britax gives the slip

[abby]

Dear good folks,
I'd love any reactions to this my little saga.
Bought a cowmooflage MA 7/07(not a recalled one), to RF my 3 yr old.Also own a wizard and a regent.
So, around 1/08, it started to slip. I would tighten the adjuster strap, then pull-test the harness, and it would be firm, then pull again and presto....it pulls out like a big bunch of sloppy spaghetti, leaving the harness completely loose and my son un-held-in.
So, it sat around for a while and then I sent it to Britax in 3/08 , and they said the adjuster strap was worn, and was replaced. I had seen some wear on the edges(a little bit of fuzziness), they explained that if you pull out straight or up to tighten, that wears the strap out. It has to be pulled down only. Problem is, when RF, it was pretty impossible to pull down, as the seat is right up against the actual car's seat. Anyhow, here's my worry:
I found out they were not able to make the slipping happen with my seat at Britax. So, they were making an educated if likely guess about what the problem was, or maybe there was another problem too. It doesn't reassure me that they couldn't make it slip after changing the adjuster strap, because they couldn't make it slip before they fixed it, either!!Also, the packing peanuts I had used to mail it back were still clinging to the seat upon it's return , so, I wonder if they really pulled and tested the seat vigourously enough when it was there.
And the last thing, I see the same wear on the adjuster straps of my other 2 Britax's. Does this mean they too will start to slip? The wizard was originally RF, now my son is FF in all 3 seats. Upshot: i have had the MA sitting by the door since March, unused, because I'm too scared it will slip again, if they didn't find all the problems. I did call twice, and they just said, the strap was replaced, try it out (!!!), but didn't give me any info to address the doubts I raised above. eek! Any thoughts?
Abby

	Forward Facing Car Seats A forward-facing car seat is one in which the child sits facing the front of the car. The seat should be installed in the back seat of your vehicle. Most forward-facing only seats are for children above 20 pounds.

	Britax - Click for more info Britax International has been producing reliable child safety products for over 30 years. Not only does Britax have decades of experience creating car seats and other children's safety equipment, Britax has a long standing reputation as an industry leader and innovator. Britax International is headquartered in the United Kingdom, but Britax car seats are designed and manufactured at facilities in Germany, Austria, and the United States. In the summer of 2002, Britax strengthened their commitment to creating the safest car seats with the opening of a brand new, state-of-the-art crash testing facility in North Carolina. Britax car seats have a reputation around the world for being some of the safest, most reliable, and best designed child safety seats ever made.

	Rear Facing Car Seats A rear-facing seat is one in which the infant faces the back of the car. Always install a rear-facing seat in the back seat of your car. This is the safest position for an infant. NEVER place a rear-facing seat in the front seat of a vehicle with passenger airbags.

	Britax Regent - Click for more info The Britax Regent is the safe way to carry your older and larger passengers, all the way up to 80 lbs. Known as the "king of all car seats," the Britax Regent will accomodate your little king or queen for far longer than traditional car seats or booster seats. The Regent features a large roto-molded shell, comfy extra-thick comfort foam, washable covers, Patented Versa-Tether™, flexible buckle LATCH system, patented HUGS™ system, and tangle-free polyester 5-point harness.

[Papooses]

Originally Posted by abby

I would tighten the adjuster strap, then pull-test the harness, and it would be firm, then pull again and presto....it pulls out like a big bunch of sloppy spaghetti, leaving the harness completely loose and my son un-held-in.

Did this happen while you watched & made sure your child wasn't reaching down to lift the metal flap? That's the most common culprit & has an easy fix: hand stitch the fabric cover closed.

Also, the packing peanuts I had used to mail it back were still clinging to the seat upon it's return , so, I wonder if they really pulled and tested the seat vigourously enough when it was there.

That isn't worth making any assumptions over. I worked for almost 10 years in at a Prosthetics manufacturer: the peanuts are vile little things that just stick no matter how crazy one makes themselves trying to unstick them

And the last thing, I see the same wear on the adjuster straps of my other 2 Britax's. Does this mean they too will start to slip?

I've owned 5 Britaxes. After a while a tiny bit of fraying does occur on the edges, but once I realized my child was loosening the metal plate & figured out a solution, they have never slipped since. Our Husky expires in 2 summers & has been used daily for most of its life (currently on kid #2). It still has its original strap.

Have you consulted a local CPST for a hands-on look-see? If not, then that's where you should start since you don't feel confident in the response you've gotten from Britax. The CPST should be able to guage whether or not it needs to be reported to NHTSA.

Good luck!

	Britax - Click for more info Britax International has been producing reliable child safety products for over 30 years. Not only does Britax have decades of experience creating car seats and other children's safety equipment, Britax has a long standing reputation as an industry leader and innovator. Britax International is headquartered in the United Kingdom, but Britax car seats are designed and manufactured at facilities in Germany, Austria, and the United States. In the summer of 2002, Britax strengthened their commitment to creating the safest car seats with the opening of a brand new, state-of-the-art crash testing facility in North Carolina. Britax car seats have a reputation around the world for being some of the safest, most reliable, and best designed child safety seats ever made.