These Two Infant Car Seats Performed Poorly in CR's Crash Tests
New infant seat models from Diono and Peg Perego demonstrated structural issues in recent comparative tests
While all child car seats sold in the U.S. are required to meet federal safety standards, some perform better than others for ease of use, ease of installation, and crash protection.
In Consumer Reports’ most recent round of crash tests for infant car seats released in 2024 and 2025, two models demonstrated significant structural integrity issues: the Diono LiteClik30 XT and the Peg Perego Primo Viaggio 4-35 Urban Mobility baseless infant seat.
These two car seats meet federal safety standards for crash protection, but CR’s testing goes beyond those standards to determine how well models do under more challenging conditions.
Read on to learn more about how CR tests car seats, what we saw in our infant child car seat crash tests, and what to do if you own the Diono LiteClik30 XT or the Peg Perego Primo Viaggio 4-35 Urban Mobility seat.
How CR’s Car Seat Testing Works
Our child car seat ratings help you understand which seats are the easiest to use and install, as well as how car seats perform relative to other models in providing crash protection.
In 2014, CR launched its own comparative car seat testing protocol to better simulate real-world conditions using higher crash forces and energy. It’s designed to identify car seats that offer an additional margin of safety, even above the basic federal level.
CR’s crash protection scores are based on injury measurements taken from highly instrumented child-sized crash dummies. We also look at how well car seats protect the dummies from contacting surfaces that simulate a vehicle’s interior.
Sometimes a car seat’s performance in our testing prompts greater concern about how it might perform in real-world crashes. This was the case for the two car seats mentioned here.
What CR Saw in Our Crash Tests
The Diono LiteClick30 XT is a new model from Diono’s LiteClik infant seat line and has an infant carrier and a base.
Source: Consumer Reports Source: Consumer Reports
In 2 out of CR’s 3 rear-facing tests of the Diono LiteClik30 XT using a dummy to simulate the size (29 inches) and weight (22 pounds) of a 12-month-old child, and with the base of the seat installed with a seat belt, the infant carrier released off the base during the crash test.
While the dummy remained secure within the carrier, the detachment of the carrier from the base was cause for concern. A car seat that does this in a crash poses an increased risk for the child, especially because many crashes aren’t single-impact events. Imagine a crash where the impact on a vehicle comes from multiple directions, or a crash that’s followed by a rollover. A detached carrier can also expose a child to contact with surfaces within the vehicle.
It’s worth noting that the carrier remained attached securely to the base when installed with the lower LATCH anchors and the dummy inside.
The Peg Perego Primo Viaggio 4-35 Urban Mobility is a new baseless model from Peg Perego designed to offer the flexibility of not requiring a base for installation. In 4 out of 4 rear-facing tests, there was significant cracking in the seat shell along the internal seams of the seatback.
Source: Consumer Reports Source: Consumer Reports
Three of the tests were conducted using the dummy sized like the 12-month-old and one with a 30-pound weighted dummy that CR uses to test the upper weight limits of infant seats. In two tests each, the seat was installed with the lower anchors or the 3-point seat belt.
When the carrier was installed with the lower anchors and the dummy that was similar to a year-old child, the cracking was so severe that multiple pieces of the shell came off, and the crotch buckle pulled completely through the shell. The structural integrity of the infant seat shell was severely compromised, a cause for concern given the increased risk of injury in a subsequent crash event.
As a result of these tests, both infant car seats received our Basic rating for crash protection. Seats with this rating meet the required federal safety standards, and in this case, there have been no reported incidents with either seat. Our concern is that they might not provide additional crash protection beyond those minimums. Seats that rate Better or Best provide additional margins of safety.
The Companies Respond
We reached out to Diono and Peg Perego for comment.
Diono told CR that it is committed to the rigorous testing of its products and the safety of all child passengers. The company also said it was thoroughly investigating the questions raised by CR’s testing. “We are always looking to find ways of making our seats safer and more reliable,” it said in its statement.
Peg Perego gave the following comment: “Peg Perego is committed to providing car seats that meet and exceed all safety standards, including the Consumer Reports protocol.” The company also said that to ensure the safety and reliability of the Primo Viaggio 4-35 Urban Mobility car seat, it conducted additional tests following the same Consumer Reports protocol. Specifically, Peg Perego noted that “these tests, conducted in multiple configurations, did not reveal any structural breakages or raise any concerns about the product’s integrity, and the car seat also showed strong dynamic performance results.”
What Parents Should Know
If you haven’t purchased a new infant seat, explore our child car seat ratings for other models that performed more favorably in our tests, including high-performing alternatives from Diono and Peg Perego. Because car seats are a life-saving product, CR’s car seat ratings are free to everyone.
If you’re using one of these models, continue until you can replace it with another car seat, and reach out to the manufacturer’s customer service for what you should do next. Using a car seat that shows damage in our crash testing is better than not using one at all.
If you are currently using one of these models and your child is close to 22 pounds or approaching their first birthday (the age and weight of the dummy in our tests), CR recommends making the move to a rear-facing convertible or all-in-one car seat a bit sooner. It’s recommended that children remain rear-facing at least until age 2. But CR also recommends transitioning to a rear-facing convertible or all-in-one model no later than a child’s first birthday. Our testing has shown that convertibles and all-in-ones provide additional head protection.
Contact the Manufacturers Directly for More Information
Diono: Call customer service at 855-463-4666 or go to the company’s Contact Us page.
Peg Perego: Call customer service at 800-671-1701 or send an email to service@pegperego.com.
These Two Infant Seats Suffered Structural Damage in CR's Crash Tests
Consumer Reports’ crash testing revealed significant structural integrity problems with the Diono LiteClik30 XT and Peg Perego Primo Viaggio 4-35 Urban Mobility infant car seats. Find out how CR’s testing goes beyond federal safety standards, and what to do next if you own one of these seats.
