
Carefully follow all of the manufacturer’s instructions included
with the safety seat you put in your vehicle. If you do not install
and use the safety seat properly, the child may be injured in a sudden
stop or collision.
Rear-facing child seats or infant carriers should never be placed
in the front seats.
Installing child safety seats with combination lap and shoulder
belts
Air bags can kill or injure a child in a child seat.NEVERplace a
rear-facing child seat in front of an active air bag. If you must
use a forward-facing child seat in the front seat, move the seat all the
way back.
Children 12 and under should be properly restrained in the rear
seat whenever possible.
1. Position the child safety seat in a
seat with a combination lap and
shoulder belt.
REVIEW COPY
2005 Freestyle(219), Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)(own2002),
Market:USA_English(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
149

Attaching child safety seats with tether straps
Most new forward-facing child safety seats include a tether strap which
goes over the back of the seat and hooks to an anchoring point. Tether
straps are available as an accessory for many older safety seats. Contact
the manufacturer of your child seat for information about ordering a
tether strap.
Children should be placed in the rear in an appropriate child
safety seat that is properly secured to the vehicle.
The tether anchors in your vehicle are in the positions shown:
40/40 second row seats
60/40 second row seats
Delivery van
REVIEW COPY
2005 Freestyle(219), Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)(own2002),
Market:USA_English(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
152

7. Tighten the child safety seat
tether strap according to the
manufacturer’s instructions.
Rear seating positions
Follow steps 1–7 as described above for the following available seats:
•2nd row bucket (40/40)
•2nd row bench (60/40)
REVIEW COPY
2005 Freestyle(219), Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)(own2002),
Market:USA_English(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
155

•3rd row bench
For additional important safety information on the proper use of safety
belts, child seats and infant seats, please read the entireSeating and
safety restraintschapter in this owner’s guide.
Attaching safety seats with LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for
Children) attachments for child seat anchors
New child safety seats have two rigid or webbing mounted attachments
that connect to two anchors at certain seating positions in your vehicle.
This type of child seat eliminates the need to use safety belts to attach
the child seat. For forward-facing child seats, the tether strap must also
be attached to the proper tether anchor. SeeAttaching safety seats with
tether strapsin this chapter.
Your vehicle has LATCH anchors for child seat installation at the seating
positions marked with the child seat symbol.
Never attach two LATCH
child safety seats to the
same anchor. In a crash, one
anchor may not be strong enough
to hold two child safety seat
attachments and may break,
causing serious injury or death.
REVIEW COPY
2005 Freestyle(219), Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)(own2002),
Market:USA_English(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
156

Do not use sharp objects, such as a razor blade, to clean the
inside of the rear window or to remove decals, as it may cause
damage to the rear window defroster’s heated grid lines.
INSTRUMENT PANEL AND CLUSTER LENS
Clean the instrument panel with a damp cloth, then dry with a dry cloth.
•Avoid cleaners or polish that increase the gloss of the upper portion of
the instrument panel. The dull finish in this area helps protect the
driver from undesirable windshield reflection.
Do not use chemical solvents or strong detergents when cleaning
the steering wheel or instrument panel to avoid contamination of
the air bag system.
•Be certain to wash or wipe your hands clean if you have been in
contact with certain products such as insect repellent and suntan
lotion in order to avoid possible damage to the interior painted
surfaces.
INTERIOR TRIM
•Clean the interior trim areas with a damp cloth, then dry by wiping
with a dry, soft, clean cloth.
•Do not use household or glass cleaners as these may damage the
finish.
INTERIOR
For fabric, carpets, cloth seats, safety belts and seats equipped with side
air bags:
•Remove dust and loose dirt with a vacuum cleaner.
•Remove light stains and soil with Motorcraft Extra Strength
Upholstery Cleaner (ZC-41).
•If grease or tar is present on the material, spot-clean the area first
with Motorcraft Spot and Stain Remover (ZC-14).
•Never saturate the seat covers with cleaning solution.
•Do not use household cleaning products or glass cleaners, which can
stain and discolor the fabric and affect the flame retardant abilities of
the seat materials.
REVIEW COPY
2005 Freestyle(219), Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)(own2002),
Market:USA_English(fus)
Cleaning
237

