Complete the form (PDF) to have your seat checked. An appointment must be made to have the seat checked.
If you want to explore car safety even further, we recommend the following resources that were used when writing this article:
WikiHow has an in-depth article on how to recycle old car seats:Īnd Recycle Your Car Seat has an entire website dedicated to helping you find a recycling center near you:.The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the National Child Passenger Safety Board have excellent in-depth resources on car safety for children. These are also great resources if you want to understand a particular aspect of child safety or want to stay up-to-date with the latest research. We recommend that you read them if you want to learn more about car seat safety in general. We used several authoritative sources to write this guide on car seat expiration. Further reading recommendations about car seat expiration While the law doesn’t explicitly prohibit the use of an expired car seat, some states to have “proper use” clauses making it mandatory to respect safety standards. Is it illegal to use an expired car seat?ĭepending on where you live, it might be illegal to use an expired car seat. In any case, a car seat that was involved in an accident shouldn’t be used again. You should check with your insurance policy and contact your insurer if you are unsure about your particular situation. Most insurance companies will replace your car seat if it was involved in an accident. Do insurances replace a car seat after an accident? You can then try to exchange it for a discount from a retailer or dispose of it at a recycling center near you. You should first render the seat unusable by cutting its straps. Most car seats expire after six years because of wear and tear but also because safety regulations and new technology developments might render older models less safe to use. Most car seat bases are good for six years from their manufacturing date. You should never use a seat without confirming first that it is still safe for your child. If you are unable to find the expiration date of your seat, call its manufacturer and ask for help. Remove the seat cushion and check there if it isn’t on the back. Alternatively, some brands indicate the expiry date on the shell behind the cushion. Just turn over the seat and you should find it on the back. How can you check your car seat expiration date? In most cases, you will find a sticker underneath the seat with its expiry date.
The exact validity period might vary a little bit by brand or model, so you should always check the expiry note on your seat and its base.
Most car seats expire six years after their manufacturing date. When do car seats expire? How long are car seats good for? Car seats that have been damaged or involved in an accident will not function properly and might be dangerous to your child.Įven if the seat is less than six years old, you should thoroughly inspect every component to make sure that nothing has been damaged and the seat will function properly to protect your child. You should never buy a second-hand infant car seat if you don’t know exactly how it what used and how long it has before expiring. Just take a look at the crash test video of an expired car seat below to see what it means. It might start with microfractures that aren’t visible to the naked eye but will shatter in case of an accident.
These changes in temperature, combined with regular usage, will over time damage the seat and its base. In the winter, especially at night, a car seat might be exposed to extreme cold.
In the summer, a car seat might be exposed to extreme heat while locked inside a car with the windows closed. Car seat materials wearing downĬar seats and their base often stay in the car throughout the day. And it isn’t for car seat manufacturers to sell more seats.Ĭar seats expire for two main reasons: materials wearing down and the evolution of technology and safety regulations. While you might be tempted to buy a cheap second-hand car seat from a friend that seems to be in good condition, there are very valid reasons for car seats to have an expiration date. The UPPAbaby MESA is another top-ranking infant car seat thanks to its ultra-soft fabric.