| Author | Message | ||
     Grant Lawson (Grant) Member Username: Grant Post Number: 95 Registered: 01-2003 |
Hello all, My local dealer said there would be a parts and labour charge for installing the tether straps in my 97 disco. this is the first time i have heard of any dealer charging for this, as a matter of fact i have heard of grandparents getting their wrecks sorted out free of charge by the Other manufactures, any input? | ||
| Brian (Bthaxton) Member Username: Bthaxton Post Number: 97 Registered: 02-2003 |
Grant, I would call the LRNA toll-free number. Be nice, act naive, and ask them. I haven't seen this situation before, but it doesn't sound right. | ||
| Alyssa Brown (Alyssa) Senior Member Username: Alyssa Post Number: 604 Registered: 01-2003 |
Do you already have the child seat tether anchors installed in your '97? They absolutely did not come on your car already. If you don't, it is completely valid that they charge you to install them. There is most certainly a parts and labor charge for doing this. If you are asking them to help you put your car seat in, I can't even believe that they would help you with it. There is such an incredible liability issue for the dealer that we can't touch baby seats. | ||
| Grant Lawson (Grant) Member Username: Grant Post Number: 96 Registered: 01-2003 |
I don't want them to put the car seat in, I Know all about the liability stuff, it is the actual installation of the tether bolt above the back door, center. Other manuacturers will install these in cars that don't have them, with a smile on their face, they put 2 in my baby mama's car, FREE!!(Saturn), and no one i have talked to has ever paid. The tether bolt is a part of all newer seats which insures stability of the seat. Any way, i am going to rig it to the seatbelt bolts with some strapping, it seems that the tether strap attachment is center in the headliner, above the rear door, which means the strap runs up diagonally through the cargo space and vertically through your rear view.... | ||
| Alyssa Brown (Alyssa) Senior Member Username: Alyssa Post Number: 614 Registered: 01-2003 |
Well, I'm sorry, Grant, but the installation costs money & they will charge you for it. I've never heard of anyone having them put in for free in any car manufacturer. It's certainly nice they did it in the Saturn, but unusual. | ||
| Shaun Power (Shaunp) Member Username: Shaunp Post Number: 248 Registered: 05-2003 |
How come US cars don't have them from new. Australian cars have always had them from new (since 1990). There are 3 above the tail gate in the roof rail covered with plastic plugs. | ||
| Alyssa Brown (Alyssa) Senior Member Username: Alyssa Post Number: 618 Registered: 01-2003 |
Shau, I'm not sure, but we didn't get them until mid 2001. Now they are on all cars, along with the LATCH system. I'm sure it's a governmental thing... the automakers didn't want to have to put them in all cars & change manufacturing to do it. | ||
| Tony DiFranco (Nhrover) On Probation Username: Nhrover Post Number: 112 Registered: 11-2002 |
So I take it that the 2000 D2 does not have the latch system either? I guess I had better get some parts put on in a hurry! Good thing i saw this thread We have a little one due in a few weeks. -Tony | ||
| Alyssa Brown (Alyssa) Senior Member Username: Alyssa Post Number: 619 Registered: 01-2003 |
You can't install LATCH in a vehicle... your car must already have it. The seats are completely different in a LATCH equipped vehicle. Sorry, Tony, you'll just have to use the seatbelt to strap the seat in. | ||
| Shaun Power (Shaunp) Senior Member Username: Shaunp Post Number: 251 Registered: 05-2003 |
Alyssa I think it must be a government thing. I think all Australia passenger cars have had to have them since the 80's My dad has a 1980 XJ6 Jag that has them fitted. I just looked in Factory D1 workshop manual and it states child restraint attachment was Australian market only. It is a trafic offence here not to have Children in an approved seat. | ||
| Brett A. Naquin (Bnaquin) Member Username: Bnaquin Post Number: 86 Registered: 09-2003 |
Ford, Mercury, Honda and Toyota dealerships DO install tether bolts free of charge (from personal experience at dealerships in the San Antonio area). The only dealer I've heard of that charges is Land Rover (this from Alyssa’s post). I can understand why they charge since they are taking time and material to do the work but something tells me that if so many other manufactures are doing it at no charge, it’s probably because they're afraid of some legal action by NOT performing the installation free of charge. It makes me wonder if Land Rover is missing the big picture here. Are they exposing themselves to a greater liability by charging to install a tether harness? Maybe someone in the legal field can answer that question. I find my daughters car seat is extremely secure in our ’95 Disco using the center, rear seat belt and attaching the tether to the mounting ring for the rear seatbelts. She loves riding in the Disco because she has a superior view from the elevated backseat. | ||
| Big Ed (Sandman) Member Username: Sandman Post Number: 69 Registered: 02-2004 |
I found many articles (around car 15 makers) like this one: "Volkswagen and Audi announced that they will retrofit many older model year Volkswagen and Audi vehicles, which are not factory equipped with modern upper child seat tether anchors, at no charge to the customer." However, I never found one for Land Rover. I think the only other car maker not offering the FREE retrofit was Ferrari (YES, Porsche is FREE!) Looks like you'll be paying for the retro-fit. On the other hand, if you have the cargo tiedowns these work just as good for the tether attachment. My buddy uses them on his 99 Disco. SandMan | ||
| Grant Lawson (Grant) Member Username: Grant Post Number: 98 Registered: 01-2003 |
GREAT DISCUSSION!! Thanks!! Grant | ||
| Lance Doyle (Discokayaker) New Member Username: Discokayaker Post Number: 26 Registered: 11-2003 |
Dodge retrofits the child tether for free on older vehicles. Had it done to my Durango before getting rid of it. FWIW. . . Lance | ||
