How do I find out if a used car seat is good?
Monday, February 8th, 2010 at
8:50 pm
I bought a used car seat. The date of manufacture on it is about 5 years old. Can I call or take it to the hospital or fire station and have them check it out? Will they also be able to check if there have been any recalls for it?
I want to make sure it’s still safe, of course, but how?
Thanks.
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A used car seat is _never_ good unless you know its entire history. If it’s been in a smash, it will be unsafe - the structure will have used up its shock-absorption capability - and there’s no way anyone can tell that from looking at it or checking its serial number.
Bin it. There are plenty of things for which secondhand is perfectly safe which you can save money on. Car seats and cot mattresses are about the only two exceptions.
The fire station will do it. Good luck. And yeah, they’ll be able to tell if it’s been recalled. Or just search the manufactures name on Google and see if there’s any recalls.
If it’s five years old, I wouldn’t use it. Most people consider car seats to be "expired" at that point–and besides, how do you know if it’s been in a wreck or not? Once a car seat has been in a wreck, it’s automatically time to get a new one. Even a minor wreck can damage the seat and render it less effective in future crashes. If you do take it to the fire station or hospital, they will likely tell you the same thing. I’d just buy a new one–baby’s safety is worth it, and there are other things you can skimp on.
you can check with the hospital and online under the brand name and recalls.
they will tell u that a used one is never good.
do u know if the car seat was ever involved in any type of vehicle accident?
Its not RECOMMENDED
Looks can be decieving,
Its easy to hide any marks n claen it up to make it look nearly used or in great condition bt U DONT KNOW,
It could have been involved in a collision or been stored correctly which could then affect its safety.
If i were u i would try n save n get a brand new 1 or maybe borrow off a friend or family some1 u trust, IT IS for UR BABYS SAFETY
U can get a new 1 from argos that quite cheap n will be up to safety standard…. ARGOS £29.99 NO 376/3650
I think you can go on line..
look up the manufacture or just run down to your nearest Fire Dept..
they do check all the time..
about telling people how/ and what is the proper way to install a car seat..
They should no if there has been a recall on it..
Good luck
I had a brand new car seat that was in my moms car. It was used maybe 3 times and in great condition. I wanted to donate it to the goodwill or salvation army. They would not except it because they would never have a way of knowing if it was in a car wreck. So i don’t know if i would use the car seat unless it came from a reliable source.
Also there should be a product number on the car seat you can go to the website or call the company give them the product number and check for any recalls.
Lastly the police dept does have a safety dept and some one will help/make sure it is installed correctly. Call your local pd.