GENERAL INFORMATION
See the following sections for directions on how to properly use safety
restraints for children.
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 bought separately from your 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 consulting your pediatrician to make sure your
child seat is appropriate for your child, and is compatible with and
properly installed in your 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, or locate
your local St. John Ambulance office by searching for St. John
Ambulance on the internet, 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.
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).
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Recommendations for Safety Restraints for Children
Child size, height, weight,
or ageRecommended restraint
type
Small
childrenChildren who have outgrown or
no longer properly fit in a child
safety seat (generally children
who are less than 4 ft. 9 in.
(1.45 m) 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 ft. 9 in. (1.45 m) 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 seat
back 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 feet 9 inches
(1.45 meters) tall, or 80 pounds (36 kilograms). Check your local and
state or provincial laws for specific requirements about 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.
See Passenger Airbag ON and OFF Switch in the Supplemental
Restraints System chapter for more information.
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CHILD SEAT POSITIONING
WARNING:Airbags can kill or injure a child in a child seat.
Never place a rear-facing child seat in front of an active airbag.
If you must use a forward-facing child seat in the front seat, move the
vehicle seat upon which the child seat is installed all the way back.
When possible, all children age 12 and under should be properly
restrained in a rear seating position. If all children cannot be seated and
restrained properly in a rear seating position, properly restrain the
largest child in the front seat.
WARNING:Always carefully follow the instructions and
warnings provided by the manufacturer of any child restraint to
determine if the restraint device is appropriate for your child’s size,
height, weight, or age. Follow the child restraint manufacturer’s
instructions and warnings provided for installation and use in
conjunction with the instructions and warnings provided by your
vehicle manufacturer. A safety seat that is improperly installed or
utilized, is inappropriate for your child’s height, age or weight, or does
not properly fit the child, may increase the risk of serious injury or
death.
WARNING:Never let a passenger hold a child on his or her lap
while your vehicle is moving. The passenger cannot protect the
child from injury in a crash, which may result in serious injury or death.
WARNING:Never use pillows, books, or towels to boost a child.
They can slide around and increase the likelihood of injury or
death in a crash.
WARNING:Always restrain an unoccupied child seat or booster
seat. These objects may become projectiles in a crash or sudden
stop, which may increase the risk of serious injury.
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WARNING:Never place, or allow a child to place, the shoulder
belt under a child’s arm or behind the back because it reduces
the protection for the upper part of the body and may increase the risk
of injury or death in a crash.
WARNING:To avoid risk of injury, do not leave children or pets
unattended in your vehicle.
Recommendations for attaching child safety restraints for
children
Restraint typeCombined
weight of
child and
child seatUse any attachment method as
indicated below by X.
Safety belt and top
tether anchorSafety
belt only
Rear-facing
child seatUp to 65 lb
(29.5 kg)X
Rear-facing
child seatOver 65 lb
(29.5 kg)X
Forward-facing
child seatUp to 65 lb
(29.5 kg)X
Forward-facing
child seatOver 65 lb
(29.5 kg)X
Note:The child seat must rest tightly against the vehicle seat upon
which it is installed. It may be necessary to lift or remove the head
restraint. See theSeatschapter for information on head restraints.
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7.Try to pull the belt out of the retractor to make sure the retractor is in
the automatic locking mode (you should not be able to pull more belt out).
If the retractor is not locked, unbuckle the belt and repeat Steps 5 and 6.
8. Remove remaining slack from the
belt. Force the seat down with extra
weight, for example, by pressing
down or kneeling on the child
restraint while pulling up on the
shoulder belt in order to force slack
from the belt.
This is necessary to remove the remaining slack that will exist once the
extra weight of the child is added to the child restraint. It also helps to
achieve the proper snugness of the child seat to your vehicle.
Sometimes, a slight lean toward the buckle will provide extra help to
remove remaining slack from the belt.
9. Attach the tether strap (if the child seat is equipped). SeeUsing
Tether Straps.
10. Before placing the child in the
seat, forcibly move the seat forward
and back to make sure the seat is
securely held in place.
