Car seat dilemma

[My_First]

And this REALLY helps with Maxi cosi fitting and their car list!

But do remember even if you car is not there, it should be just fine with just the seatbelt alone. My OH car is not on that list, but it fits fine in his car..

https://www.maxi-cosi.com/ot-en/carselector

 

[new bride]

Hi Girls

I dont know if my reply is too late to help any of you but here goes:

We have put a lot of research into this as we are having the same problems. The short seatbelts are a ford standard issue thing. We have an 07 C Max and it too has the most fiddly belts I've ever seen. Ford work closely with Britax and we have found that their seats fit best.

For the C Max we cant seem to get ISO fix but this is because the rear footwell has a false floor in it (its a storgae area) and the ISO fix isn't classed as safe. We went into Ford and enquired about the ISO fix points and they are indeed built in as standard from 2004 (ish) onwards - you just cant see them. The option of having them from new is having them VISABLE. The fixing points are behing the foam on the back seats, where the backrest meats the actual seat.

I will provide you with a link that I found, you would just need to buy a fitting pack for a fiesta, not a C Max. Alternatively we were advised to locate the points then just push the foam back from the sides until it anchors at the other side of the point. This way you can cover them up again when you have finished with them.

Hope this helps, and wasn't confusing x

https://spinage.me.uk/23/retrofitting-isofix-for-a-ford-focus-c-max/

 

[new bride]

Oh and sorry, I was just browsing over from 2nd tri

 

[angelic000]

I have a W reg (2000) ford fiesta zetec and also encountered frustrations with re to car seat. However I went to Halfords and got them to install the easybase 2 (attached with seat belt and the arm fixed to the floor) and can then click the Maxi Cosi Cabriofix to the easy base. Minnie do you have a sports model? Just wondering re the incompatibility. I really am annoyed at car manufacturers and childrens car seat manufacturers. Isofix has been around since the late 90's yet very few models seem to have the Isofix points in them - yet children car seats have been mandatory for years it is a complete joke. Why do they have to make our lives so difficult and complicated. Grrrrrrrrrrr

 

[Minnie_me]

No, it's not a sports model - just a bog standard 5 door Fiesta. I am hoping to have another look at the options after the weekend - check if mum's car does indeed have isofix and take it from there.

Thanks everyone for all your helpful replies - if nothing else I feel better knowing I am not alone facing this problem and that there are options. You rock!

 

[angelic000]

Your car sounds the same as mine as mine is a 5 door Fiesta. V reg must be 99 model? You have me a bit worried now about this seat belt issue. But I did get Halfords to fit it and they didn't say anything about that. have you gone for a second opinion? Not many cars seem to have the isofix points.

Good luck Minnie x

 

[peonies]

Hi Girls

I dont know if my reply is too late to help any of you but here goes:

We have put a lot of research into this as we are having the same problems. The short seatbelts are a ford standard issue thing. We have an 07 C Max and it too has the most fiddly belts I've ever seen. Ford work closely with Britax and we have found that their seats fit best.

For the C Max we cant seem to get ISO fix but this is because the rear footwell has a false floor in it (its a storgae area) and the ISO fix isn't classed as safe. We went into Ford and enquired about the ISO fix points and they are indeed built in as standard from 2004 (ish) onwards - you just cant see them. The option of having them from new is having them VISABLE. The fixing points are behing the foam on the back seats, where the backrest meats the actual seat.

I will provide you with a link that I found, you would just need to buy a fitting pack for a fiesta, not a C Max. Alternatively we were advised to locate the points then just push the foam back from the sides until it anchors at the other side of the point. This way you can cover them up again when you have finished with them.

Hope this helps, and wasn't confusing x

https://spinage.me.uk/23/retrofitting-isofix-for-a-ford-focus-c-max/

Oh that's really useful info, thankyou! So that suggests that my 08 Fiesta does have isofix points, they're just hidden beneath the leather? I'm worried about the short seatbelt thing, we fitted the base ourselves but the little circles do seem to be green... doing it wrong doesn't bare thinking about though! So maybe I should suck it up and take a knife to the leather... eek!

 

[babyboyduejan]

do you need to by the isofix base and easybase thing as i have the maxi cosi car seat too but when i bought it from the pram centre the women never asked me if i was wanting to buy that aswell so nowimconfused i thought you just needed the car seat:s thanks

 

[Minnie_me]

do you need to by the isofix base and easybase thing as i have the maxi cosi car seat too but when i bought it from the pram centre the women never asked me if i was wanting to buy that aswell so nowimconfused i thought you just needed the car seat:s thanks

You don't have to have a base, can fit with seatbelts. The bases are preferred by people because it is quicker and easier to clip the seat in and out

 

[babyboyduejan]

thanks very much was getting confused there

 

[peonies]

Hi Girls

I dont know if my reply is too late to help any of you but here goes:

We have put a lot of research into this as we are having the same problems. The short seatbelts are a ford standard issue thing. We have an 07 C Max and it too has the most fiddly belts I've ever seen. Ford work closely with Britax and we have found that their seats fit best.

For the C Max we cant seem to get ISO fix but this is because the rear footwell has a false floor in it (its a storgae area) and the ISO fix isn't classed as safe. We went into Ford and enquired about the ISO fix points and they are indeed built in as standard from 2004 (ish) onwards - you just cant see them. The option of having them from new is having them VISABLE. The fixing points are behing the foam on the back seats, where the backrest meats the actual seat.

I will provide you with a link that I found, you would just need to buy a fitting pack for a fiesta, not a C Max. Alternatively we were advised to locate the points then just push the foam back from the sides until it anchors at the other side of the point. This way you can cover them up again when you have finished with them.

Hope this helps, and wasn't confusing x

https://spinage.me.uk/23/retrofitting-isofix-for-a-ford-focus-c-max/

Oh that's really useful info, thankyou! So that suggests that my 08 Fiesta does have isofix points, they're just hidden beneath the leather? I'm worried about the short seatbelt thing, we fitted the base ourselves but the little circles do seem to be green... doing it wrong doesn't bare thinking about though! So maybe I should suck it up and take a knife to the leather... eek!

Argh.. further to this, I had a look on the ford online parts ordering website and they have isofix kits for the c max & the focus, but not for the fiesta... I wonder if this means that the fiesta doesn't have isofix at all, hidden or otherwise?

So frustrating, it's a 3 year old car... and it's hardly a family un-friendly car.. I'd expect a sports car to be without isofix, not a bloody Fiesta!

 

[new bride]

Argh.. further to this, I had a look on the ford online parts ordering website and they have isofix kits for the c max & the focus, but not for the fiesta... I wonder if this means that the fiesta doesn't have isofix at all, hidden or otherwise?

So frustrating, it's a 3 year old car... and it's hardly a family un-friendly car.. I'd expect a sports car to be without isofix, not a bloody Fiesta!

That would be ridiculous if the Fiesta didnt have them

Make sure you find the points first by pushing the leather to one side before you get your knife out! x

 

[bellablue]

we checked our seat belts and they fit perfectly thank god

 

[Minnie_me]

Ok been to Halfords this morning and feel very much better informed and happier about my options.

Next step is to take my car to Ford dealer and ask them about changing the seatbelt clip for new style that is flusher with the main car seat so that I won't face buckle crunching with the infant car seat - then I can then use an Easybase. Happy days!