2014 Ford Edge Sport rear seat and 3 kids

[harleydavidson19]

I am looking to buy a 2014 Ford Edge Sport but held off because I didnt see an easy way to buckle my booster in the middle seat. Seems odd the buckles are 9" apart and then left a 4" gap to the passanger side. Because of this spacing it falls under the booster. Even thought about an extender and coming up with a way to have it come up through the booster seat. Anyone carry 3 people in the back regularly with out issues? 2015 edge solves this issue, however all the driver side water leaks have me spooked. Seems like 14s are a little more reliable.

[enigma-2]

You actually have two options for installing a child seat in the center position.

 

1. (From the 2014 Owners manual)

The lower anchors at the center of the second row rear seat are spaced 18 inches (46 centimeters) apart. A child seat with rigid LATCH attachments cannot be installed at the center seating position. LATCH compatible child seats (with attachments on belt webbing) can only be used at this seating position provided that the child seat manufacturers instructions permit use with the anchor spacing stated. Do not attach a child seat to any lower anchor if an adjacent child seat is attached to that anchor.

 

The car seat manufacturers in the list below allow their car seats to be installed using non-standard lower anchor spacing if (and only if):

(a) the vehicle manufacturer allows the use of LATCH in a middle seating position with non-standard anchor spacing

AND

(b ) you can achieve a tight car seat installation

 

Manufacturer's that certify for 18" spacing are: Britax, Combi, Fisher Price Safe Voyage, Merritt Manufacturing, Orbit, Recaro, SafeGuard/IMMI, SnugSeat, Sunshine Kids, Team Tex America, Triple Play Products (all allow 11"-20" spacing). This list is 5 years old, there may be more.

 

 

2. The second option is to simply use the seat belts. The are just as strong as a LATCH system (required to be so) but a little more difficult to install and get right. Remember to use the top tether as well as the belts.

 

(From the NHTSA FAQ's)

Q. Ive always heard it is safest to install child safety seats in the center rear seating position. My car doesnt have LATCH in the center seat. Can I use the lower anchors from the two seats closest to the window?

 

A. The rear seat is generally the safest place for children of any age to ride. For proper installation of a child safety seat, it is imperative that the seat can be securely and snugly attached. Some vehicle manufacturers allow the inboard lower anchors from the seating positions nearest to the doors to be used to create a center rear LATCH seating position, but require that consumers check with the child safety seat manufacturer before doing so.

 

Because the spacing between the inboard lower anchors in the outboard seating positions can be too great in some vehicles to ensure that your childs safety seat will be stable on the vehicle seat when installed in the center seating position using LATCH, you must review your vehicle owners manual and your child safety seat instructions carefully to determine whether a rear center LATCH position can be created.

 

If you would like to place your child in a rear center position and no lower anchors are specifically designated for that position, or either the child safety seat or vehicle manufacturer does not permit the creation of a center rear LATCH position, you can install the child safety seat using the vehicle seat belt. If the child safety seat is installed forward-facing, it should be installed with the top tether, if available, as well. Installations should always follow both the vehicle owners manual and the child safety seat manufacturers instructions to ensure that the child safety seat is snugly and securely attached to the vehicle. If the vehicle does not have a top tether anchor, contact the vehicle manufacturer or dealership to see if it can be retrofitted.

Q. Which is the best way to install my childs safety seat using the vehicle seat belts or the LATCH system?

 

A. Both provide equal protection as child safety seats must meet Federal safety standards with either installation method. The most important thing is to be sure that the child safety seat is correctly installed in your vehicle. Be sure to read both the child safety seat instructions and the section in the vehicle owners manual on installing child safety seats.

 

 

For my grandson, we used the rear seat behind the passenger seat. I thought about using the rear center, but it would have been harder to belt Wyatt in (when their smaller, you have to manually lift them into the seat and have enough room to get in next to them and secure the seat. The center position would have made that a much more challenging task. One other concern, make certain that using the center location doesn't interfere with the adjacent seat belts.

 

If by three people by three people you mean three car seats, you can use two in the outboard positions using LATCH, and use the seat belts for the center position.

Edited June 27, 2015 by enigma-2