Do You Need a Special Tesla Car Seat?
Families flock to the Tesla Model Y crossover SUV, but with its disappointing child safety restraint systems, should they wait until their kids are older?
Written by Elaine Duvet
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
If you have a couple of kids or are expecting one on the way,
Tesla
’s compact SUV is the most popular choice among young families. Less concerned about car colors, safety is these buyers’ top concern. A more affordable option, the Tesla Y Model comes with either five or seven seats. This is possible due to an optional third row. Though an extra row sounds like a no-brainer, you may want to think twice before choosing this option.
What to know about the second-row
Typically, a rear-facing infant seat is difficult to fit behind the front passenger seat. The Tesla Y Model excels in this area. During their test,
Cars.com
’ “rear-facing car seat’s rigid Latch connectors made easy work of the Model Y’s second-row Latch anchors.” The second row has two sets of lower Latch anchors and three top tether anchors toward the bottom of the second-row seatbacks. The tether connector pretty much has to be angled around to make a connection.
A rear-facing convertible seat is a tight fit behind the front passenger seat, and owners will probably need to fight past the seat cushions to reach the anchor. Inner Latch anchor access is even more difficult with a forward-facing convertible due to limited clearance around the top tether anchor.
It may be a struggle for young kids to buckle up on their own in a booster seat. The seat fits well, “but the seat belt buckle sits low in the seat cushion. Couple this with a lack of seat bolstering in the second row, and our booster seat could slide over the seat belt buckle,” according to Cars.com.
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Tesla’s third-row disappoints
It’s challenging to access the third row on Tesla’s luxury crossover.
Parents will need to climb over the second row, which is not easy when you’ve got a
car seat
or two in your hands. According to Cars.com, “there’s no pass-through, so you have to fold one second-row seat to gain third-row access; the resulting opening is small for an adult, and there’s not enough room to make it anything less than awkward and challenging—even for children.”Unlike the second row, the third row doesn’t come with Latch safety anchors, and on Cars’ safety check, received D ratings on all other forward-facing and booster options.
There’s really only room for one car seat in the third row. Legroom is limited, even for children. Also, buckle access is blocked due to a bolstered seat-bottom cushion that pushes a booster off to the side and into the buckle. “The head restraints come up, but they’re not removable and push the booster seat forward off the seatback; it should sit flush against it for maximum safety,” notes Cars.com.
Don’t even think about installing a booster AND a forward-facing convertible at the same time. It’s just not going to happen. The head restraint should sit flush against the convertible, but instead, it pushes the convertible off the seatback.
Car insurance for a Tesla
If owning an SUV from the most dominant electric vehicle company is in your future, you’ll want to order one far in advance, as Tesla is known for having quite a waiting period.
In the meantime, make sure you and your family are squared away with the best possible car insurance. Model Y owners saved an average of $821 when they switched policies using the
Jerry
app. Jerry collects quotes from 50+ top insurance companies, like Nationwide, Allstate, Safeco, Progressive, and Travelers quicker than you can install a car seat.Note: Always install child restraint systems by following the instructions provided by the manufacturer of the child restraint system.
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