Marathon Recall 10/19/07

crunchierthanthou

New member
http://marathonrecall.com/

Under certain circumstances, if a child exceeds 50 pounds and the vehicle manufacturer allows use of the top tether above 50 pounds, upon vehicle impact, the top tether hook may open and have the potential to release from the tether anchor. In the event of a crash, the child may move forward further than allowed under Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213. To date, no injuries have been reported or linked to this issue.
 
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Dillipop

Well-known member
Arent't those dates close to the dates of the BLVD tether recall? Nice to see they are replacing the tether clip on these instead of just saying not to use it like with the BLVD. They must have learned something from that one.
 

chickenman

New member
ugh another recall, i feel like i have fixed so many seats this year the regents the decatholons and now the mars, does this have to do anything with the rip stitch tether ?
 

crunchierthanthou

New member
ugh another recall, i feel like i have fixed so many seats this year the regents the decatholons and now the mars, does this have to do anything with the rip stitch tether ?

No, it is only related to the actual hook. I believe the energy absorbing tether is a newer change than those dates.
 

chickenman

New member
true, i didnt look at the dates of the car seats yet when i posted that, but i do have questions, when i went through class they talked about how important it is and we should always use it no matter what pretty much, where in this recall it sounds like britax is saying they wont be held resposible for the consumer using the tether past a vechile manufactors guidelines. but i am having trouble understanding how they think it might fail if the top tether wouldnt work, then the car seat might move more then federal regulations, doesnt the car seat have to pass the test without the top tether? so why is it a problem if the loop opens up or whatever and the top tether doesnt work?
 

wondering1

New member
The Marathon can use either a LATCH install *or* a seatbelt install. In either case, the top tether is to be used. The recall notice seems to be written with LATCH in mind. When the lower tether anchors are used, the top tether must be used, but manufacturer's usually have limits on the limit of using LATCH anchors. Since most manufacturer's have a 48-lb limit to LATCH, Britax may be making a point that this testing only found a problem over 50-lbs.
 
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Jeanum

Admin - CPS Technician Emeritus
Staff member
Also keep in mind very few 50 lb. kiddos will still fit heightwise in the MA. :) It makes the recall nearly moot but at least Britax is replacing the tether hooks this time around, unlike how they handled the Blvd. recall.
 
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chickenman

New member
The Marathon can use both LATCH and seatbelt install. In both cases, the top tether is to be used. The recall notice seems to be written for LATCH use. When the lower tether anchors are used, the top tether must be used, but manufacturer's usually have limits on the limit of using LATCH anchors. Since most manufacturer's have a 48-lb limit to LATCH, Britax may be making a point that this testing only found a problem over 50-lbs.

When did britax revise there manuals to say that you can use both latch and the seatbelt? do you mean lower anchors and the seatbelt, or just seatbelt and top tether? I am reading the official notice that was given to our store , and it says nothing about using lower anchors, to my knowledge i thought at 48 lbs we were to discontinue use of the lower anchors and install using the seatbelt and top tether? which if the child is 50 lbs then the seat should be installed with the seatbelt and top tether, where by that i don't see how the child's head would have a chance to move too far forward with only using the seatbelt to install it, because to my knowledge it would have to pass the regulations without the use of the top tether. In my f150 it states that i can use the top tether to 60 lbs, and has no lower anchors.

"Under certain circumstances, if a child exceeds 50 pounds and the vehicle manufacturer allows use of the top tether above 50 pounds, upon vehicle impact, the top tether hook may open and have the potential to release from the tether anchor. "
 

Jeanum

Admin - CPS Technician Emeritus
Staff member
I think the previous poster meant to say the MA can use lower LATCH anchors *or* the seatbelt to install, and either method can be used with the top tether anchor, no worries. Britax has not changed to allow lower LATCH anchors and the seatbelt to be used simultaneously. This would have been trumpeted from the rooftops and the topic of nearly every thread here had there been any such change, lol.
 

azgirl71

CPST Instructor
I got my recall kit in the mail on Saturday. I never even called or anything, so I am impressed. I am not changing as of now though, I will keep it in a safe place though. I think Tucker's MA will expire before she weighs 50 lbs.
 

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