Common car seat problems — and how to fix them : NPR
Elizabeth Kanagawa, certified child passenger safety technician, demonstrates how to adjust a car seat harness. She also owns Three Littles, a children’s store that sells car seats and strollers, among other things, in Washington, DC.
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Parents, are you Of course You installed your child’s car seat, right?
There’s little chance, according to Emily Thomas, associate director for auto safety at Consumer Reports. She is also a mom and a Ph.D. in the biomechanics of pediatric injuries, such as car accident injuries. “Rates of car seat misuse are currently quite high.”
According to data from the National Digital Car Seat Check Form (NDCF), 74% of the nearly 60,000 car seats checked by Child Passenger Safety Technicians (CPSTs) in 2025 were not used as the manufacturer intended. The main culprits? Improperly used seat belts, harnesses and tethers.
Although it can be difficult to be late for a doctor’s appointment or rushing to soccer practice, Thomas says it’s essential to take the extra time needed to examine your child’s car seat. This could be a decision that could save lives.
Traffic accidents remain one of the leading causes of death among children in the United States, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Research shows that car seats and booster seats can significantly reduce this risk, when used correctly.
Thomas, who is a CPST, explains the main car seat mistakes and how to correct them. Our guide on proper installation is Elizabeth Kanagawa, CPST and owner of Three Littles, a children’s store that sells, among other things, car seats and strollers, in Washington, DC.
Mistake #1: You have seat belt problems
Nearly 60% of misuses of car seats – and the main mistake – concerned the seat belt, according to 2025 data from the NDCF. This often means the car seat base isn’t secure enough to the car with the seat belt for some reason, Thomas says.
Tighten and lock this seat belt
A car seat needs to be securely attached to your vehicle, says Kanagawa. If you can wiggle the base, it’s a sign that you may need to tighten your seat belt or LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) system more tightly to your car seat.
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Imagine if your driver’s seat moved or slid a little every time you took too big a turn or hit a bump in the road. This is what you you want to avoid getting to your child’s car seat.
Make sure the seat belt securing the seat is latched and tightened, says Thomas. “Pull the seat belt out of the retractor until you hear a click, which means it has gone into locking mode.”
Then, slowly reinsert it into the retractor while applying firm downward pressure with a knee or hand on the base of your car seat, says Kanagawa. This ensures that it is as secure as possible.
Kanagawa shows what a securely attached car seat base looks like.
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The car seat should not “move more than 1 inch from side to side or back and forth when you pull on it.” this beltway,” explains Thomas. Check your work when you have finished installing your car seat base by shaking it firmly where you put on the seat belt.
Thread it into the designated belt path
Convertible or all-in-one car seats have two sets of belt paths: one for the forward-facing position, shown on the left, and one for the rear-facing position, shown on the right.
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Another common mistake with seat belts is using the wrong belt path. If you use a convertible or all-in-one car seat, there is usually one belt path for rear-facing and another for rear-facing. These paths are designed to bring your car seat as close as possible to the vehicle seat, depending on its orientation.
Look carefully at the labels on your car seat, then feed your seat belt through the designated path, Thomas says.
Mistake #2: Your harness is wobbly
The second most common problem, according to 2025 NDCF data, involved the harness or set of straps that secure your child in their car seat. Nearly 60% of CPSTs found that owners were not using them correctly.
Adjust the height of the straps
People often don’t realize that the height of your child’s harness depends on whether they face forward or backward, Thomas says. During a car accident, the forces act differently depending on the direction of the seat. So you want to place the harness at a height that can help control the child’s movements and reduce the risk of injury.
For a rear-facing seat, position the harness strap level or slightly below your child’s shoulder,” she says. For a forward-facing seat, the harness should be level or slightly above the shoulder.
Do the pinch test
If you can pinch your child’s harness strap, as shown in the photo above, it’s too loose, says Kanagawa.
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Your harness must hold your child securely in place. To check if the straps are tight enough, “pinch the harness strap at your child’s shoulder with your thumb and index finger,” says Thomas. You shouldn’t be able to pinch a strap, or a strap, between your fingers.
Consider the chest clip and crotch buckle
The chest clip – the loop that connects the straps together – should be at the level of your child’s armpits, says Thomas. These clips “ensure that the car seat straps stay on your child’s shoulder in the event of a collision and help restrain them.”
The crotch buckle should be positioned in front of your child’s knees. If your child is sitting on the buckle, move it forward one notch.
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Make sure your child is not sitting on the crotch buckle, the clip between your child’s legs that secures the harness straps together. It should be placed right in front of your child’s knees.
“There are usually multiple slots for the crotch buckle, so make the appropriate adjustments,” says Thomas.
Mistake #3: Assuming the clip is optional
Remember to attach the tether in a forward-facing car seat. It should be straight and tight, says Kanagawa.
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The third most common car seat misuse problem involved tethers, according to 2025 NDCF data. These long straps hang from your child’s car seat, acting as an additional anchor point for forward-facing car seats and preventing them from tipping forward.
People sometimes forget this element or consider it optional, Thomas says, but it is essential. Attach the tether to the rear seat anchor point of your vehicle. Depending on the car, this may be located on the parcel shelf, seat back, ceiling or floor.
If you can, keep your child in a rear-facing seat for as long as possible, within the height or weight limit specified by the manufacturer, says Thomas. This position is more protective in the event of a car accident.
When in doubt, consult your car seat manual (many car seats have a convenient pocket for this reason) or contact a local car seat installation expert for help, says Thomas.
Like so many other aspects of parenting, Thomas recognizes that car seat management can be “difficult and impractical”.
But it’s important. “So take the time to educate yourself. You’re doing great, and what you didn’t know before isn’t a big deal,” she says.
This story was edited by Meghan Keane. We would love to hear from you. Leave us a voicemail at 202-216-9823 or email us at LifeKit@npr.org.
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