Safe Embrace Tether Anchor installation- Toyota Camry

Ok- my daughter is 16 months and I am getting ready to turn her forward facing soon. I ordered the Tether Anchor from Toyota as told to in my FPSE manual. The manual said it would probably be provided free, however,Toyota is charging me $25. In addition, I was told it would cost at least $60 to install it. They (the Toyota people) acted like installing these was a rare occurrence- they couldn't give me a firm price. I have a 1995 2 door Toyota Camry.
I will pay whatever for my child's safety BUT I feel like this is a rip-off. Is there some kind of universal tether anchor or could I get some other person to do the installation? What is the going rate for tether installations?
Thanks in advance.

I've done several Toyota anchors, because all I own is Toyota cars.

The domestic car companies do offer tether anchor hardware and installation free. Toyota (and Honda, etc.) do not. Toyota charges for the parts. The kit is part number 73709-12010 and cost about $10 last time I checked. It contains the bolt, anchor bracket and spacer. There was an older kit that contained several bolts, several spacers, no anchor bracket, and a belt shortening clip that cost more. So ask what they are ordering. You need the newer kit.

Second, Toyota does not do the installations for free. My dealership did a couple for me "as long as they didn't take long". Recently I've been hearing that this is not common, and that same dealer is no longer doing it.

The good news is that your Toyota manual tells you just exactly how to install the anchor. It isn't all that difficult. You probably have a sedan, so you can open the trunk, look at the diagram in the manual, and find the nut from the bottom. Screw the bolt in upside down to see where you should cut the carpet on the package shelf. Then take the bolt out, and screw it down from inside the car, going through the anchor bracket, then the spacer and finally into the welded nut. Tighten very firmly.

That's it.

You can certainly pay your local mechanic to do it also. I had one of mine done that way because I couldn't do it without a lift or getting my face smashed (Previa mini-van). They did it when the car was in for other stuff and hardly charged me anything. I already knew where the hole was and gave them the parts and everything.

Installing tether anchors may be a rare thing for them. On the one hand, more folks want them. On the other hand, all new cars just come with them (my 2002 Echo has 3 anchors pre-installed).

And once you are doing your anchors, you might want to order several kits and do the middle and the sides, etc. I like to be able to move my seats around.

Yeah, when I was trying to find out if I could get some sort of retro-fit to "LATCH" my 2001 Camry, the lady at Toyota informed me (rather snobily) that it was up to the dealer whether or not they even "wanted to touch" dealing with the tethers (which I knew I already have...she was clueless about LATCH), and if they did, there would certainly be a fee. (I noticed several places where manuacturers were doing this at no cost.)

I love my car (just got it about 2 months ago), but HOPE I don't have to deal with their customer service very much!

Jennifer H. Lehman
EDD--1/7/03