Infiniti FX Owners Forum (The Org)

I am finally planning to get an 07-08 FX35 in a couple on months and I read this by what seems to me a very special case lady. Is there some truth to that or simply BS?
I have a 1 year old baby

Quote:
Moms (and Dads too) beware this is not a family vehicle if your children are in a car seat age. I'm used to drive my 2004 Subaru Forester and after using my husbands car for 1 whole day I prefer the Forester or the Honda Accord we used to own 10-1. First this car lacks the security hooks for both rear and front facing car seats causing a rear facing car seat to turn on its side and due to a poor seat belt mechanism you cannot turn it up again because the seatbelt locks forcing you to park and dismount the car seat. Also other small details like the lights don't turn off when you shut down the car etc where a bummer when I'm used to have that in my Forester and the door on the visor mirror has broken twice in the fist two months needing replacement.
But the most important thing is that the security concerns of children not being safe in a car seat in this vehicle has made us doubt of our choice.

you're only installing 1 car seat...relax.
i have 3(2 regular and 1 booster) in the back of my FX, and they all fit just fine and are secure.

I have NO experience with car seats, but it seems like she never found the LATCH hooks for the FX which are a bit hidden so they don't make things uncomfortable for regular passengers sitting in the rear seat... do a search for "child seats" or "childseats" and you'll find a bunch of threads... MANY people on here have childseats in their FXs and have little or no problems... and the FX is VERY good in crashes so overall, I would find it a very safe vehicle for your family...

lol
I have 1 child indeed so I cannot complain
I did read some threads indeed regarding childseats... but found that comment strange/funny just wanted to confirm that.
Thanks!

True: the 04 lights do not turn off when car is turned off. Otherwise, total BS. Visor mirror door issue sounds like user error...

I've had mine since our son was born... he's just over a year old now.

We had a Maxi Cosi Mico for the first year. I used the center spot and belts instead of LATCH because it didn't force us to move the passenger seat up at all. They say it's safer anyways in the middle if you can. Now we have a Britax Marathon that faces forward. Popped into the LATCH in no time at all and the rear tether anchor was a cinch too. Super secure and easy to install.

It sounds like she was installing the seat improperly to me or something. Overall, I still love the FX. Sometimes I wish it had a bigger cargo area... but that's only on those long daytrips or super shopping excursions. I still love the fact that when you're alone - or when the child isn't with you... it's a very fun car to drive... and it's a looker to boot.

You can use latch in the middle too- just borrow the inner anchors from each side.

I call BS!
All vehicles (in recent years) are required to have the LATCH system. You don't have to use it - but it is there. The FX LATCH hooks are not clearly visible and do not stick out - like some other vehicles.
http://www.car-safety.org/latch.html
http://www.nhtsa.gov/

The FX is a very safe car. That being said - it is always prefered to place the car seat in the middle of the vehicle if at all possible.
- and, like someone mentioned - User Error!
Rear facing seats are a tight fit, front facing - not so bad. My son can kick the back of the pass seat easily. Not a lot of room for a stroller, but i have managed for over 3 1/2 years. The FX is no Suburban or Armada if you are looking for interior room.
Many fire stations still do 'car seat installations' - please contact your local station. Once you see it installed once, you will see how it's done and easy enough to do after that on your own.

My son is 3 1/2 and loves the FX.
"Daddy, press the Go Fast button!" 'Reb the engine daddy, reb it!" (rev)

PLUS - the FX is so much more fun to drive than a minivan!

Huh? Really? I wonder if this is a setting issue... I think on my 07 there's a timer I can use for when the lights turn off... I just have it set right now so they turn off when I lock the car with the FOB but I think there were settings up to 5 mins so the FX can illuminate the area while you're walking to your front door if it's dark out... also, I keep my lights on AUTO so that might have something to do with it?

This original complainant is the type of person who scores vehicles poorly because of a lack of education and understanding. They are what drives car manufacturers and dealerships to point out and give orientations on the most mundane and basic things. Sometimes it's needed.

