Method and sources

Every fact on CarSeatFacts comes from one of two kinds of source: the manufacturer's instruction manual for that model, or a recall record published by NHTSA, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Manuals

• Manuals are downloaded only from the manufacturer's own website or file host. If a host blocks the download, the manual is recorded as blocked and skipped.
• A fact is stored only when the manual states it explicitly. Nothing is estimated, converted between units, combined across modes, or copied from another model.
• Each fact keeps a short verbatim quote (25 words or fewer) and the PDF page number it comes from, so you can check it in the manufacturer's file. Page numbers are PDF pages, which can differ from the numbers printed on the page.
• When a manual does not state a fact, the page shows "Not stated in the manual".
• Some manuals are kept under review, for example an older manual that has not been matched to a current model number. Their facts are shown for reference only, they are left out of the comparison tables, and the page is not indexed by search engines.
• Each model page shows the manual's revision date when the manual prints one.

Recalls

• Recalls come from NHTSA's recall flat file for child restraints, for campaigns reported in 2016 or later. The file is refreshed monthly.
• NHTSA lists model numbers in its summary text or in the manufacturer's Part 573 report. Each campaign is mapped by hand to the model numbers and manufacture dates the source states, and a campaign shows on this site only after it is mapped.
• The recall check on a model page compares the model number and manufacture date you enter with those mapped rows. When the source gives no dates for a model number, every unit with that number is treated as included.

What is not on the site

• Safety advice beyond the manufacturer's own words, and rankings such as "safest seat".
• Any fact that the manual or NHTSA does not state.

Corrections

If you spot an error, write to contact@carseatfacts.com with the model and the page. Facts are only changed when an official source supports the change.