Carseat compatibility with 2008 Scion tc?

jdchic3

New member
My cousin just found out she's pregnant. She JUST bought this car about two months ago. Anyone ever tried to install a seat in one? Anyone know what the LATCH manual says?
 
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Jeanum

Admin - CPS Technician Emeritus
Staff member
It's good you're helping your cousin out with the carseat planning. It has been a relative breeze to install seats RF and FF in our Scion xB, which has a fairly flat and surprisingly roomy back seat, but I think the tC's back seat is likely different and definitely tighter in terms of space. I can't find a good picture of the tC's rear seat to see how it compares visually to the xB.

Also worth noting, there's a warning in the xB's owner's manual against allowing a carseat to touch the front seatbacks because of the advanced airbag sensors. The warning against touching is in the airbag section of our manual, and I wouldn't be surprised if there is a similar warning in the tC's manual. If she plans to use an infant seat, a model where the handle is allowed to be up in the carrying position in the car would probably be a better bet than one that requires the handle to be down in the car. An Evenflo infant seat that requires the handle to be down in the car and to have 1.5" of space between the handle and front seat also wouldn't be the best option in a tC.

The LATCH manual entry for the '05 - '07 tC indicates there are two outboard sets of lower LATCH anchors, with no borrowing allowed for center LATCH installations. There are 3 top tether anchors on the cargo area floor when the time comes to install a FF seat way down the road. The LATCH manual also says to remove the vehicle headrest and anchor bracket covers first, then connect the FF seat's tether strap and reinstall the headrest. I think the '08 tC is essentially the same as previous model years with only a few changes like the engine size/HP rating and/or a few cosmetic changes.
 

Jeanum

Admin - CPS Technician Emeritus
Staff member
Aha, I found an interior photo gallery for the tC showing the back seat at http://www.scion.com/#tCPhotoGallery_interior Those outboard seats look scooped out and the center has a pronounced hump, with buckle stalks ahead of the vehicle seat bight (crease). I think a trip to BRU to test out display model seats is going to be in your/her future to determine compatible options. :twocents:
 

jdchic3

New member
You could always start by testing out your infant seat(if you still have it) and one of your MA's.

Susan

That's a really good idea! Didn't even think about that! She already told me that I can help her with all her car seat stuff! :D

I'm thinking when she sees how horrible seats are going to be in there, she's going to wish that she had either waited or bought a different car.
 

lovinwaves

New member
Yep, my sister has one.

Marathons, Radians, and Roundabouts work well in there. :)

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jdchic3

New member
Ohmygosh! Thanks so much Mel! So it doesn't, at least the year your sis has, have a warning about the carseat not touching the front seat seatback?
 

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