Britax Marathon Safety Check - Latches

[ophepan]

My husband went to get our Marathon checked at a PD and was told that the latches on the Marathon we just bought (manufactured 4/2006) was "recalled" becuase the latches didn't work properly (so we had to use seat belts to secure the seat)I think we read online somewhere that Britax would send out a repair kit, but this public notice we found online was for 2004. I called Britax (thinking I could expect more from a good quality company) no one answered at both numbers I called. Is this "recall" thing over? Should I not be worried since mine was made this year and BB didn't mention anything about this. Please help!!!!

[MamaParis]

OK my last post didn't post .. so I'll try again! :)

As far as I know - LATCH hasn't ever been recalled on the marathon. Like 2 years ago the harness adjuster was recalled and a repir kit was sent out - but thats it. And the last seats on that recall were made in like July 2004 ... so NO WHERE near affecting your seat!

Not all police and firemen are certified techs - I quit going to ours to get my seats checked because I found they made up false info when they didn't know how to do something or didn't feel like doing something. It was getting annoying to go there and get my seats checked and then have to go home and fix it! ;)

I wouldn't worry about it.

And if you got a good install with the seatbelt - you can just leave it. If not, then go ahead and install it with the LATCH. Both are equally safe.

[Piglet]

I thik the OP was referring to the built-in lock-offs, not LATCH (but I could be wrong). I have NEVER gotten my lock-offs to work RF, and it doesn't really bother me because my seatbelt ratchets itself back in and the seat goes in nice and snug. If I were in an older car that would have required a locking clip, then I would be upset that my lock-offs didn't work. I have not heard of a recall, but I wish there was one as MANY people have experienced the same problem with their lock-offs. Britax does send out replacement lock-offs no questions asked, but I am not sure they work any better than my existing ones.

[Kat_Mom2D_J_andRuthie]

the only recall was on the harness adjuster... and it was back in 2004... not affecting your seat.

the latch issue was a consumer reports thing and not a reason not to use latch... just a reason not to have it completely reclined with an older rf child, which is typically what you do... and/or brace the seat against the front seat.

Plus, the overrotation was only by 7 degrees... seats are allowed to overrotate up to 10 degrees.

It's really not the giant issue consumer reports made it out to be.

[MamaParis]

I don't think thats what she meant. :)
She said that they HAD to install it with the seatbelt beacause the PO said the latches were recalled.

If it were the lock-offs that he was saying were recalled, then he would have made her install it with the LATCH, right?


I think Kat is right - he probably is referring to the consumer reports thing ...
Gosh how I hate C.R.!!! :)


And yeah in with you, my newer Marathon's lock-offs don't work well either. My older Marathon and Wizard and Roundabouts work perfectly ...
I actually called Britax and got new lock-offs for my newer MA and nothings really changed.
Luckily my seatbelts lock .... :)

[ophepan]

The public notice we found was actually from Canada and it was about "A lok harness strap". But then why would they tell us not to use the latches (I know someone else asked this). It doesn't make sense, unless this tech person is confused, which is probably the case. I doubt that Britax would still sell an item that they knew was faulty. Thank you for the replies. We will probably leave the the carseat with the seatbelts.

[Joolsplus2]

Actually..not quite. Seats are 'allowed' to recline up to 70 degrees during the crash. This is a benchmark based on overall survivability and injury rates. The Marathon reclines back to 75 degrees in Consumer Reports crashes with LATCH, but the dummy stays totally contained (the main indicator of protection from injury). The crash pulse for Consumer Reports is different from the government mandated one, and thus the different result in testing and the lack of recall.

:)
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 3 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[hipmaman]

Are you in Canada? I'm a tech in Canada and know of no recent recall on the Britax seats other than the one in 2004.

Do you have the tech installed the carseat? Name, number, email? Do you have record of your installation? I take it that they didn't perform a recall-search with your exact serial number, model number, DOM against the Transport Canada recall list?

I think this person might just bluffed it and said what he/she should not have without solid evidence. A big no-no.

[ophepan]

No I'm in Vermont (40 min drive from the border) Yes we received an "invoice" although it was free. I haven't really looked at it but we have one. Yes the only thing that we found online was a public notice, not an actual recall, on an A lok harness adjuster, so we were confused. I'm starting to think that guy didn't know what he was talking about now; made something up or confused it with another carseat.