2016 Subaru Outback manual information: ANCHORS, car seat Seat placement.

[pslockett]

Due to some ambiguity I'm hoping this information will help experts advise me accordingly.

Question 3A.) Can I place the car seat in the center rear seat when using the seatbelt?

Question 4A.) a certified car seat technician put our Chico key fit 30 in the rear center using LATCH, is this correct?

Questions/Notes regarding future car seat convertible installation:
Middle seat position - most of the times LATCH isn't available to put car seat in so must use seatbelt. Can't typically borrow from outboard (window seats) LATCH connections. *Exception: I believe there is an acceptable maximum of 11" distance between each seats LATCH anchors. So...according to Subaru manual can only can use outboard IF car seat manufacturer specifically states/allows car seat installation pulling from both the L and R outboard latch anchors (likely also should say acceptable beyond 11' maximum (seems extremely unlikely to find/rare)

Q5A.) Is this rare to encounter on car seat accommodations?
Q6A.) I can just use the seatbelt instead, right?

Weight limits: different for Lower anchors and top tether anchors.
Q7A.) RF lower anchor max: 65 lbs?
Q7B.) Solution? - just install RF using seatbelt instead of lower anchors, right?


Apologies for so many questions- hard to keep it all organized in my head to think it though at this point.

Thanks,

Patrick

------------------



2016 Subaru Outback manual information: ANCHORS, car seat Seat placement.

Your vehicle is equipped with 4 lower anchorages (bars) and 3 upper anchorages (tether anchorages) for accommodating such child restraint systems.

LOWER ANCHORS (Bars)
The lower anchorages (bars) are used for installing a child restraint system only on the rear seat window-side seating positions. For each window-side seating position, two lower anchorages are provided. Each lower anchorage is located behind the cover of seatback bottom.

TOP TETHER ANCHORS
Your vehicle is equipped with three top tether anchorages so that a child restraint system having a top tether can be installed in the rear seat. When installing a child restraint system using top tether, proceed as follows, while observing the instructions by the child restraint system manufacturer.

Three tether anchorages, i.e., ones for the right, center and left positions, are already installed on the back side of the rear seatback.



Manual states:
A: Front passenger ’s seat You should not install a child restraint system (including a booster seat) due to the hazard to children posed by the passenger’s airbag.

B: Rear seat, window-side seating positions Recommended positions for all types of child restraint systems. In these positions, Automatic Locking Retractor/Emergency Locking Retractor (ALR/ELR) seatbelts and lower anchorages (bars) are provided for installing a child restraint system. Some types of child restraints might not be able to be secured firmly due to projection of the seat cushion. In this seating position, you should use only a child restraint system that has a bottom base that fits snugly against the contours of the seat cushion and can be securely retained using the seatbelt.

C: Rear seat, center seating position The ALR/ELR seatbelt and an upper anchorage (tether anchorage, if equipped) are provided in this position. Some types of child restraints might not be able to be secured firmly due to projection of the seat cushion. In this seating position, you should use only a child restraint system that has a bottom base that fits snugly against the contours of the seat cushion and can be securely retained using the seatbelt. When you install a child restraint system in the rear seat ’s center seating position, raise the center head restraint. Lower anchorages (bars) for window-side seating positions may be used for a seat in the center seating position if a child restraint system manufacturer’s instruc- tions permit and specify using anchors as far apart as those in this vehicle.
If a child restraint system is not correctly fixed in place (for example, if a child restraint system can be moved more than 1 inch (2.5 cm) from side to side), you should install the child restraint system in a rear seat, window-side seating position.

Warning: "... Do not use lower anchorages (bars) for a seat in the center seating position unless a child restraint system manufacturer’s instructions permit and specify using anchors spaced as far apart as those in this vehicle.

"Tether anchorages (upper an-
chorages) are provided for all the seating positions (center and both window-side"


Due to some ambiguity I'm hoping this information will help experts advise me accordingly - thank you.

 

[rachelandtyke]

3a) Yes, you can use the seatbelt in the center position. You may or may not get a good install there due to the design of the seat. But you can try it rear or forward facing.

4a) Probably not, while Subaru allows borrowing of anchors, Chicco does not allow non-standard spacing. So you'd have to measure to see if it is allowable.

5a) I don't think I have ever had a seat that allowed use of non-standard LATCH spacing. I do have a vehicle that is designed so you can use either outboard OR center LATCH (but not both at the same time).

6a) Yes, you can always use the seatbelt. LATCH was designed to make car seat installation easier, but it is not inherently safer.

7a) 65lbs max rfing or ffing for weight of child + car seat

7b) Yes, you can just use seatbelt. Or figure out what weight your child will need to be when you will need to switch it and keep that in mind.

 

[Nedra]

Rachelandtyke, with regard to 4a, Subaru *does* allow borrowing on the 2016 Outback. This is a change from previous models.

Of course, not all seats can be installed with the non-standard spacing, but if it is allowed by the car seat manufacturer (Britax seats, for example, allow a wide range of anchor spacing) then it is fine.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[rachelandtyke]

Rachelandtyke, with regard to 4a, Subaru *does* allow borrowing on the 2016 Outback. This is a change from previous models.

Of course, not all seats can be installed with the non-standard spacing, but if it is allowed by the car seat manufacturer (Britax seats, for example, allow a wide range of anchor spacing) then it is fine.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sorry, more was added to the original post while I was typing my reply (which included that portion).

 

[oakster]

I think Subaru is still sorting this one out, too. Our 2015 Impreza manual allows borrowing the outboard anchors for a center LATCH install, but the 2016 manual is back to disallowing it. FWIW, on the Impreza, the anchors overlap the seatbelts so while you could use them to install a seat approved for this (our Britax seats do allow it), you could not use either outboard seatbelt with the seat installed that way. So we've never actually used it since we have two kids (and even when we had one, needed a second seating position often enough that it would have been a pain to reinstall every time). The Outback might not have this issue, though.

We have installed seats (with seat belts) in the center of older Outbacks a number of times, even though the manual has always recommended against it because the seat contour can make it hard to get a good install. I haven't had an issue with our seats, although YMMV based on your particular seats.