Get Seating and Safety Restraints -> Child Safety Seats Guide for Tesla Model-Y SUV 2023

Child Safety Seats

Guidelines for Seating Children

Your Model Y seat belts are designed for adults and larger children. You must restrain infants and small children in a

rear seating position only, and you must use a suitable child safety seat appropriate for the child’s age, weight, and

size.

WARNING: Never seat a child on a rear-facing child seat with an ACTIVE AIRBAG in front of it. DEATH or

SERIOUS INJURY to the child can occur. See Airbag Status Indicator on page 44.

WARNING: Never seat a child on a seat with an ACTIVE AIRBAG in front of it. DEATH or SERIOUS INJURY to

the child can occur.

WARNING: Always ensure that all Model Y seats are locked in position before traveling. Failure to do so

increases the risk of injury. Pay attention to all warnings displayed on the touchscreen.

WARNING: Do not associate the Easy Entry setting with the driver's proﬁle when a child is seated in the

second row. Doing so can cause the driver's seat to push against the child, especially when a child is seated in

a forward-facing child seat or booster seat. Do not rely on Model Y to recognize or accommodate a child

seated in the second row while using this setting (see Driver Proﬁles on page 50).

Refer to the following label located on the sun visors.

NOTE: The image shown below is representative only and may not be identical to the label(s) in your vehicle.

Model Y has an occupancy sensor in the front passenger seat that controls the status of the passenger front airbag

(see Airbags on page 43).

When driving with a child seat on the front passenger seat, always double-check the status of the

passenger front airbag to conﬁrm that it is OFF.

To protect an adult subsequently occupying the front passenger seat, check to verify that the

passenger front airbag is ON.

MODEL Y Owner's Manual

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Child Safety Seats

Choosing a Child Safety Seat

All children age 12 and under should ride in the second and third row seats. Always use a child safety seat suitable

for a young child’s age and weight. The following table is based on child safety seat recommendations determined

by the National Highway Traﬃc Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the United States (for more information, go to

www.nhtsa.gov/ChildSafety/Guidance).

Infants

Toddlers

Young children

Age

Birth to 1 year*

Over 1 year*

4 years and older, and

less than 57 in.

(145 cm) tall

Weight

Up to at least 20 lbs (9 kg)** Over 20 lbs (9 kg) (minimum) Over 40 lbs (18 kg)

and up to 40 lbs (18 kg)*

Type of child safety seat

Seat position

Rear-facing (or convertible) Forward-facing (or

convertible)*

Seat belt retained

booster seat

Rear-facing only*

Forward-facing*

Forward-facing

Recommended attachment If combined weight of child

If combined weight of child

and safety seat is up to 65 lbs using the seat belt

(29.5 kg), attach using either

LATCH** (both lower anchors

Attach booster seats

method

and safety seat is up to 65

lbs (29.5 kg), attach using

either LATCH** (lower

only.

anchor only) or the seat belt and top tether anchor), or the

only.*** If combined weight

of child and safety seat is

seat belt and upper tether

strap.*** If combined weight of

over 65 lbs (29.5 kg), attach child and safety seat is over

using the seat belt only.***

65 lbs (29.5 kg), attach using

the seat belt and upper tether

strap.***

* Many child safety seats currently available allow children to ride rear-facing using the child safety seat’s

integrated 5-point harness for a longer period of time BASED UPON SPECIFIC HEIGHT AND WEIGHT LIMITS. Keep

your child in a rear-facing seat for as long as possible. CHECK THE CHILD SAFETY SEAT MANUFACTURER’S

INSTRUCTIONS AND CAREFULLY FOLLOW ALL INSTRUCTIONS

** ISOFIX is the international standard for attachment points for child safety seats in passenger cars. The system

has other regional names including LATCH ("Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children") in the United States and

LUAS ("Lower Universal Anchorage System") or Canﬁx in Canada. It has also been called the "Universal Child

Safety Seat System" or UCSSS.

*** Subject to instructions provided by the child safety seat manufacturer.

WARNING: Laws that govern how and where children should be carried when traveling in a vehicle are subject

to change. It is the driver’s responsibility to keep up to date on, and comply with, all current regulations in the

region(s) where Model Y is driven. To check the child passenger safety laws for states in the U.S., go to: http://

www.ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/laws/childsafety_laws.html.

WARNING: Do not use LATCH/Isoﬁx/i-Size anchors with child safety seats or booster seats that have an

integral safety belt where the combined weight of the child plus the child safety seat exceeds 65 lbs (29.5 kg).

