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	Manufacture & Expiry Dates

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Manufacture & Expiry Dates

All child restraints sold in New Zealand and Australia have a life span on them and this includes seats imported from the United States, United Kingdom, China and Australia. The life span does not depend on how well the seat was looked after, or how many children have used the seat. It is always taken from the date the seat was made (Date of Manufacture date/DOM).

Every child restraint has a manufacture date on the seat. Most will have a sticker with the date on the side, or underneath the seat. All seats have a clock system stamped on them, some are hidden under the covers. The manufacture date helps identify how old the seat is, if it has been in any recalls and when it can no longer be used based on its life span.

The maximum life span for all car seats, and booster seats is 10 years, however some are limited to between 5 and 8 years from DOM. A list below outlines what seats have what life span.
Once a seat has been in an accident that causes damage to the chassis of the vehicle the life span becomes zero, the seat needs to be disposed of safely, to prevent other people from using the seat again.

If the sticker cannot be read, or cannot be found on the seat, is it likely that the seat has exceeded the maximum life span limit, or has been so many times that is is now in similar in condition to a seat that is 10 years old.

What does the manufacture sticker look like?

What does the clock system look like?

What does the expiry date look like?

What if I cannot find the date?

Life span table

What to do with an expired seat?

•••••

Manufacture sticker

	Date clocks can be seen below manufacturers barcode
(left) Maxi Rider II showing standards sticker (AS/NZS 1754), seat barcode showing model & series number and the manufacture date below that (02-03-2007). (right top) Manufacture date on a 2007 Babytrend Flex-loc capsule - also shows clocks underneath. (right bottom) Official Evenflo capsule manufacture date sticker and model number.

•••••

Manufacture clock

Maxi Rider II - Top left, year 08 (clock shows 04 - 09, arrow on 08), right, month 3 (clock shows 1-12, arrow on 3), bottom right - day (clock shows 0-9, arrow on 5). Therefore this seat was made 05 March 2008. Safe-n-Sound Premier - Top left, day (clock shows intervals of 1,5,10...25, arrow on 12), bottom left - year (clock shows 04 - 10, arrow on 05), right - month (clock shows 1-12, arrow on 7). Therefore this seat was made 12 July 2005.

Manufacture clock shown on infant capsule. Clearly shows year (07) and month (April). Therefore this car seat was made in April 2007.

It is important to note that the dots are always raised and should not be indented, an indented dot may have been added by someone who is not authorised to do so.

•••••

Expiry date

Evenflo capsule showing expiry date below seat belt slots on the rear of the seat (above slot for instruction booklet). On all Evenflo capsules since 1998 (Discovery/Secure Ride/First Choice/Portabout/Embrace).

All American made car seats sold in New Zealand have a limited life span (less than 10 years). These range from 6 - 8 years. These seats display the "S" mark standards sticker in addition to the American FMVS 213 standards sticker.

LTSA state: "Check the child restraint for a date of manufacture or a 'do not use after' date. Some seats have a six-year life and some have as long as 10 years. Don't use a restraint that is more than 10 years old."
Quoted under "About second-hand child restraints"

•••••

What if I cannot find the date?

If you cannot find the manufacture date sticker on your child seat, or one you are looking to buy, it is likely that the seat has expired or has been over used. The manufacture date is stamped to all car seats made since 1999 (some brands earlier). Some companies place these stamps under the over or in small gaps of the car seat. Most stamps however, are placed on the back of the car seat.

If the age of the seat is not visible, and you cannot find the date clock, it is best that you do not purchase the seat. Also, always check the seat for an expiration date, similar to the one above, not all seats display this.

For additional guidance, a life span table is provided below. This is always from the date of manufacture, not purchase.

•••••

Life span table:

