Cars affected by SuperLATCH loosening - Video included.

[lanwenyi]

Joining the club too.

2011 VW Jetta Sportwagen RFing passenger outboard

I checked the seat when picking DD up from daycare today. The strap was visibly loose and had abt 1.5-2" of movement. I tightened it back down to "rock-the-car" solid and strapped DD in. Abt 30 sec later, it had 0.5" movement. By the time we got home, it had over 1". I hate to think that's she's been unsafe for the last few weeks (before this last install, we'd always done the seatbelt install). I'm planning to file this evening and call skjp tomorrow (may be diff b/c their hrs and mine are close to incompatible).

I'm going to check the install in our Saturn Ion tonight or tomorrow, but I suspect it's fine. In that car, the adjuster is up in the belt path.

ETA: Filed w/ NHTSA. Is it odd that there was only one choice for the model #? On my seat it says US19500. The only choice on the form was 10600. I also had to choose a "day" for the manufacture. The seat only says 10/09, but without a day, the form kept kicking it out as an "invalid date of manufacture". I finally just assigned it 10/1/2009.

Another question: Should I install my other radian in this car too and see if it still happens? That one was manufactured in 8/10.

 

[NannyMom]

I just did a search on NHTSA and there are 58 complaints about the Radian Most are about the Superlatch, but some are about the chest clip breaking and the harness lossening. How many does it take for NHTSA to investigate?

I'm pretty sure it was happening in my 2008 Sienna, but thought I was nuts.

 

[NicoleCPST]

Can you link to that search?

 

[NannyMom]

Can you link to that search?

I tried, but it doesn't work.

Go here http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/complaints/results.cfm
Where it says "select type of search", select "child restraint"
On the drop down menu select "Radian"
On the drop down menu select "10600" (the only option)
Do not select anything from the drop down menu. Check the box to see details.

 

[amelia222]

2006 Nissan X-trail FF outboard

didn't have time to try RF or centre

 

[Stelvis]

Joining the club too.

Another question: Should I install my other radian in this car too and see if it still happens? That one was manufactured in 8/10.

I would if you can. That would count as a separate incident in my mind since it's a different seat.

 

[BrendansMommy]

05 Mazda Tribute. RF'ing outboard, center, outboard.
Contacted SKJP and was told I wasn't installing my seat tight enough (it's completely rock the car solid) was told that it has nothing to do with the ANGLE of the adjuster or the straps (where they hit in the beltpath) but that my seat just wasn't tight enough.
I have 2 Radian XTSL that both loosen.

FWIW, I have had had a Radian XTSL installed outboard in an 05 Mazda Tribute for over a year, without a problem.

I'm not saying it didn't happen to you, but that it may not be an inherent problem between this vehicle and the Radian. Maybe one or the other of us has a fluke?

 

[lezlig80]

2006 Honda Odyssey

65SL and XTSL both RFing in second row captain's chairs. One is driver's side, the other is in the middle position.

I have an older 65 with standard latch and have never had an issue with it.

I am reporting tonight. I had stopped using them because I kept having to tighten them and the recline issue anyway. A lot of money for seats I can't use.:thumbsdown:

 

[Stelvis]

Based on the NHTSA report, it seems like there are a fair amount of Odysseys on there....

 

[HeatherB]

Having major issues in 2007 Odyssey, leather seats, captains chair, drivers side. I also canNOT get even a remotely decent install rfing with the seat belts. I'm open to more suggestions but I don't see any way to physically make it work.

I finally filed a complaint with NHTSA, as I was able to spot and snap a picture of the info sticker on the seat. I'm supposed to be getting a new SL strap from SKJP but I don't expect it to do any good.

 

[mkmama]

Filed my complaint....

Its coming loose in my 2004 Impala and my 2000 Ford Windstar, all rear seating positions. As far as I can tell, its a combination of kids hitting it and just coming loose, as it came loose when there had been NO kids in the car at all in one instance.

 

[sunnydayz]

Radian XTSL latch loosening. 2006 Toyota Sienna. 2nd Row Captains Chair. Forward Facing Only (did not have this issue rear-facing).

Rock solid latch install. Unacceptable movement in less than 30 days. You could literally see the slack in the beltpath of the latch connectors. The tightening strap is on the opposite side of the direction that my child climbs into the seat.

 

[Karen]

Just a bump so people can add cars to the list.

 

[Lyndsy]

2008 Toyota Highlander installed outboard FF and RF. It's not loosening much on it's on...just slightly. But loosens with the tiniest amount of pressure on the lever.

I've filed a report and contacted SKJP. I'm waiting on a replacement strap, but I'll be nervous to use it even if it feels tight to start with.

 

[mygirlkae]

I had the problem in a 2006 chevy equinox with the XTSL Rearfacing center. I contacted SKJP and they quickly sent me a new Superlatch. I haven't had any problems with the replacement strap loosening. In my car the latch connector hit the seat at a weird angle preventing it from locking correctly. I could use my pinky to loosen the strap. I did report the issue to the link provided earlier as well.

 

[EmilyAnn86]

2003 Ford Windstar

Passenger side, back bench seat, RF
Passenger side, middle row captain's chair, RF

 

[canadiangie]

2003 Ford Windstar

Passenger side, back bench seat, RF
Passenger side, middle row captain's chair, RF

http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=171101


Are you sure yours isn't a true incompatibility? I've met at least one vehicle where the latch anchors stuck out too far from the vehicle seat bite/crack making it impossible to achieve a tight latch install. If the anchors stick out too far it forces the connectors further towards the inside of the belt path, and also positions the latch adjuster (tilt lock in your case) at the wrong angle, which means it can't hold tight. It sucks for sure, but it's not an indicator of a defective product.

 

[aisraeltax]

Mercedes R Class 2007
does not come loose on its own, but definitely easily loosened by a 2 year old.
rear facing in captains chair behind drivers seat.

 

[Carrie_R]

2006 Honda Pilot, passenger outboard.

Seat was installed Thursday morning, and I checked and verified that the seat was absolutely 100% tight, the tilt-lock was not at the edge of the belt path, and it took a good amount of force to loosen the tilt-lock. Two kids used it, 34lbs & 36lbs. Went to remove the seat today, and had the following looseness:



Not a lot, for sure, but definitely loosened. And enough for me to feel like a dolt, since I knew about the potential problem and went ahead and used LATCH anyways.

Tightened it back up and this is how it looked tightened:



Upon further inspection, I realized that although the tiltlock doesn't fall at the edge of the belt path, it *does* fall at the bottom edge of the seat. (I'm wondering if the rash of reports is because the component has to fall exactly within the small region between the belt path and bottom of seat?) It is tight -- very tight -- I get red marks on my finger trying to loosen it. Yet somehow it still worked loose. My lower anchors are pretty buried, fwiw. (You can tell by how much of the LATCH connectors are in the seat bight in the pictures.)

 

[Stelvis]

2006 Honda Pilot, passenger outboard.

Upon further inspection, I realized that although the tiltlock doesn't fall at the edge of the belt path, it *does* fall at the bottom edge of the seat. (I'm wondering if the rash of reports is because the component has to fall exactly within the small region between the belt path and bottom of seat?) )

Yeah, I think that's a very good possibility, based on the other videos/pictures I've seen (and I'm not a tech, but I am obsessed with this issue).