
WARNING:Rear facing
child seats should NEVER
be placed in front of an active
airbag.
WARNING:All occupants
of the vehicle, including the
driver, should always properly
wear their safety belts, even when
an airbag supplemental restraint
system (SRS) is provided.
WARNING:National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA) recommends a minimum distance of at least 25 cm
(10 inches) between an occupant’s chest and the driver airbag module.
WARNING:Never place your arm over the air bag module as a
deploying airbag can result in serious arm fractures or other
injuries.
Steps you can take to properly position yourself away from the airbag:
•Move your seat to the rear as far as you can while still reaching the
pedals comfortably.
•Recline the seat slightly (one or two degrees) from the upright
position.
WARNING:Do not put anything on or over the airbag module.
Placing objects on or over the airbag inflation area may cause
those objects to be propelled by the airbag into your face and torso
causing serious injury.
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WARNING:Front seating positions only: If seating two adults
and a child, Ford recommends properly restraining the child in
the center front seating position, but only if doing so will not interfere
with driving the vehicle. This arrangement provides lap and shoulder
belt and airbag protection for adult occupants and an attachment
method for a child restraint. If the child seat interferes with driving the
vehicle and the child restraint is forward-facing, the child may be
restrained in the passenger seat. Move the seat as far rearward as
possible to minimize the likelihood of interaction with the front
passenger airbag. Never place a rear-facing child seat in front of an
active airbag. Always properly restrain all occupants, including the
child in an appropriate child seat or booster.
WARNING:Installing a child safety seat in the front row lap
seating position should be avoided if at all possible.
WARNING:Never place a rear-facing child seat in the front
center seating position of a vehicle with rear seating positions.
WARNING:Booster seats must be installed only in seating
positions equipped with a combination lap/shoulder belt.
WARNING:To reduce the risk of injury, make sure children sit
where they can be properly restrained.
How does the airbag supplemental restraint system work?
The airbag SRS is designed to
activate when the vehicle sustains
sufficient longitudinal deceleration.
The fact that the airbags did not
inflate in a collision does not mean
that something is wrong with the
system. Rather, it means the forces
were not of the type sufficient to
cause activation. Airbags are
designed to inflate in frontal and
near-frontal collisions, not rollover,
side-impact, or rear-impacts.
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The front passenger sensing system is designed to enable (may inflate)
the right front passenger’s frontal airbag anytime the system senses that
a person of adult size is sitting properly in the front passenger seat.
When the passenger sensing system has allowed the airbag to be
enabled, the indicator will be unlit and stay unlit to remind you that the
airbag is enabled (may inflate).
If a person of adult-size is sitting in the front passenger’s seat, but the
passenger airbag offorpass airbag offindicator is lit, it could be that
the person isn’t sitting properly in the seat. If this happens, turn the
vehicle off and ask the person to place the seatback in the full upright
position, then sit upright in the seat, centered on the seat cushion, with
the person’s legs comfortably extended. Restart the vehicle and have the
person remain in this position for about two minutes. This will allow the
system to detect that person and then enable the passenger’s airbag. If
the indicator lamp remains lit even after this, then the occupant should
be advised to ride in the back seat.
OccupantPass Airbag Off
Indicator LampPassenger Airbag
Empty seat Unlit Disabled
Small child in child
safety seat or boosterLit Disabled
Small child with safety
belt buckled or
unbuckledLit Disabled
Adult Unlit Enabled
After all occupants have adjusted their seats and put on safety belts, it’s
very important that they continue to sit upright, with their back against
the seatback, with their feet comfortably extended on the floor while the
vehicle is still in motion. Sitting improperly can increase the chance of
injury in a crash event. For example, if an occupant slouches, lies down,
turns sideways, sits forward, leans forward or sideways, or puts one or
both feet up, the chance of injury during a crash is greatly increased.
WARNING:Sitting improperly out of position or with the seat
back reclined too far can take off weight from the seat cushion
and affect the decision of the front passenger sensing system, resulting
in serious injury or death in a crash.
Always sit upright against your seatback, with your feet on the floor.
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Determining if the system is operational
The SRS uses readiness lights in the instrument cluster or a tone to
indicate the condition of the system. Refer toAirbag readinessin the
Instrument Clusterchapter. Routine maintenance of the airbag is not
required.
A difficulty with the system is indicated by one or more of the following:
•The readiness lights will either
flash or stay lit.
•The readiness lights will not
illuminate immediately after
ignition is turned on.
•A series of five beeps will be heard. The tone pattern will repeat
periodically until the problem and/or light are repaired.
If any of these things happen, even intermittently, contact your
authorized dealer as soon as possible. Unless serviced, the system may
not function properly in the event of a collision.
Seat-mounted side airbag system
WARNING:Do not place objects or mount equipment on or
near the airbag cover on the side of the seatbacks of the front
seats or in front seat areas that may come into contact with a
deploying airbag. Failure to follow these instructions may increase the
risk of personal injury in the event of a collision.
WARNING:Do not use accessory seat covers. The use of
accessory seat covers may prevent the deployment of the side
airbags and increase the risk of injury in an accident.
WARNING:Do not lean your head on the door. The side airbag
could injure you as it deploys from the side of the seatback.
WARNING:Do not attempt to service, repair, or modify the
airbag SRS, its fuses or the seat cover on a seat containing an
airbag. See an authorized dealer.
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WARNING:All occupants of the vehicle should always wear
their safety belts even when an airbag SRS is provided.
How does the side airbag system work?
The design and development of the
side airbag system included
recommended testing procedures
that were developed by a group of
automotive safety experts known as
the Side Airbag Technical Working
Group. These recommended testing
procedures help reduce the risk of
injuries related to the deployment of
side airbags.
