NHTSA Complaint #10366879 — 2007 FORD EXPLORER

CARSEAT WAS INSTALLED REARFACING, IN BOTH OUTBOARD POSITIONS, WITH LATCH, NO TOP TETHER, IN A 2007 FORD EXPLORER. (2ND ROW) CARSEAT WAS INSTALLED PROPERLY BY MYSELF, A CPST, ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS WITH LITTLE TO NO MOVEMENT AT THE REAR FACING BELTPATH. AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME, RANGING FROM A FEW HOURS TO DAYS, THE SEAT WILL LOOSEN BEYOND THE ALLOWABLE 1 INCH OF MOVEMENT AT THE BELTPATH. MANY TIMES WHEN CHILD HAS NOT BEEN PLACED IN THE SEAT. THERE IS NO IDENTIFIABLE REASON FOR THE BELT TO LOOSEN OTHER THAN THE BELT SLIPPING THROUGH THE TIGHTENER. THE TIGHTENER SLIDES EXTREMELY EASILY ON THE BELT IN BOTH DIRECTIONS AND IT TAKES MINIMAL, IF ANY FORCE TO RELEASE THE SILVER TAB AND LOOSEN THE LATCH BELT. I HAVE SEEN THIS SEAT LOOSEN ABOUT 5 TIMES IN MY VEHICLE. I DO NOT LET MY CHILD RIDE IN IT WHILE INSTALLED WITH LATCH FOR THIS REASON AND I CANNOT USE THE SEAT TO ITS FULL CAPACITY IF THE LATCH BELT IS DEFECTIVE. I CONTACTED SUNSHINE KIDS AND INFORMED THEM OF THE PROBLEM AND AM WORKING WITH THEIR COST TO REPLICATE THE PROBLEM AGAIN. THEY HAVE OFFERED TO REPLACE MY CURRENT LATCH BELT WITH ANOTHER, HOWEVER THIS PROBLEM IS NOT LIMITED TO MY LATCH BELT ALONE. THEY WILL BE REPLACING WITH THE SAME PRODUCT. FOR THE TIME BEING I HAVE DECLINED THE NEW LATCH BELT SO THAT I CAN WAIT TO SEE IF IT IS REPAIRABLE, OR RECALLED. (RELATED VEHICLE INFORMATION: MODEL YEAR=2007, MAKE=FORD, MODEL=EXPLORER). *TR