WARNING: Do not use Easy Entry (as described in Driver Proﬁles on page 50) to automatically move the

driver's seat to the full rearward position if a child safety seat is installed in the second row located behind the

driver's seat. With reduced clearance, the movement of the seat may impact a child's legs, cause injury, or

dislodge the seat.

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Child Safety Seats

1. Place the child safety seat in Model Y, and fully

extend the seat belt. Route and buckle the seat belt

in accordance with the child safety seat

manufacturer’s instructions.

Seating Larger Children

If a child is too large to ﬁt into a child safety seat, but

too small to safely ﬁt into the standard seat belts, use a

booster seat appropriate for the child’s age and size.

Carefully follow the manufacturer’s instructions to

secure the booster seat.

Installing Child Safety Seats

There are two general methods used to install child

safety seats:

• Seat belt retained - these seats are secured using the

vehicle’s seat belts.

• LATCH retained - these seats attach to anchor bars

built into the second row seats.

Check the child safety seat manufacturer’s instructions

and the table provided in this document to determine

which installation method to use. Some child safety

seats can be installed using either method. Always

follow the child safety seat manufacturer’s instructions.

2. Allow the seat belt to retract, and remove all slack in

the seat belt while ﬁrmly pushing the child safety

seat into the Model Y seat.

Installing Seat Belt Retained Child

Seats

3. If the seat belt retained child safety seat has an upper

tether, attach it to the back of the seat (see Attaching

Upper T e ther Straps on page 39).

First, make sure that the child safety seat is appropriate

for the weight, height, and age of the child.

Avoid dressing the child in bulky clothing and do not

place any objects between the child and the restraint

system.

Installing LATCH (ISOFIX) Child

Seats

Adjust harnesses for every child, every trip.

Lower LATCH anchors are provided in the second row

outboard seats. The anchors are located between the

seat's back rest and rear cushion. The exact location of

each anchor is identiﬁed by a child safety seat

identiﬁcation button, illustrated below. The button is

located on the seat, near the associated anchor.

To securely hold child safety seats, all passenger seating

positions are equipped with an automatic locking

retractor (ALR) that, by pulling the seat belt beyond the

length needed for a typical adult occupant, locks the

belt into place until the seat belt is unbuckled and the

webbing is fully retracted. The ALR mechanism operates

as a ratchet, winding in slack and preventing the seat

belt from extending any further until it has been

completely rewound. When installing a child safety seat,

engage the belt's automatic locking retractor by pulling

the seat belt webbing until it is fully extended. The ALR

system engages only when the seat belt is at its

maximum extension point.

NOTE: An automatic locking retractor disengages only

when the seat belt is unbuckled and fully retracted. The

belt can then be worn as a normal belt, sliding freely in

and out and locking tight only in an emergency. Once

disengaged, the belt must be fully extended to re-

engage the locking mechanism whenever you install a

child safety seat.

Always follow the detailed instructions provided by the

child safety seat manufacturer. General guidelines are

provided below.

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Child Safety Seats

In the second row, install LATCH child safety seats in the

outboard seating positions only. Use only a seat belt

retained seat in the center position.

Once installed, test the security of the installation before

seating a child. Attempt to twist the child safety seat

from side to side and try to pull it away from the seat,

then check to ensure the anchors remain securely in

place.

To install a LATCH child safety seat, slide the safety seat

latches onto the anchor bars until they click into place.

Carefully read and follow the instructions provided by

the child safety seat manufacturer.

Attaching Upper Tether Straps

NOTE: Lower LATCH anchors should not be used with

child seats or booster seats that have an integrated

safety belt in situations where the combined weight of

the child plus the child restraint is more than 65 lbs (29.5

kg). In these situations, use the safety belt instead.

If an upper tether strap is provided, attach its hook to

the anchor point located behind the seat.

NOTE: The location of anchor points may not be readily

visible but can be found by identifying a slice in the

seat's material.

WARNING: Tighten upper tether straps according

to the instructions provided by the manufacturer

of the child safety seat.

WARNING: USE ONLY SEAT BELT RETAINED

CHILD SAFETY SEATS IN THE CENTER SEATING

POSITION.

NOTE: If Model Y is equipped with seven seats, the third

row seating positions are not equipped with LATCH

anchors. Use only seat belt retained child safety seats in

a third row seating position.

Make sure the hook is fully seated on the anchor point.