To check this, grab the seat at the belt path and attempt to move it side
to side and forward and back. There should be no more than 1 inch
(2.5 centimeters) of movement for proper installation.
Ford recommends checking with a NHTSA Certified Child Passenger
Safety Technician to make certain the child restraint is properly installed.
In Canada, check with your local St. John Ambulance office for referral
to a Child Passenger Safety Technician.
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After all occupants have adjusted their seats and put on safety belts,
it is very important that they continue to sit properly. Properly seated
occupants sit upright, lean against the seat back, and center themselves
on the seat cushion, with their feet comfortably extended on the floor.
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.
Children and Airbags
WARNING:Airbags can kill or injure a child in a child seat.
Never place a rear-facing child seat in front of an active airbag.
If you must use a forward-facing child seat in the front seat, move the
seat upon which the child seat is installed all the way back.
Children must always be properly
restrained. Accident statistics
suggest that children are safer when
properly restrained in the rear
seating positions than in the front
seating position. Failure to follow
these instructions may increase the
risk of injury in a crash.
Passenger Airbag ON and OFF Switch (If Equipped)
WARNING:An airbag ON and OFF switch may have been
installed in this vehicle. Before driving, always look at the face of
the switch to be sure the switch is in the proper position in accordance
with these instructions and warnings. Failure to put the switch in a
proper position can increase the risk of serious injury or death in a
crash.
Note:The passenger airbag ON and OFF switch may be on vehicles with
no rear seats and a gross vehicle weight rating greater than 8500 pounds
(3856 kilograms). See theTowingchapter for more information.
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SITTING IN THE CORRECT POSITION
WARNING:Sitting improperly out of position or with the
seatback reclined too far can take off weight from the seat
cushion and affect the passenger sensing system, resulting in serious
injury or death in a crash. Always sit upright against your seatback,
with your feet on the floor.
WARNING:Do not recline the seatback as this can cause the
occupant to slide under the seat’s safety belt, resulting in severe
personal injury in the event of a crash.
WARNING:Do not place objects higher than the seatbacks to
reduce the risk of injury in a crash or during heavy braking or
when stopping suddenly.
When you use them properly, the
seat, head restraint, safety belt and
airbags will provide optimum
protection in the event of a crash.
We recommend that you follow
these guidelines:
•Do not recline the seatback more
than 30 degrees from vertical.
•Sit in an upright position with the
base of your spine as far back as
possible.
•Adjust the head restraint so that the top of it is level with the top of
your head and as far forward as possible, remaining comfortable.
•Keep sufficient distance between yourself and the steering wheel.
We recommend a minimum of 10 inches (25 centimeters) between
your breastbone and the airbag cover.
•Hold the steering wheel with your arms slightly bent.
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LOAD LIMIT
Vehicle Loading – With and Without a Trailer
This section will guide you in the proper loading of your vehicle and/or
trailer, to keep your loaded vehicle weight within its design rating
capability, with or without a trailer. Properly loading your vehicle will
provide maximum return of vehicle design performance. Before loading
your vehicle, familiarize yourself with the following terms for determining
your vehicle’s weight ratings, with or without a trailer, from the vehicle’s
Safety Compliance Certification Label:
Base Curb Weight– is the weight of the vehicle including a full tank of
fuel and all standard equipment. It does not include passengers, cargo, or
optional equipment.
Vehicle Curb Weight– is the weight of your new vehicle when you
picked it up from your authorized dealer plus any aftermarket
equipment.
Payload– is the combined weight of cargo and passengers that the
vehicle is carrying. Look for“THE COMBINED WEIGHT OF
OCCUPANTS AND CARGO SHOULD NEVER EXCEED XXX kg OR
XXX lb.”for maximum payload.
WARNING:The appropriate loading capacity of your vehicle can
be limited either by volume capacity (how much space is
available) or by payload capacity (how much weight the vehicle should
carry). Once you have reached the maximum payload of your vehicle,
do not add more cargo, even if there is space available. Overloading or
improperly loading your vehicle can contribute to loss of vehicle control
and vehicle rollover.
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