Ford Focus estate - 3 car seats?

[Spanz10]

Hello,

We have a 21 plate ford focus and a looking to get three car seats in the back. I have read a lot and seen that this in most people's opinion is impossible. Just for clarity, we have children of different ages. My son is eight and 132 cm, my daughter is nearly six and 117 cm and we are expecting our third child.

Ideally we would like three car seats in the back, but understand one option would be baby in the front rear facing.

If anyone has made this combination work, please let me know.

Thanks 🙏🏼

It’s not impossible. We also have a Mk4 Focus and considered a 3rd. I can’t remember which ones fit but surely your eldest two can both go on narrow high backs or just regular boosters? This website gives an example (I know it’s not UK based but 3 high backs) https://babydrive.com.au/reviews/hatches/2019-ford-focus-active/?srsltid=AfmBOoqgPUCoaxOzfIeZ5V2M2ORZk-DR9Y0mSL0LWHv9dWepXE4daQL1

Thanks I will take a look. Fingers crossed we can make something work. Apparently our son can go without a child seat at 135cm in the middle and apparently that is safe with child seats on either side. I am making my son eat his veg in the hope he has a growth spurt.

I would be aghast at getting 3 seats across the back of focus. I had a 4 year old and newborn twins. We had to buy a car with 3 separate seats in the back. So VW touran, galaxy s max Zafari type cars. Even if your son does have a growth spurt you need to allow for the width of the other seats not just the footprint.

Even at 132cm it's legal to have the tallest child in the middle without a child seat if you can't fit three across. It's one of the exceptions to when you can go without a child seat.

However he probably won't get a good belt fit at that height without a booster at least. You could try it out - with the middle seat being raised up, it's possible. See where the seatbelt sits on his lap - is it low down over his pelvis or is it on the soft bit of his tummy? And can he comfortably sit with his bum at the back of the seat and bend his knees? If he can't, the problem is that he will naturally move forward to bend his knees and that will pull the seatbelt further up onto his tummy even if it wasn't there before. If either of those things are happening, then you'll want him on a booster seat, it doesn't have to be a high back one.

I think you'll want the 6yo in a slim HBB - Maxi Cosi are meant to be good for this if you can try some out. Which HBBs do you currently have?

Do you already have a baby seat or have you got rid of the old ones?

I doubt the cars manual will allow a car seat in the middle seat even if you could physically fit one there. That would be my first port of call!

@KhakiSheep @poorbuthappy

Having checked the owners manual the rear seats are suitable for car seats, including the middle one. The only thing is it doesn’t have an isofix point. The middle seat does have a 3 point seatbelt unlike the lap belts of old so can secure a car seat.

Just because people prefer / can afford a “big” car doesn’t mean it’s necessary in order to fit 3 children.

https://www.fordservicecontent.com/Ford_Content/vdirsnet/OwnerManual/Home/Content?variantid=7665&languageCode=en&countryCode=USA&Uid=G1957386&ProcUid=G1884836&userMarket=GBR&div=f&vFilteringEnabled=False&buildtype=web

Thanks everyone. I have been told baby in the front rear facing. Then use two high backs which we have and an adult in the back. I was just trying to avoid this. I have been told seat boosters only are not recommended in this country for safety. I have watched some American man get three child seats in the back, but different for us as our children are all different ages. I really don't want to buy a new car, we only bought this in September and it is so economical unlike lots of the cars with 3 individual seats. I do a lot of miles when I am at work.