Question What happened to my radian 65??

[apsupermom]

I pulled this out of my dh car today...WTF happened to it? It has been in RF and is only from 8-09...is it still safe? can we use it still? Anyone else ever seen this with a radian before? My 11 month old rides in this seat RF...this is the side...

 

[tiggercat]

Was there any damage to the vehicle door? That looks like something sharp impacted the seat where the line is. The armrest for the door might line up with that area on a RF seat, assuming that side of the seat is outboard.

Alternatively, how tight do you have the RF tether and is it angle off to the side? I don't think it could put that much force on the seat, but severe compression could potentially result in buckling.

 

[apsupermom]

Its in the middle so no door to impact it...I'm totally freaked out! The tether isn't that tight, not tight enough to pull it and actully I think its tethered pretty straight down since it is in the center...

I'm actually wondering now if it came that way and I didn't notice until I had it side by side with the new radian I just got...

 

[Pixels]

Have you ever flown with it?

No, that's definitely not something that I would consider safe to use any more.

psst. It looks like your LATCH strap is set up for forward facing. If you're using the seat rear facing and not using LATCH, you need to properly store the LATCH connectors on the back of the seat.

 

[apsupermom]

Have you ever flown with it?

No, that's definitely not something that I would consider safe to use any more.

psst. It looks like your LATCH strap is set up for forward facing. If you're using the seat rear facing and not using LATCH, you need to properly store the LATCH connectors on the back of the seat.

The latch is just out on the floor from pulling off the cover to check... it isn't in any belt path but hanging by the strap that attaches it to the seat...I was experimenting with putting it in my car...

I'm really upset...I'm now 99.9% sure that this seat was sent to me like this from the store where I bought it...I just didn't know that is was bent. Its the same way on the other side as well...it looks like it was pinched between something. I wouldn't have noticed without a newer one to compare it to.

 

[apsupermom]

I emailed SK to ask about it...I hope they say its still safe...I can't afford to replace it!

 

[Judi's DH]

With equal damage on both sides I'd think passably someone slid seat back on it Pinching between Front seat and back seat causing damage. However you say was and is installed in the middle so it's possible it was received that way? I don't know what to tell you it is always a good idea to inspect your seat when you purchase any seat it's amazing some of the damage Ive seen on new seats because of careless shippers.

 

[Jennifer mom to my 7]

The only other thing I can think of is maybe your dh put something on the seat next to it, and forced the door shut?

 

[TerisBoys]

The only other thing I can think of is maybe your dh put something on the seat next to it, and forced the door shut?

That was my thought until she said both sides were damaged.

 

[apsupermom]

I called and sent SK a picture...I just want to know if it is safe to use. I also emailed the store where I bought it...

I guess its my fault for not going over it when I got it in the mail in September since I'm sure the time has passed where I could return it. It must have been damaged before I got it...I just don't see anyway for it happeneing in the car on both sides. Live and learn...and hoping SK will say its fine to use!

 

[snowbird25ca]

I called and sent SK a picture...I just want to know if it is safe to use. I also emailed the store where I bought it...

I guess its my fault for not going over it when I got it in the mail in September since I'm sure the time has passed where I could return it. It must have been damaged before I got it...I just don't see anyway for it happeneing in the car on both sides. Live and learn...and hoping SK will say its fine to use!

It will be interesting to see what they say.

No offense meant, but if they do say it's ok to use my confidence in them is going to take a pretty big hit. I wouldn't use the seat and I wouldn't recommend to another parent to use it unless it was absolutely necessary. It needs to be replaced - hopefully SK will treat it as a warranty issue. I know lately in terms of Canadian parents they have been prone to pushing the responsibility on the parent if there's any chance they can blame misuse on a seat's problem, so who knows...

But I most definitely would not continue using it that way on a regular basis and indefinitely.

 

[bobandjess99]

That was my thought until she said both sides were damaged.

