BRITAX E9L06 (MARATHON) Complaints

BRITAX REAR FACING LOCK OFF'S. I AM A CERTIFIED CPS INSTRUCTOR. COUNTLESS TIMES I HAVE RUN ACROSS BRITAX SEATS (SPECIFICALLY THE MARATHON AND BOULEVARD) WITH REAR FACING LOCK OFFS THAT WILL NOT STAY LOCKED DUE TO THE ANGLE THE LOCK OFFS ARE POSITIONED OR IN SOME CASES THE THICKNESS OF THE SEAT BELT WEBBING. THE ONLY SOLUTION I HAVE COME UP TO KEEP THESE SEATS LOCKED INTO THE VEHICLE AT A CORRECT ANGLE IS TO USE A LOCKING CLIP INSTEAD OF THE LOCK OFF. I WAS TOLD BY MANUFACTURER TODAY (BRITAX) TO NEVER TO USE A LOCKING CLIP ON THESE SEATS BECAUSE IT WOULD BE CONSIDERED A MISUSE. THESE SEATS ARE UNSAFE TO USE IN THE REAR FACING POSITION IN MOST VEHICLES BECAUSE THE LOCK OFF WILL NOT STAY LOCKED AND THERE IS NO OTHER WAY TO KEEP THE SEAT LOCKED IN PLACE AT A CORRECT ANGLE. *NM

BOTH RUBBER SHOULDER PADS ON MY DAUGHTERS HARNESS BROKE IN TWO ON THE SAME DAY. AFTER SEARCHING THROUGH THE BRITAX USER MANUAL THAT ACCOMPANIED THIS SEAT, I COULDN'T FIND ANY INDICATION THAT THESE PADS WHERE NEEDED FOR OR WHAT THEIR PURPOSE WAS. AFTER CALLING BRITAX, I WAS TOLD THAT THE PADS WERE ESSENTIAL TO THE OPERATION OF THE SEAT AND NOT TO USE THE SEAT WITHOUT THEM. I ASKED IF THEY WERE SO IMPORTANT WHY THEY BROKE ON THE SAME DAY AND ALSO WHY THIS THE IMPORTANCE OF THEIR USE WASN'T MENTIONED IN THE USER GUIDE. BRITAX TOLD ME THAT THEY USUALLY BREAK AFTER ABOUT 2 YEARS WHICH IS HOW OLD MY SEAT IS. I ASKED BRITAX WHY THEY DIDN'T COMMUNICATE THIS TO CUSTOMERS OR EVEN BETTER INCLUDE EXTRAS WITH THE INITIAL SEAT ESPECIALLY SINCE THE SEAT IS SUITED FOR WEIGHTS 5 LBS - 65 LBS AND THEREFORE LONGER THAN 2 YEARS OF USE. THE BRITAX REP COULDN'T ANSWER THIS. THE REPLACEMENT STRAPS WERE FREE BUT I HAD TO PAY EXPEDITED SHIPPING TO GET THEM TO ME IN A SHORTER TIME FRAME THAN 1 WEEK. CONSIDERING I WAS INSTRUCTED NOT TO USE THE SEAT UNTIL I HAD REPLACEMENTS, THIS WASN'T MUCH OF A CHOICE. *NM

MY 2 YEAR OLD IS ABLE TO LOOSEN THE STRAPS ON HER BRITAX MARATHON CAR SEAT. IT IS NOT A SAFE DESIGN & NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. SHE KNOWS THE WORD "NO," BUT 2 YEAR OLDS ARE WILLFULLY. BRITAX SHOULD RECALL & REDESIGN. *JB

I HAVE TWO BRITAX MARATHONS FOR MY TWIN GIRLS AND SINCE THE AGE OF 2 THEY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO REACH DOWN AND PULL THE HARNESS ADJUSTER LEVER AND LOOSEN THEIR HARNESS STRAPS AND GET THEIR ARMS OUT OF THE RESTRAINTS. I HAVE CALLED BRITAX AND THEY DO NOT HAVE A SOLUTION FOR ME- I HAVE TRIED PINING DOWN THE FLAP BUT THEY DON'T NEED TO OPEN THE FLAB TO ACCESS THE LEVER. *NM

