Car accidents can be nasty. A small vehicle can bump your back, and you can call that an accident. But when the question comes to the point, does car seat base need to be replaced after an accident, we are talking about a very nasty one where the car seats were damaged to their bases.
The car doesn’t need to get entirely destroyed for the seats and the seat base to be damaged. The friction and pressure of the collision can damage the seats and the base badly. Then again, the entire thing depends on how bad the accident was.
So, this might seem like a yes-no question. But the answer requires some inspection and details for anyone to decide. And as this is a case of baby seats, parental discretion is essential. Before going forward with the pointers, for the sake of new people, let’s find out what a seat base is.
What Exactly Is A Seat Base?
The car seats inside a car are stuck to the car floor. But car seats have a soft exterior. The lower part of the seats is made of hardened plastic, which is connected to the car’s floor. So, that hard part of regular seats in the seat base.
But seat bases are not sold separately, maybe in the black market or aftermarket, but not in regular car shops. For baby car seats, the car seat base is sold separately. As baby car seats don’t exactly have the same material as a regular car seat, manufacturers solely focus on the seat. The base is sold separately according to the buyers’ car seat size.
As buyers’ will have to adjust the seat base according to their car’s seat size, it’s better to buy seat bases separately. Though baby car seats come with bases, they often don’t fit.
Does Car Seat Base Need To Be Replaced After Accident?
Let’s figure out whether the current situation of your baby car seat base is okay or not. Depending on the following factors, we will be able to determine do you need to replace the car seat base after an accident. After this, you will understand what to do with a car seat after the accident as well.
Does The Base Have Any Dents?
Take the car seat base and see if there are any severe dents. As the baby car seat will be mounted onto the base, if there are any significant dents over the locks or the holders, there is a chance that the car seat will not be mounted properly.
As a result, at any time, if you have to brake hard, your baby might fall down along with the seat. So, see if the seat base has any dents or not. If theirs is no severe dents, you can keep on using them. But our recommendation would be to get another seat base as soon as you can.
Are There Any Big Cracks?
As baby car seat bases are made of plastic and are tightly adjacent to the car seat, the collision shock can cause the seat to have cracks. A car usually has a slight to medium vibration while the engine is on. That vibration will cause the crack to increase, and even if the baby car seat is mounted appropriately, there will be a high risk of your baby falling over.
Don’t overlook the cracks. If there is any significant one, immediately get a new car seat base.
Did Any Bolt Or Lock Break?
Due to the shock and pressure, there’s a massive chance that the locks and bolts that hold the seat base together have broken, and you can’t mount the seat on. If that’s the case, you should immediately replace it.
Because, if the locks are broken, you won’t be able to mount the baby car seat on the base. Also, if the mounting option of the seat base is broken, it’s of no use anymore.
Can I Repair The Car Seat Base?
The question is not about can, and it’s about a should. Should you repair and reuse the car seat base or not. The material of the base is plastic. The only way for plastic to be mended and stuck together is glue. Unless the adhesive is of industrial-grade, there’s no use in repairing it because something that endures vibration while someone is sitting on it can’t actually hold together with glue.
In case locks are broken, theirs is no point in repairing them. Instead, if you fix it once, you’d have to keep on fixing it. That, in the long run, increases your cost. So, get a new one once the car seat base is broken. That’s the ideal decision.
Some companies offer free car seat replacement after an accident. Before moving forward with buying or repairing do check the guarantee terms and conditions properly.
Final Words
I hope you got the answer to what you were looking for. The damage to the car seat base depends on how bad the accident was. The seat base is made to withstand minor collisions and vibrations. But even the strongest of things can fall.
Does car seat base need to be replaced after accident? Every time this question occurs, remember the pointers mentioned above. You will get your answer. Also, it’s about your baby’s comfort. Nobody wants their little angels to be in distress.