Graco S4M buckle update (talked to graco and nhtsa)

Just a quick update.

My S4M continued to have buckle problems that would come and go and generally made no rational sense.

Anyway, I decided to call Graco because it wasn't like I had anything to lose.

Well, they offered to replace it with a new s4m (color to be picked by them). The rep I talked to didn't even ask a whole lot of questions. Just what is your seat info and what is your mailing info.

Next day, nhtsa contacts me and askes me lots of questions. They want my seat for testing. They call graco. Graco says they have no record of my first call (huh?) but no problem they will replace it and when I receive my replacement I can mail nhtsa mine. Cool by me.

Fast-forward one week.

I get TWO S4Ms on the same day. (they were both Aires and had the same DOM)

Anyway, old S4M is on its way to nhtsa. Called graco, they are sending return label for second S4M.

I was undecided on what I was going to do with the replacement s4m until I found out just how little room DS2 has in the xtsl FFing. I don't have a lot of options for our 3-across so I opened it.

Now, the new S4M has a buckle that works like a dream, well, compared to my previous one. It is scary how much easier it is to use than the previous one. Works just like the maestro I have. Go figure and sincerely hope its not a "it gets bad over time" problem.

So in conclusion: great CS from Graco and nhtsa is really nice and seems to be following the problem.

I tried really hard to make that a short story.

Pic of too many S4Ms (this is the second time I have received too many seats in the mail )

So is the buckle still like where you have to press down kind of hard to get it to click in? Like normal annoyingness vs something is wrong and it's getting stuck?

What were are the pictures of the new buckle?

Phineasmama said:

So is the buckle still like where you have to press down kind of hard to get it to click in? Like normal annoyingness vs something is wrong and it's getting stuck?

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Yep, its still not a great buckle but its not getting stuck or being super stiff.

Jessica61624 said:

What were are the pictures of the new buckle?

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Its not a newly designed buckle. It looks just like the first one. Its just a new buckle: a never been used one. Was that what you were talking about or did I totally not get it?

Phineasmama said:

So is the buckle still like where you have to press down kind of hard to get it to click in? Like normal annoyingness vs something is wrong and it's getting stuck?

Click to expand...

I find on my seat if I aim the buckle prongs towards the child's feet they go in very smoothly. To unbuckle, I tilt the buckle up towards child's chin almost perpendicular to stomach then press upward at the top of the red button. I also tilt the chest clip and focus on the top edge. It's very smooth to buckle and and unbuckle this way.

Good luck!

arly1983 said:

Yep, its still not a great buckle but its not getting stuck or being super stiff.

Its not a newly designed buckle. It looks just like the first one. Its just a new buckle: a never been used one. Was that what you were talking about or did I totally not get it?

Click to expand...

Oh. I thought it was a new design.

Jessica61624 said:

Oh. I thought it was a new design.

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I really wish it would have been, too. But I will settle for one that works every time (so far).