me that he would ride outboard in Me-Maw's vechicle or not.

I am just curious, thanks! :D

[Maedze]

I have no idea! Um. What does the manual say about non-standard spacing? Obviously the vehicle forbids it, but I'm pretty sure they didn't have LATCHable boosters in mind when they wrote the recommendation.

[Pixels]

I'm pretty sure that vehicle has a significant hump in the center seat, so the Monterey might not be good in the middle just for that reason. You'll just have to try it and see.

I know that there's some disagreement about this among techs, but here's my :twocents: on LATCHing a booster over the weight limit or borrowing anchors when it's not allowed: When the child is in the booster, it's the seatbelt that's doing the work. The lower anchors are just along for the ride, so to speak. When the child is not in the booster, the forces on the lower anchors are much, much lower than a harnessed child, making the lower anchors much less likely to fail.

[NannyMom]

Yes, the 09 Accord has a big hump in the middle. Not sure it would work with the Monterey's LATCH.

[Jeanum]

Check out the transcript of the Sunshine Kids CEU chat in the Articles forum because LATCHing the Monterey in a seating position with non-standard lower LATCH anchor spacing may have been discussed there with the Sunshine Kids engineer. FWIW, from what others have described, the lower LATCH connector straps on the Monterey are short enough that they may not reach lower LATCH anchors spaced wider than the standard 11" spacing. :twocents:

[mommaon112903]

I looked at my mom's manual tonight and just like my '05 Accord, there is nothing about using LATCHable boosters :(

I will be installing Josef's Monterey in her car later this week, and I will let everyone know if it fits/how it fits.

Thanks for the input so far!

[NannyMom]

I looked at my mom's manual tonight and just like my '05 Accord, there is nothing about using LATCHable boosters :(

I will be installing Josef's Monterey in her car later this week, and I will let everyone know if it fits/how it fits.

Thanks for the input so far!

Hers is differnt than yours. In 2008 they moved the Lower anchors further apart.

[Jeanum]

I also took a look in the LATCH manual because the 2009 edition has blurbs in some vehicle manufacturer sections about LATCHable belt positioning boosters. Here's what it says in the Honda section of the LATCH manual on the topic:


Securing a Belt Positioning Booster: Honda does not endorse nor recommend against the use of right LATCH attachments, flexible LATCH attachments or tether anchor.


In other words, Honda is very neutral. :)

[mommaon112903]

The Monterey fit WONDERFULLY in the center!!! It was a cinch to get it installed, but being used to the Britax LATCH connectors, taking it out was a different story.

Instead of putting Josef's booster in my trunk, which was already full as was, I decided to LATCH it in my Accord. Well, the next day we ended up going back out to my grandparent's (where my mom was) and Josef wanted to ride in his booster. I did NOT like how it fit him across his shoulder AND it was hard to buckle :thumbsdown: I hope it fits better in the center or Britax comes out with something sooner than later.