How long are car seats good for??

Question

I got a carseat as a hand me down for a couple i babysit for. there 6 yr old just grew out of it so its fairly new. But i have a 2 month old and she wont be in a regualr car seat for a few more months and i was woundering how long it would be good for before safety regulations change??

Answer 1

http://www.carseat.org/Technical/tech_up...

Date of manufacture

The date that the product was completed at the factory. This date must be printed on the product itself, and the CR must meet all Federal requirements in effect on that date. A CR may be sold any time after the date of manufacture but does not have to meet any new requirements that become effective in the meantime. The date of manufacture is needed (1) to determine if the CR should be replaced because it is too old, (2) to determine if the CR is on recall, and (3) to order the correct top tether anchorage kit, if applicable. If the parent purchased the CR new and knows its approximate age, and there are no recalls in effect for that particular model, it is not essential to know the exact date.

There is no agreement on "how old is too old." At one time it was important to check that a CR was made after 1980, because 1981 was the year the Federal regulation requiring crash testing went into effect. Today, however, 1981 is not an appropriate point of reference for brochures and teaching materials, since CRs made that long ago should not be used anyway. Several years ago, Transport Canada issued a very reasonable statement, which others have adopted, that basically said that, after about 10 years, a CR is not likely to have all its parts and instructions nor have the important warnings and convenience features found on later models. There may also be some deterioration from heat and sunlight, but the validity of this concern has not been documented. See also Expiration date.

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Expiration date

In the last few years, CR manufacturers have been putting "expiration dates" on their products. This was begun in response to infant deaths from air bags. The companies realized that they had millions of products in use that said nothing about the danger to a rear-facing child. The concern became one that "best practice" and regulations change over time, so that a child restraint becomes "obsolete" and less effective than a new product, much the same way that medicines may change or become less effective after some time has passed. A current example would be with tethers--older CRs do not have them, and this is potentially a situation where a newer product will be more effective than an older one.

Taken at face value, the expiration interval (ranging from 5 to 8 years, depending on the manufacturer) is from the date of manufacture, which is what governs the labeling, certification, and other rules that apply. Whether to continue to use an "expired" CR is a judgment call, depending on the alternatives. It will work as well as before, but it is important to know what regulations and warnings may have changed and the risks involved. It is also important to take the expiration date into account when purchasing a CR that may have been manufactured several months or even a year or more before.  

Answer 2

Car seats are unfortunately not a good item to do 'hand me down'.  Its actually unsafe to get a used car seat unless it is coming from a trusted friend or relative and you are 100% positive:

1)it has never been in any wreck

2)it has all the original pieces, including manual

3)it has never been dropped, which means never been checked as luggage at the airport, either, since this frequently happens when checked or gate checked .

4)it is less than 6 years old

5)the straps have never been completely submerged or washed with anything other than mild soap(it messes up the flame retardent treatment)



And actually, if the child is 6 years old, there's a very good chance the seat is expired or not appropriate for a 2 month old child. 6 years is a LONG time when talking about advances in technology in anything, car seats are no exception. The more we learn the better they make them and a seat from 6 years ago doesn't compare to one new off the shelves today. As well as simply degrading over time to where it may not hold up in a crash.

If I was the parent, I would not want it used with my child. lol But if I was the parent, I would've provided you a seat for my child and made sure it was used and installed to my satisfaction, too. :)

Answer 3

It is best not to use a hand me down car seat because you do not know the real history of it(unless you trust the people you got it from). There should be a date of manufacture(DOM) on the seat to tell you when the car seat was made. If this does not have a DOM do not use this car seat and destroy the car seat(or take it to a car seat tech so no one else will pick it up and use the seat). Most car seats have a five year span of life to them IF THEY HAVE NOT BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT(do not use if they have). The other thing that I can recommend is to call the brands customer service and ask them how long the car seat has, or have a car seat tech look at the car seat.

Answer 4

Usually carseats "expire" after 5 years.  You should check online though and make sure it hasn't been recalled.  Also, double check with the parents and make sure they weren't in ANY accidents with the carseat in the car.  

Answer 5

there is an expiration date on most car seats...its usually 5 years i think...but you can check the manufacturer's website to see if it has been recalled for any problems