BRITAX E9L06 (MARATHON) Complaints

DT: THE CONTACT'S SON HAS BEEN ABLE TO LOOSEN THE HARNESS ADJUSTER STRAP SINCE AGE TWO. HE WAS ABLE TO REACH THE LATCH BETWEEN HIS FEET. THIS ENABLED HIM TO MOVE FREELY IN THE SEAT. THE CONTACT CONTACTED BRITAX. THEY WERE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND WERE DESIGNING A NEW SYSTEM. *AK

WE HAVE A BRITAX MARATHON CAR SEAT (MAN. 2003). THE SEAT HAS WHAT APPEARS TO BE A MAJOR DESIGN FLAW. THERE IS A STRAP RELEASE BETWEEN THE CHILD'S LEG THAT CAN BE EASILY LOOSENED BY THE CHILD HIM/HERSELF. IF YOU LIFT THIS RELEASE, YOU CAN PULL AND LOOSEN THE STRAPS, ENABLING THE CHILD TO GET OUT OF THE SEAT. VERY LITTLE PRESSURE IS NEEDED AND THIS IS SOMETHING OUR 2 1/2 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER HAS EASILY BEEN ABLE TO DO WHILE SHE HAS BEEN PROPERLY BUCKLED IN. THEY HAVE A LESSER MODEL CALLED THE ROUNDABOUT THAT HAS A PUSH BUTTON RELEASE. THIS APPEARS TO BE A BETTER OPTION, SINCE THE CHILD DOESN'T HAVE THE STRENGTH TO OPERATE THE BUTTON. I SPOKE WITH BRITAX TODAY, AND THEY TOOK MY COMPLAINT, BUT THAT'S AS FAR AS IT WENT. THIS IS A BIG CONCERN FOR ME. THIS IS A REAL DANGER, ESPECIALLY IF THE CHILD ISN'T PROPERLY RESTRAINED. BRITAX TOLD ME THAT IT'S UP TO THE PARENTS TO TELL THE CHILD NOT TO PULL AT IT. WHILE THIS MAY BE TRUE, IT'S ALSO UP TO THE CAR SEAT MANUFACTURER TO RELEASE A PRODUCT THAT CHILD CAN'T SO EASILY MANIPULATE. I FEEL THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL AND THEY NEED TO FIX THIS DESIGN. *NM

3 YEAER OLD CHILD ABLE TO LOOSEN THE SHOLDER STRAPS ON A BRITAX MARATHON CHILD SEAT BY ENGAGING THE RELEASE MECHANISM.

MY 18 MONTH OLD CAN EASILY REACH THE STRAP ADJUSTER (BETWEEN HIS LEGS) AND COMPLETELY LOOSEN HIS CAR SEAT STRAP. BRITAX SAYS THEY ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT CANNOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THIS IS VERY VERY DANGEROUS. OTHER SEATS HAVE THIS LEVER MUCH LOWER AND OUT OF REACH. *NM

BRITAX MARATHON CONVERTIBLE CHILD SAFETY SEAT HARNESS CAN BE LOOSENED BY MY 20 MONTH OLD CHILD. EVEN THOUGH HE IS TIGHTLY STRAPPED IN, HE CAN VERY EASILY REACH THE HARNESS RELEASE WITH HIS FINGERS, LIFT IT UP, AND WITH HIS WEIGHT PULLING FORWARD ON THE STRAPS IT CAUSES THE HARNESS TO LOOSEN. I CALLED BRITAX WHO INFORMED ME THEY HAD NO SOLUTION FOR THIS PROBLEM AND REFERRED ME TO INTERNET SITES ON HOW TO DEAL WITH CHILDREN WHO CAN GET OUT OF THEIR SAFETY SEATS. *JB

DT: CONTACT STATES TWO YEAR OLD SON CAN LEAN OVER AND FLIP THE ADJUSTER THAT ATTACHES TO THE TETHER STRAP, ENABLING HIM TO CLIMB OUT OF THE CAR SEAT. THE CONSUMER TRIED TO CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER, BUT HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO CONTACT THEM. *AK

DT: CONTACT STATES THE ADJUSTER LEVER THAT IS LOCATED IN THE FRONT OF THE CAR SEAT TO TIGHTEN THE HARNESS CAN BE ACCESSED BY THE CONSUMER'S TWO CHILDREN AND THEY ARE ABLE TO RELEASE THE STRAP. *AK

THE BRITAX MARATHON SAFETY SEATS HAVE A SAFETY STRAP RELEASE MECHANISM THAT IS TOO EASY FOR CHILDREN TO OPERATE. TO RELEASE (LOOSEN) THE SAFETY STRAP, ONE LIFTS UP ON A METAL LEVER BETWEEN THE CHILD'S LEGS ON THE LOWER FRONT PART OF THE SEAT. THE LEVER IS COVERED BY FABRIC THAT IS SECURED WITH VELCRO, BUT THE COVER IS EASY TO REMOVE AND THE LEVER IS EASILY OPERABLE EVEN BY WEAK LITTLE FINGERS. THE ROUNDABOUT SEATS REQUIRE THAT A BUTTON BE PUSHED TO LOOSEN THE SAFETY HARNESS, WHICH IS MUCH SAFER AND (THANKFULLY) NOT YET SOMETHING MY TODDLERS ARE STRONG ENOUGH TO OPERATE. QUICKLY AND EASILY LOOSENING THE STRAPS ON THEIR MARATHON SEATS IS NO PROBLEM, HOWEVER. OVERALL, I HAVE NOTHING BUT HIGH PRAISE FOR THE BRITAX SEATS, BUT THIS ONE FEATURE COULD BE REALLY DANGEROUS, IF OTHER PARENTS WEREN'T AWARE OF HOW EASILY THEIR CHILDREN CAN LOOSEN THE MARATHON HARNESSES. *NM

DT: BRITAX MARATHON MODEL # E9L0605, DOM 12/10/2003. WHEN CONSUMER' S 22 MONTH OLD CHILD WAS PLACED IN THE CHILD SAFETY SEAT, WAS NOT SECURE IN CHILD SEAT. WHILE DRIVING THE CHILD WAS ABLE TO LIFT THE HARNESS ADJUSTER LEVER AND LOOSEN THE HARNESS STRAPS FROM THE CHILD SAFETY SEAT. CONSUMER FELT THE LOOSE HARNESS INCREASED THE RISK OF INJURY IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH. DUE TO THE POSITION OF LEVER, CONTACTED BRITAX, WHO RECOMMENDED THAT CONSUMER RETURN CHILD SAFETY SEAT TO RETAILER ,AND DID NOT WISH TO HEAR ANY FURTHER COMPLAINTS. CONSUMER HAS NOT RETURNED CHILD SAFETY SEAT AT THIS TIME. NO ALTERATIONS OR CORRECTIONS WERE MADE ON THE CHILD SEAT. *AK

DT: BRITAX MARATHON, DOM 4-27-04. CONSUMER'S CHILD WAS 18 MONTHS OLD AND WAS 25 LBS. WHEN HE PULLED ON THE LEVER AND LEANED FORWARD SHOULDER STRAPS LOOSENED. THEN HE WAS ABLE TO CLIMB OUT OF THE SEAT. THE LEVER WAS EASY FOR THE CHILD TO REACH. THE CONSUMER FELT THAT THIS WAS DANGEROUS TO HER CHILD BECAUSE HE WAS NOT CORRECTLY RESTRAINED. THERE WERE NO OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THE CHILD SEAT. *AK