Car seat expiration dates?

ahava20

Have any of you heard of this?  All the information I could find online seems to say that car seats have a 6 year life span.  My brother is sending me his and it is 2 years old.  Do you know where to find more information about this? Once i get the car seat, i will find the model number which i am sure will help in my research, but any advice you have would be appreciated! TIA.

Autumn_bride2b

Yes, the plastic can become brittle and crack.

tnpjuly04

If you lookup the make and the model online, it will tell you the expiration.  6 years is pretty common, but I've seen up to 9 years.  ALSO, if the seat has been in an accident, it's not safe to use.  Gotta get a new one. HTH.

JARbaby

Yes they expire and it depends on the maker, I believe Britax is 6 years.

If you are using it beyond the expiration and in an accident insurance can refuse to pay for a new seat or any medical bills involved.No place will install or inspect an expired seat either.

madhatter2003

Yep, they do expire.  The date will be printed on the sticker on the bottom/back of the seat.

Mrs.tlcS

It should be right on the seat (it's imprinted in the plastic on DD's SnugRide).

ahava20

Thank you for all your advice. I will look for the sticker once it arrives. It is a Graco. Do you know how long these typically last?  If the plastic gets brittle, then i assume you would also need a new base, right? i am sorry if these are stupid questions, i am just trying to figure all this out!

Mrs.tlcS

We got ours in 2008, and it expires in 2014, so that's 6 years for my SnugRide.

getnmarried910

The expiration date is imprinted on the carseat on the back or bottom.  The reason behind the expiration date is because carseats sit in the car, get hot, cold, sun on them and it breaks down the composition of the plastic.  The infant seat we got for DD, then used for DS expires in 2011. 

getnmarried910

ahava20:

Thank you for all your advice. I will look for the sticker once it arrives. It is a Graco. Do you know how long these typically last?  If the plastic gets brittle, then i assume you would also need a new base, right? i am sorry if these are stupid questions, i am just trying to figure all this out!

Ours is a Graco Snugride (we got in Sept. 2006) and it's 2011.  Maybe it's 2012.  I should look again.  One of those two. 

Boizmom

Yes, car seats have an expiration date.  Every manufacturer is different though.  When you get the car seat, look for the model number and the manufacture date.  Call the company, give them the info and they'll tell you how much longer you have to use it.  That's what I did with my son's car seat.  It was an Evenflo and I still had 5 years to use it so I was able to reuse it with my 2nd.

The problem though of using a used car seat that wasn't yours orignally is making sure it was never in a car that was in wreck.  If it has been, then it needs to be tossed.  Even the slightest wreck will compromise the plastic of the car seat.  (Some car insurances will even replace your car seat after you have been in a wreck btw.)  Anyway, if you are positive that your brother's car seat has never involved in a wreck then it should be just fine.

J&JSuiter070205

LOL children are supposed to remain in car seats for years now, so a 2 year old car seat is still practically new. We have had both our car seats for 1.5 years now.  5 or 6 years is the "expiration".