Interesting Convo with Mazda Re Mazda 5

jewlsvern · Apr 24, 2009

So I called Mazda Customer assistance since DH works for Mazda to get clarification on the wording in the Mazda 5 manual.

It says to slide the 2nd row seat as far back as possible. I asked if that was just a recommendation or was it mandatory, especially if trying to get another restraint behind it. She came back and told me that they like the seat to be as far back as possible because they don't know if the seat will move in an accident

, but to take my car to a tech (fire dept) and have them help me get the safest position possible.

So basically they like it to be there, but a tech can tell you differently, I think was what she said.

My question though, is if it is not safe for a child restraint to be in any position but all the way back, why are they there for adults to use in other positions?

TechnoGranola · Apr 24, 2009

Perhaps this is the same as when they give you instructions for installing a FF child restraint in the front seat? They always say have the seat back as far as possible. Basically, you want anything in front of a FF child to be far away from their head for when their little body flies forward. You don't want them to have anything to impact.

This would be the same for the 2nd row, you'd want it as far back as possible to keep the child from hitting the seats in front. So, for FF child restraints, I'd think I'd want the seat as far back as it could go, but for RF, I don't think there is the same worry (and a person may choose to have the seat forward if they have a seat that can be braced on the seats in front).

Pixels · Apr 24, 2009

jewlsvern said:
So I called Mazda Customer assistance since DH works for Mazda to get clarification on the wording in the Mazda 5 manual.

It says to slide the 2nd row seat as far back as possible. I asked if that was just a recommendation or was it mandatory, especially if trying to get another restraint behind it. She came back and told me that they like the seat to be as far back as possible because they don't know if the seat will move in an accident, but to take my car to a tech (fire dept) and have them help me get the safest position possible.

So basically they like it to be there, but a tech can tell you differently, I think was what she said.

My question though, is if it is not safe for a child restraint to be in any position but all the way back, why are they there for adults to use in other positions?

They don't know if the seat will move in an accident?

That's really scary. Especially considering that adults can sit there in any position. An adult would put even more force on the mechanisms that hold it in place.

Any decent tech would never overrule what a vehicle manufacturer says.

I wonder if you would get the same story if you called back and talked to a different person?

TechnoGranola said:
Perhaps this is the same as when they give you instructions for installing a FF child restraint in the front seat? They always say have the seat back as far as possible. Basically, you want anything in front of a FF child to be far away from their head for when their little body flies forward. You don't want them to have anything to impact.

This would be the same for the 2nd row, you'd want it as far back as possible to keep the child from hitting the seats in front. So, for FF child restraints, I'd think I'd want the seat as far back as it could go, but for RF, I don't think there is the same worry (and a person may choose to have the seat forward if they have a seat that can be braced on the seats in front).

I had the same thoughts. Defrost pointed out (in the Technical Professionals forum) a few problems with that argument. With the second row seat all the way forward and the front row seat all the way back, it's still 28-30 inches (depending on seat back recline), which is more room than many vehicles have. And every inch that you move the second row back is one less inch for the third row.

jewlsvern · Apr 24, 2009

I talked to DH about this tonight and he said that is was highly unlikely that someone in the customer service department would know the answer without contacting Japan where they make the car.

He is going to see what he can do on Monday. I showed him with the seat what they were saying was and was not safe and he thought it was ridiculous.

He said most owners manuals are done by a 3rd party company and sometimes weird things like this get put in there with nothing to back it up.

southpawboston · Apr 24, 2009

the response you got from that CS rep was BS. of course they know exactly how much the vehicle seat will move in an accident. she simply didn't know the answer and someone just made something up for her that sounded reasonable. the only explanation that i can think of is that the farther you are away from the front seat, the better? because if they don't state to have it all the way back, some people would push it as far forward as they can (to maximize ease of entry and exit to the third row), which may put the child restraint too close to the front seat. it's easier to state the seat has to be all the way back than it is to state "some other position other than all the way forward). this is of course just my speculation. but i don't buy for a second that "they don't know".

crunchierthanthou · Apr 24, 2009

jewlsvern said:
She came back and told me that they like the seat to be as far back as possible because they don't know if the seat will move in an accident

Perhaps she meant they don't know if the carseat will move in an accident. Maybe it's one of those situations where seat isn't used clearly (vehicle vs child restraint). Or maybe the vehicle seatback? Watch any crash test video. They move farther than I would have ever expected.

Although it's probably BS like others said. CS reps aren't exactly known for their technical insight.

jewlsvern · Apr 25, 2009

crunchierthanthou said:
Perhaps she meant they don't know if the carseat will move in an accident. Maybe it's one of those situations where seat isn't used clearly (vehicle vs child restraint). Or maybe the vehicle seatback? Watch any crash test video. They move farther than I would have ever expected.

Although it's probably BS like others said. CS reps aren't exactly known for their technical insight.

I asked her that specifically whether she meant the car seat or the child restraint and she told me the car seat. That it may come unlocked in another position.
I too think it is BS which is why DH is going to do some checking on Monday.

Pixels · Apr 26, 2009

Another thought: If the vehicle seat was all the way back, and the child restraint was installed using the seatbelt, the seatbelt would help hold the vehicle seat back. But if the child restraint was installed using LATCH, the seatbelt wouldn't be there to help, it's only the vehicle seat doing the restraining. I would think that a child+carseat at or near the vehicle's LATCH limit would put more strain on those locking mechanisms than any other scenario.

And why is it okay to put an adult in that second row with the seat in any position, but not a child restraint?

Interesting Convo with Mazda Re Mazda 5

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