Car seat expiration: how to find the date and check for recalls
Car seats have a useful life that their manufacturer sets. Find the label on the seat that gives its date of manufacture and model number, then check the label, the manual or the manufacturer’s website for how long the seat can be used. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises against using a seat past that point, and the same two details let you check the seat for recalls.
Find the date
- Find the label. Look over the seat, and its base if it has one, for the manufacturer’s label. NHTSA’s used-seat checklist says a seat should have labels stating its date of manufacture and model number, which you need to find out whether there is a recall on the seat or whether it is too old.
- Note the two details. Photograph or write down the model number and the date of manufacture. Some seats also print a “do not use after” date.
- Look up the lifespan. If no expiration date is printed, check with the manufacturer, in the manual or on its website, to find out how long it recommends using the seat.
- Make the date hard to miss. A calendar reminder a month or two ahead gives you time to replace the seat.
Check it for recalls
Search the seat’s brand and model in NHTSA’s recall lookup (choose Car Seat), or ask the manufacturer. If you find a recall, NHTSA says to contact the manufacturer, because some problems can be fixed.
Then register the seat with its manufacturer, using the card that came with it or the maker’s website, so the company can contact you directly about recalls and safety notices. NHTSA also sends car seat and booster seat recall alerts through its free SaferCar app and by email.
No recall on record doesn’t make a seat safe to use. It still needs to be within its lifespan, free of moderate or severe crashes, complete, and installed correctly.
When to stop using a seat
- It is past its expiration date, or past the period the manufacturer recommends.
- It has been in a moderate or severe crash. NHTSA recommends replacing a seat after one. A crash counts as minor only if all of these are true: the vehicle could be driven away, the door nearest the seat wasn’t damaged, nobody in the vehicle was injured, the air bags (if any) didn’t deploy, and the seat has no visible damage. Some manufacturers recommend replacing a seat after any crash, so follow your seat’s instructions.
- It has a recall that hasn’t been fixed.
- Its labels are missing. Without the date and model number you can’t check the seat for recalls or tell how old it is.
Buying or borrowing a used seat
The American Academy of Pediatrics advises avoiding a used seat if you don’t know its history. NHTSA’s checklist says a second-hand seat may be okay to use only if every one of these is true:
- it has never been in a moderate to severe crash;
- it has labels stating its date of manufacture and model number;
- it has no recalls;
- it has all its parts (missing parts can sometimes be ordered from the manufacturer);
- it has its instruction book (which you can also order from the manufacturer).
For choosing and installing a seat, NHTSA’s car seat pages explain the seat types by age and size, and certified technicians at inspection stations will check your installation, free of charge in most cases.
Where Recall Bell helps
Add your seat to Recall Bell with its brand and model number, mark it as a car seat, and enter its “do not use after” month. The app reminds you a month before that date. Car seats are one of ten categories you can watch, and any notice that matches what you watch explains why it matched, with the remedy first.
Recall Bell doesn’t replace registering the seat with its manufacturer, which is how the maker reaches you directly, and it can’t guarantee that every recall will appear or match.
Recall Bell is coming soon to iPhone and Android.
Sources
- NHTSA: Used Car Seat Safety Checklist
- NHTSA: Car Seat Use After a Crash
- NHTSA: Car Seats and Booster Seats
- NHTSA: Check for Recalls: Vehicle, Car Seat, Tire, Equipment
- American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org: Car Safety Seats: Information for Families
Recall Bell is an independent app from intellidip. It is not a government service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by NHTSA, CPSC, FDA or USDA. The agencies’ own lookups are free and are the official record. This guide is general information, not legal advice.