Someone help me out with this! Please!!

Okay, I came home with a new Radian XT for DS last night, and while my husband loved it, he DID NOT for one second buy the fact that the MA we have is about to expire. He laughed at me condescendingly as I tried explaining to him there are many plausible reasons for discontinuing the use of a child restraint after 6 years.

He kept rolling his eyes, telling me it's "just a ploy from Britax to get you to buy a new seat again."

Will someone please list, so I can show DH, all the viable and concrete reasons why it's imperative that we stop using the MA after 6 years from manufacture? I need you CPS ladies to back me up!!

I think carseat expiration is due to several reasons, not just plastic degrading. Here are my reasons on why I think carseat expiration dates are valid.

1. Plastic does degrade over time. It doesn't magically happen at 5-9 years (expiration date based on the specific seat), but it is a good date guideline, especially if a carseat has been used in a hot car or stored in a hot garage.

2. Manufacturers make safety upgrades to seats all the time. They want to get older seats that might not meet the new safety guidelines out of the market. Seats made 10 years ago, often had a 20-22 pound rear facing limit on them (this was for convertible seats, not just infant seats). Now, those convertible seats rear face to 30-45 pounds, and are much safer. Older seats used 3 point harnesses or shields to protect a child, and now more seats are using safer 5 point harnesses on seats.

3. After a certain period of time, seats loose manuals, stickers wear off, harnesses get frayed. It is hard to get replacement parts for older carseats. Without good working parts or a good manual, carseats may not be used correctly.

4. Manufacturers liability might be limited by using a carseat past it's expiration date. If a seat fails after it is expired, you were the one who took the risks of the plastic degrading or possibly having a seat that fails newer safety regulations. You will have a harder time blaming the manufacturer for a seat defect in an expired seat when they told you not to use it.

I don't have time to find it right now...but there's a youtube video of a 10 year old Marathon crash test. The harness rips out of the seat and the dummy looks like it's about to be decapitated.

I moved this to the chat area for more exposure.

OOH!

Check YouTube!
(sorry, can't do it for you on this computer.)

There is a video of a crash test using a 10 year old Britax convertible.

...the dummy falls out...
*snicker*

You know those plastic outside chairs that everyone seems to have? Ask your dh what happens to them after a few years of use! I'm sure everyone has encountered a broken chair before. Now remind him that the car seat is made of plastic the same as the chair!

Also ask him for CONCRETE proof stating that it's safe to use an expired Britax seat and the findings of such a thing. If he wants to argue the manufacturers guidelines I would think HE should be the one to do the research!