Honestly, I don't see how a seat getting pushed back into it, or a tether pulling to the side, could have possibly done that, because the metal of the frame i think would have prevented it... I think tiggercat was dead on when she said it looks like something hit it from the side...although with BOTH sides damaged, I'm thinking it had to have been "pinched" somehow..By some sort of machine picking it up and loading it or something?? Or else..ooohh..yes, during shipping, if the box were on it's side, and they placed something (or a lot of somethings) that were very heavy on top of it, I can absolutely ee the fram buckling in exactly those places, because that's the widest point inthe middle...does that makes sense to anyone else?

I would hope they wouldn't say to use it, bbut after i get over the horror of it, I also don't know that it would affect crash performance..the part of teyh seat takign teh strain is the back, which is steel reinfoced, and those shallow plastic sides don't really do a whole lot..even in a side impact, the harness is really whats keep ing the kid restrained....but PLEASE lets hope skjp says not to use it and send her a new seat.

 

[snowbird25ca]

I would hope they wouldn't say to use it, bbut after i get over the horror of it, I also don't know that it would affect crash performance..the part of teyh seat takign teh strain is the back, which is steel reinfoced, and those shallow plastic sides don't really do a whole lot..even in a side impact, the harness is really whats keep ing the kid restrained....but PLEASE lets hope skjp says not to use it and send her a new seat.

The biggest risk to a child in a side impact is the intrustion. That's why a rigid outer shell is going to provide more side impact. The 5pt harness is good at keeping the body retained in the carseat, but that outer shell does have potential to face some significant force in a side impact collision and it would be my evaluation that while the seat may perform normally in a front or rear impact (speculation, but that would be my guess,) it would not perform normally in a side impact. Too much of the strength is out of the shell, I could see potential for it to completely break in the "right" circumstances.

It might not affect performance in 98% of all collisions (random #, I have no way fo knowing,) but I wouldn't be willing to risk it for those 2% where it could make a difference between minor injury and major in jury.

Given how much force it would've taken to create a degree of crush like that on both sides of the seat, I would quite honestly worry about how the entire seat has been handled and if any other part of it is compromised. We tell people all the time to not use damaged seats, ones with parts missing, or with an unknown history. At this point the seat is both significantly damaged and has an unknown history of how that damage happened. I wouldn't consider it safe based on that protocol alone, and I would hope to God that SK has the brains to realize that.

 

[bobandjess99]

I see what you're saying, and yes, I think any speculation is just speculation...I think the risk of it breaking completely (and possibly sending pieces of plastic shards all over, which would make mighty nice stabbing projectiles) would be a serious concern. I think it certainly has been handled improperly, and is damaged so significantly as to not be a "usable" seat any longer.

OP - do you have any other seat to use in the meantime? You mentioned pulling this seat out of dh's car, does hat mean you have one in your car? I'd use that one until you get an answer.

 

[mommycat]

Is this the only seat in the back seat? It was never installed in a 3across?

 

[apsupermom]

Yes it was in dh car so not having it won't hurt us...My boy has only been in it a handful of times...I really like the way the seat fits him si I got one when diapers.com had them a 100 bucks last week for my car...if SK deams it unsafe I will stop using it and put the new one in his car and keep ds in the seat he is in now in my car...the only reason I took it out was to see if how they fit side by side FF in the 3rd row of my car (we are driving to CA in March from CO...trying to see what works best)...otherwise I would have never noticed the dents...

Thanks for all the insights...I really don't expect SK to replace it since it has to have been a shipping thing...or I'm think the seat might have been a return to the store...the tags and everything weren't attached just in the seat...

 

[ketchupqueen]

You bought it within the last year, right? They've been pretty good about repairing/replacing seats within the 1 year warranty period even when they don't have to. Hoping it's the same for you.

 

[apsupermom]

Is this the only seat in the back seat? It was never installed in a 3across?

No it wasn't the only seat...there is also FF como in there as well on the passenger side

 

[Jennifer mom to my 7]

Where does the como come up to on the radian when installed? Does it happen to be at that spot at all? THis will go back to the theory that "maybe" your dh put something in the backseat of his car, and then smushed the door closed.

 

[bobandjess99]

Where does the como come up to on the radian when installed? Does it happen to be at that spot at all? THis will go back to the theory that "maybe" your dh put something in the backseat of his car, and then smushed the door closed.

Yes, this.