Your vehicle has LATCH lower anchors forchild seat installation at the seatingpositions marked with the child seatsymbol.
The LATCH anchors are located at the rearsection of the rear seat between thecushion and seat back below the symbolsas shown. Follow the child seatmanufacturer's instructions to properlyinstall a child seat with LATCHattachments. Follow the instructions onattaching child safety seats with tetherstraps.
Attach LATCH lower attachments of thechild seat only to the anchors shown.
Use of Inboard Lower Anchors from theOutboard Seating Positions (CenterSeating Use)
WARNING
The standardized spacing for LATCHlower anchors is 11 inches (28centimeters) center to center. Do notuse LATCH lower anchors for the centerseating position unless the child seatmanufacturer's instructions permit andspecify using anchors spaced at least asfar apart as those in this vehicle.
The lower anchors at the center of thesecond row rear seat are spaced 18 inches(46 centimeters) apart. A child seat withrigid LATCH attachments cannot beinstalled at the center seating position.LATCH compatible child seats (withattachments on belt webbing) can only beused at this seating position provided thatthe child seat manufacturer's instructionspermit use with the anchor spacing stated.Do not attach a child seat to any loweranchor if an adjacent child seat is attachedto that anchor.
Each time you use the safety seat, checkthat the seat is properly attached to thelower anchors and tether anchor, ifapplicable. Tug the child seat from side toside and forward and back where it issecured to your vehicle. The seat shouldmove less than one inch when you do thisfor a proper installation.
If the safety seat is not anchored properly,the risk of a child being injured in a crashgreatly increases.
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Combining Safety Belt and LATCHLower Anchors for Attaching ChildSafety Seats
When used in combination, either thesafety belt or the LATCH lower anchorsmay be attached first, provided a properinstallation is achieved. Attach the tetherstrap afterward, if included with the childseat.
Using Tether Straps
Many forward-facing child safetyseats include a tether strapwhich extends from the back ofthe child safety seat and hooks to ananchoring point called the top tetheranchor. Tether straps are available as anaccessory for many older safety seats.
Contact the manufacturer of your childseat for information about ordering atether strap, or to obtain a longer tetherstrap if the tether strap on your safety seatdoes not reach the appropriate top tetheranchor in your vehicle.
Once the child safety seat has beeninstalled using either the safety belt, thelower anchors of the LATCH system, orboth, you can attach the top tether strap.
The tether strap anchors in your vehicleare in the following positions (shown fromtop view):
Perform the following steps to install achild safety seat with tether anchors:
Note:If you install a child seat with rigidLATCH attachments, do not tighten thetether strap enough to lift the child seat offyour vehicle seat cushion when the child isseated in it. Keep the tether strap just snugwithout lifting the front of the child seat.Keeping the child seat just touching yourvehicle seat gives the best protection in asevere crash.
1.Route the child safety seat tether strapover the back of the seat. For outboardseating positions, route the tether strapunder the head restraint and betweenthe head restraint posts. For the centerseating positions, route the tether strapover the top of the head restraint. Ifneeded, the head restraints can alsobe removed.
2.Locate the correct anchor for theselected seating position, then openthe tether anchor cover.
3.Clip the tether strap to the anchor asshown.
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4.Tighten the child safety seat tetherstrap according to the manufacturer'sinstructions. If your child restraintsystem is equipped with a tether strap,and the child restraint manufacturerrecommends its use, Ford alsorecommends its use.
BOOSTER SEATS
WARNING
Never place, or allow a child to place,the shoulder belt under a child's armor behind the back because itreduces the protection for the upper partof the body and may increase the risk ofinjury or death in a crash.
Use a belt-positioning booster seat forchildren who have outgrown or no longerproperly fit in a child safety seat (generallychildren who are less than 4 feet 9 inches(1.45 meters) tall, are greater than age four(4) and less than age twelve (12), andbetween 40 pounds (18 kilograms) and80 pounds (36 kilograms) and upward to100 pounds (45 kilograms) ifrecommended by your child restraintmanufacturer). Many state and provinciallaws require that children use approvedbooster seats until they reach age eight, aheight of 4 feet 9 inches (1.45 meters) tall,or 80 pounds (36 kilograms).
