How to Avoid Common Car Seat Installation Mistakes

CR highlights errors and offers ways to fix them

Most drivers who transport children think their car or booster seat is installed correctly. But nearly half of the installations are flawed in some way, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. When the seat isn’t properly secured, it can come loose in a collision and potentially even in regular driving, risking injuries or worse. All the more reason to find a certified child passenger safety technician or car seat check station in your area to make sure yours is correct (NHTSA|Safe Kids).

Consumer Reports routinely tests child seats in three areas: crash protection, ease of use, and ease of installation in various vehicles.

To help drivers properly secure their children, we’ve identified some common mistakes, including those noted in the study.

Review the images and guidance below to find out whether you may be inadvertently making mistakes, and learn how to correct them.

The examples on the left show what not to do, while the images to the right demonstrate the proper technique.

Photos: Consumer Reports Photos: Consumer Reports

Don’t allow more than 1 inch of movement either forward and back and side to side when force is applied at the belt path.

Do: Regardless of whether you’re using LATCH anchors or the vehicle’s seat belt, the installation should have less than 1 inch of movement forward and back and side to side when pulled at the belt path. If you’re installing it with the vehicle seat belt, be sure to consult your owner’s manual to learn how to properly lock the seat belt.

Photos: Consumer Reports Photos: Consumer Reports

Don’t set the recline angle for rear-facing car seats incorrectly.

Do: Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for setting the recline on your rear-facing seat. A seat that’s too upright can cause an infant’s head to fall forward and obstruct his or her breathing. Reclining too far can reduce the seat’s ability to protect the child in a crash.

Photos: Consumer Reports Photos: Consumer Reports

Don’t use a forward-facing belt path for a rear-facing orientation or a rear-facing belt path for a forward-facing orientation.

Do: Consult your car seat manual and the seat’s labels to make sure you’re using the correct belt path. Confusing the paths could mean the seat isn’t secure or may not work as it should during a crash.

Photos: Consumer Reports Photos: Consumer Reports

Don’t forget to use a top tether for forward-facing installation.

Do: For a forward-facing installation, always attach the top tether whether the seat is installed using the lower anchors or a seat belt. The top tether significantly reduces a seat’s forward motion, which can reduce injury to a child, especially a head injury. Research on car seat misuse by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute also suggests that to some degree, a top tether use may help mitigate the effects of other misuses, such as loose harnessing or loose installation. Top tethers not only enhance safety but are also easy to use.

The photos below show what not to do (left) and what you should be doing (right) when securing your child in a car seat.

Photos: Consumer Reports Photos: Consumer Reports

Don’t leave a loose harness that allows too much movement.

Do: Make the harness snug enough so that you can’t pinch any webbing between your fingers at your child’s shoulders. A loose harness can cause your child to move outside the protection of the child seat during a crash.

Photos: Consumer Reports Photos: Consumer Reports

Don’t position the harness at the wrong height for a rear-facing installation.

Do: For rear-facing seats, the harness should be positioned at or slightly below the shoulders. Correct harness positioning optimizes the seat’s ability to protect in a crash.

Photos: Consumer Reports Photos: Consumer Reports

Don’t position the harness at the wrong height for a forward-facing installation.

Do: For forward-facing seats, the harness should be adjusted to fit at or slightly above the shoulders. Correct harness positioning optimizes the seat’s ability to protect in a crash.

Photos: Consumer Reports Photos: Consumer Reports

Don’t position the chest clip too high or too low.

Do: Position the chest clip at armpit level. It’s intended to keep the harness in the proper position in the event of a crash.

Photos: Consumer Reports Photos: Consumer Reports

Don’t use nonapproved covers and cushions.

Do: Use only covers and cushions that have been approved by the car seat manufacturer for use with that seat. These items have been crash-tested with your seat to meet compliance standards. As a rule, don’t place additional padding between the seat and your child or between your child and the harness straps.

The NHTSA study also found that the most common misuse of booster installations was placing the lap belt high on the belly or rib cage rather than low across the hips and upper thighs. If you have a booster seat, check our car seat buying guide for more information on how to properly secure your child in it and how to decide whether your child is ready for a vehicle’s seat belt alone.

Emily A. Thomas, PhD

Emily A. Thomas is the auto safety manager at the Consumer Reports Auto Test Center, leading the child car seat and rear-seat safety programs. She joined CR in 2015 after earning her doctorate in pediatric injury biomechanics from Drexel University and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, focusing on the biomechanical differences between kids and adults in far-side low-speed crashes. Involved in automotive safety since 2008, Emily has been a certified child passenger safety technician (CPST) since 2015.