08 Highlander - Child Seat on Second Row - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

skeezen1 · 10-27-2007, 03:04 PM

We are looking at an 08 Highlander Sport. Our only concern is the placement of a child seat. It is apparently best to have the seat in the center and attached to a latch. While I can see the seat fitting in the small middle seat on the second row, there is no latch on it. There is a latch on either of the two sides on the second row.

Does anyone have an experience with this, and if this is a valid concern?

mwfromva · 10-27-2007, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skeezen1

We are looking at an 08 Highlander Sport. Our only concern is the placement of a child seat. It is apparently best to have the seat in the center and attached to a latch. While I can see the seat fitting in the small middle seat on the second row, there is no latch on it. There is a latch on either of the two sides on the second row.

Does anyone have an experience with this, and if this is a valid concern?

No experience, yet. We're expecting at the end of March. However I did consider this. I honestly did not pay attention to the lack of LATCH in the middle seat, but what I did pay attention to was how much room there was in the 2nd row for a child seat. Considering the huge amount of space, I didn't see a problem putting a child seat, ANY child seat, in the second row.

Fishballs15 · 10-29-2007, 09:53 AM

I too did not consider the middle seat when looking at the car. However, we have a 3 month old and I have her seat in the rear passenger side seat using the latch system. Plenty of room and I don't have too many concerns given the amount of room and the number of side airbags. I realize that the center position would probably best, but I don't think the current configuration is "unsafe." Hopefully, I'll never have to find out for sure!

As a back up plan you may consider using the shoulder belt to secure the car seat base in the center seat. My old car did not have the latch system and I had to use the seat belt. Worked pretty well.

PaulW · 11-02-2007, 11:42 AM

A child seat fits just fine in the 2nd row middle postion using LATCH. I mounted my daughter's seat there when we took it for a test drive.

To mount a child seat, you obviously need to have the center stow seat mounted instead of the console thing. Once it's there, there are two pairs of LATCH connectors at the base of the seat. You use the inner two if you want the child seat in the middle. Obviously this makes it a bit difficult for someone to sit in the outboard position and connect the seat belt but it is possible.

Finally, there is an anchor for the top tether in the middle position. It's on the back of the seat, down at the base. So you run the tether down the seat back and you'll see a steel loop for hooking the tether to. This was all using a Britax Roundabout seat so other child seats may introduce some difficulty but I doubt it. The top tether doesn't apply with a rear facing seat but you'll need it when your kid is older.

I was concerned about the same thing when I first saw pictures of the 2nd row, but it works just fine. The center position really is the best in any car if there is a side impact.

PLamarine · 11-02-2007, 01:27 PM

Of course with 2 kids their really is no option but to use the two outer seats.

NetWhiz · 02-04-2008, 07:09 PM

No car made that I have ever seen/heard of has LATCH in the center position. Does not make any sense to me as that is the "safest" position, yet they do not put any LATCH clips there.

takahashi · 02-09-2008, 06:18 AM

Currently have a 3 year old in the middle and a one year old on the right hand side, so another adult can sit in the left. Plus the 3 year old will have the prime seat for the DVD system.

No problem with the seat but the middle seat is slightly tilted and if you have a car seat with narrow shoulder than standard it will be ok.

jkn2000 · 03-22-2008, 12:14 AM

I actually found that you can't put a travel system car seat into the middle seat. I have a Graco travel system, and the base that holds the car seat, will not fit into the middle seat on the 2nd row, which stinks, but oh well. It will have to go on the driver's side seat on the 2nd row.

kevcyp · 03-27-2008, 05:24 PM

I recently attended a child safety seat class at our hospital and they said that attaching a child seat using latch isn't any safer than using a safety belt.

With that being said, we put my newborn behind the driver seat b/c we didn't want to sacrifice access to the third row seats. Yes, the center seat would be safer, but we upgraded from a Civic and I figured he is much safer in the Highlander.

AXMACD · 05-01-2009, 09:12 PM

Your child is going to be encased in airbags in the event of a crash. I would be concerned if you didn't have side-curtians, but I think they'll keep your child safe!

nusky · 03-22-2010, 10:44 AM

Hi, new to TN and currently lease 2007 HiHy. love it and looking to get into a 2010 but our 2 year old sits in the middle 2nd row. found this thread informative but wanted to know if there was any recent info on child seats in the middle second row of Highlander. is it safe or even possible? anyone have recent experiences?
thanks!

rupert08 · 03-22-2010, 01:36 PM

I have had a car seat in all 3 positions in the Highlander. Started off in the center because they claim it’s the safest spot. That didn’t last too long because it’s more difficult to strap in the kid. It also takes away all functionality of the second row. You can’t flip the seat and get in the third row, you can move one seat forward or backwards without moving both seats, you can flip one half of the second row and carry larger items, an adult can’t sit comfortable next to the seat for long car trips.

We quickly moved the seat behind the passenger seat. We don’t use the third row much this way I can load and unload her in the car while it is in the garage. This is a much more friendly position and I don’t feel it significantly less safe. I have also used the latch and seatbelt method to secure the seat. Either option seems to be just as secure (however I’m not expert on the subject). Just make sure you pull the seat belt all the way out first to activate the locking mode if you use the seatbelt.

We are expecting a second child soon so soon I won't have much of a choice, one on each side.

luck123 · 03-22-2010, 03:31 PM

Interesting about people putting kids in the rear passenger side. When our son was young and in car/booster seats, I recall my wife reading that the best position (if center rear was not possible) was behind the driver. The rationale is that in the event of an accident, where the driver attempts an avoidance maneuver, the instinctive reaction of most drivers will be to steer left thus keeping themselves furthest from the point of impact (ie. passenger side). Not sure if this is still true, but our 11 year old still travels in center or driver side rear. I would be curious if anyone has heard different.

Cheers.

ziya20 · 03-22-2010, 08:34 PM

One advantage of putting baby's carseat in the 2nd row side seats is that they can be reclined to adjust the baby's seating angle.
cheers,

Yetii · 03-23-2010, 09:06 AM

The safest position is in the middle position but this usually proves to be difficult adding or removing the child. The second best position is behind the driver. The reason for this is the most likely scenario that a person will be involved in a side impact in most collisions is turning left crossing traffic going the opposite direction. Turning left leaves the passenger side exposed...hence drivers side is safer.