Do not use cleaning solvents, bleach or dye on the vehicle’s
safety belts, as these actions may weaken the belt webbing.
Do not use chemical solvents or strong detergents when cleaning
the seat-mounted side air bag. Such products could contaminate
the side air bag system and affect performance of the side air bag in a
collision.
LEATHER SEATS (IF EQUIPPED)
Your leather seating surfaces have a clear, protective coating over the
leather.
•To clean, use a soft cloth with Motorcraft Deluxe Leather and Vinyl
Cleaner (ZC-11–A). Dry the area with a soft cloth.
•To help maintain its resiliency and color, use the Motorcraft Deluxe
Leather Care Kit (ZC-11–D), available from your authorized dealer.
•Do not use household cleaning products, alcohol solutions, solvents or
cleaners intended for rubber, vinyl and plastics, or oil/petroleum-based
leather conditioners. These products may cause premature wearing of
the clear, protective coating.
Note:In some instances, color or dye transfer can occur when wet
clothing comes in contact with leather upholstery. If this occurs, the
leather should be cleaned immediately to avoid permanent staining.
UNDERBODY
Flush the complete underside of your vehicle frequently. Keep body and
door drain holes free from packed dirt.
REVIEW COPY
2005 Freestyle(219), Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)(own2002),
Market:USA_English(fus)
Cleaning
238

A
Accessory delay ..........................66
Air bag supplemental restraint
system ................131–132, 139, 141
and child safety seats ............133
description ..............132, 139, 141
disposal ....................................144
driver air bag ..........134, 139, 142
indicator light .................133, 144
operation .................134, 139, 142
passenger air bag ...134, 139, 142
side air bag ..............................139
Air cleaner filter .......................267
Air conditioning ........41, 43, 45, 47
All Wheel Drive (AWD),
driving off road .........................202
Antifreeze (see
Engine coolant) ........................249
Anti-lock brake system
(see Brakes) ..............................194
Anti-theft system ......................104
arming the system ..................104
disarming a triggered
system .....................................105
Audio system (see Radio) ...17, 20
Automatic transaxle
fluid, adding ............................267
fluid, checking ........................267
fluid, refill capacities ..............268
fluid, specification ..................272
Automatic transmission
driving an automatic
overdrive .................................199
Axle
lubricant specifications ..........270
B
Battery .......................................247acid, treating emergencies .....247
jumping a disabled battery ....218
maintenance-free ....................247
replacement, specifications ...267
servicing ..................................247
BeltMinder .................................126
Brakes ........................................194
anti-lock ...................................194
anti-lock brake system
(ABS) warning light ...............194
fluid, checking and adding ....266
fluid, refill capacities ..............268
fluid, specifications .........270, 272
lubricant specifications ..270, 272
parking ....................................195
shift interlock ..........................197
Bulbs ............................................56
C
Capacities for refilling fluids ....268
Cargo cover .................................89
Cargo net .....................................89
Cassette tape player ...................17
Cell phone use ............................88
Certification Label ....................274
Changing a tire .........................163
Child safety restraints ..............145
child safety belts ....................145
Child safety seats ......................148
in front seat ............................149
in rear seat ..............................149
tether anchorage hardware ...152
Cleaning your vehicle
engine compartment ..............235
instrument panel ....................237
interior .....................................237
interior trim ............................237
REVIEW COPY
2005 Freestyle(219), Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)(own2002),
Market:USA_English(fus)
Index
Index
279

Exhaust fumes ..........................193
F
Fluid capacities .........................268
Foglamps .....................................52
Four-Wheel Drive vehicles
driving off road .......................202
Fuel ............................................256
calculating fuel
economy ............................77, 260
cap ...........................................257
capacity ...................................268
choosing the right fuel ...........258
comparisons with EPA fuel
economy estimates .................263
detergent in fuel .....................259
filling your vehicle
with fuel ..................256–257, 260
filter, specifications ........260, 267
fuel pump shut-off switch .....210
improving fuel economy ........260
octane rating ...................259, 272
quality ......................................259
running out of fuel .................259
safety information relating to
automotive fuels .....................256
Fuel pump shut-off switch .......210
Fuses ..........................................211
G
Garage Door Opener
(see Homelink wireless control
system) ........................................72
Gas cap (see Fuel cap) ............257
Gas mileage
(see Fuel economy) .................260
Gauges .........................................14
H
Hazard flashers .........................210Head restraints .................106, 110
Headlamps ...................................51
aiming ........................................54
autolamp system .......................51
bulb specifications ....................56
daytime running lights .............52
flash to pass ..............................53
high beam .................................53
replacing bulbs .........................57
turning on and off ....................51
Heating
heating and air conditioning
system ...............39, 41, 43, 45, 47
Homelink wireless control
system ..........................................72
Hood ..........................................241
I
Ignition ...............................190, 272
Infant seats
(see Safety seats) .....................148
Inspection/maintenance
(I/M) testing ..............................265
Instrument panel
cleaning ...................................237
cluster ........................................10
lighting up panel and interior .53
J
Jack ............................................163
positioning ...............................163
storage .....................................163
Jump-starting your vehicle ......218
K
Keyless entry system .................98
autolock .....................................99
REVIEW COPY
2005 Freestyle(219), Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)(own2002),
Market:USA_English(fus)
Index
281