Protecting Infants

An infant must be properly restrained in a rear-facing, reclining child seat until the infant reaches the seat maker’s weight or height limit for the seat, and the infant is at least one year old. Many experts recommend use of a rear-facing seat for a child up to two years old if the child’s height and weight are appropriate for a rear-facing seat.

Child seats must be placed and secured in a rear seating position. Rear-facing child seats should never be installed in a forward-facing position. When properly installed, a rear-facing child seat may prevent the driver or a front passenger from moving their seat all the way back, or from locking their seat-back in the desired position.

Make sure that there is no contact between the child seat and the seat in front of it. It can also interfere with proper operation of the front passenger’s advanced front airbag system. If this occurs, we recommend that you install the child seat directly behind the front passenger’s seat, move the seat as far forward as needed, and leave it unoccupied. Or, you may wish to get a smaller rear-facing child seat.
Warning

Placing a rear-facing child seat in the front seat can result in serious injury or death during a crash.

Always place a rear-facing child seat in the rear seat, not the front.