Ford Explorer owners have reported 2 tether, lower anchor (on car seat or vehicle) related problems since 1996. Table 1 shows the 1 most common tether, lower anchor (on car seat or vehicle) problems. The number one most common problem is related to the vehicle's tether, lower anchor (on car seat or vehicle) (2 problems). For details of each of the problem category, use the links in the table.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Tether, Lower Anchor (on Car Seat Or Vehicle) problems |
While the car seat was properly installed and being used under normal conditions, the top tether strap pulled free from the anchor point. This caused the car seat to no longer be safely secured. The top tether is a critical safety component intended to limit forward movement of the car seat. Once the tether pulled free, the child’s safety was put at risk due to loss of proper restraint performance. The car seat has not been physically inspected by the manufacturer or other parties. The incident was reported to the manufacturer, but the manufacturer declined to evaluate the failure.
I have had to re-install the seat multiple times in the last 2-3 weeks because it keeps coming loose in rear facing mode. I installed the seat in early to mid-March. I first noticed it was loose on 4/26/24. I had it installed with the seatbelt at that time. I re-installed with the seatbelt and continued checking it daily until I noticed it being loose again within about a week. I again re-installed with the seat belt so it was secure and moving less than 1 inch side to side and front to back and continued checking for excess movement. I attended a cpst training the week of 5/6/24 and had my seats looked at by an instructor who told me it was done correctly. For the sake of practice, I installed it with latch instead and had an instructor confirm it was correct. That was all on 5/9/24. On 5/13/24 I had to re-install it yet again as the latch had loosened. I used the seatbelt that time and submitted a complaint to graco. Today, 5/15/24, I had to re-install twice, first with seatbelt and then with latch (around 6 pm) which at the time of this writing (8 pm) has held. The seat has repeatedly become loose after a proper install, putting my child at risk because of the seat moving more than one inch side to side which does not meet graco or cpst installation requirements. The remedy supposedly provided by graco to others is to use latch. However, in my situation that has not helped and in general that is not a long term solution since latch has weight limits. I’ve also heard from others that graco just tells them their seatbelt or vehicle is incompatible and nothing can be done. From what I can tell, it’s a known issue that graco hasn’t acknowledged.