LATCH retrofit?
 

Does anyone know if it's possible to retrofit pre-2000 MLs with the LATCH restraint system for car seats? I'm guessing that the 2000 and later seats are a whole different animal since they're 60/40 split verses the earlier 33/33/33 arrangement, but I don't know if the inclusion of the LATCH anchors played a role in that change. Does anyone make a LATCH kit for earlier MLs?

I don't think anyone does or will, due to liability issues.
The second row seat on the ML was never 33/33/33.

Gilly

The more I think about it, if you could pick up a newer used rear seat for an ML, I bet it'd mount in there. Color wouldn't match though I don't believe.

Gilly

Probably true. Good idea about using a newer seat, but I like being able to fold down each of the three seatbacks individually. It's been so useful over the years that I was shocked that they changed it. I realize two of the seatbacks are mounted to the same seatbottom, but how else would you describe the arrangement if not 33/33/33?

It's always been 70/30. You describe a bench seat like this by the entire seat (seat frame) not the backrest. The right side is a single passenger, it's moveable seperately to allow passengers into the 3rd row seat if epuipped, the middle and left seat passenger share a common bench.

Gilly

I don’t doubt the fundamental correctness of what you’re saying, but it seems like a hugely arbitrary way to describe the seating arrangement and it leaves out the most critical function of the seats. The BMW X5, the Volvo XC90, the Honda Pilot and others advertise 70/30 split/fold seats, but none has seatbacks that can be individually lowered like the early ML. I also don’t understand how, if a seat is defined by the seat frame and not the backrest, passenger cars advertise 60/40 split/folding seats even though both backrests are mounted to a single frame. Wouldn’t that be 100/0? Is there really no way to differentiate between the design of the seat frame and the backrest? I personally could care less how the bench works — I want to know if I can leave my kids’ two car seats in their outboard positions and still lower the center seatback to throw in some 2 x 4s. I’ve used that capability a million times over the years, but I’ve never needed to move one bench independently of the other.

In any event, I was more curious about the LATCH anchors. Did the addition of LATCH necessitate re-engineering the rear seats and cause MB to ditch the indescribable tri-folding seatbacks, or is it just a coincidence that they appeared at roughly the same time (MY 2000, I believe)? Is there really anything different about the seat frames that would prevent the installation of LATCH anchors? I’m just curious because I love the car and will probably keep it until the wheels fall off, but the lack of LATCH is an annoyance, and I’d like for my kids to be as safe as possible.

I can see your point of it too. The main difference is on the right side you have this one "30%" seat moving totally independent of the other 70%. The fact there are 3 individual backrests isn't as important IMHO. If you had the whole rear seat set removed, maybe it would be easy to see why I would look at it that way (HERE'S the 30, THERE'S the 70 :rolleyes: ).

There may be a way to add LATCH that I am not aware of, it may be a good idea to contact Phil or an MB dealership to see if they show any LATCH components that you may be able to adapt to your rear seat(s). They are built into the rear of the seat frame, but I'm worried there is extra gussetting on the newer frames to bolt these to, if they do bolt, or worse that they are welded on, in which case you need a seat frame or two (big bucks, and HOPE they will bolt to the floor. OH and you lose the individual backrests too. In short, probably a no-go. Only hope there would be to source out a rear seat (and still hope it bolts down). I also don't know if it would be that good of an idea to go "reengineering" the seat to accept LATCH, likelyhood of a catasrophe is slim, but exists.

ONE thing you can research, is found on page 47 of the 98 ML owners manual which discusses a "top tether strap" anchorages for Canadian vehicles. I don't know if this is something on the seat, more than likely for the floor behind the seat, that a tether can attach to? May make things safer. If there are reinforcements on the floor pan for these to attach to, I imagine they could be added to a US version with a little work.

Gilly

Thanks, Gilly, that's helpful information. I think I'll poke around my stepfather's 2000 ML430 or my dad's 2003 ML350 to see if I can tell how the LATCH anchors are mounted. I'll bet your right that the frames have been beefed up in LATCH-equipped MLs since now the seat frame has the exlusive responsibility of holding the car seat in place, rather than the vehicle's shoulder and lap belts. I suspect once I made all the changes that were necessary, it would be easier (and probably chaper) to just sell my '98 and buy a comparably equipped '00 or '01 model. But I really love those tr-folding seatbacks and I just bolted on a nice set of 17" ML430 wheels, so I think I'll just leave it alone for the moment. Thanks again, though.

no latch on 2000
 

I have a 2000 ML320, and unless I'm a total moron (which is possible) there are no latch anchors on this vehicle. It really sucks, because latch makes life so much easier and safer...oh well!