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Child Safety Seats

For dual-strap tethers, position a strap on each side of

the head support.

WARNING: Before running a tether strap OVER a

head support, you MUST LOWER the head support

(see Head Supports on page 31).

For single-strap tethers at the outboard seating

positions, run the strap over the outside-facing side of

the head support (same side of the head support as the

seat belt retraction mechanism).

For dual-strap tethers in the third row (if equipped),

position both straps over the head support.

If running the strap over the outside-facing side of the

head support is not possible (such as there is not

enough slack in the strap), raise the head support (see

#unique_133 on page ) and run the strap under the

head support.

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Child Safety Seats

2. If the seat moves more than one inch (2.5 cm), it is

too loose. Tighten the belt or reconnect the LATCH

retained child safety seat.

3. If you are unable to reduce slack, try a diﬀerent seat

location or try another child safety seat.

Child Safety Seat Warnings

WARNING: Extreme hazard! Do not seat a child on

the front passenger seat even if you are using a

child safety seat. This seat has an airbag in front of

it. Although this airbag is disabled when Model Y

detects a lightweight passenger, do not rely on

technology to protect your child.

WARNING: Seat belt retained child safety seats are

designed to be secured in the vehicle using lap

seat belts or the lap belt portion of a lap-shoulder

seat belt. Children could be endangered in a crash

if their child safety seat is not properly secured.

WARNING: According to collision statistics,

children are safer when properly restrained in the

second row seating positions than in the front

passenger seat.

For a single-strap tether in the third row (if equipped),

position the strap over the head support.

WARNING: Do not use a forward-facing child

safety seat until your child weighs over 20 lbs (9

kg) and can sit independently. Up to the age of

two, a child's spine and neck are not suﬃciently

developed to avoid injury in a frontal impact.

WARNING: Do not allow a baby or infant to be

held on a lap. All children should be restrained in

an appropriate child safety seat at all times.

WARNING: To ensure children are safely seated,

follow all instructions provided in this document

and by the manufacturer of the child safety seat.

WARNING: Children should ride in a rear-facing

child safety seat using the seat’s integrated 5-

point harness for as long as possible.

WARNING: Do not use seat belt extenders on a

seat belt that is being used to install a child safety

seat or booster seat.

WARNING: When seating larger children, make

sure the child's head is supported and the child’s

seat belt is properly adjusted and fastened. The

shoulder portion of the belt must be away from

the face and neck, and the lap portion must not be

over the stomach.

WARNING: Never attach two child safety seats to

one anchor point. In a collision, one anchor point

may be incapable of securing both seats.

Testing a Child Safety Seat

WARNING: Child restraint anchors are designed to

withstand only those loads imposed by correctly

ﬁtted child restraints. Under no circumstances are

they to be used for adult seat belts, harnesses, or

for attaching other items or equipment to the

vehicle.

Before seating a child, always make sure the child safety

seat is not loose:

1. Hold the child safety seat by the belt path and try to

slide the safety seat from side to side and front to

back.

WARNING: Always check harnesses and tether

straps for damage and wear.

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Child Safety Seats

WARNING: Never leave a child unattended, even if

the child is secured in a child safety seat.

WARNING: Never use a child safety seat that has

been involved in a collision. Have the seat

inspected or replaced as described in the child

safety seat manufacturer’s instructions.

MODEL Y Owner's Manual

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Airbags

Location of Airbags

Airbags are located in the approximate areas shown below. Airbag warning information is printed on the sun visors.

Model Y is equipped with an airbag and lap/shoulder belt at both front seating positions. The airbag is a

supplemental restraint at those seating positions. All occupants, including the driver, should always wear their seat

belts whether or not an airbag is also provided at their seating position to minimize the risk of severe injury or death

in the event of a crash.

1. Knee airbag

2. Front airbags

3. Seat-mounted side airbags

NOTE: The following vehicles are equipped with a seat-mounted airbag on the inside portion of the driver's seat:

◦ Vehicles manufactured at Gigafactory Berlin after approximately January 2022.

◦ Vehicles manufactured at Gigafactory Shanghai after approximately the end of June 2022.

◦ Vehicles manufactured at Gigafactory Austin after approximately the end of October 2022.

◦ Vehicles manufactured in Fremont after approximately the end of February 2023.

4. Curtain airbags

Opening and Closing

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Seating and Safety Restraints -> Child Safety Seats for Your Tesla Model-Y SUV 2023

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