LATCH limits

I have read everywhere that the Honda LATCH limit is 40 pounds. I have an Odyssey and a Pilot and I can't find that in the manual anywhere. There is absolutely nothing that talks about weight limits for the LATCH or top tether. The Odyssey is 2005 and the Pilot is 2006 - maybe the newer vehicles don't have a limit? This is fairly important to me because I have a six year old in a Radian that is 46 pounds. It is installed by LATCH, and although I have not tried all positions, I have not yet been able to get a good seatbelt install.
*BTW, I got this Radian from BPP with free shipping - I noticed someone complaining that their shipping is not really free. Maybe it just depends where you are from. I live 3 hours away from them.

It's not stated in your vehicle owner's manual (probably because vehicle manufacturers aren't yet required to state it in the manuals) but the 2007 edition of the LATCH manual lists Honda as having a 40 lb. child weight limit for using the lower LATCH anchors. Here's a list by manufacturer from the 2007 LATCH manual for reference:
http://www.saferidenews.com/pdfs/pg_126_max_wt_07.pdf

P.S. Even if your vehicles had a higher child weight limit for using LATCH, the Radian specifies a 48 lb. child weight limit for LATCH installations in the instruction manual (at least in my U.S. version of the manual and I'm assuming it's the same in the Canadian manual ), and your 46 lb. child is pretty close to reaching the Radian's upper limit for using the lower LATCH anchors. Fingers crossed a seatbelt installation is workable because that's what you need at this point in your vehicles.

Okay, I've been trying not to register here (I really don't need another messageboard to be obsessed with), but thought I should answer this one. My Radian actually says 65 pound latch limit. I was surprised. I wouldn't expect my 6yo to be 48 pounds for a year anyway - she just had a major growth spurt and had been between 42 and 44 pounds for a couple years. Does that list apply to the Canadian versions as well? The whole thing just doesn't make any sense to me. I will be so angry if I can't get a seatbelt install - the whole reason I bought this was to harness her longer because she outgrew her Marathon. It will fit my youngest daughter, but that's not entirely why I bought it.

So far the only manual I remember for sure stating LATCH limits was a 2005 ford freestyle (think that's the name of the minivan, I'm totally forgetting the name at the moment. )

Have you tried looking through the successful radian install thread & reading the article in the news and safety articles forum for tips on installing the seat with the seat belt? There's a few tricks needed in some vehicles, but usually it can be done with a little practice. At 46lbs your ds is definitely over the weight limit Honda allows and his seat needs to be installed with the seatbelt instead.

The list that is from the link posted by the PP was compiled by one of the leaders for CPS info in the US and was done by contacting all the vehicle manufacturers. If you find the right person to talk to at Honda, you should be able to get the same info from them.

Jeanum - Nope, due to CDN UAS/LATCH regulations both the MA and the Radian state 65lb LATCH limits on the seats that have a 65lb limit, and 48lbs on the older seats with the 48lb limits. Of course you still have to follow the vehicle manufacturers instructions/limits, but in those who defer to the child restraint, we can use both seats to 65lbs with LATCH.

snowbird25ca said:

Have you tried looking through the successful radian install thread & reading the article in the news and safety articles forum for tips on installing the seat with the seat belt? There's a few tricks needed in some vehicles, but usually it can be done with a little practice. At 46lbs your ds is definitely over the weight limit Honda allows and his seat needs to be installed with the seatbelt instead.

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Where would I find these articles? There is no chance putting the Radian in the middle of my Pilot for sure - I tried twice for over an hour and it wasn't even close to acceptable. I tried every trick in the book (and may have even invented a few ). I think I tried outboard, but if I did it wasn't for very long because we have LATCH there. It's very frustrating because I've never found a carseat I couldn't install eventually. I will try again.

You are right that it is not in Honda's manuals.

Dealerships also typically do not know about the limit and neither do many people at Honda Corporate (it isn't easy to get ahold of them and once you do, it is hard to find anyone who knows anything about LATCH).

I jumped through many hoops before I *finally* found someone at Honda who knew anything about LATCH limits. Even then, though, I got a sketchy answer.