| Grant Lawson (Grant) Member Username: Grant Post Number: 99 Registered: 01-2003 |
so, Alyssa, i ask again, what is LR's problem? maybe take it over to non tech now?... | ||
| Alyssa Brown (Alyssa) Senior Member Username: Alyssa Post Number: 621 Registered: 01-2003 |
Grant, please don't act like this is me making these decisions! Call LR customer service and complain if it's that big of a deal. I in no way influence what LRs policy decisions are. | ||
| Rob Caulfield (Wrldky) Member Username: Wrldky Post Number: 114 Registered: 02-2003 |
Grant, we just swing the tether strap over the seat and secure it to the eyelets that the seatbelts are attached to in the cargo area. | ||
| Curt Perlman (Cnote) Member Username: Cnote Post Number: 46 Registered: 01-2004 |
I can't believe that some of you will spend money on a LR, but not spend whatever it costs to have your child properly restrained. It seems absurd to me. As Alyssa said, "Call LR customer service and complain if it's that big of a deal." Seriously, either use the seatbelts or spend the money to install LATCH, but to rig a system to hold your child in could be the dumbest thing I have ever heard. Why would you do your own "engineering" not knowing if it will hold up in an accident. | ||
| Big Ed (Sandman) Member Username: Sandman Post Number: 76 Registered: 02-2004 |
Curt, The cargo tiedowns are more than sufficent for a childs seat tether attachment point. You can not "install LATCH", it comes in the seat configuration. You would need to reconfigure with new LATCH rear seats. I totally agree with the spending money thing. If your kids aren't worth the 60 bucks, what is? SandMan | ||
| Grant Lawson (Grant) Member Username: Grant Post Number: 101 Registered: 01-2003 |
woah. Alyssa ,I was just commenting on what seemed to be a rigoras defence in your initial reply on the LR Policy. I know its not your fault.(I think, LOL). LR is probably the only car maker that doesn't do it for free, go figure. lets leave it at that. I will rig it behind the seat, same thing just different location, actually should be more stable in the "rigged" location. For anyone that is still confused, a new car seat is supposed to be seatbelted AND tetherd,in a non LATCH auto thus the need for modification. LR seems to be the only company that bills for this. I'm out | ||
| Curt Perlman (Cnote) Member Username: Cnote Post Number: 50 Registered: 01-2004 |
SO PAY FOR IT! I CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU WOULD "RIG" ANYTHING!!! How can be 100% sure it will hold up the way it should in an accident? Why would you EVER take that chance. | ||
| Mark Albrecht (Markalbrecht) Member Username: Markalbrecht Post Number: 128 Registered: 11-2002 |
FYI 2002 was the year the US required that all passenger autos have car seat tethers installed as standard equipment. LATCH was required in 2003 (if memory serves). The probable reason for LR passing the cost onto the consumers is that a new interior molding piece is required to expose the center tether (over rear door) which results in parts and labor expenses. Many other manufactures retrofit a eyelet on a bolt to a nut welded somewhere in the car. Parts are $5.00 and labor is merely cutting through the carpet piece over the nut. It's simple economics. BTW if you use a seatbelt mounting point as a tether anchor, you should not use the same ones that secure the seatbelt holding in the car seat. | ||
| David Hunter (Angrydave) New Member Username: Angrydave Post Number: 17 Registered: 08-2003 |
Yeah posting an opinion here is asking for trouble. NOTHING gets people more on their High Horse and feeling holier than thou than car seat issues. (witness CURT) Land Rover is really the only dealer charging for this, but out local dealer does it no cost. I have a 2002, so I didnt need it, but some folks have. Get a Britax seat, nothing needs to be rigged, I have two in the Disco, and I'll put the third in the Truck when that baby gets here. Dave | ||
| Curt Perlman (Cnote) Member Username: Cnote Post Number: 56 Registered: 01-2004 |
David, there is no "high horse!" I think it is as simple as saying that anyone that will not do whatever is necessary to have their childs life protected is an idiot! Plain and simple. I have never said, and will never say, that I am better than anyone else here. I just cannot understand why anyone would ever in their right mind take a chance with their child's saftey. Like I said before, if you can afford a LR it is flat out selfish and sick to not also be able to afford to protect your child properly. If I owned a LR and could not afford to protect my child at the same time, than I would sell the LR! My child is more important to me than anything. | ||
| Grant Lawson (Grant) Member Username: Grant Post Number: 103 Registered: 01-2003 |
giddy yup | ||
| Roger Sinasohn (Uncle_roger) Member Username: Uncle_roger Post Number: 48 Registered: 06-2003 |
We have 6 car seats for our two-year-old. We just bought a new infant seat for the impending doom. We would rather install a car seat in each car (Mine, my wife's, my mother-in-law's, etc) and make sure it's installed right, than save some money and take a chance installing a single seat in each car. So, if I felt it necessary to get the latch system installed, I would pony up the money right away. However, if I knew that it was standard industry practice to do the installation for free and my dealer wanted $80, I might ask about it as I pulled my wallet out. After all, that's money that could buy more wooden trains or balls or whatever. | ||
| Timothy A. Green (Tree_trimmer) Member Username: Tree_trimmer Post Number: 41 Registered: 02-2004 |
Yup, I have to get on the high horse also. Please don't RIG anything that is supposed to protect your baby's life. I see cars all day long with parents or grandparents holding babies in their laps in the front seat of airbag equipped cars and children, front and back unrestrained. Just because a driver may drive for decades without an accident doesn't mean something won't happen tomorrow that might be out of the drivers control. Please buckle up and restrain your children, you are their ultimate protector. Sorry, but I just had to say it. |
