Booster Seat Dilemna

Hello, I am a visitor to this forum.

Seven months ago, I purchased a new 2007 Kia Sedona. I have 2 children of my own (twins), and care for 3 children in the daytime, so I require safe child restraints for seating 5 children in the 2nd and 3rd rows of my minivan.

Recently my daughters weighed in at 40 pounds and I shifted them to booster seats. It has been a nightmare trying to find booster seats that will fit 3 across the back row. I have gone through 4 models now - an Evenflow no-back booster, a no-back Turbo Booster, slim-line high back booster (I can't remember the model) and most recently I am using two CLEK boosters on the outside seats with a turbo booster in the middle.

My problem is that the seat-belt buckles have no strap on them, they are tucked tightly into the crease of the seat, and there is no flexibility to position them between the booster seats. Even if I had only one or two booster seats, the booster seat would be positioned on top of the buckle. This is 1) hard to do up even for an adult, and the kids have no chance to learn to do it themselves, and worse, 2) the weight of the booster seat has on two occasions undid the seatbelt WHILE WE WERE DRIVING.

I'm terrified now to trust any booster seat or seatbelt. I can't take the children in the car when this is happening. So now we are grounded.

I've tried every possible combination of seats (which all say don't place them on top of the belt, in the manuals) and I've contacted Kia, who have told me they don't deal with car seat issues since they are not a car seat manufacturer. I was sold the minivan by a slick salesman who made it out to be the dream car for someone who needed to seat 5 kids. Now it is a nightmare.

Any suggestions for either solving the problem myself, or suggestions for who I could talk to to escalate the issue or get expert advice? (I'm in Canada.)

Kate - frazzled mother.

I'm thinking that harnessed seats would be much better in your situation. I haven't had a chance to look at the Kia Sedona yet, but if the buckle stalks are fixed and narrow, then the only seat I can think of off the top of my head would be the Sunshine Kids Radian.

The Radian goes up to 65lbs and has the tallest top slots on the Canadian market right now. It takes most kids up to age 6 or 7 years old.

The right harnessed seat would allow you to not worry about the seatbelt coming undone and the kids can buckle/unbuckle their harnesses by themselves.

If you want to post the age/weight/height of all 5 children and the seats they are currently using, maybe we can come up with a better configuration for getting all of them in safely. It is often much easier to have three harnessed seats in the 3rd row and have the boostered children in the 2nd row. Just double checked my LATCH manual and I see that you only have one tether anchor in the third row, it's worded a little strange though... can you confirm how many tether anchors you have in the third row? They are located on the back of the vehicle seat at the bottom.

Whereabouts in Canada are you? Perhaps we have a tech near to you or we can point you in the direction of a good tech. I am in Calgary if that helps.

Hi, Aidonsmom,
I replied with the answers to your questions in a new threat (Kia Booster Seat Dilemna. I am still hoping that the knowledgeable people in this forum may have some suggestions about my seatbelts unlatching, and if there are any booster seats that are safe in my Kia Sedona.

We have realized that the seatbelts were letting go back when we had a car-seat in the rear centre space as well.

We are having the vehicle examined by an inspector from the Child seat division, vehicle defects branch, of Transport Canada. But this will not result in me being able to transport my children. For now we are grounded, and we don't know if we will have to sell the car. Any suggestions you have would be appreciated.