I HAVE A BRITAX MARATHON. DOM 2/7/06. THE BASE IS CRACKED AND BRITAX REFUSES TO REPLACE IT. *JB

BRITAX MARATHON CAR SEAT, MY SON IS ABLE TO REACH DOWN AND LIFT THE METAL BUCKLE WHICH ALLOWS THE STRAPS TO LOOSEN. WHEN REPORTED TO BRITAX THEY TOLD ME I MUST NOT BE SECURING HIM PROPERLY IN THE SEAT OR HE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO REACH IT SO I DOUBLE CHECK THE NEXT TIME I PUT HIM IN AND MADE SURE THE CLIP WAS AT ARMPIT LEVEL AND HE WAS STILL ABLE TO LIFT THE FABRIC COVER AND THE METAL LATCH. HAS HAPPENED A FEW TIMES SINCE THE ORIGINAL INCIDENT ALTHOUGH WE HAVE RESORTED TO USING A SAFETY PIN TO SECURE THE FABRIC PATCH SO HE CANNOT ACCESS THE METAL LATCH. NOT SURE OF THE DATE OF INCIDENT. *NM

WE OWN 3 BRITAX MARATHON CAR SEATS. MY OLDEST WHO IS 30 MONTHS OLD HAS FIGURED OUT THAT HE CAN RELEASE HIMSELF OUT OF HIS CAR SEAT BY PULLING UP ON THE LATCH AND HENCE RELEASING THE TENSION ON HIS SHOULDERS. NO ACCIDENTS HAVE OCCURRED TO DATE BUT THE RISK OF INJURY IS APPARENT. I CALLED BRITAX BUT THEY COULD NOT OFFER ME ANY SOLUTIONS. *JB

I HAVE A BRITAX MARATHON CAR SEAT MANUFACTURED IN JUNE, 2004. TODAY FOR THE FIRST TIME I ATTEMPTED TO LOCK IT IN THE FULL UPRIGHT POSITION, BUT WAS UNABLE TO DO SO. THE LOCKING MECHANISM HAS FAILED, DESPITE NEVER BEING USED. I CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS TOLD I NEED TO SEND IN THE SEAT FOR REPAIR, SO I WILL BE WITHOUT THE SEAT FOR ABOUT 2 WEEKS. I CALLED THE MARYLAND SAFE KIDS PROGRAM TRYING TO LOCATE A LOANER SEAT, AND THE FIRST QUESTION THE LADY ASKED WAS, "IS THIS A BRITAX MARATHON?" OBVIOUSLY MINE IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. I DO NOT KNOW IF THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, BUT IT CERTAINLY IS A FUNCTIONALITY ISSUE, AND SINCE ALL CHILDREN OVER 33 POUNDS MUST USE THE SEAT IN THE FULL UPRIGHT POSITION IT LIMITS ITS UTILITY PENDING REPAIR. HOW MANY PEOPLE MAY CHOOSE TO NOT HAVE THE REPAIR DONE AND USE IT IN AN UNSAFE MANNER DUE TO THE DIFFICULTY IN HAVING THE ITEM REPAIRED? I CALLED THE MANUFACTURER BACK AND ASKED IF THEY WOULD SEND A REPLACEMENT, AND I WOULD USE THEIR SHIPPING BOX TO RETURN THE DEFECTIVE SEAT. THEY REFUSED. IT APPEARS THERE IS A MANUFACTURING ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED TO ENSURE THE SEAT WILL BE USED SAFELY. *JB

I OWN A BRITAX MARATHON CAR SEAT (MODEL #E9W0605) AND MY 20 MONTH OLD CHILD IS ABLE TO LOOSEN THE 5 POINT HARNESS BY LIFTING UP THE VELCRO COVER AND PULLING ON THE RELEASE LATCH UNDERNEATH. MY CHILD WAS ABLE TO PULL HIS ARMS OUT FROM UNDER THE HARNESS AND WAS NO LONGER SECURED. I CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND THEY SAID THAT THIS IS A FUNCTION OF THE SEAT AND THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND A CHILD CAN BE SERIOUSLY INJURED IF THIS IS NOT CORRECTED. WHAT MAKES MATTERS WORSE IS THAT I SEE DOZENS OF THIS SAME COMPLAINT LISTED ON THE NHTSA WEB SITE AND IT APPEARS THAT NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. DOES A CHILD HAVE TO DIE BEFORE THE MANUFACTURER IS FORCED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM? *NM

BRITAX MARATHON SINCE REPLACING THE HARNESS ADJUSTER STRAP AFTER THE RECALL, THE HARNESS STRAPS DO NOT TIGHTEN ENOUGH, NO MATTER HOW HARD I PULL ON THE HARNESS ADJUSTER STRAP. I CALLED BRITAX AND THEY SENT A NEW HARNESS ASSEMBLY, BUT THAT HAS NOT CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. I WILL BE CALLING BRITAX AGAIN IN THE MORNING. I AM A CPS TECH, SO I AM CONFIDENT THAT THIS IS NOT USER ERROR. *NM