Nearly a million vehicles have defective mounting points for child seats, research shows

Nearly a million vehicles currently on U.S. roads are open recalls related to defective child seat mounting pointspotentially putting millions of children at risk, according to new data from CARFAX.

The recalls affect LATCH systems – short for Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children – a federally required safety feature in most vehicles made since 2003. LATCH systems use built-in metal anchors and tie-down points to secure car seats without relying on seat belts, keeping young passengers firmly in place during a crash.

CARFAX said its analysis shows that hundreds of thousands of vehicles have been recalled in recent years due to problems associated with defective LATCH connectors, including defective welds, misaligned anchors and protective coatings that can interfere with proper installation.

California buds the list of states with the most unfixed LATCH recalls, with approximately 132,900 affected vehicles, followed by Texas with approximately 89,800 and Florida with approximately 60,700. New York ranks fourth with about 51,400 vehicles, while Ohio ranks fifth with about 42,300.

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Pennsylvania follows with about 40,900, Georgia with about 37,500, and North Carolina with approximately 33,600. Illinois ranks ninth with about 30,200 vehicles still being recalled, and Virginia rounds out the top 10 with about 27,900.

CARFAX did not name specific manufacturers, but said the affected vehicles are spread across a wide range of makes and model years. It added that administrators, especially parents and caregiversshould check whether their vehicles are affected.

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CARFAX said the analysis found that hundreds of thousands of vehicles had been recalled in recent years due to problems related to defective LATCH connectors. (iStock)

“LATCH systems are designed to protect our most vulnerable passengers,” said Faisal Hasan, CARFAX vice president of data. “These recalls are not limited to just one automaker or model year, so parents should immediately check to see if their vehicle has an open recall and schedule free repairs as soon as possible.”

CARFAX reminded parents and caregivers that even with LATCH systems, proper installation remains critical. (iStock)

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Even with LATCH systems, child seat abuse remains common, CARFAX noted, making proper installation critical.