2010 Radianxt 19500

THE HARNESS ADJUSTER ON MY RADIAN XTSL WAS GETTING STUCK OPEN FREQUENTLY, AND I THOUGHT IT WAS BECAUSE THE STRAP WAS GETTING STUCK OR OFF CENTER, SO I WOULD READJUST AND PUSH IT TIGHT. THEN ONE DAY, THE ADJUSTER SNAPPED OFF ON THE LEFT SIDE (WHEN STARING AT THE SEAT FROM THE FRONT) AND IT SLICED MY FINGER TO THE POINT THAT I WAS GUSHING BLOOD. I WAS TIGHTENING THE HARNESS AFTER PUTTING MY CHILD IN THE SEAT. THE SEAT BECAME UNUSABLE, SINCE THERE WAS NO TENSION WHATSOEVER ON THE HARNESS. I CONTACTED DIONO, WHO REPLACED THE SEAT AFTER I SENT THEM PICTURES. I AM A CPST. *JS

NHTSA ID

10598000

Incident

Oct 8, 2013

I WAS INSTALLING CAR SEATS AND WANTED TO INSTALL MY SUNSHINE KID'S RADIAN XTSL (DOM 01/2010) TO REPLACE ANOTHER SEAT THAT IS EXPIRING SOON. IT'S INSTALLED IN THE CENTER REAR-FACING, AND I WAS SITTING IN THE SEAT BESIDE IT. WHEN I TIGHTENED THE HARNESS I MUST HAVE PULLED THE STRAP AT AN ANGLE. IT ENDED UP GETTING TANGLED UP IN THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RELEASE LEVER AND ACTUALLY POPPED THE LEVER OUT OF PLACE. I WRESTLED WITH IT FOR A WHILE TO GET THE STRAP OUT OF THE WAY. WHEN I GOT IT STRAIGHT I COULD SEE WHERE THE LEVER WAS POPPED OUT. I COULDN'T JUST PUSH IT BACK IN. I KNEW AT THIS POINT THE SEAT WAS PROBABLY TOAST. I USED A SCREWDRIVER TO PRY THE LITTLE METAL PLATE WIDER AND THE LEVER EASILY SLID BACK INTO PLACE. IT SEEMS TO OPERATE NORMALLY NOW. OF COURSE I'M NOT USING THE SEAT. I HAVE CONTACTED DIONO ABOUT IT. I SENT PHOTOS AND THEY SAID THEY'VE NEVER SEEN THAT HAPPEN BEFORE AND ARE SENDING ME A NEW SEAT. PHOTOS ARE AVAILABLE. I AM A CPST. *TR

NHTSA ID

10519685

Incident

Jun 11, 2013

I HAVE EXPERIENCED WHAT MAY BE A DESIGN FLAW IN THE FORMERLY SUNSHINE KIDS NOW DIONO BRANDED CHILDREN'S CAR SEATS IN WHICH IT IS SO HARD TO TIGHTEN THE STRAPS THAT SECURE THE CHILD IN THE CAR SEAT THAT MANY PARENTS ARE LIKELY TO END UP LEAVING THEIR CHILDREN TOO LOOSE FOR THE KIDS TO BE PROPERLY PROTECTED IN AN ACCIDENT. I HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS OVER SIX OF THEIR SEATS, IN TWO TYPES OF CARS, FACING FORWARD AND FACING BACKWARD, WITH THEIR UNDER SEAT MATS AND WITHOUT THEM, WITH THE ABSORBING ADAPTER FOR FORWARD FACING KIDS UNDER 40 LBS AND WITHOUT IT, OVER SEVERAL DIFFERENT REMOVALS AND RE-INSTALLATIONS, AND AFTER THE INSTALLATIONS WERE REVIEWED BY A CERTIFIED CAR SEAT INSTALLER. WHEN THE SEAT IS INSTALLED, A CHILD IS IN THE SEAT, AND A USER TIGHTENS THE STRAPS TO SECURE THE CHILD IN THE SEAT, IT BECOMES TOO DIFFICULT TO TIGHTEN THE HARNESS FULLY. THE ONLY WAY TO TIGHTEN IT IS TO HAVE IT FAIRLY TIGHT, PUT THE CHILD IN WHEN IT IS FAIRLY TIGHT AS THOUGH IT WAS A RACE CAR SEAT WHICH DOES NOT HAVE RETRACTABLE BELTS, KEEP THE BUCKLE UNLATCHED AND PULL ON THE STRAP, CLIP IT IN TO ASSESS HOW TIGHT IT IS, THEN UNCLIP IT AND PULL THE STRAP TO TIGHTEN AND RE-CLIP IT. WORSE YET, I FIND I HAVE TO PULL A FORWARD FACING SEAT FORWARD A BIT TO BE ABLE TO TIGHTEN THE STRAP. THE REAL ISSUE IS THAT IT PROBABLY LEADS TO PARENTS KEEPING THEIR CHILDREN TOO LOOSE, WHICH PUTS THE CHILD AT RISK IN AN ACCIDENT. I BELIEVE THE ISSUE IS THAT THE CONNECTION POINT WHERE THE SINGLE STRAP AND DOUBLE STRAPS (UP AROUND THE SHOULDER) CONNECT GETS CAUGHT BETWEEN THE HARD CURVATURE OF THE UNDERSIDE OF THE SEAT AND THE TYPE OF FIRM SEATS USED ON CAR MANUFACTURERS THAT TEND TO PROVIDE MORE SUPPORTIVE, FIRMER SEATS (SUCH AS MERCEDES). BEAR IN MIND THAT DIONO IS THE ONLY PRIMARY MANUFACTURER THAT MAKES SEATS THAT WILL FIT THREE KIDS SIDE BY SIDE, MAKING IT IMPORTANT THAT THEIR SEATS NOT HAVE PROBLEMS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10501388