Life span duration as stated by the manufacturer

Brand	Standard	Life span
Babylove (sold via Britax) (AU)	AS/NZS 1754	10 years
Babysafe (UK) Capsule Babysafe (UK) Car seats & boosters	UK ECE 44.03	6 years
		10 years
Baby Trend (US)	NZS 1754	6 years
Babywell (UK)	UK ECE 44.03	6 years
Brio (UK)	UK ECE 44.03	10 years
Britax (AU)	AS/NZS 1754	10 years
Britax (UK)	UK ECE 44.03	10 years
Compass (US)	NZS 1754	7 years
Edinburgh (UK)	UK ECE 44.03	10 years
Evenflo (US)	NZS 1754	6 years
Fairlands (UK)	UK ECE 44.03	10 years
Graco (UK) (Graco (US) Not legal in NZ)	UK ECE 44.03	6 years
Hipod (sold via Britax) (AU)	AS/NZS 1754	10 years
Infa Secure (AU)	AS/NZS 1754	10 years
Dorel branded seats (US)	NZS 1754	6 years
Dorel Alpha omega 3 in 1 type (US)	NZS 1754	8 years
Dorel IGC branded seats (AU)	AS/NZS 1754	10 years
Mamma's and Pappa's (UK)	UK ECE 44.03	5 years
Maxi Cosi (UK)	UK ECE 44.03	5 years
Nania/Tex (US/UK)	UK ECE 44.03	7 years
Phil & Teds (UK)	UK ECE 44.03	6 years
Recaro (UK)	UK ECE 44.03	10 years
Safe-n-Sound (AU)	AS/NZS 1754	10 years
Safety 1st (US)	NZS 1754	6 years
Vita (AU)	AS/NZS 1754	10 years

An important note on Evenflo car seats - Please View!

Do NOT sell a car seat that is over 10 years old or that has passed the maximum life span as per table above. The life span of car seats following an accident becomes zero - do not sell these seats, replace them as soon as possible following the accident.

Brands not listed above are not likely to be sold in New Zealand, for example Britax USA seats have life spans of 6 years (and the Frontier 9 years) however these seats are not sold in New Zealand as they do not have the additional "S" mark required in NZ on USA seats.

Evenflo - view Q: How long is the life span of my infant car seat? A: We recommend a 6 year life span from the date of manufacture for car seats because: a) Older child restraints may have been used by multiple families and instructions and labels may be missing. b) The history of older car seats is not known, as they could have passed through unrelated parties. Thus, the seat could have been in an accident, abused or misused in a way that could cause hidden damage. c) Second-hand owners would not be directly reachable in the event of a recall. d) As regulations change, older seats may not meet current safety standards.

Maxi Cosi - view Q: How many years can I use a car seat for and is an older seat still safe? A: Child car seats should not be used for longer than 5 to 6 years after the purchase date. The gradual ageing of the plastic (for instance under the influence of sunlight) may unnoticeably reduce the qualities of the product. This has consequences for safety. Child car seats from a reliable source always have production clocks. This means that you can read on all plastic parts how old a product is.

Dorel Juvenile Group (USA) - view Q: I would like to know the life span for the Cosco branded car seats that are exported to New Zealand. Also can you give these details for Alpha Omega, and Safety 1st? A: Our recommendation for expiry dates is that all our 3-in-1 models (such as the Alpha Omega and the Eddie Bauer 3-in-1) be replaced eight years after their manufacture date. For every other kind of car seat we make (including infant carriers, boosters, and other kinds of convertible seats), we recommend replacement at six years after the manufacture date. These guidelines apply to all of Dorel Juvenile Group's car seats, including Cosco, Safety 1st, and Eddie Bauer lines. In 2004, we began printing these expiry dates into the plastic itself on the rear back of all our car seat shell

Brio - view Q: What is the recommended/advised life span on the Brio Zento car seats? A: It is 10 years.

•••••

Disposing of expired seats

5-10 years from the manufacture date of your child's car seat will expire. It does not matter how well the seat has been cared for, the seat is no longer safe for a child to be using.

Seats with lower life spans** are often made of thinner plastics or have materials that become worn quickly. They are also made in countries with standards that change more often.

**This does not apply to Graco car seats made in the UK or USA which have outstanding performance and safety ratings around the world.

Plunket dispose of old child seats for free. You can drop the seat off at your local car seat rental scheme. The coordinator there will take the seat to the dump where is it crushed by a roller so the seat cannot be re-used by anyone.

If you cannot get the seat to your local Plunket rental scheme, please take caution when putting it on the pavement to be collected by local council.

Take these steps to prevent re-use of an expired/damaged seat:

1. Cut the strapping, including the buckle, harness, tether strap and adjuster straps.
2. Remove buckle and any pieces that can be removed. Dispose of these pieces separately, scatter the pieces through your rubbish bag/bin.
3. Destroy the shell in anyway possible - sledge hammer, so the shell cannot be covered with a towel and used as a booster seat.
4. If the shell cannot be destroyed/cut write over the shell "Do not use, unsafe & expired seat" or similar message.

You can donate your old/damaged seat to a Safe2Go Trainer who can use the seat for educational purposes. These seats are not loaned out or sold to any one for use. Click here* to contact a trainer in your area.
*PDF File.