NHTSA Complaint #761655 — 1998 FORD EXPLORER

DUE TO EXTREME WIDTH OF YOUTH SEAT (AKA BOOSTER SEAT), THE UNIT IS VERY CLOSE TO THE PASSENGER DOOR. UPON CLOSING THE CAR DOOR, CHILD'S FINGERS WERE CRUSHED BETWEEN THE DOOR AND THE CAR SEAT. FINGERS WERE DEFORMED AT FIRST, BUT RECOVERD TO ORIGINAL FORM WITHIN 10 MINUTES. NO BROKEN BONES. WHEN INSTALLING THE SEAT, THE SEAT BELT LATCH IS LOCATED "BEHIND" THE SEAT - AS OPPOSED TO BEING LOCATED TO THE SIDE OF THE SEAT. THIS CAUSES THE NATURE POSITION OF THE SEAT TO MOVE TOWARD THE DOOR, INCREASING THE RISK OF FINGER CRUSHING BY THE DOOR. ALSO, DUE TO THE EXTREME WIDTH, THE ENTIRE SEATBELT IS USED TO INSTALL THE SEAT (ABOUT AN INCH WILL BE RETRACTED), THUS MAKING A PROPER INSTALLATION NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE IN A FORD EXPLORER. WHEN I CONTACTED THE MANUFACTOR, BRITAX, (BY PHONE, FAX, AND LETTER), I ONLY RECEIVED A LETTER BACK APOLOGIZING FOR THE "PINCHING" OF MY DAUGHTER'S FINGERS. THEY OBVIOUSLY DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE CONSEQUENCE OF THIS "DEFECT." NOTHING WAS DONE BY BRITAX TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE.*AK