Can you save your infant car seat for your next child?

Question

do car seats ever expire?

Answer 1

They DO have experation dates on them, but I was told by the nurse in the Special Care Nursery when my daughter had Jaundus that if you get in a car wreck, your child gets hurt, and the car seat is expired, you can get in BIG trouble!!! You might call your insurance company and see what they say. This nurse was one that did all the check's at the fire stations. She also said that if you would get in a wreck and you have a "good" car seat in your car to claim that on your insurance and they will buy you a new one. Not sure if all this is true, but might be something you want to look into when you decide to have another baby.

Answer 2

they do have an expiration date on them, but if they haven't been in an accident, and a if it is less then 5 years old it shouldn't be an issue, if its been in an accident get rid of it, if it is older, bring it to the fire station, and heave them check it out.

Answer 3

They do have an expiration date on them..but yes as long as they still work properly I would use it and not buy another one if it's yours..

If you look on the back of the car seat it should have an expiration date with a month and year..I sent you an email..

Answer 4

yes carsets expire. most are around six years. there should be a date stamped on the carseat somewhere. otherwise there definately should be a manufacter date and I wouldn't use it after six years. It's mostly becase the plastics can weaken and warp through being in the hot sun and cold winter over time. also never use a carseat after its been in an accident. there can be hidden damage that can compromise your baby's safety.

Answer 5

They do have an expiration date.  You can still use them, but if you are pulled over and the officer checks you can be ticketed.

Answer 6

Like others have said, the car seat should have an expiration date on the back of it somewhere, as long as you use it before the expiration date (and the car seat had never been in an accident), you'll be fine.   I had always assumed that it was there because the plastic of the car seat will break down after a while due to the changing temperatures in the car (during winter & summer).  I don't know about anyone else, but I'd rather be safe than sorry when it comes to the safety of my boy and I'm going to assume the expiration date is there for a reason and not just so Graco (or what have you) can sell more seats.  

Answer 7

No they do not have an expiration date on them lol.  As long as they work properly they are good to go!

Answer 8

As long as they still work properly, clean, and nothing is breaking or broke, it should be fine!  

Answer 9

You can take you carseat to the local fire department--they do car seat "checks" there to make sure everything is working properly and is not outdated or unsafe :)

I took both of mine, and they still work well!

Answer 10

Car seats expire six years from the manufacture date. There's a date on the bottom. Make sure there are no cracks on the frame (take off the padding and look) and you're good to go!

Answer 11

Yes, You can save it for your next child.

Yes, car seats do expire.

Long answer: Car seats expire 5-6 years after the date of manufacture, which is on a label somewhere on the seat. The plastic starts to degrade and won't stand up to a crash putting a child at risk for dying in even a minor wreck.  If it was in a crash, the harness could break right through the plastic, allowing the child to be thrown from the seat!  Another reason manufacturers refuse to be liable past 5-6 years is because regulations, standards, and crash tests change making older seats less safe than newer seats.  Condition and history doesn't matter when the seat is expired. And there's no way to tell by looking at a seat whether or not it is safe. You can't tell if a seat is safe by looking. The only way to tell is to put a baby in it and get in a wreck and see how the baby and seat come out of it.  

Sounds odd, but the best thing to do with it is cut the straps and put it in a plastic bag for trash pickup. The bag is that no one drives by and thinks 'woohoo free seat!'. Some people have had luck calilng the recycling center and asking if they'd take a car seat so that the salvageable parts can be recycled.

I can NOT believe someone above posted about it being a manufacturer 'scare tactic' to get you to buy new and improved seats. Well....YEAH! Key words being new and improved. Anything new and improved that protects from the #1 killer of ages 0-18 is a good thing, not a gimmick. That's right - we protect our kids from cleaners in the cabinet, drowning in pools, hot things on the stove smashed fingers and more, when the most likely way they will die is in a car accident. So its increcibly important car seats are up to date, fit the child and are used 100% correctly 100% of the time.

I would be perfectly ok using a car seat with more than one child, as long as it was not expired, had all the original pieces including manual. And to another note that poster said - it doesn't matter one bit where you store it. They are made to withstand major temperatures. They sit in cars that get up to 200 degrees in the summer, and below zero in the winter. They're made for it. But they're only made to withstand all that, and use, for 6 years. Take heed - this is NOT one manufacturer recommendation you want to mess with.

Answer 12

As long as you r seat has never been in an accident then it should be fine. But I would follow the general rule not to use one that is 6 years old or older.  

Answer 13

Look at the details on your owners manual.  Get it checked by a certified professional, they will tell you if it is no longer safe.  It may be hard to find someone to do this as the fire departments have lost funding, I get mine checked at the hospital.  

Answer 14

How exactly does a car seat "expire"?

As long as you don't store it in extreme temperature conditions where the plastic will be subjected to freezing/high heating, etc. and EVERY part is solid and functional, why can't you use a car seat for a younger sibling?

Once again, scare tactics by manufacturers to get you to buy a new and improved product!

How does the car seat protect the baby in the event of a car accident? By forming a hard shell around the body and keeping the body close to the unit so the chance of whiplash is reduced.  As long as the straps are not frayed, buckles securely lock/easily unlock, and the plastic shell is intact, WHAT is DYSFUNCTIONAL about it because it was made 5 years or more ago??

Sorry, my long answer to your short question?  In my opinion (only!), YES.