These actions are taken directly from the preceding video. If you have any questions regarding any of the steps, please watch the video. For more information, consult the owner’s manual of your car.
- Install the child’s car seat on the seat of the automobile. Keep the tether strap out from beneath the car seat.
- To accommodate the child’s seat angle, adjust the seat back angle. There shouldn’t be any space between the rear of the child’s seat and the seat back of the car.
- Your child’s vehicle seat should be used to pass the seat belt via the belt passage. Put the seatbelt’s buckle on the vehicle. Don’t twist the belt, please.
- To place the shoulder belt into lock mode, fully extend it and then allow it to retract. If this is done correctly, you might hear a clicking sound. The car seat is secured in place in this mode since the belt cannot be stretched.
- Allow the belt to further retract by pushing the kid seat into the seat. To make sure the shoulder belt is securely fastened, pull on it. Up until it is locked and secured, repeat step four as necessary.
- Check that the child’s car seat can only move one inch in either direction by wriggling it. Also check this from front to back. Repeat step five as necessary if it travels more than this.
- To the hook on the back of the car seat, fasten the child’s seat tether strap. While V-shaped tethers can attach to either side of the head restraint, straight tethers can travel through the head rest.
In This Article...
Can you install a carseat in the Toyota Sienna’s middle seat?
- Third-row access: Moving the seats in the second row can be difficult. When a little force is applied, they collapse, creating a large space to the third row; however, this won’t operate when a car seat is attached. Large passageways between the chairs and a short step-in provide for simple access and exit.
- Third row booster: The head restraint flops down but stays in place. As a result, it somewhat moved the booster off of the seatback, but with a little fiddling, we were still able to position the booster flush against the seatback. However, only the passenger side buckle is secure; the other two are flush with the seat bottom cushion and may be difficult for children to grasp and operate. Additionally, the middle seat in the third row is awkwardly shaped, and the seat belt strap hangs from the ceiling there.
In a minivan, can you fit a car seat in the third row?
Count the number of head restraints in the car when you’re sat in the third row. It could come as a surprise to you to learn that there aren’t enough of them to accommodate all of the adults, teenagers, and backless booster riders who will be riding in your vehicle. An adult, teen, or booster seat rider cannot securely ride in the third row if there is no head restraint, even though there may be three vehicle seat belts in that row that may or may not fit properly. There may be one fewer safe seating position than you anticipated if there are fewer head restraints than seat belts.
Can a Toyota Sienna accommodate three car seats across?
2C is extremely constrained. In order to truly have a wide enough back rest, it actually takes inspiration from the arm rests for 2D & 2P, and the shoulder belt for 2C is actually fastened to 2D. We did not test any forward-facing car seats in 2C since it lacks a tether anchor. We tested both infant and convertible rear-facing car seats as well as booster seats (both high back and backless). If our success rate for installing a car seat in 2C were a baseball batting average, let’s just say we would be dismissed from the squad.
There were no rear-facing seats available that operated in 2C. We tested the Chicco Fit2 & KeyFit, Nuna Pipa, Graco SnugRide SnugLock (both versions of the base), and Cybex Aton2. To fit in 2C, all were several inches too wide.
There were no high back or backless boosters that were effective in 2C. Maxi Cosi RodiFix, Evenflo BigKid/Amp (high back & backless), Graco Turbo TakeAlong (high back & backless), Safety 1st Incognito (it lifted up too much at the knees), and Chicco GoFit were among the narrower boosters we tried; all were several inches too wide to fit in 2C and many sat five or more inches forward of the back rest of 2C.
Rearward-facing: The rearward-facing Clek Foonf and rearward-facing Clek Fllo (which require the installation of an anti-rebound bar to fit) were both firmly fitted in 2C. The anti-rebound bar tucks itself nicely into the space between the 2D/2P arm rests and ends up fitting like a glove. You’ll need to use the trick of reclining the seat back here.
If you have a rear-facing Clek Foonf in 2C, you can shift 2D/2C forward and back with a little effort so that you can access the third row. However, moving 2D/2C for third row access is not possible while there is a rear-facing Clek Fllo in 2C. Why the distinction? When Foonf is installed compared to Fllo, it seems that the seat belt buckle for 2C sits a bit differently and with Fllo, the buckle for 2C burrows into the seat cushion for 2P a little more, making it impossible to slide 2D/2C because it gets trapped in 2P. With either Foonf or Fllo installed in 2C, it should be noted that 2P will not slide for third row access.
