WWYD - RF a week past expiration or ff?

minismom

Well-known member
Petite 3yo who normally rear faces needs a seat while vacationing with grandparents. Seat choices are MA that expires dec 31 or ff only seat. The vacation goes into the first week of January.
Wwyd for your own child?
 
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Xandra

New member
I wouldn't stress a 1 week expired seat. It's not going to spontaneously combust 1 week expired in an accident. I would tell others to FF, because I wouldn't want to send the message that expired seats are ok. Because some people will think if one week expired is fine, why isn't 6 months? KWIM?
 

lovemy2kidstw

New member
I would FF. The child is 3 & is perfectly safe in a properly used forward facing seat. I would not use an expired seat, yes I'm sure it would be fine but what if there is an accident. It could turn into a big mess with the insurance company. An expired seat is an expired seat, whether it is expired by 1 day, 1 month, or 1 year. We don't know which amount of time it would still be good for, which is why companies put expiration dates on the seat.
 

babyherder

Well-known member
Its a slippery slope but I think if it was my kid I would just rf for that week. I'm not really worried about going a week passed expiration.
 

smackeen

New member
Will the child still be rear facing in a new seat once home from vacation? Or will they then be going forward facing?
 

lorismurph

Senior Community Member
I'd use the seat RF without a 2nd thought.

That said, Britax is 6 years from the date of manufacture, NOT December of the 6th year so if it actually was made on December 31st, then yes, use it. If it was sometime earlier in the year, no way.
 

Amy7707

Active member
Petite 3yo who normally rear faces needs a seat while vacationing with grandparents. Seat choices are MA that expires dec 31 or ff only seat. The vacation goes into the first week of January.
Wwyd for your own child?

I'd probably FF if the grandparents are comfortable buckling in FF - especially if you aren't going to be there. My mom hates trying to get DS in RF and is constantly asking about FF him, so I would just FF to try it out. DS wouldn't have any issues going back RF in my car, but that is something else to consider too.
 

rachelandtyke

Well-known member
Will the child still be rear facing in a new seat once home from vacation? Or will they then be going forward facing?

I'm guessing with a Radian XT and Britax MT, child would continue to rf when back home.

If the DOM is 12/31/06 on the Marathon, I'd definitely be tempted to rf a week past expiration.
 

Carrie_R

Ambassador - CPS Technician
As a tech, I'd ff. As a non-parent who has been given blanket carseat decision making power for a kid in my care, (ie, the parent has deferred all decision to me on the subject,) I would RF. And if I were a parent, lol.
 

minismom

Well-known member
I'd use the seat RF without a 2nd thought.

That said, Britax is 6 years from the date of manufacture, NOT December of the 6th year so if it actually was made on December 31st, then yes, use it. If it was sometime earlier in the year, no way.

OMG! I was just writing you saying the DOm is June of 2006 but the expiration printed on the shell says December 31 2012 when I realized that I'm thinking of my graco safe seat!! That's my oldest seat ever and that's the one that expires December because graco has the full year expiration thing. Im so glad you pointed it out I wouldn't have even looked!!
This means my britax might not be expiring yet I know it's on it's last few months but it's probably not December 31!
I'm gonna check as soon as I get home!!

I'm still glad I posted this, I think it's an interesting question. Thanks everyone for the responses.
As a tech I wouldn't tell someone else to use an expired seat, even by a day but for my own child I would probably go a week especially if it was one of those seats that expire on Dec 31 with a DOM towards the end of the year. There has to be a pretty big margin there cause seats made in January basically get an extra year. I'm not too worried about insurance issues but then again I also use a swedish seat.

Thank you so much everyone!!
 

Phineasmama

New member
I would not use it just on principle, I wouldn't want anyone else knowing that or seeing me do it, because they would start to think it's okay.
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
How, exactly, would anyone know?

As a tech I'd tell others to respect expiration.

For my own kid I'd consider it an option depending on other factors. Insurance wouldn't likely be an issue.

Since it's not expiring yet though, no worries. :)
 

minismom

Well-known member
I feel like such an idiot!! The DOM is April 2008!!! I have no idea why I thought this seat had its days numbered lol! If i hadnt posted this i would have never checked!!
At least I'm glad this happened because now I can remind my friend who's using my old graco bucket that she has to stop on December 31!!
 

gsdguenter

Well-known member
I feel like such an idiot!! The DOM is April 2008!!! I have no idea why I thought this seat had its days numbered lol! If i hadnt posted this i would have never checked!!
At least I'm glad this happened because now I can remind my friend who's using my old graco bucket that she has to stop on December 31!!

Hahaha, that's hilarious :p

Glad you posted this though, because it is good for people to think about/discuss imo. I'd use it rf, but wouldn't tell others to do so as a general rule. I'm a tech so I have to follow the rules as stated, but I also know the seat will logically not be unsafe for 1 week after expiration.

I think sometimes the general public thinks we are extreme/loopy because of things like this. BUT, it is a slippery slope.
 

Phineasmama

New member
How, exactly, would anyone know?

As a tech I'd tell others to respect expiration.

For my own kid I'd consider it an option depending on other factors. Insurance wouldn't likely be an issue.

Since it's not expiring yet though, no worries. :)

Well I guess when I read the OP I assumed that the seats in question were owned by the grandparents for some reason, like they were going to visit and grandparents are like oh we have car seats you can use! And I've heard tons of stories about grandparents having/using seats way past the expiration date, so in that situation I wouldn't use it even if it's a week past just because it sends the message that it's okay, and if a week turns into a year or two...no big deal right?

If it's the OP's seat and no one knows the expiration date that makes it different. But apparently it's not an issue anymore as you said :)
 

smackeen

New member
Sorry, did not see siggy (existing seats) when I posted first.


Glad the seat still has life left so you do not need to make the choice of going past expiry.
 

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