Tethering Car Seats? HELP PLEASE!!!

[Tero]

Hi There

I have a 1999 Pontiac Montana that I bought last year. From the get go I had problems with the place that I bought it (for example, it was not serviced or safetyed before it was sold to us, it was bought by the dealsership in the AM and sold to us 4 hours later, not inspected, nothing!!!) Anyway, my concern is that I need to tether a car seat and there is no manual with my vehichle (add that to the list of complaints. I was promised I would get one, but no luck after repeated phone calls) I have acutally taken the vehicle to the GM dealership and asked but the mechanics had no idea. One suggested I hook the tether strap to the thing that holds the cargo net in place!!!! Yeah, that would hold in an accident! One thought I should hook the tether to the seatbelt base in the back..... According to the dealership there is no way to install car seat anchors through the bottom of the van, like you would through the trunk of the car.
Now, I have seen the 2000 owners manual, and it says that you can tether the strap to the back of the seat..... it seems there is no such place on the 99 model. Any help or suggestions from someone who knows what they're talking about would be appreciated.

Thanks very much!
Tero

[Flatrater]

99 vans do not come with a tether strap either you can do without them like I do or try finding them aftermarket if possible. GM sometimes makes a kit to install them after sale, contact GM customer assistance and ask them for help.

[Tero]

I will contact GM. I'm not sure where you are, but in Canada it's illegal (not to mention dangerous) not to use a tether with a forward facing seat. In an accident the seat will be able to lurch sideways or forwards. I will call GM, that's a good idea. Thanks again.
Tero

[rubberman]

Is the car rear facing or forward facing? I also have a 99 Montana and my child sits rear facing. I was looking for a way to hook the teather incase i got rearend and the carseat would fly backeard. I just hooked it to the drivers seat bolt. But if its front facing seat i'm not sure. Report back after finding a solution or what GM says.

[alex montana]

I have a 99 Montana with second row captain chairs. The only factory location for tethering second row seats is the third row's seat belt anchors behind the third row. There is an anchor on either side near the wheel well at the back of the third row seats. You need tethers four feet long and the tethers slightly interfere with the third row seats. It took the dealer two hours to confirm that this was the only authorized way.

[catesja]

Are the seats in the 99 different thatn those in the 00? My 00 has tether holes at the very bottom of the seat backs. They look like a hole sort of pushed out of the seat. You can only really see them if you are donw there towards the floor in the center of the seat back seat. Not the folding back, but the actual seat.

Jeff

[keith32]

I believe my 99 only had them in the cargo area (in the previous post), meaning kids can only sit in the 3rd row, or i hooked the buckle around one of the seat mounts in the floor instead of over 2 rows of seats. Guess this was an oversight on GM's part (minivan for Kids!!, who would have thought). On my 2002 there is a location on the back of the second row captain chairs.

[BIGPROFITT]

You can download the manual for your vehicle (and any other GM vehicle) from the GM Owner Center: https://www.mygmlink.com/main/US/en/gm/home?cmp=gmcomhp