This infuriates me because *most* people do not have access to SafeRideNews or a LATCH manual. How are they to know about the limits?

I am grateful to the techs here who told me about the Honda LATCH limits when I first joined this board almost two years ago. Otherwise, I probably never would have known. It had never been mentioned to me at checks, so it never even occurred to me that the limit would be anything but 48 pounds.

Patriot20171 said:

You are right that it is not in Honda's manuals.

Dealerships also typically do not know about the limit and neither do many people at Honda Corporate (it isn't easy to get ahold of them and once you do, it is hard to find anyone who knows anything about LATCH).

I jumped through many hoops before I *finally* found someone at Honda who knew anything about LATCH limits. Even then, though, I got a sketchy answer.

This infuriates me because *most* people do not have access to SafeRideNews or a LATCH manual. How are they to know about the limits?

I am grateful to the techs here who told me about the Honda LATCH limits when I first joined this board almost two years ago. Otherwise, I probably never would have known. It had never been mentioned to me at checks, so it never even occurred to me that the limit would be anything but 48 pounds.

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Although what's also rather annoying is that all vehicles have the same minimum weight that the anchors have to hold, so Honda is factoring in the possibility of a 30lb child restraint when they give the limit of 40lbs - very much playing it safe.. But unfortunately, even though their anchors could hold a 48lb child in a seat that weighed 22lbs or less - which I think most carseats weigh in under 22lbs since even the Radian only weighs 22lbs and it's made of steel, LOL, you still have to follow the vehicle manufacturer's limits.

So they're kind of being contrary from most of the other manufacturers and inserting some extra covering their butt by allowing a lower weight limit. And parents have to follow that lower weight limit... Although realistically, if a parent kept using LATCH to 48lbs if the carseat manual specified to discontinue at 48lbs, the lower anchors wouldn't be at risk of failing unless the child restraint itself was exceptionally heavy. Too bad Honda didn't just allow 48lbs like most others or was clear in their vehicle manual to stop use at 40lbs, but in actual practice, if a parent wasn't aware of Honda's limits - since they're not in the owners manual, the average parent won't be aware of them, provided they quit using them at the car seat manuals 48lb limit, their kids wouldn't be at increased risk due to the omission in the manual. :twocents:

****Note I'm not saying to disregard the weight limit. I'm simply saying that while they certainly should have something in their manual stating this, that parents who don't know any different aren't endangering their kids lives if they keep using the lower anchors to the full 48lbs allowed in a car seat manual.

Okay. I made it work in my Pilot :thumbsup: - 2nd row passenger side. Had to use the recline and recline the vehicle seat while I installed it and then push it back up. It is rock solid. Now the trouble is getting my Roundabout installed in the middle. The Marathon will install in the middle, but that would not leave enough room to fit the seats together. It looks doable, but it's going to take more time than I have today. I should probably make sure the baby still fits in it before I try any harder - she did have an inch of shell left but she just had a growth spurt.

snowbird25ca said:

Jeanum - Nope, due to CDN UAS/LATCH regulations both the MA and the Radian state 65lb LATCH limits on the seats that have a 65lb limit, and 48lbs on the older seats with the 48lb limits. Of course you still have to follow the vehicle manufacturers instructions/limits, but in those who defer to the child restraint, we can use both seats to 65lbs with LATCH.

Click to expand...

Ah, good to know the Canadian manual differs about the Radian's LATCH limits. Of course now a bunch of U.S. Radian owners with vehicles who defer to the child restraint instructions for LATCH limits will be tempted to follow the Canadian Radian instructions.

I'm glad to hear the OP succeeded with a Radian seatbelt install, whew. I agree it's infuriating the info. about LATCH weight limits isn't required to be clearly stated in the vehicle owner's manuals and in the vehicles themselves, like labeling on the vehicle seats. It sure would save parents/caregivers, vehicle shoppers/consumers, and techs a lot of grief, and make carseat purchase and vehicle purchase decisions more straight forward. :twocents:

If you still want a look at it for reference, the successful Radian install thread is at: http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=18235