Booster seats should be used until you cananswer YES to ALL of these questionswhen seated without a booster seat:
•Can the child sit all the way backagainst their vehicle seat back withknees bent comfortably at the edge ofthe seat cushion?
•Can the child sit without slouching?
•Does the lap belt rest low across thehips?
•Is the shoulder belt centered on theshoulder and chest?
•Can the child stay seated like this forthe whole trip?
Always use booster seats in conjunctionwith your vehicle lap and shoulder belt.
Types of Booster Seats
•Backless booster seats
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If your backless booster seat has aremovable shield, remove the shield. If avehicle seating position has a low seatback or no head restraint, a backlessbooster seat may place your child's head(as measured at the tops of the ears)above the top of the seat. In this case,move the backless booster to anotherseating position with a higher seat back orhead restraint and lap and shoulder belts,or consider using a high back booster seat.
•High back booster seats
If, with a backless booster seat, you cannotfind a seating position that adequatelysupports your child's head, a high backbooster seat would be a better choice.
Children and booster seats vary in size andshape. Choose a booster that keeps thelap belt low and snug across the hips,never up across the stomach, and lets youadjust the shoulder belt to cross the chestand rest snugly near the center of theshoulder. The following drawings comparethe ideal fit (center) to a shoulder beltuncomfortably close to the neck and ashoulder belt that could slip off theshoulder. The drawings also show how thelap belt should be low and snug across thechild's hips.
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Recommendations for attaching child safety restraints for children
Use any attachment method as indicated below by XCombinedweight ofchild andchild seat
RestraintTypeSafety beltonlySafety beltand LATCH(loweranchorsand toptetheranchor)
Safety beltand toptetheranchor
LATCH(loweranchorsonly)
LATCH(loweranchorsand toptetheranchor)
XXUp to 65 lb(29 kg)Rear facingchild seat
XOver 65 lb(29 kg)Rear facingchild seat
XXXUp to 65 lb(29 kg)Forwardfacingchild seat
XXOver 65 lb(29 kg)Forwardfacingchild seat
Note:The child seat must rest tightlyagainst the vehicle seat upon which it isinstalled. It may be necessary to lift orremove the head restraint. See Seats (page121).
CHILD SAFETY LOCKS
When these locks are set, the rear doorscannot be opened from the inside.
The childproof locks are located on therear edge of each rear door and must beset separately for each door.
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PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION
WARNINGS
Always drive and ride with your seatback upright and the lap belt snugand low across the hips.
To reduce the risk of injury, makesure children sit where they can beproperly restrained.
Never let a passenger hold a child onhis or her lap while your vehicle ismoving. The passenger cannotprotect the child from injury in a crash.
All occupants of your vehicle,including the driver, should alwaysproperly wear their safety belts, evenwhen an airbag supplemental restraintsystem is provided. Failure to properly wearyour safety belt could seriously increasethe risk of injury or death.
It is extremely dangerous to ride in acargo area, inside or outside of avehicle. In a crash, people riding inthese areas are more likely to be seriouslyinjured or killed. Do not allow people to ridein any area of your vehicle that is notequipped with seats and safety belts. Besure everyone in your vehicle is in a seatand using a safety belt properly.
In a rollover crash, an unbeltedperson is significantly more likely todie than a person wearing a safetybelt.
Each seating position in your vehiclehas a specific safety belt assemblywhich is made up of one buckle andone tongue that are designed to be usedas a pair. 1) Use the shoulder belt on theoutside shoulder only. Never wear theshoulder belt under the arm. 2) Neverswing the safety belt around your neck overthe inside shoulder. 3) Never use a singlebelt for more than one person.
WARNINGS
When possible, all children 12 yearsold and under should be properlyrestrained in a rear seating position.Failure to follow this could seriouslyincrease the risk of injury or death.
Safety belts and seats can becomehot in a vehicle that has been closedup in sunny weather; they could burna small child. Check seat covers andbuckles before you place a child anywherenear them.
Front and rear seat occupants,including pregnant women, shouldwear safety belts for optimumprotection in an accident.
All seating positions in your vehicle havelap and shoulder safety belts. Alloccupants of the vehicle should alwaysproperly wear their safety belts, even whenan airbag supplemental restraint systemis provided.