The side airbag system consists of
the following:
•An inflatable nylon bag (airbag) with a gas generator concealed behind
the outboard bolster of the driver and front passenger seatbacks.
•A special seat cover designed to allow airbag deployment.
•The same warning light, electronic control and diagnostic unit as used
for the front airbags.
•Two crash sensors located on the front doors (one on each side of the
vehicle).
Side airbags, in combination with safety belts, can help reduce the risk of
severe injuries in the event of a significant side impact collision.
The side airbags are fitted on the outboard side of the seatbacks of the
front seats. In certain lateral collisions, the airbag on the side affected by
the collision will be inflated. The airbag was designed to inflate between
the door panel and occupant to further enhance the protection provided
occupants in side impact collisions.
The airbag SRS is designed to activate when the vehicle sustains lateral
deceleration sufficient to cause the sensors to close an electrical circuit
that initiates airbag inflation.
The fact that the airbags did not inflate in a collision does not mean that
something is wrong with the system. Rather, it means the forces were
not of the type sufficient to cause activation. Side airbags are designed
to inflate in side-impact collisions, not roll-over, rear-impact, frontal or
near-frontal collisions, unless the collision causes sufficient lateral
deceleration.
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SAFETY RESTRAINTS FOR CHILDREN
See the following sections for directions on how to properly use safety
restraints for children. Also seeAirbag supplemental restraint system
(SRS)in this chapter for special instructions about using airbags.
Important child restraint precautions
WARNING:Always make sure your child is secured properly in
a device that is appropriate for their height, age and weight.
Child safety restraints must be purchased separately from the vehicle.
Failure to follow these instructions and guidelines may result in an
increased risk of serious injury or death to your child.
WARNING:All children are shaped differently. The
Recommendations for Safety Restraints are based on probable
child height, age and weight thresholds from NHTSA and other safety
organizations or are the minimum requirements of law. Ford
recommends checking with a NHTSA Certified Child Passenger Safety
Technician (CPST) and consult your pediatrician to make sure your
child seat is appropriate for your child, and is compatible with and
properly installed in the vehicle. To locate a child seat fitting station
and CPST contact the NHTSA toll free at 1-888-327-4236 or on the
internet at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov. In Canada, check with your local
St. John Ambulance office for referral to a CPST or for further
information, contact your provincial ministry of transportation, your
local St. John Ambulance office at http://www.sfa.ca, or Transport
Canada at 1–800–333–0371 (http://www.tc.gc.ca). Failure to properly
restrain children in safety seats made especially for their height, age,
and weight may result in an increased risk of serious injury or death to
your child.
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Recommendations for Safety Restraints for Children
Child size, height, weight, or ageRecommended
restraint type
Infants
or
toddlersChildren weighing 40 lb (18 kg) or
less (generally age four or younger)Use a child safety seat
(sometimes called an
infant carrier,
convertible seat, or
toddler seat).
Small
childrenChildren who have outgrown or no
longer properly fit in a child safety
seat (generally children who are less
than 4 feet 9 inches (1.45 meters)
tall, are greater than age four (4)
and less than age twelve (12), and
between 40 lb (18 kg) and 80 lb
(36 kg) and upward to 100 lb
(45 kg) if recommended by your
child restraint manufacturer)Use a belt-positioning
booster seat.
Larger
childrenChildren who have outgrown or no
longer properly fit in a
belt-positioning booster seat
(generally children who are at least
4 feet 9 inches (1.45 meters) tall or
greater than 80 lb (36 kg) or 100 lb
(45 kg) if recommended by child
restraint manufacturer)Use a vehicle safety
belt having the lap
belt snug and low
across the hips,
shoulder belt centered
across the shoulder
and chest, and
seatback upright.
•You are required by law to properly use safety seats for infants and
toddlers in the U.S. and Canada.
•Many states and provinces require that small children use approved
booster seats until they reach age eight, a height of 4 ft 9 in
(1.45 meters) tall, or 80 lb (36 kg). Check your local and state or
provincial laws for specific requirements regarding the safety of
children in your vehicle.
•When possible, always properly restrain children twelve (12) years of
age and under in a rear seating position of your vehicle. Accident
statistics suggest that children are safer when properly restrained in
the rear seating positions than in a front seating position.
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training to ensure that all children ages 0 to 16 are properly restrained in
the correct restraint system. Ford recommends checking with a NHTSA
Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST) and your
pediatrician to make sure your seat is appropriate for your child and
properly installed in the vehicle. To locate a child seat fitting station and
CPST contact the NHTSA toll free at1-888-327-4236or on the internet
at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov. In Canada, check with your local St. John
Ambulance office for referral to a CPST or for further information,
contact your provincial ministry of transportation, your local St. John
Ambulance office at http://www.sfa.ca, or Transport Canada at
1–800–333–0371 (http://www.tc.gc.ca).
Follow all the safety restraint and airbag precautions that apply to adult
passengers in your vehicle.
If the child is the proper height, age, and weight (as specified by your
child safety seat or booster manufacturer), fits the restraint and can be
restrained properly, then restrain the child in the child safety seat or
with the belt-positioning booster. Remember that child seats and
belt-positioning boosters vary and may be designed to fit children of
different heights, ages and weights. Children who are too large for child
safety seats or belt-positioning boosters (as specified by your child safety
seat manufacturer) should always properly wear safety belts.
SAFETY SEATS FOR CHILDREN
Infant and/or toddler seats
Use a safety seat that is recommended for the size and weight of the
child.
When installing a child safety seat:
•Review and follow the information
presented in theAirbag
supplemental restraint system
(SRS)section in this chapter.
•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.
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