2010 Buick Enclave - can I add more tethers?

The third row in the Enclave has no latch anchors, and one latch tether (in the second seat). Does anyone know if it is possible to have a Buick dealer install two extra latch tethers - one in each outboard 3rd row seat? I asked my local Buick salesperson, and they said "no", but I'm not certain that they know what they're talking about.

My wife and I have triplets that just turned two, and are considering having another kid. I'm looking to buy a car, but want to buy one that can handle four kids in carseats.

I can get the Enclave with 2nd row captains chairs, but then I need to be able to put two carseats in the third row - hence the need for extra tethers. I could get the Enclave with a 2nd row bench seat, which would have three tethers. I could probably get a narrow carseat (Radian 80's?), and put the triplets three across in the second row - but then the only way to access the third row is through the back hatch, and I just don't like that from a safety perspective (in an emergency, I want to be able to get to the third row from the first or second row). So I'm back to the 2nd row captains chairs, and needing to have latch tethers in the outboard 3rd row seats.

Thanks for your help,
Dan

No, they actually got it right this time. If a vehicle comes equipped with tethers you can't add any more.

You cannot add lower anchors at all, fyi. Not sure which you were talking about.

Your triplets should be rear facing yet, so you don't need tethers back there, so that should be fine for a while. But in the future you'll just have to do the best you can with what you have. The Radians actually have their numbers released, and they do a good job without tethers. Better without tethers than the requirement with tethers.

Wendy

And the Nautilus tests even better than the Radian -- but I understand the desire to have forward-facing seats tethered to reduce head excursion. Depending on the size and shape of your kids, you could get the Radian80SLs or RadianXTSLs and keep them rear-facing to 45#, and then move them to belt-positioning boosters (this is a workable option for kids who hit 45# sometime after age 5, not so great for 45# 3yos), thereby eliminating a need for top tether anchors.

Because your children should not be forward facing for several more years, it is not a pressing issue, but I would not recommend buying any crossover/SUV style vehicle that doesn't have tether anchors in the third row (common problem)

The Honda Odyssey is a minivan with top tether anchors in all seating locations

Our carseats (evenflo Triumph Advance) say that the kids need to be front-facing when they're within an inch of the top of the seat, or when they hit 35 lbs (if I understand the manual correctly - it was a little confusing). My one daughter is 31.5 lbs now (at 25 months old), so I figure within a year she'll probably hit that 35 lbs. My other daughter is in the 97th percentile for height (36.5" at her 2 year checkup), and looks like she's getting closer and closer to that "within an inch of the top of the seat", so I was expecting to have to turn them around soon.

That being said, for my future car we'll be buying new carseats (we have the three Triumphs in my wife's Honda Odyssey). So chickabiddy, I might look into the carseats that you mentioned that could keep them rear-facing until 45 lbs. I'm guessing my two daughters will hit that sometime between 4 and 5, based on their current growth chart, but my one DD is quite tall (97th %) and the other is not too short (80th %). My son on the other hand is more of a peanut - he'll be rear-facing for a while.

Maedze, your point about the Honda Odyssey is well-taken... I just don't want another one. Very, very practical.... but I don't want to look at two of them in my garage, or drive one if I can help it. I was also looking at the Ford Flex (two latch tethers in the 3rd row, I think), but I'm not crazy about the box-like styling of it.

Thanks for all of your help - this website is an incredible resource.

-Dan