DW just gave me a heart attack!

hedgefun

New member
I'm out of town for work and DW took my car in for an oil change yesterday. She started asking me a weird question about my lower anchors today and then said something like "Yeah the guy at the dealership tightened your child seat anchors or something." I said wait who did what to my LATCH anchors?! I asked her to read the paperwork from the service and apparently it was my seatbelt recall they took care of (car is a subaru.) Ok so no heart attack that some random-scrandom dude was making random-scrandom adjustments to my lower anchors. But last time my car was in for service they allegedly took care of the seatbelt recall! So either it's been done twice now or was never done the first time.
 
ADS

Persimmon

Active member
Did they need to do the puddle light recall? Maybe someone was supposed to do the puddle light recall and did the seatbelt instead!

Are you seat belt stalks really, really short now? Mine are ridiculous post recall. They barely peek out from the seat bite.
 

hedgefun

New member
Did they need to do the puddle light recall? Maybe someone was supposed to do the puddle light recall and did the seatbelt instead!

Are you seat belt stalks really, really short now? Mine are ridiculous post recall. They barely peek out from the seat bite.

Apparently I don't have puddle lights.

I'm not sure about the buckle stalks. I won't see the car until I get back this weekend. She was trying to tell me something about the buckle stalks too, but I wasn't understanding what she was trying to explain. I'm definitely going to check when I get back.
 

Persimmon

Active member
Yeah, I don't have puddle lights either. I would have freaked if DH took my car in and told me someone was futzing with my LATCH. He knows nothing about cars and car seats. My short buckle stalks make it much easier to get a tight install in the center now. I used to have to twist the belt stalk three times to get a BLVD70 there. Now there is no need to twist at all.

Speaking of LATCH, did you catch that Subaru increased the LATCH limit to 65#'s (child plus car seat) if using LATCH and top tether?
 

Persimmon

Active member
I think this was always Subaru's LATCH limit.

What cars have the seatbelt recall?

Oh, I thought it used to be 60# for the LATCH with top tether.

http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=197693

Some of the Foresters had a center seat belt recall...

Vehicle Make / Model: Model Year(s):
SUBARU / FORESTER 2009-2012

Manufacturer: SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC. Mfr's Report Date: MAR 12, 2012
NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 12V099000 N/A
NHTSA Action Number: N/A

Component: SEAT BELTS:REAR
Potential Number of Units Affected: 275,000
Summary:
SUBARU IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009-2012 FORESTER VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM NOVEMBER 26, 2007, THROUGH MARCH 13, 2012. THE AUTOMATIC LOCKING RETRACTOR in the SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES LOCATED IN THE REAR CENTER SEATING OF THE AFFECTED VEHICLES DO NOT MEET LOCKABILITY REQUIREMENTS AND FAIL TO COMPLY WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 208, “OCCUPANT CRASH PROTECTION.” SPECIFICALLY, THE ASSEMBLIES MAY NOT PERMIT PROPER INSTALLATION AND SECURE ATTACHMENT OF A CHILD RESTRAINT IN THAT SEATING POSITION.
Consequence:
AN INSECURE INSTALLATION OF A CHILD RESTRAINT CAN INCREASE THE RISK OF INJURY TO A CHILD DURING A CRASH.
Remedy:
SUBARU WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE REAR CENTER SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY WITH A NEWLY MODIFIED AUTOMATIC LOCKING RETRACTOR, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR BEFORE APRIL 13, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SUBARU AT 1-800-782-2783.
Notes:
SUBARU'S RECALL CAMPAIGN NUMBER IS WQA-37. CUSTOMERS MAY CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153); OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV.
__________________
 

hedgefun

New member
That's good to hear about getting a better install in the center. Pre-recall I had limited success with that spot, which was fine because I don't use it often. I'll have to play with it when I get home and see if I can get any new seats in that I couldn't before.
 

gigi

New member
Ahhh, you are right! Sorry! Either way, those limits are fairly useless with these 20lb + seats I have :).
 

Persimmon

Active member
Tell me about it. I do mostly center install so no LATCH there. My current seat is 36 # with anti rebound bar so I can only have 12# of kid in it if OB. And you aren't supposed to use the seat until kid has good head control so Subaru plus Foonf RF does not equal LATCH--hence my siggie as a reminder. I wonder if anyone has ever noticed.
 

Harmony96

New member
That reminds me... I really need to take my car in to get its recall taken care of (an issue with the master window switches).
 

Persimmon

Active member
I am assuming that plastic bracket thing around the belt stalk was there before, yes? I have the base model and mine does not have that. The length of the belt stalk looks like mine. Mine are too short now really since I don't have that plastic bracket thing. How do you like it?
 

hedgefun

New member
I am assuming that plastic bracket thing around the belt stalk was there before, yes? I have the base model and mine does not have that. The length of the belt stalk looks like mine. Mine are too short now really since I don't have that plastic bracket thing. How do you like it?

The plastic bracket was not around the stalk before, unless it was recessed in the seat (which I'm thinking was the case.). The fact that it was not there or visible before is what is making me think something is not right.
 

Persimmon

Active member
The plastic bracket was not around the stalk before, unless it was recessed in the seat (which I'm thinking was the case.). The fact that it was not there or visible before is what is making me think something is not right.

Hmmm. Well I don't know then. I guess they could have changed the way they do the seat belt recall and that was why they redid it??? I would check with Subaru (not the dealership) and then you know for sure. I would love to know what they say.
 

Athena

Well-known member
I don't have the car here, but don't remember it looking like that post recall. I'd be interested to hear what you find out. BTW, does anyone know if the belt is now permanently attached from the ceiling or if you can undo it and retract it back into the ceiling like before. Our car seat was already installed before I thought to check and now I can't really get to it well enough to see.

Oh, I thought it used to be 60# for the LATCH with top tether.

It was until a month or so ago when the new latch manual came out. They've increased it to 65 pounds for child plus car seat weight.

My current seat is 36 # with anti rebound bar so I can only have 12# of kid in it if OB.

What is OB? You have a 48 pound limit that includes the seat weight? I'm confused. ... Oh, is that the limit if you don't use top tether? I always tether, so I didn't even pay attention to that, but now it sounds familiar. Is my guess right? :) I guess I figure if my large 4.5 yo can now use latch in the Frontier, it's hardly useless. On the other hand, not for long, so I'd really like to see them strengthen it and make it universal so it's not so confusing. Why design this whole system, not to make it more useful! :soapbox:
 

Athena

Well-known member
One last thought. I know you didn't know ahead of time, but I took my car seats out of the car before they did the seat belt recall. They could not have done it without removing them and I did not want them handling my seats. Just a thought for anyone who hasn't done it yet. Anytime I know they will be in the way for a repair, I take them out. So far, I think that's only been relevant for recalls.
 

Persimmon

Active member
BTW, does anyone know if the belt is now permanently attached from the ceiling or if you can undo it and retract it back into the ceiling like before.
What is OB? You have a 48 pound limit that includes the seat weight? I'm confused. ... Oh, is that the limit if you don't use top tether? I Why design this whole system, not to make it more useful! :soapbox:

Yep, you can still retract it to the ceiling. Sorry, OB is outboard so not in the center seat position. For LATCH only, the limit is 48# to include child plus car seat. I know, it is a wacky system. It seems so random.
 

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