05 Freestyle Center Latch?

[tenecwalker]

I thought I had read somewhere that Fords allowed you to use an anchor from each outboard side for center latch as long as you weren't using them for an outboard install too, but I looked through my manual and didn't see anything that said one way or the other. Does anyone know if this is true? If it is, does Britax allow you to do it too?

[Jeanum]

Britax allows it, but your specific Ford model does not, sorry. For pre-2009 Ford vehicles, whether or not "borrowing" outboard lower LATCH anchors is allowed to do a center lower LATCH installation varies depending on the specific Ford model according to the LATCH manual. I don't see a note in the LATCH manual's entry for the '05 Freestyle indicating it's allowed in that model, though, so you would need to install with the seatbelt in the center. Borrowing is allowed in all 2009 Ford vehicles if the carseat manufacturer also explicitly allows it, FWIW, but it's not retroactive to previous Ford model years.