The latch system is specifically designed to be a certain distance apart so that the car seats can be tightened down properly. I’m definitely no expert, BUT I researched the hell out of it and also took the car seat class at the hospital. First thing the guy said was to NOT use one latch from each side for middle placement. He did say that the middle seat was fine but it had to be installed with the seatbelt method. Very few vehicles have a middle latch.

I think a lot of it is basically a liability game. LATCH is made to be 11" apart, period. Unless the vehicle manufacturer or seat manufacturer has tested LATCH configurations outside of the 11" standard, it's not officially supported.

Here's a list of car seat manufacturers that allow LATCH widths outside the norm: The Car Seat Lady - Car seats that allow center LATCH

However, since Toyota hasn't said you can use the side seat LATCH for a car seat in the middle for the 4Runner - it supersedes what the car seat manufacture says.

Is your kid gonna die if you get into an accident? Probably not, but it isn't an officially supported configuration.

Friend of mine did the baby safety first aid and seat installation course. He basically said that its not secure enough till you've had a knee with all your weight into that sucker..then crawl out sweating.

Yes, sure, it is possible. Your child's car seat can be installed in the middle of the 2nd row. Indeed, the principle of insulation is the same as when you install it near the window. Honestly, the main thing is to choose good construction characteristics of a baby car seat. It must be durable and safe for all possible situations, have comfortable armrests and a neck holder so in case of an accident or if your child falls asleep he wouldn't break his cervical vertebrae. You can compare some possible models here Best Baby Gear of 2020: Top 75 Products - Mommyhood101 and you will understand that there are such seats that you can put in the middle and there are such that better not to buy at all.

Old OP post but I wouldn't put baby seat in the middle for one reason only: you will hurt your back pulling it up that far away from the door.

Sorry to hijack this tread. Newbie here not allowed to post new tread but in the market for a 4runner.

Will it be possible to put one cars eat on the side and another one in the middle? I have been looking for a photo of such configuration but it seems most people will put 2 car seats on each side. The reason I might need to do it is when grandma visits and she can still squeeze in the 2nd row with my 2 kids(one toddler one baby) next to her.

Not wanting the 3 row version since I like 4runner for it's big trunk space, and of course many other things.

You cannot fit 3 car seats in the 2nd row of the 4runner. With my 3 kids I have a car seat in the center and 2 booster seats on the ends. I doubt a person can sit in the 2nd row if you have 2 car seats installed. Very little space at that point.

Check out the Diono Radian Q car seats. They are some of the slimmest car seats (can fit 3 across) while offering great protection and flexibility/longevity in use.

So confirming when you install a baby seat in the rear center seat, you have to use the seat belt and can’t use the anchors from the side seats in this vehicle??!!

Correct

Yep, I've been through this as well with our car seat base. There is absolutely no way to anchor the seat to the middle, you have to use the seatbelt. Thankfully my seat base does both, but I don't see why Toyota wouldn't have given us anchors in the middle as well. I searched high and low for anything resembling an anchor and found nada

I have yet to see a vehicle with anchors in the center middle row seat, though some full size or newer vehicles might have them if wide enough, but my 2011 Volvo XC90, 2010 4R LE, and 2008 F150 do not.

That said, I've used the latch anchors just fine with a seat in the middle. Use the two inner anchors from the side seats and it's barely a wider angle, especially in the 4R since it is a pretty narrow middle seat. And when used in conjunction with the upper tether anchor on the rear of the seat it is solidly connected and doesn't move.

I now use Britax clicktight car seats that use the seatbelt, which have a higher weight limit than the latch anchors do anyway. Helpful with 3 car seats across the middle rows!

Biggest danger would be two car seats to a single latch anchor, never do this as it would almost certainly exceed the strength of the anchor in a severe crash.

My 2012 Honda Odyssey has them.


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I have moved my rear facing seat 3 times this week. lol I did the split anchor thing by placing it in the rear middle but it just wasn't as tight as I wanted to and I been told your not supposed to split the inner anchors unless told its okay.

I tried the rear driver's side and I just couldn't recline my seat to the way I wanted to.

I now am trying the rear passenger's side which is awesome but it will be a pain to take the baby out bc of the other suv parked to the right side inside the garage. I got more room in the left side. LOL

I did notice that using the anchors in the left or right seat is way more secure than using the middle... Huge difference.

Another question, I am using a seat protector( I know some car seat companies don't like you using it) but will these dents in the leather pop out ever or am I SOL ? lol

Not 100% why but I do know it is not recommended to use the anchors on other seats (using anchors to install in the middle seat). Do not remember an exact reason when I went through a safety course a few years back for work. I think it is in the manual as well, plus wouldn’t want to deal with the insurance if something happened. Most insurance companies will replace your car seat regardless of the degree of accident if properly installed.
I do know you do not want to use an anchor in conjunction with a seatbelt.
I believe if there is a cup holder fold down piece then there cannot be anchors on that seat in newer vehicles. But that rule might have changed, these car safety rules are always changing it feels.