beltsander TKO

we're expecting our first born next month, so we're trying to figure out what to do about a car seat. from my research, it looks like the rear side air bags could pose a problem to the baby in the car seat? but i guess it also depends on if the seat is rear facing or forward facing.

what has been your experience? did you disable your rear side airbags (not side curtain)? if so, do you have the forward facing child seats?

i'm trying to get more information about this.

thanks!

RAD2

Because they cannot be disabled (or at least in 06/2006), I got my Q7 without rear airbags

beltsander TKO

dealer to see how that's done...

matthewsjl

Can you put the seat in the center position?

beltsander TKO

center position doesn't look like it has the LATCH system...

beltsander TKO

disable the rear side airbags...<ul><li><a href="https://forums.audiworld.com/a4b8/msgs/21546.phtml">https://forums.audiworld.com/a4b8/msgs/21546.phtml</a</li></ul>

Sachsi

With or without them, there's the curtain airbag to protect form shattered glass and debris and the steel beams in the doors are very strong.
As you can see here, the doors hold up pretty well at typical side-impact speeds: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xb3fdEuvUjo and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bVkP5n6X4w
In an impact like this, a kid in the back would be shaken quite seriously but on the other hand a side airbag explosion could hurt the kid if it shattered the side of the seat or if it somehow wrapped around it. Possibly for this reason the newer Britax seats have this steel beam on the side (http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/122204/britax-marathon-q7-no-base.jpg).
I would guess the risk in a side impact is far greater when the seat is rear-facing as the seat is more loosely tied (2 points vs 3 points when forward-facing).
We had our first-born in the center position for the first year. You can still use the LATCH hooks in this position, they're just a bit farther apart.

fairenough

...the LATCH clip-in system is definitely more convenient, but I don't believe it's any safer than proper installation with the seatbelt.

RMBQ7

ditto - we were advised the same.