Children and hot cars can be a fatal combination. On average, there are 39 heat stroke-related deaths each year. Consumer Reports tests have shown that temperature in a parked car can reach harmful degrees even in mild weather. Our experts found that even at just 61 degrees F outside, the internal temperature of a closed car can succeed at more than 105 degrees F in just one hour, an incredibly damaging and potentially fatal point for a child.
Many parents comment on social media that such an accidental death would never happen to their child. But studies have shown that anyone can be a young child in a car, especially parents who have a replacement in their regimen or those who are stressed. Just as drivers occasionally find themselves lost in their minds and sailing the autopilot, occasionally going to their destination without remembering the main points of the holiday or without a jog turn, distracted parents would possibly be a child or a silent animal.
Several automakers are now providing generation to help prevent stroke deaths. Many models from various automakers, including General Motors vehicles (Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC vehicles), Hyundai, Kia, Nissan and Toyota, have systems that can remind drivers that a backdoor was opened on a trip. An undeniable demonstration in the meter group, regularly accompanied by a warning tone, encourages drivers to check the back seat.
The automotive industry is committed to introducing rear seat recalls that come with a combination of auditory and visual alerts on virtually every car and truck during the 2025-style year.
Consumer Reports, along with many other advocates for child passenger protection, have led automakers to supply built-in heatstroke prevention systems. And CR hopes to see them proliferate in the market in many more non-unusual and affordable vehicles, directly at the factory and popular in all versions, says Jennifer Stockburger, Chief Operating Officer at the Consumer Reports Automated Testing Center.
CR favors delivered formulas enabled by default because many parents don’t think they can make this mistake, Stockburger says. If parents or guardians have to activate the formula manually, it is less likely to be used.
Below are the highlights of how these formulas are based on our tests and experience. And a table that lists the cars that have a back seat removal formula available. The graph shows whether the formula uses door logic to factor recovery and/or whether it has a motion detection sensor.
Of course, whether your car receives a recall formula or not, check the back seat and never leave children unattended in a vehicle.
GM’s rear seat removal indicates whether a rear door opened up to 10 minutes before the vehicle started or at any time after the vehicle started. A reminder message appears in the organization of the driving force after the engine is turned off, accompanied by multi-tone bells. This formula is factory activated. The door logic works reliably, however, you want to be reactivated with each new power cycle. If the driving force stops and shuts down the engine, the formula requires the rear doors to open and close to reactivate.
Honda features a state-of-the-art camera-based formula in the Odyssey 2021 minivan that combines a classic back seat recovery formula with a bell and a caution on the board, with a view from the rear seat camera. For cars supplied with Honda’s CabinWatch formula, the formula also features the rear seats on the central information and entertainment screen, offering some other signal to the driver. This feature is introduced in the high-end Touring and Elite versions. CR has not yet experienced this formula, but we welcome the artistic rear seat tracking technique for children or pets. Honda says the formula can also be rolled out retroactively to the 2018-2020 Odysseys supplied via a live update.
Hyundai’s rear occupancy alert includes onion movement and backdoor logic. Door logic generation will be popular on maximum models until 2022, and the motion stumble onion will be optional. If one of the rear doors has been opened before or on a trip, the formula displays a warning on the board and emits a two-tone bell after the engine stops to remind the driving force to check the back seat. If the rear door is not open and the vehicle is locked, ultrasonic sensors may encounter movement for up to 24 hours in the rear cabin. If the sensors stumble upon the movement, the vehicle honks the horn for 25 seconds and sends an email or SMS to the owners if they subscribe to Hyundai’s Blue Link telematics service. As a motion is run, the horn will be repeated up to 8 times. This formula is factory activated. We found that the door logic works reliably, but the moving onion has limitations and only activates when the vehicle is locked.
Like Hyundai’s formula, Kia’s rear occupancy alert includes motion detection and backdoor logic. If one of the rear doors has been opened before or on a trip, the formula displays a warning on the board and emits a two-tone bell after the engine stops to remind the driving force to check the back seat.
Despite the warning, if the rear door is open and the vehicle is locked, ultrasonic sensors may encounter movements for up to 24 hours in the rear cabin. If the sensors stumble upon the movement, the vehicle honks the horn for 25 seconds and sends an email or SMS to the owners if they subscribe to Kia’s Uvo infotainability formula. As a motion is run, the horn will be repeated up to 8 times. This formula is factory activated. The logic of the door works reliably, but the motion stumble onion has limitations and only activates when the vehicle is locked.
When the engine shuts down, Nissan’s rear door alert presents a warning on the dashboard and emits a one-tone bell if the rear door opened before the trip, before the drive force door opened. This situation suggests that something, or someone, was placed in the back seat before the driving force went up. The vehicle will honk the horn if the rear doors do not reopen before the vehicle is locked, or if the rear door is open and closed. The driving force would possibly decide to restrict caution to visual caution only or disable it altogether. This formula is disabled at the factory, so owners will have to activate it. The logic of the door works reliably.
Nissan has announced that this formula will be in all its trucks, sedans and four-door SUVs until 2022.
Toyota’s rear seat recovery function indicates whether a rear door has been opened within 10 minutes of the vehicle’s start or at any time after starting the vehicle. A reminder message appears on the tool’s phone after the engine is turned off, accompanied by multi-tone bells. This formula is factory activated.
The door logic works reliably, but you want to reactivate with a new power cycle. If the driving force stops and shuts down the engine, the formula would require the rear doors to be opened and closed to reactivate.
Currently, the formula is available on popular devices only on the Toyota Highlander.
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How hot can the inside of a car be? On the “Consumer 101” television screen, Consumer Reports expert Emily Thomas Ph.D. shows host Jack Rico how fast indoor temperatures can rise and what they can do with their children.