Question Help please-identifying seats and manufacture dates

blueindigo · Oct 10, 2011

Help please-identifying seats and manufacture dates.-- Update Post 9 more pics

Hi, I am trying to help a new neighbor find out if her car seats are expired or recalled. I noticed they are over head shields (I think?), so got to chatting to her about car seats and asked her how old they are. She wasn't sure when I mentioned that they do expire. I offered to help her find out. So with her permission I am posting the pictures. Any ideas where the manufacture date would be? Or any information about how to find out if they are recalled would be greatly appreciated. Thanks View attachment 12529 View attachment 12531

wendytthomas · Oct 10, 2011

It's a Dorel overhead shield. On the back/bottom there should be a date stamped on it saying, "Do not use after December 20XX." Otherwise there would be stickers on the side with a date of manufacture.

Wendy

Stelvis · Oct 11, 2011

Also it should have a model number you can look up on Dorel's website to see if there's a recall (if it's not expired).

blueindigo · Oct 11, 2011

Thanks ladies. I did a quick glance for stickers on the car seats yesterday, or molded dates. I didn't have a lot of luck, the seats where fairly sticker less (at least at first glance). I am hoping to do a more thorough search today without our toddlers around to distract us

.... Neighbor also had a turbo booster manufactured in 05 (could not find a don't us by molded date), is it 6 years before expiring for graco?

luckyclov · Oct 11, 2011

The TB should be expiring in December. IIRC, all Gracos expire in December of their 6th year.

wendytthomas · Oct 11, 2011

Right, the Turbo is the end of the sixth year.

christineka · Oct 11, 2011

If you can't find anything else, look for some molded dials. The arrow should point the the year made. With the seats missing their labels, the seats at a seat check would be assumed expired and would need to be replaced. I'd guess from the looks of those seats that they are most likely expired anyway.

As for the turbo, I called graco cs and they told me 6 years from the dom. There is no expiration date stamped on turboboosters. (Or at least not on the older ones.)

Judi · Oct 11, 2011

Make sure the turbo has its screws.

blueindigo · Oct 12, 2011

I think I found some wheel dates (??) on the car seats. Is that what they are? If so, how do I read them?.......I plan on finding a local tech for her to if she is willing to go (hopefully).
View attachment 12551 View attachment 12553

christineka · Oct 12, 2011

The first one was made in December of 2001 and the second in March of 1999. (I think) The arrow points to the month and the digits on the sides of the line are the last two digits of the year. I'd say those seats are very expired.

blueindigo · Oct 12, 2011

christineka said:
The first one was made in December of 2001 and the second in March of 1999. (I think) The arrow points to the month and the digits on the sides of the line are the last two digits of the year. I'd say those seats are very expired.

Thanks... I am still hoping to find the model # to find out exactly what seat it is and if it has any recalls too. I think expired and recalls will hopefully be more likely not to be used...... I am going to go hunt for local techs now too.

ETA: Plus I am am curious at this point what the seat is exactly IYKWIM

emtb79 · Oct 12, 2011

I think I had one like the one on the right its looks to be a Alpha Omega 3-in-1 with an overhead shield.

blueindigo · Oct 12, 2011

On the harnesses of the car seats, I just found dates on the tags. For the black car seat March 02, for the tan car seat February 02. Is that just when the harnesses where made? The shell can be made at a different time correct? Also does Cosco (which they both are) have a rule of x number of years = the seat is expired?

ETA: Just noticed the Black one has Alpha Omega stitched in the seat cover.

blueindigo · Oct 12, 2011

emtb79 said:
I think I had one like the one on the right its looks to be a Alpha Omega 3-in-1 with an overhead shield.

Thanks! I just noticed that too

blueindigo · Oct 12, 2011

I have another question for phrasing what information I found to the mom/owner of the car seats this afternoon.

How does this sound?
Black car seat was probably manufactured in March '99 and called a Cosco Alpha Omega 3-in-1 with overhead shield. Then I would show here where I found the date wheel on the car seat..... This seat is expired. It expired (?) years ago (I don't know when).

Tan car seat was probably manufactured in December '01 and is a Cosco Eddie Bauer (something). Show here the date wheel on this car seat.... This seat is expired. It expired (?) years ago (I don't know when).

Graco turbo booster was manufactured in 2005. It expires in December of this year. The girl that uses it is in third grade. I will mention the screws to her too (are they visible on the armrests?)

I will give the mother the phone number/website of local seat checks that may be able to help with replacement seats (we are a lower income neighborhood).
-----
Am I missing anything? Anything I should not say? ..... Thanks for all your help everyone, I am rushing to try and get this figured out before my DS wakes from his nap. I am not a tech and my knowledge is limited since I just recently started to try and learn more after some of my own car seat mistakes- so I really appreciate the help

Brianna · Oct 12, 2011

I would tell her the manufacture dates and that they expire 6 years after manufacture. You can also tell her you saw a crash test video of a 10 year old seat and that it's possible for the harness to be ripped out of the shell. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvCRz7BRAM0"]Car seat expiration - YouTube[/ame]

I would just be very nice about it, and approach it as something you just learned as well. If you know the ages/ general stats of her children we could give you names of seats to recommend to her if she can't get replacement seats given to her soon.

You can also refer her here

cardashseat.org redirects here so you can just tell her to visit "car dash seat dot org"

wendytthomas · Oct 12, 2011

But Dorel is December, not the DOM anniversary, and some were eight years. It does not do well to provide the wrong info. I suspect these were six year seats, but it would have been December 2005 and 2007.

Wendy

cpsaddict · Oct 12, 2011

The Eddie Bauer is the Touriva OHS and yes, 2001 sounds about right for that pattern.

blueindigo · Oct 13, 2011

I talked to my neighbor yesterday and told her a shorter version of what I stated above. I also gave her a piece of paper with what I think are the manufacture dates, car-seat.org website, and a local website/phone number to take her seats in for a check and hopefully free replacements. She seemed to take the information OK. I made sure to mention that I am still learning about car seats, I have made mistakes, I am not a tech (but here is a number to get a hold of one), etc.

I will follow up with her in a week to see if she was able to get a hold of tech through the number I gave her. Thanks everyone for your help

!

Question Help please-identifying seats and manufacture dates

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