Incident

Jan 1, 2013

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A RADIANXT 19500 CONVERTIBLE CHILD RESTRAINT SEAT, MANUFACTURED JUNE 17, 2011. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STRAPS ON THE CHILD SEAT COULD NOT BE SECURED. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS ADVISED TO INSTALL SMALLER STRAPS ON THE CHILD SEAT. THE CONTACT FOLLOWED THE ADVISEMENT OF THE MANUFACTURER HOWEVER, THE REMEDY DID NOT PREVENT THE FAILURE FROM RECURRING. THE CONTACT TOOK THE CHILD SEAT TO A CHILD SEAT INSPECTION STATION TO HAVE IT INSTALLED BUT THE SEAT WAS NOT TESTED WHILE THE CHILD WAS IN THE SEAT. THE MANUFACTURER ACKNOWLEDGED TO THE CONTACT THAT THE ISSUE WAS COMMON FOR THE PARTICULAR SEAT HOWEVER, ADVISED HER THAT THEY COULD PROVIDE NO ASSISTANCE BECAUSE THE SEAT WAS NO LONGER COVERED UNDER WARRANTY.

NHTSA ID

10487688

Incident

Nov 26, 2011

I AM HAVING LATCH BUCKLE LOOSENING ON MY REAR FACING RADIAN XTSL IN MY HONDA ODYSSEY. THE PROBLEM OCCURS NO MATTER WHAT, NOTHING SEEMS TO KEEP IT FROM HAPPENING. IT JUST LOOSENS OVER A SHORT TIME (DAY OF DRIVING). *TR

NHTSA ID

10477288

Incident

Sep 26, 2012

THE CROTCH BUCKLE SEPARATED. CONTACTED THE COMPANY. THEY ARE MAILING OUT A NEW ONE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10468026

Incident

Jul 25, 2012

I AM A CERTIFIED CPS TECHNICIAN, SO I KNOW A FAIR BIT ABOUT INSTALLING CHILD SAFETY SEATS CORRECTLY. MY NEIGHBOR RECENTLY ASKED ME IF HE COULD BORROW A CHILD SEAT FOR HIS IN-LAWS' VISIT. I HAD AN EXTRA SEAT THAT I OFFERED TO INSTALL IN HIS CAR - A 2006 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE SEAT WAS A NEW (LESS THAN 2 MONTHS OLD) DIONO RADIAN RXT. I ATTEMPTED TO INSTALL THE SEAT USING LATCH LOWER ANCHORS, AND IN THE PROCESS OF TIGHTENING THE LATCH BELT, THE LATCH CONNECTOR CAME LOOSE FROM THE LOWER ANCHOR. I INSPECTED THE LATCH CONNECTOR, AND THE PLASTIC COVER WAS PULLED AWAY AND BENT. WHEN I TRIED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT HAD CAUSED THIS, I NOTICED THAT THE RELEASE BUTTON ON THE LATCH CONNECTOR LINED UP DIRECTLY WITH THE LIP OF THE SEAT FRAME AROUND THE LATCH LOWER ANCHOR ACCESS. WHEN I PULLED THE BELT TIGHT, THIS PART OF THE SEAT APPEARS TO HAVE ACTIVATED THE RELEASE BUTTON. I'M GLAD THIS FAILURE HAPPENED DURING INSTALLATION, BECAUSE I BELIEVE IT COULD VERY EASILY HAVE OCCURRED DURING A CRASH AND ALLOWED THE CRS TO COME LOOSE, SERIOUSLY INJURING THE OCCUPANT. ALSO, I NOTICED THAT MY PARTICULAR MODEL OF SEAT WAS NOT LISTED AS AN OPTION IN YOUR DROP-DOWN MENU, SO HERE IS THE CORRECT INFORMATION: RADIANRXT MODEL NUMBER: 16900 SERIAL NUMBER: 02120183105046 DATE OF MANUFACTURE: 02/12 (RELATED VEHICLE INFORMATION: MODEL YEAR=2006, MAKE=SUBARU, MODEL=OUTBACK)

NHTSA ID

10461080

Incident

Jun 8, 2012

MY BRAND NEW CAR SEAT (RADIAN XTSL) HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE HARNESS SLIPPING AND BECOMING LOOSE. I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD (SEAT IS ABOUT 2 WEEKS OLD) WHEN MY 10YR SITTING NEXT TO MY LITTLE ONE ASKED WHY HIS HARNESS WAS SO LOOSE. I HAD CHECKED THE SEAT WHEN I BUCKLED THE LITTLE GUY IN ABOUT A MILE BEFORE AND IT WAS NICE & TIGHT. I LOOKED BACK TO SEE 2-3 INCHES OF SLACK IN THE HARNESS. WE RE-ADJUSTED AND CAME HOME. I REFUSE TO USE THE SEAT AGAIN UNTIL THE PROBLEM IS RESOLVED, A MATTER OF LIFE & DEATH FOR MY CHILD. I AM WORKING WITH THE MANUFACTURER TO TRY TO RESOLVE THIS BUT I DO NOT HAVE A RECEIPT SO THEY ARE GIVING ME THE RUN-AROUND. *TR

NHTSA ID

10460006

Incident

May 23, 2012