When fitted in the middle seat, Foonf will be more likely than Fllo to block the driver’s vision through the rearview mirror because Foonf always sits higher to the ceiling of the vehicle. We discovered that when the head rest on the Foonf was set for a 2-year-old, the visibility loss was around half that of the rear window, whereas the Fllo required to be set for a 4-year-old to take up half of the visibility in the rear window. I was at ease with my visibility while driving the Sienna with a rear-facing 43-inch youngster in a Fllo in 2C (the maximum rear-facing capacity for both Cleks).
Boosters without backs: For 2C, the Boostapak fits best with just 1 finger’s distance between it and the backrest. There was a 3 finger space between the back rest and the Harmony Youth booster and Cosco Rise. The arm rests for 2D and 2P protrude several inches forward of the backrest for 2C, causing this space.
Across in the 2nd Row
The 2nd row is generally spacious, while 2C is extremely narrow. We discovered that 2P was a little bit narrower than 2D when a car seat was in 2C. There will be space in 2D and 2P for additional narrower car seats once one of the few seats (a rear-facing Clek Fllo/Foonf or a backless boosterBoostapak, Harmony Youth, or Cosco Rise) is installed in 2C.
As we had a rear-facing Clek in 2C, the following is what we tried in 2D/2P and discovered to fit well:
Chicco Fit2, Cybex Aton2, Graco SnugRide SnugLock, Nuna Pipa are two infant seats in 2D/2P. All of these seats were installed using LATCH. The rear-facing Clek in 2C had no effect on how readily the carriers entered or exited the base. We used the load leg on the Cybex and Nuna.
For third row access, keep in mind that the load leg of the Nuna still allows you to slide 2D/2P, but the load leg of the Cybex does not (unless you shorten the Cybex load leg, slide the vehicle seat, and then lower the Cybex load leg back to the floor).
2 rear-facing convertible seats in 2D/2P: Clek Foonf or Fllo, Graco Extend2Fit (both the normal and 3-in-1 models).
Just the ones we tried are these.
The bulk of the 2D/2P slimmer convertible seats on the market should work for you (especially when installed with LATCH).
We followed the instructions for installing the forward-facing Foonf and discovered that there was a 1-finger gap between the Foonf in 2P and the Fllo in 2C and a 2-finger gap between the Foonf in 2D and the Fllo in 2C. It appears that 2P is a tiny bit bigger than 2D.
Two high-back boosters in 2D and 2P
Does the driver or passenger’s automobile seat go behind them?
Affix to the backseat The back seat must always be used to install the car seat. The best location for your infant is there. Put the car seat in the middle seat if you can. If not, it is acceptable to park either on the passenger or driving side.
Are vehicle seats placed behind the driver or the passenger?
Even though it may seem unlikely, research have shown that the middle seat is the one part of the backseat where your kids are the safest.
Remember that the middle seat and the seat behind the passenger are the best locations to install your car seats if you have more than one. Additionally, car seats should NEVER be put in the front seat unless it is absolutely required. Last but not least, the kid in the car seat with the least amount of safety should be seated in the middle.
Can a car seat be placed in the center?
If only one car seat will fit in the rear seat, try to install it as close to the middle as you can. The danger of injuries during a collision is reduced by positioning the car seat in the middle.
Which is preferable, a seat belt or LATCH?
Which Is Safer for LATCH? The installation technique that delivers the most security is the safest (the seat moves as little as possible, always less than one inch in any direction). Typically, using the seat belt is necessary if you wish to install the car seat in the rear center position.
In a minivan, where should a car seat be placed for maximum safety?
The table below lists our top picks for the safest minivans for the years 2018, 2019, and 2020. Our top tier grades of A and A- are given to these vehicles based on their specific records of safeguarding the belted driver. The protection of the driver and other family members go hand in hand, even if we exclusively score cars for the driver. So, based on our examination of the facts, we believe that these minivans are suitable for your entire family.
Personal Auto Grades
When there is sufficient data and the vehicle is well-liked, we also issue personal Auto Grades. We have the six individual grades for the most well-liked Toyota Sienna. We don’t have quite as much information about the GMC Savana, but we can still give you two individual grades. These minivans are quite well rated for the majority of age groups, as you can see from the individual Auto Grades.
Child Safety Seats in Minivans
If you want to sit higher, have easier access to the back rows, and have more space, a minivan is a sensible and sensible alternative. The driver can see well from the elevated seat. It is simpler to enter the rear passenger seats thanks to the sliding side doors.
Additionally, child safety seat installation in minivans is made possible by the relatively large bending space between the first and second rows. You can discover the right kind of child safety seat on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s website, and they also provide a rating for how simple it is to install. That may be beneficial to you.
