Question Frontier curtaining

I don't want to start a big ol' debate or anything. I also tried searching and didn't see a post addressed about this so I thought I would ask.


I remember reading a post about people having the curtaining on the back of their Frontiers. From older models to newer models.

Now some people are saying it is not a problem. But I am really curious. I was told it wasn't cracks in the seat but the way the mold was created. The thing is it is still spaces in the plastic. Some people can fit a dime in it.

Really, how is that safe? Considering cracks in the plastic are not safe. Yet the curtaining spaces are fine? I don't get it. To me it would still create a weak point in the plastic.

I am not a tech but this has been bugging me for a while. Yet another reason I haven't jumped all over the Frontier I found for $150. About 1.5 years old or something. From a VERY reliable source.

inform me....thanks.

Hmm... I would say in the same way a joint is not a physical weakness, but a broken bone is. There are space in joints.
The curtaining cracks aren't there because the plastic has been stressed or jeopardized. It is still just as strong, it's just got ridges. It wasn't formed from damage. The plastic shell itself is still intact. Similar to how you could put 500 strings together and while you might be able to poke your finger through the lot of them, you would not be able to tear them all apart. They're separated by their design but the structure is still strong. Whereas if you take a single bolt of cloth and make rips all though it, you've created your own little "strings" but you have damaged the whole thing. You've take whole (the shell) and made it into parts (the cracks), versus taking parts (melted plastic) and making it into a whole (the shell).

ok I see what you are saying. It still bothers me and confuses me because it just seems like it would be weak to me. It doesn't make sense? Maybe I don't make sense. lol

I am still 'some' people.

Here's a link to the thread about it.

http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=96898&highlight=curtaining

When I first saw the pics I thought no way was it safe. Once I understood how it happens and saw my own had it, I was much more comfortable with it.

ETA: I just noticed the OP in that thread deleted the images. I hope it is still helpful to you.

I saw that thread originally that is what got me thinking. I am guilty of not reading all four pages and thought it might be good to get some answers seperately. sorry if this is a redundant post.

Anyone have some pics of what "curtaining" is as it relates to a Frontier? The link posted above takes me to an awesome thread ... with pics that have since been removed.

Whether a crack causes a seat to be unsafe depends on a lot of things. It depends where it is; is it in an area that would be under load in a crash or a spot where it would not matter. Even if it is in a critical area, is the crack structural? Is it deep enough or large enough to cause the material to be significantly weaker?

I have no idea how to answer that for specific cases on the backs of Frontiers that have been posted here in photos. It's hard to tell from a photo and even in person you'd probably need someone with some expertise in plastics to give a good opinion unless the crack is so deep that it is obviously causing some sort of separation.

I do know that surface crazing is present on many materials as they cool or dry. It happens in concrete, mud, plastic. Many times it's just a surface defect with no real impact on the strength of the material. Other times, it may be of concern. Ultimately, if you feel uncomfortable with it beyond your exchange period, you should definitely contact the manufacturer, retailer, regulatory agency, etc. I did post some pictures of my Frontiers on another thread. They don't appear to be affected, so I can't really comment on others who have Frontiers that differed.