LATCH System for 2001 Forester???

[Ken Rivera]

My wife and I are about to have our first baby. We received as a gift a car
seat which has LATCH tie-downs. I looked in the car, but I don't see them.
I don't think our 2001 Forester is LATCH equiped. Can I add LATCH anchors
now as an aftermarket add???

Ken Rivera

 

[F. Plant]

My wife and I are about to have our first baby. We received as a gift a car
seat which has LATCH tie-downs. I looked in the car, but I don't see them.
I don't think our 2001 Forester is LATCH equiped. Can I add LATCH anchors
now as an aftermarket add???

2001 legacy had them. Check with your dealer to see if they can retrofit
them or if the vehicle does have them.

F. Plant

 

[Stu Hedith]

My wife and I are about to have our first baby. We received as a gift a car
seat which has LATCH tie-downs. I looked in the car, but I don't see them.
I don't think our 2001 Forester is LATCH equiped. Can I add LATCH anchors
now as an aftermarket add???

Ken Rivera

As a 2001, I would be SHOCKED if it were not equiped for the anchors.
It likely won't have the hooks/loops installed, but the anchor points
for the hooks should be there. I have an Audi wagon and mine are on the
backs of the rear seats. Look for plastic plugs/covers that would line
up with the center of the seating positions. You can get the hooks from
your local dealer for a few bucks. I installed the hooks in my wife's
Accord sedan. I had to drill through the cardboard decking (where the
rear speakers are) and there were pre-threaded anchor points to screw
the hooks into. Likewise on the wagon, it came equipped with one hook,
but you can easily move it among the three positions as it is held in
place with an allen bolt.

Stu

 

[Bill Radio]

Ken,
We have an '01 Forester, and the 3 LATCH hooks are in the ceiling. We use
it 100% of the time with the car seat.

-Bill Radio

 

[Andrew J. Perrin]

If I'm not mistaken, LATCH is different from the ceiling hooks, and
came later. The upper, rear anchors were required as of around 1999
models, but they are essentially supplemental to the seatbelt-based
anchor. LATCH refers to anchors between the seat back and the seat
itself, used instead of the seat belts to hold the seat in place. I
doubt if those can be added aftermarked, but frankly you should be
fine using the seat-belt method to anchor the seat.

http://www.aap.org/family/latch.htm

 

[Bill Radio]

Andrew,
I believe you are correct. I thought about it and looked it up after I
posted.

-Bill

 

[David & Caroline]

LATCH didn't become widespread in cars until the 2002 model year (at which
point it may have become mandatory) - easy way to check if you have it - it
will have little indicators (usually say "child" or "Latch") along the base
of the rear seatback - the latch system is used to replace the seatbelt as a
means of holding the child safety seat in place. The top tether anchors,
while also important, are not LATCH anchors. If you want to find the latch
hooks, run your hand in the gap between the rear seat bottom and the rear
seat back - you should find two loops for each seating position (well - one
might be shared with an adjacent seating position - there should be 4
hooks - one on either end of the seat, and one on either side of the center
position)

My '02 WRX has them, along with the 3 upper anchors.

Many car seats which are Latch compatible can also be used just fine with a
seatbelt - latch equipped usually means they come with the strap to attach
to the latch anchors - but it goes through a channel which you can also put
the seatbelt to use as an anchor.