Do you realize that child safety seats have a shelf life? Yes, that does sound odd. However, child safety seats have a shelf life because they are composed of plastic, which can deteriorate and become brittle over time, not offering your child the optimum protection. The label on the side of the seat, close to the serial number, has that expiration date stamped on it. Additionally, we strongly advise checking the manufacturer’s website to discover if the seat has ever been recalled.
Even though you might be tempted, it’s usually not a smart idea to install three child seats side by side in the second row. It’s critical that the seats not be crowded or overlapping. To put it another way, there ought to be some room between each seat. That is when a minivan’s third row can be useful. Most likely, the oldest child should be placed there.
The final step after installing your child safety seats is to have a trained technician inspect them. The technicians are really helpful and kind.
FAQs
The four aforementioned models are the three years’ most secure minivans (2018, 2019, and 2020). They have all received overall Auto Grades of A or A-.
The optimal position for a seat is securely secured and as centrally located as possible, whether using a seat belt or a child safety seat. Any vehicle has this as a premise. In a minivan, the middle seat in the second row is the most secure.
In rear collisions, front seatbacks have been known to collapse, endangering the occupant of that seat. The right front passenger seat is usually vacant, thus there is no risk of the seatback collapsing there. It is preferable for a car seat to be placed behind that seat if it is vacant.
The safest minivan, in our opinion, is the best minivan for 2019. And that differs depending on the gender, age, and experience level of the driver. The safety rating of an automobile varies depending on the gender and age of the driver, as seen by the comparison of the Toyota Sienna and GMC Savana. So, run a search using your precise criteria and find the ideal minivan for 2019!
Get Your Own Auto Grade
A new car purchase can be highly stressful. Look over the list of the safest minivans above; one of them might be more appropriate for you than another. Additionally, we advise you to look into alternative possibilities by browsing any Auto Grade for the vehicle of your choice. Use the search box here to try it without cost.
Can you safely install a carseat in the third row?
Which child is the safest in the picture? A USA Today item from more than six years ago caused a lot of frenzy among parents. Many parents were concerned about one particular disputed number, and some of them visited our forums in search of the truth. The headline was sensational: “According to a Ford Motor analysis, when a minivan with a third-row occupant is hit from behind, the occupant is killed half the time. Could it be real?
We are all aware that almost anything may be supported by a statistic. I emailed the author to ask for its source because this one was so dramatic. Unfortunately, the answer wasn’t all that useful. The statistic was reportedly taken from a confidential, unpublished Ford research that was never subjected to peer review. It’s hardly worth utilizing, in my opinion, unless the goal is to merely spread unwarranted fear.
It did indeed terrify people. Even many years after the article’s publication, many parents were understandably concerned about the safety of seating their children in the third row of a wagon, minivan, or SUV. Even the fact that the story was about adult injuries brought on by seatback failure is irrelevant. I created a web page as a clarification for parents and other caregivers in response. The majority of the content has recently been transferred to our forums, even if the webpage is no longer updated.
The one item that was absent from both the USA Today piece and my remarks was the same thing. Proof. There appeared to be absolutely no statistics to support the common sense physics, as is frequently the case with more complex traffic safety issues. Now, there might be some. There is promise in this abstract from the Journal of Traffic Injury Prevention. It’s difficult to say for sure without reading the entire text, but this quote seems promising. “For children aged 0 to 7, the chance of a fatality in the second row is 43.4% lower than in the front seat (0.30% v 0.53%), while the risk in the third row is 58.5% lower (0.22% v 0.53%).
According to another study (also available for a fee) from the Annals of Emergency Medicine, fatalities in the third row were reportedly somewhat higher than those in the second row, but only in very infrequent fatal rear-end collisions. More significantly, it was also acknowledged that, between 1994 and 2004, third row passengers had a somewhat reduced overall chance of dying in crashes than second row passengers did. According to this study, “If a restraint system is not available or is not employed, the likelihood of mortality to the third row passenger is significantly enhanced. Keep in mind that passengers of all ages were included in this study.
Though it’s best to take these studies with a grain of salt, they do seem to support what the majority of safety experts have long believed. A child in the third seat who is properly restrained is at least as safe as one in the second row overall. The choice of rear sitting position can have an impact, but the key component in lowering fatalities is simply being adequately restrained in any suitable rear seating position. Another important component is to drive sober and without distractions. This means that the child in the middle of the third row seat in the picture may really be in the safest position, if only by a small margin. We do appear to have a lot more knowledge than we had previously, and without the needless hoopla, at least until additional research are published!