Nearly had a heart attack today! MA came unlatched!

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hunypooh77

New member

• Aug 19, 2008

• #1

Has this happened to anyone else??

I get to walmart today and go to get dd out of her MA and my ds (7 year old) is yelling mommy mommy look and is holding up the latch connector that was facing him!!!! It came undone!!!
On the way to Walmart I almost got in an accident too, I was on the garden state parkway and the 4 cars ahead of me jammed on their brakes so of course I had to but the guy behind me was a bit delayed and had to swerve onto the shoulder to avoid hitting me. I cant even imagine what could have happened to my dd!! I have no idea how long it had been undone for.

What would you do? Should I call Britax and bug out?

 

Last edited: Aug 19, 2008

LuvMyCharlie

New member

• Aug 19, 2008

• #2

Oh man. That scares me just thinking about it. (Note to self, check MA LATCH ASAP!!!) I would totally call Britax if I were you. Let us know how it goes!

 

BeckC

Well-known member

• Aug 19, 2008

• #3

How scary! I'm glad everyone is ok! Do you have a spare seat to use in the mean time incase your MA is defective?

And oh yea definately call Britax!!!

 

solmama

Active member

• Aug 19, 2008

• #4

Is it possible that your 7 yo unhooked the LATCH connector?

 

bobandjess99

Senior Community Member

• Aug 19, 2008

• #5

solmama said:

Is it possible that your 7 yo unhooked the LATCH connector?

Click to expand...

ya, that, or else someone else undid it? If the connector isn't *broken*, I dont see hwo it could have unlatched itself??

 

natysr

New member

• Aug 19, 2008

• #6

I have never heard of this happening before either. I also wonder if it accidentally got unhooked. I think that is a much higher probability than it coming unlatched on its own.

If the OP is concerned about it, she could re-install the seat using the seatbelt instead of LATCH. No need for a spare seat.

This is however a prime example as to why it is a good idea to check your seat for movement (no more than 1") at the beltpath each and every time you are about to put your kid into it. It takes practically no time at all. The correct way is to grasp the seat with your non-dominant hand at the belt path and try to move it back and forth. This is incredibly easy to do right before putting your child in the seat. So, if something like this did happen, then you could call the manufacturer confidently saying "I check the seat before I put her in, and when I got to my destination, it was unhooked." Then you know exactly what you are dealing with, rather than terrifying speculation if you had not check the seat in a month..or two..or six.

 

Defrost

Moderator - CPSTI Emeritus

• Aug 20, 2008

• #7

What kind of car do you have? Are the lower anchors buried really deep in the bight?

My mom's car is like that, as is our Golf, and it can be really tricky getting those alligator-style LATCH hooks in place - they "click" like crazy even when I'm not hitting the anchor, and the bight holds them so tight it can feel like it's hooked.

Also, dig around in there - is it possible it was hooked to something other than the LATCH anchor?

 

vonfirmath

New member

• Aug 20, 2008

• #8

natysr said:

I have never heard of this happening before either. I also wonder if it accidentally got unhooked. I think that is a much higher probability than it coming unlatched on its own.

If the OP is concerned about it, she could re-install the seat using the seatbelt instead of LATCH. No need for a spare seat.

This is however a prime example as to why it is a good idea to check your seat for movement (no more than 1") at the beltpath each and every time you are about to put your kid into it. It takes practically no time at all. The correct way is to grasp the seat with your non-dominant hand at the belt path and try to move it back and forth. This is incredibly easy to do right before putting your child in the seat. So, if something like this did happen, then you could call the manufacturer confidently saying "I check the seat before I put her in, and when I got to my destination, it was unhooked." Then you know exactly what you are dealing with, rather than terrifying speculation if you had not check the seat in a month..or two..or six.

Click to expand...

I just noticed in my Britax Marathon manual it says to check every time you put the child in the seat.

 

marchofemily

Member

• Aug 20, 2008

• #9

Yikes! That'd be scary!

Were you able to check out the LATCH connector and install?

 

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hunypooh77

New member

• Aug 20, 2008

• #10

My 7 year old would never have undone it. I have an 03 explorer and the latch connectors are a pain to get to. I have to loosen the straps on the connectors enough so that the seat is not in the way to latch them.

The weird thing is that the MA is so squished into the seat cushion, plus it is touching the back of the front seat (its RF) that when I tried to move it, when we found it was undone, it didnt really move much! So even if I did check every time to make sure it was tight I wouldnt be able to tell unless I looked!


The only thing I can think of that "might" have undone it...last Fri I had to fit 3 across (which did NOT fit) so it was the MA RF on the rear passenger side, my sons turbo booster in the center and my friends alpha omega or whatever it is FF behind the driver seat. I could BARELY get my sons seatbelt on and undone, darn narrow seats!!

These pics are of my original install in 4/08 It has not been removed from the vehicle since....

This is the side that came undone, hard to see though with the strap in the way

other side

 

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hunypooh77

New member

• Aug 20, 2008

• #11

Oh and the mirror is completely strapped to the metal posts on the headrest, it isnt going anywhere! I have pulled on it and tried to move it. And if it wasnt there dd would NOT ride rear facing, she enjoys seeing herself and talking to herself..LOL

 

The Bjorns

New member

• Aug 20, 2008

• #12

If I had to guess, my bet would be something on the Turbobooster pressed on the release button and in squeezing all 3 seats in, it got wiggled free. Still, that would be extremely difficult to do.

Amen that nothing happened. Have you talked to Britax yet? What did they say?

 

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hunypooh77

New member

• Aug 22, 2008

• #13

No I have not called yet...was thinking maybe the same thing...that the booster squished it somehow. IDK...should I still call anyway?

 

3acorns4Christy

New member

• Aug 22, 2008

• #14

oh that would freak me out!
My MIL accidently uncliped our RF MA while riding next to it, she went to unclip her seat belt and got the latch connector instead. She didn't tell me until we got to the destination, which was a good 20 min away. I was pissed, and MIL will never ride next to my seats again. I would have been fine if she told me sooner.

 

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hunypooh77

New member

• Aug 23, 2008

• #15

I called Britax and they told me to take a picture of the latch connector and email it to them...whats that supposed to do? I thought their response was kinda disappointing.:thumbsdown:

 

Defrost

Moderator - CPSTI Emeritus

• Aug 23, 2008

• #16

Considering all the possible things that could have happened, I'm not sure what else you expected? They can look for damage if you send them a pic, but otherwise, there are just too many possible ways it could have come undone that don't include a faulty anchor, yk? Does it seem to be working correctly now that you've re-installed it?