Car Seat Anger

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We spent the day at home on Sunday, so it seemed like a perfect opportunity to wash the car seat cover.  Monday morning I was deeply regretting doing it, as Boone had a humungous explosive poop while we were driving to Hugh's school. I had to clean up "poop boy" in the van and Hugh creatively placed a blanket over the wet poop spot on the car seat so I could get Boone home.

The seat was clean for less than 24 hours. Why do I even bother?

Needless to say, when we got home on Monday, I took the cover off and threw it in the wash again. Anyone who has EVER washed a car seat cover knows that taking it off and putting it together can be a bit of a puzzle, not to mention a tad bit on the frustrating side!

As I put the freshly was cover on Monday afternoon, I noticed the expiry date of our car seat. IT IS THE END OF 2014. WHAT???? That leaves us with only next year to use it. I felt completely angry and scammed. I checked the manufacturing date to see if Sears had sold us an "old" car seat. They hadn't. The seat was manufactured in 2008 and I am sure we bought this seat in late 2008 as Calder was born in March of 2009.

Our car seat looks brand new (now that the poop has been washed out). It is in mint condition. I find it unbelievable that it will be deemed "no good" at the end of next year. It's life expectancy is 6 years. Does the plastic break down after that time (if so, the car seat people should talk to the diaper people)? Or do the metal hinges begin to deteriorate? I seriously don't understand.

Is Transport Canada in cahoots with the car seat manufacturers? Unbelievable.
Brand new Calder in 2009
Brand new Boone in 2013
Ultimately, I would just like to know if there is any way to get a car seat re-certified? I would pay money not to have this put in a landfill next year. It seems like a tremendous waste. Makes me so mad.

Comments

  1. AnonymousJune 5, 2013 at 4:09 PM

    I understand your frustration. I have done all the research and plastic does begin to break down after 5 years. Especially in the Canadian climate of hot and hot extremes (it makes the plastic brittle). The only why to make the seat more durable is to make it metal framed, but in the case of the carrier that would make it to heavy. As far as the comparison to other plastic baby products...remember that they are not coming under the strain of something as serious as a car accident....hence the reason they don't expire.

    It sucks, but better safe than sorry I figure...

    For your next seat get one that is metal framed...it will weigh a ton, but the life of those seats is 9 years. Iso it will be the last seat (until a cheap low back booster) that Boone wil ever need (the diono radian or clek foonf are a good example.

    I went through all these question with a friend of mine that also happens to be a certified carseat technician....so if you want to know anything else....just contact me and I can ask her.....

    Becky J

    ReplyDelete
  2. Carey LehnerJune 5, 2013 at 5:23 PM

    I agree with Becky. I vaguely remember listening to a lady speak about car seat safety and there was a reason they are only valid for 5 years. If you are in a car accident, even a minor one, you are supposed to replace the car seat instantly.

    I do know that people use them longer than 5 years. I guess a person has to decide what they can live with if something happens. I'm also under the philosophy that better safe than sorry...

    Carey

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownJune 5, 2013 at 6:41 PM

    P.s. Alex is one his fourth seat (one switch because European standards aren't valid in Canada) one because he was too big Nd one because of an accident.

    Ethan is on his third and lily on her third (due to accident). I had three bucket carriers alone too because of expiry and or seat recall....

    ReplyDelete
  4. UnknownJune 6, 2013 at 8:11 AM

    Thanks guys. It does make me feel better to know that it is a safety thing. I just can't believe the plastic breaks down so easily! Better safe than sorry is right! (Still makes me sick that it is to be in a landfill in a year, though)

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousJune 6, 2013 at 6:27 PM

    Our bucket carseat had one year left, and after a particularly brutal winter, we took the base out of the van to switch it with the next size seat and the base shattered! So, we threw out the whole carseat.

    It does seem like a waste, but I thought carseats were 5-7 yrs...if yours still seems sturdy, I'm sure it would be fine to use it for an extra 6 mos or so just until Boone grows out of it.

    ReplyDelete
  6. KellyJune 9, 2013 at 8:16 AM

    Well I guess I am on the other side of this debate because I think it is RIDICULOUS that car seats need replacing every five years. WHAT A BLOODY WASTE! When I was a kid carseats got passed down to dozens of kids and I don't remeber there ever being a case where a car seat 'shattered'. Perhaps they should make them of a better material. If a disposable diaper takes over 500 years to decompose, how is that hard plastic starting to break down after 5?!?!? It is not logical to me.
    When both Jax and georgette were small we bought them used bucket seats. *gasp*! Why? because for me the new materials of a new car seat off gassing intense levels of pthalates, poly-carbons, and fire retardents was more of a real risk to my child's health than a car seat that was a couple years old and a very slim remote chance of an accident.
    In Canada it is now illegal to sell used car seats, even if they are only a couple months old. I think this is just another ploy to keep us buying stuff we don't need. You can have your old seat recycled, but it costs money and is not available at all landfill sites. I doubt very much most parents do this.
    I personally think with a good car seat like the Maxi Cosi one you have, it should be good for AT BARE MINIMUM 10 years as long as it has not been in an accident.

    ReplyDelete

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