I contacted Subaru about RFing seats touching the seat in front...opinions?

todzwife

New member
Not a very helpful response.

Our recommendations for installing a rearward facing child restraint are found starting on page 1-33 in the 2008 Tribeca owner's manual. It states: Adjust the seatback to the upright position. The seatback in reference is one of the front seats. We do not have a specific recommendation whether or not the child seat can touch the front seat.

Here are some other resources that may have information on this:

http://www.actsinc.org/childpassengersafety.cfm

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/CPS/CSSRating/Index.cfm

http://www.nhtsa.gov/cps/cpsfitting/

http://www.safekids.org/members/unitedStates.html

http://www.carseat.org/


So would you be ok w/ a RFing Radian touching the front seat since it doesn't specifically state not to???
 
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Athena

Well-known member
Interesting. Does the 2008 Tribeca also have an air bag system that detects a passenger in the passenger seat, like the 2007 Forester? Although a fire station tech actually braced our rf seat on our front passenger seat when installing, when I read our car's manual it talked about not putting too much weight in the pocket on the rear of the seat and not letting kids kick the rear of it (good luck with that, right?:rolleyes:), so I interpreted that as not being allowed to have the rf seat touch it. It would be good for us if it could touch because that might be an extra inch of legroom for my husband who really doesn't fit without the seat all the way back so every inch helps!
 

todzwife

New member
Interesting. Does the 2008 Tribeca also have an air bag system that detects a passenger in the passenger seat, like the 2007 Forester? Although a fire station tech actually braced our rf seat on our front passenger seat when installing, when I read our car's manual it talked about not putting too much weight in the pocket on the rear of the seat and not letting kids kick the rear of it (good luck with that, right?:rolleyes:), so I interpreted that as not being allowed to have the rf seat touch it. It would be good for us if it could touch because that might be an extra inch of legroom for my husband who really doesn't fit without the seat all the way back so every inch helps!

Yup it sure does! I did read the car manual trying to find ANY information on this, and didn't see anything which is why I contacted Subaru. I really have no idea what to think, which is why I'm hoping for opinions here. I'm hoping it IS ok, because then a RFing seat isn't such a PITA!
 

Pixels

New member
Read the manual, especially in the airbag section. Look for warnings about stowing cargo under the front seat, hanging things on the back of the seat, cargo touching the seat, etc etc. Those are all indicators that the car has advanced airbags that use a sensor to determine the weight of the front seat occupant.

ETA: sorry, I left the window open for a while.
 

LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician
Oh, so you DO have a warning about not putting a lot of weight in the pocket and kids kicking the seat? In that case I'd err on the side of caution and not do it.
 

TechnoGranola

Forum Ambassador
Does your front passenger seat have a side air bag with sensor? That is why my front seat can't have anything pressing on the back of it because it can make the sensor thing someone is leaning out of position and turn OFF the side air bag, or alternatively it could make it think someone is sitting properly and turn it ON when they are actually sleeping against the door. Something touching my headrest would NOT interfere with the side air bag sensor.

So, for me, it would depend on WHY the warning was in your manual (only for side air bag? or for frontal air bag as well?), whether the child restraint was going to be lightly touching or PRESSING into the front seat, and where the child restraint would be touching the seat (actually touching the back where the sensor was or would it be touching the headrest?).
 

jess71903

Ambassador
I was going to mention the headrest thing. My Explorer has warnings about weight in the seat itself and pressure on teh back of the seat, but the headrest is independent of that. Since that's all the TF touches, I'm okay with letting it touch.
 

todzwife

New member
Does your front passenger seat have a side air bag with sensor? That is why my front seat can't have anything pressing on the back of it because it can make the sensor thing someone is leaning out of position and turn OFF the side air bag, or alternatively it could make it think someone is sitting properly and turn it ON when they are actually sleeping against the door. Something touching my headrest would NOT interfere with the side air bag sensor.

So, for me, it would depend on WHY the warning was in your manual (only for side air bag? or for frontal air bag as well?), whether the child restraint was going to be lightly touching or PRESSING into the front seat, and where the child restraint would be touching the seat (actually touching the back where the sensor was or would it be touching the headrest?).


It does have side air bags, but I don't know if they have a sensor. I'm so short that I've never messed w/ the headrests, my head doesn't go over them at all. I'm guessing the Radian would touch the headrest, and not the seat since it's so tall. I'll have to try it tomorrow when DD's XTSL gets here.

I was hoping Subaru would give me a clear cut yes or no.:rolleyes:
 

TechnoGranola

Forum Ambassador
It does have side air bags, but I don't know if they have a sensor.
The manual will tell you whether or not there is a sensor for the side air bags. Also, the section where you read not to kick the seat back, etc. should say *why*. My section tells me specifically that it could interfere with the sensors for the SIDE air bags since those sensors are located IN the seat back.
 

todzwife

New member
I just re-read the WHOLE airbag section and didn't see anything about not pushing on the front seat...

make sure you still wear your seatbelt, the airbag is "supplemental"...don't sit too close to the airbag, airbags deploy with considerable speed, occupants out of position could be seriously injured, driver should sit as far back as possible, passenger should remain upright...don't place objects over the SRS airbag, don't put children in the front seat, never put a rearfacing seat in the front passenger seat, never allow a child to stand or kneel on the front seat, never hold a child on your lap or in your arms...

bah! Subaru you are giving me a migraine!
 

TechnoGranola

Forum Ambassador
I just re-read the WHOLE airbag section and didn't see anything about not pushing on the front seat...

make sure you still wear your seatbelt, the airbag is "supplemental"...don't sit too close to the airbag, airbags deploy with considerable speed, occupants out of position could be seriously injured, driver should sit as far back as possible, passenger should remain upright...don't place objects over the SRS airbag, don't put children in the front seat, never put a rearfacing seat in the front passenger seat, never allow a child to stand or kneel on the front seat, never hold a child on your lap or in your arms...

bah! Subaru you are giving me a migraine!
You're confusing me. :) Post #11 implies that your vehicle has a warning like the poster you quoted and agreed with (no weight in the pocket, not kicking seat).

Let's clarify, DOES your manual have ANY such wording about keeping extra weight, feet, hanging items, touching items off your front seats? and does your vehicle manual state there are sensors in the front passenger seat back for the side air bag? If you answer NO to both of those, then I wouldn't worry about a Radian touching.

If you answer yes to either one, and it's just touching the headrest and not pressing on the seat back, I'd be fine with that personally (although others may not be). But, it will have to be your parental decision as to what you feel comfortable with.

If you answered yes to either one, and it touches the seat back at all, I would NOT install the seat in that location.
 
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todzwife

New member
You're confusing me. :) Post #11 implies that your vehicle has a warning like the poster you quoted and agreed with (no weight in the pocket, not kicking seat).

Let's clarify, DOES your manual have ANY such wording about keeping extra weight, feet, hanging items, touching items off your front seats? and does your vehicle manual state there are sensors in the front passenger seat back for the side air bag? If you answer NO to both of those, then I wouldn't worry about a Radian touching.

If you answer yes to either one, and it's just touching the headrest and not pressing on the seat back, I'd be fine with that personally (although others may not be). But, it will have to be your parental decision as to what you feel comfortable with.

If you answered yest to either one, and it touches the seat back at all, I would NOT install the seat in that location.

LOL sorry, I thought I remembered reading something about not pressing on the back of the seat, but after re-reading the entire airbag section I couldn't find anything.
 

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