I have a 6 year old and a 2 year old in the FX35. The 2 year old has been in the FX since birth so he has been in a variety of different seats. Contrary to the original complaint, the FX is actually better than most vehicles because the angle of the seat back can be adjusted to properly match the car seat making it more secure and stable. You can find a lot of vehicle seat backs that are often at an angle that makes the base not sit/rest properly or it tilts the child in a manner that defeats the design of the seat which is to avoid the child to be too vertically upright. The LATCH anchors are extremely well hidden on the FX and unlike a lot of other cars, you don't access them between the seat base and the seat back, you go through an opening in the seat back and this might be why she didn't find them.

That rear facing DVD player wasn't put there for adults.

AUTO may fix that- I only turn 'em on when I actually turn em 'on.

First of all, different car seat models attach different ways, or can have the option of attaching multiple ways. Some have permanent bases that the seat/carrier can "click" into. Some are full seats and some are boosters.

The 1st gen FX does have the safety brackets bolted to the chassis in the crack between the seat and the seat back. I used them on our car seat, which is equipped with arms that can extend and/or pivot from the car seat bottom to engage the safety brackets at the correct angle. It could be the OP didn't understand their own seat features or didn't read the seat manual, or that particular seat wasn't compatible with the FX.

There is also a ceiling anchor in the FX (also accomodated on our car seat), and most car seats give you the option of using the seatbelt to secure the car seat. This does allow movement, but no more than if an adult was sitting there with a belt on. If the car seat mfg says you may secure it that way, it meets federal and state safety standards and will work as advertised.

If this particular car seat didn't use one of those three methods, then I can't imagine it was a popular or common product. I have it feeling it wasn't the seat, but the person using the seat.

Jumbosrule
the car seat should NOT move at all. If it does, it I installed incorrectly. Think of your drivers seat - does it move? No
you move in the seat - just as the child will move in their seat- but the actual seat does not move. If you grab the seat and rock it side to side, the whole car should rock also. Think of it as part of the car.

Infant seats should not move (and with the latch system, including the roof anchor, combined with the seatbelt, mine didn't) at all, no matter side or center placement. Booster seats that only keep the kid in with the seatbelt do move. My understanding is that if you use the latch system, it shouldn't move at all. With booster/convertable seats (which may be what Jumbos is talking about?) and just the seatbelt, it will move a little- less is better.

Ahhhh... then it's the same on my 07... and there's a chime when you get out for that... I think it's the same for ALL cars... so you can turn on the lights, even if the ignition isn't on... so you can find things in the dark...

Infiniti compiled a list of seats that will fit their cars. http://www.infinitiusa.com/ownership/snug-kids.html

BTW - borrowing the 2 inner sides of the LATCH system is unsafe and NOT how you are supposed to install the seat in the middle position. This is specifically stated in the manual. It's your life, so just an FYI.

Yea I tried the center latch workaround, and I couldnt get the seat as tight as I wanted sitting on that hump. On the side its in there rock solid. Not worth the risk to me.

No, I'm sorry this is incorrect. If using the latch system - then not much movement. Use the seat belts and there is no way to prevent movement. Even looking at the car seat manual (the one I have) the instructions say some movement is unavoidable - even when combining securing the seat with a seatbelt AND the ceiling anchor.

You can't compare the driver's seat to a car seat - just silly! The car seat is meant to be a secured "passenger" - not a permanent part of the car's structure - though of course it would be safer if that were true. I'm just saying different models have different features & attachment methods and you can't make a sweeping statement saying the car seat should not move at all. My point was that you need to read the directions for your particular seat to know for sure - I'm betting something this particular lady from the OP didn't do.

I'm an engineer and my wife is a pediatrician. You better believe we are all over safety for our kids.

I gotta agree . Every car seat I buckle in I kneel into the car seat while pulling on the belt adjustments to get it fully tight. In my Avalon there is no latch system, so we have the Britax in using the rear lap/shoulder combo belt. It is very difficult to even get it 95% tight, especially when you have to use that metal rectangular buckle attachment accessory (or whatever its called). If it was just a lap belt, then it is possible to get them fully tight.

With our 5 grandkids, I prefer to use duct tape but my wife frowns on that so she has two full time car seats in her 06 FX and we have never had a problem!

MMMMmmmm... you just reminded me of a story... one of my friends was up at the cottage but forgot her swimsuit... so her boyfriend made her a bikini... out of duct tape...

Wait, wouldn't the duct tape remove...............oh nevermind.

Let's just say the FULL story was quite interesting...

PM me the full story.