NHTSA Complaint #10322707 — 2004 INFINITI FX35

THIS IS FOR A DEFECT: I OWN A 2004 INFINITI FX35 AND MY WIFE AND I ARE ABOUT TO HAVE OUR FIRST CHILD, SO WE PURCHASED A CHILD SAFETY SEAT THAT INCLUDES LATCH CONNECTORS (SINCE THE INFINITI LISTS AS HAVING THEM, AND SINCE BY LAW ALL VEHICLES WERE TO INCLUDE THEM SINCE 2002). WENT TO INSTALL THE CHILD SEAT AND COULD NOT GET TO, OR REACH, THE LATCH CONNECTORS. STARTED EXAMINING AROUND THE SEATS TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS WRONG AND QUICKLY DISCOVERED THAT THE LATCH CONNECTORS ARE INSTALLED INCORRECTLY ON MY INFINITI, THEY SEEM TO BE INSTALLED UP-SIDE-DOWN MAKING THEM A GOOD TWO INCHES BELOW THE SEAT LEVEL (WHEN THEY SHOULD BE FLUSH WITH THE SEAT TO PROPERLY ALIGN AND SECURE THE CHILD SEAT). WHEN THE BACK SEATS ARE LAID FLAT YOU ARE ABLE TO ACCESS THE REAR AND UNDERSIDE OF THE SEATS, THERE YOU CAN SEE WHERE THE LATCH CONNECTORS ARE BOLTED TO THE FRAME OF THE CAR, AND THIS IS WHERE YOU CAN SEE THAT THEY ARE UPSIDE DOWN MAKING THEM IMPOSSIBLE TO REACH THROUGH THE SEAT. I'VE ALSO CHECKED OUT A KIA, HONDA AND A FORD, AND IN ALL THOSE CASES SIMPLY REACHING BETWEEN THE LOWER-SEAT AND THE SEAT-BACK YOU CAN VERY EASILY FIND THE LATCH CONNECTOR AND IT IS INDEED FLUSH WITH THE SEAT, THE INFINITI'S IS A GOOD 2 INCHES BELOW THAT HEIGHT. I WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THE LATCH SYSTEM WAS (AT LEAST THAT IS WHAT THEY SAID). NOT SURE IF IT IS ALL FX35'S OR EVEN ALL INFINITI'S, BUT IF YOU DO MANAGE TO ATTACH THE CHILD SAFETY SEAT TO THE LATCH CONNECTORS, IT WILL NOT BE IN THE PROPER ALIGNMENT AND COULD VERY EASILY FAIL RISKING THE CHILD. *CN