The safety belt system consists of:
•lap and shoulder safety belts.
•shoulder safety belt with automaticlocking mode, (except driver safetybelt).
•height adjuster at the front outboardseating positions.
•safety belt pretensioner at the frontoutboard seating positions.
•belt tension sensor at the frontoutboard passenger seating position.
•Safety belt warning light and chime.
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Pregnant women should always wear theirsafety belt. The lap belt portion of acombination lap and shoulder belt shouldbe positioned low across the hips belowthe belly and worn as tight as comfort willallow. The shoulder belt should bepositioned to cross the middle of theshoulder and the center of the chest.
Safety Belt Locking Modes
WARNINGS
After any vehicle crash, the safetybelt system at all passenger seatingpositions must be checked by anauthorized dealer to verify that theautomatic locking retractor feature forchild seats is still functioning properly. Inaddition, all safety belts should be checkedfor proper function.
Belt and retractor assembly must bereplaced if the safety belt assemblyautomatic locking retractor featureor any other safety belt function is notoperating properly when checked by anauthorized dealer. Failure to replace thebelt and retractor assembly could increasethe risk of injury in crashes.
All safety restraints in the vehicle arecombination lap and shoulder belts. Thedriver safety belt has the vehicle sensitivelocking mode. The front outboardpassenger and rear seat safety belts haveboth the vehicle sensitive locking modeand the automatic locking mode.
Vehicle Sensitive Mode
This is the normal retractor mode, whichallows free shoulder belt lengthadjustment to your movements andlocking in response to vehicle movement.For example, if the driver brakes suddenlyor turns a corner sharply, or the vehiclereceives an impact of approximately 5 mph(8 km/h) or more, the combination safetybelts will lock to help reduce forwardmovement of the driver and passengers.
In addition, the retractor is designed to lockif the webbing is pulled out too quickly. Ifthis occurs, let the belt retract slightly andpull webbing out again in a slow andcontrolled manner.
Automatic Locking Mode
In this mode, the shoulder belt isautomatically pre-locked. The belt will stillretract to remove any slack in the shoulderbelt. The automatic locking mode is notavailable on the driver safety belt.
When to Use the Automatic LockingMode
This mode should be used any time a childsafety seat, except a booster, is installedin passenger front or rear seating positions.Children 12 years old and under should beproperly restrained in a rear seatingposition whenever possible. See ChildSafety (page 13).
How to Use the Automatic LockingMode
Non-inflatable safety belts
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1.Buckle the combination lap andshoulder belt.
2.Grasp the shoulder portion and pulldownward until the entire belt is pulledout. As the belt retracts, you will heara clicking sound. This indicates thesafety belt is now in the automaticlocking mode.
Rear outboard inflatable safety belts(second row only–if equipped)
1.Buckle the combination lap andshoulder belt.
2.Grasp the lap portion of the belt andpull upward until the entire belt ispulled out.
3.Allow the belt to retract. As the beltretracts, you will hear a clicking sound.This indicates the safety belt is now inthe automatic locking mode.
How to Disengage the AutomaticLocking Mode
Unbuckle the combination lap andshoulder belt and allow it to retractcompletely to disengage the automaticlocking mode and activate the vehiclesensitive (emergency) locking mode.
Rear Inflatable Safety Belt (If
Equipped)
WARNING
Do not attempt to service, repair, ormodify the rear inflatable safety belt.
The rear inflatable safety belts are fittedin the shoulder portion of the safety beltsof the second-row outboard seatingpositions.
Note:The rear inflatable safety belts arecompatible with most infant and childsafety car seats and belt positioning boosterseats when properly installed. This isbecause they are designed to fill with acooled gas at a lower pressure and at aslower rate than traditional airbags. Afterinflation, the shoulder portion of the safetybelt remains cool to the touch.
The rear inflatable safety belt consists ofthe following:
•An inflatable bag located in theshoulder safety belt webbing.
•Lap safety belt webbing withautomatic locking mode.
•The same warning light, electroniccontrol and diagnostic unit as used forthe front safety belts.
•Impact sensors located in various partsof the vehicle.
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