Following our investigation into the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport's child seat restrictions, we turned to the Mazda CX-80 and CX-90 after BabyDrive audience members got in touch about whether you can fit three child seats in the second row. Mazda eventually confirmed that three across is not recommended but, unlike the Pajero Sport, you can sit adults (or the passengers not requiring a child seat) either side of a centrally installed child seat.
The good news and the not-so-good news
Mazda has confirmed that a footnote in the CX-80 and CX-90 owner's manuals, stating that outboard passengers cannot sit beside a child seat installed in the centre of the second row, was an error. That statement has been removed from the latest version of the manual and Mazda says customers can use that configuration with confidence.
But when we asked if it's safe to install three child restraints across the second row, Mazda said it does not recommend installing child restraint systems in all three second-row seats, citing potential interference between the seats and restricted access to the centre child restraint.
So: one child seat in the middle with adult passengers either side is fine. Child seats in the outer positions and an adult in the centre is fine. Three child seats across is not recommended.
What the manual said and why it was wrong
BabyDrive audience members who owned seven-seat CX-80 and CX-90 SUVs told us that their owner's manuals contained a footnote in their child restraint suitability tables that restricted certain combinations of child seats and passengers.
In the CX-80 manual (pages 3-62 to 3-64), Footnote 3 said: “When installing a child-restraint system on the centre seat of the second-row seat, do not seat occupants in the outboard seat positions of the second-row seats.”
The CX-90 manual (pages 3-65 to 3-67) said the same thing.
It sounded as though installing a single child seat in the centre of the second row meant no one, not even an adult passenger, could sit beside it. For a seven-seat family SUV, that could be a pretty big problem!
We raised this with Mazda Australia, citing the specific manual pages and our Pajero Sport investigation. Mazda's response, after consulting internally and with overseas counterparts, was that these statements were in error.
Mazda confirmed that it is safe to install a child restraint in the second-row centre seat while passengers are seated in both outboard seats. They said they had conducted physical evaluations using actual vehicles, child restraints and certification test fixtures, and confirmed the configuration is safe. The vehicles passed the relevant UN regulations without issues and the incorrect statement has already been removed from the latest version of the owner's manual.
But three child seats across is a different question
Missing from Mazdas's first response was an answer to the question of whether it is possible to have three child restraints installed across the second row at the same time?
After further consultation, Mazda said they do not recommend it.
Their reasoning is that even if all installation procedures and warnings in the owner's manual are followed and each child restraint appears securely installed, three child seats installed side by side may interfere with one another, which could prevent one or more of the child restraints from being properly secured to the vehicle seats. If a child restraint is not securely installed, Mazda said there is a risk that in the event of a collision or sudden braking, a child could suffer serious injury or, in the worst case, death.
Mazda also said that when three child restraint systems are installed side by side, the outboard seats restrict access to the centre child restraint. This makes it difficult or impractical to place or remove a child from the centre seat. Any parent who has wrestled a toddler into a car seat in a tight space will know exactly what that means.
They didn't mention that it's because the CX-80 and CX-90 make third-row access difficult with three child seats across the second row, which in an emergency could be bad news if it delays or prevents passengers from exiting the vehicle or being accessed by first responders. Interestingly, the five-seat CX-60 and CX-5 have nothing in their user manuals suggesting any restrictions to child seat configurations.
What BabyDrive originally showed
We reviewed the CX-80 in May 2025 and the CX-90 in March 2025. Both reviews confirmed that five child seats could be fitted across the two rear rows (three in the second row and two in the third) and both vehicles featured in our guides to seven-seaters that fit five child seats.
As with the Pajero Sport, the child seats physically fitted. And unlike the Pajero Sport, the manual restriction that initially concerned us turned out to be an error. But the manufacturer's recommendation against three child restraints across the second row is a separate concern that we didn't have visibility of when those reviews were published.
Our CX-80 and CX-90 reviews have been updated with notices directing readers to this article.
How is this different from the Pajero Sport?
This is a different kind of restriction to the Pajero Sport, where the manual explicitly prohibited three child seats across and Mitsubishi stood by that as a deliberate design compromise driven by the constraints of adapting a global platform for Australia's unique top tether requirements.
Mazda's position is more of a practical advisory. They're not saying three across is prohibited, just that they don't recommend it because the child seats may interfere with one another and access to the centre seat becomes impractical.
For parents, a manufacturer recommendation against certain child seat configurations is worth heeding even when the car and child seats physically fit.
A pattern across manufacturers
The CX-80 and CX-90 aren't isolated cases. As we reported in our Pajero Sport investigation, several seven-seat SUVs sold in Australia have restrictions on second-row child seat configurations that aren't obvious from the hardware alone. The Nissan Patrol Y62 is another example. You aren't supposed to install a child seat in the central position of the second row despite what looks for all the world like a top tether anchor being there.
We've also identified that the Mitsubishi Outlander appears to contain a similar restriction in its owner's manual, while the Nissan X-Trail (which shares its platform and rear seat design with the Outlander) does not. We're following up on that separately.
The CX-5 and CX-60 manuals we reviewed don't contain this kind of restriction, so three across isn't ruled out by the suitability table in either of those models. That suggests the issue is specific to the larger seven-seat models, possibly due to third-row access problems that Mazda didn't explicitly mention but in BabyDrive testing are one of the biggest downsides to the CX-80 and CX-90 compared to their previous CX-8 and CX-9 models.
What this means for CX-80 and CX-90 owners
If you have one child seat in the centre of the second row and adult passengers either side, you're fine. Mazda has confirmed this is safe and the manual footnote that suggested otherwise was an error that has been corrected.
If you have two child seats in the outboard positions, the suitability tables support this and the centre seat can be occupied by a passenger.
If you need three child seats across the second row, Mazda does not recommend this. While it's physically possible, the manufacturer cites potential interference between child restraints and restricted access to the centre seat as safety concerns. Parents who need three in the second row should be aware of this advisory and consider whether it affects their setup.
If you need five child seats total, we confirmed three fit in the second row and two in the third in our initial review. But given Mazda's advisory against three in the second row, families requiring five child seats should consider whether a two-in-row-two, two-in-row-three configuration (four total) better suits their needs, or whether one of the other seven-seaters that doesn't carry this restriction is a better fit.
If your manual still has the old footnote, the digital manual on Mazda's owners portal should already reflect the updated text. If you have a printed copy, the restriction about outboard passengers alongside a centre child seat no longer applies.
As always, see an accredited child restraint fitter who can assess your specific seats and vehicle and advise on the safest configuration.
The bigger picture
Some of what we discovered in our Pajero Sport article is true of more models. When it comes to child seats, physical fit and manufacturer authorisation are not the same thing.
But manufacturer recommendations that sit outside the formal suitability tables can still have big implications!
Mazda deserves credit for acknowledging the manual error and confirming they'd already corrected it. And second, for being upfront about their position on three-across installation rather than just saying it's fine because we found there is the physical space to allow it.
Transparency helps parents make informed decisions, even when the answer isn't the one they were hoping for.
We'll keep covering these issues as we find them. If you've spotted something in your vehicle's owner's manual that doesn't match what you've seen in a BabyDrive review, please get in touch. Our audience has been instrumental in bringing these issues to light and we're grateful for it.
This article was published on 22 July 2026. Our CX-80 and CX-90 reviews have been updated with notices directing readers to this page.
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