WARNING:When possible, all children 12 years old and under
should be properly restrained in a rear seating position. Failure
to follow this could seriously increase the risk of injury or death.
WARNING:Safety belts and seats can become hot in a vehicle
that has been closed up in sunny weather; they could burn a
small child. Check seat covers and buckles before you place a child
anywhere near them.
WARNING:Front and rear seat occupants, including pregnant
women, should wear safety belts for optimum protection in an
accident.
All seating positions in this vehicle have lap and shoulder safety belts. All
occupants of the vehicle should always properly wear their safety belts,
even when an airbag supplemental restraint system is provided.
The safety belt system consists of:
•Lap and shoulder safety belts.
•Shoulder safety belt with automatic locking mode, (except driver
safety belt).
•Height adjuster at the front outboard seating positions.
•Safety belt pretensioner at the front outboard seating positions.
•Safety belt warning light and chime. SeeSafety Belt
Warning Light and Indicator Chimelater in this chapter.
•Crash sensors and monitoring system with readiness
indicator. SeeCrash Sensors and Airbag Indicatorin the
Supplemental Restraints Systemchapter.
The safety belt pretensioners are designed to activate in frontal,
near-frontal and side crashes, and in rollovers. The safety belt
pretensioners at the front seating positions are designed to tighten the
safety belts firmly against the occupant’s body when activated. This helps
increase the effectiveness of the safety belts. In frontal crashes, the
safety belt pretensioners can be activated alone or, if the crash is of
sufficient severity, together with the front airbags.
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FASTENING THE SAFETY BELTS
The front outboard and rear safety restraints in your vehicle are
combination lap and shoulder belts.
1. Insert the belt tongue into the
proper buckle (the buckle closest to
the direction the tongue is coming
from) until you hear a snap and feel
it latch. Make sure the tongue is
securely fastened in the buckle.
2. To unfasten, press the release
button and remove the tongue from
the buckle.
Using Safety Belts During Pregnancy
WARNING:Always ride and drive with your seatback upright
and the safety belt properly fastened. The lap portion of the
safety belt should fit snug and be positioned low across the hips. The
shoulder portion of the safety belt should be positioned across the
chest. Pregnant women should also follow this practice. See the
following figure.
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Pregnant women should always
wear their safety belts. The lap belt
portion of a combination lap and
shoulder belt should be positioned
low across the hips below the belly
and worn as tight as comfort will
allow. The shoulder belt should be
positioned to cross the middle of
the shoulder and the center of the
chest.
Safety Belt Locking Modes
WARNING:After any vehicle crash, the safety belt system at all
passenger seating positions must be checked by an authorized
dealer to verify that the automatic locking retractor feature for child
seats is still functioning properly. In addition, all safety belts should be
checked for proper function.
WARNING:The belt and retractor assembly must be replaced if
the safety belt assembly automatic locking retractor feature or
any other safety belt function is not operating properly when checked
by an authorized dealer. Failure to replace the belt and retractor
assembly could increase the risk of injury in crashes.
All safety restraints in the vehicle are combination lap and shoulder
belts. The driver safety belt has the first type of locking mode. The front
outboard passenger and rear seat safety belts have both types of locking
modes described as follows:
Vehicle Sensitive Mode
This is the normal retractor mode, which allows free shoulder belt length
adjustment to your movements and locking in response to vehicle
movement. For example, if the driver brakes suddenly or turns a corner
sharply, or the vehicle receives an impact of about 5 mph (8 km/h) or
more, the combination safety belts will lock to help reduce forward
movement of the driver and passengers.
In addition, the retractor is designed to lock if the webbing is pulled out
too quickly. If this occurs, let the belt retract slightly and pull webbing
out again in a slow and controlled manner.
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Automatic Locking Mode
In this mode, the shoulder belt is automatically pre-locked. The belt will
still retract to remove any slack in the shoulder belt. The automatic
locking mode is not available on the driver safety belt.
When to Use the Automatic Locking Mode
This mode should be used any time a child safety seat, except a booster,
is installed in passenger front or rear seating positions. Children 12 years
old and under should be properly restrained in a rear seating position
whenever possible. See theChild Safetychapter.
How to Use the Automatic Locking Mode
1. Buckle the combination lap and shoulder
belt.
2. Grasp the shoulder portion and pull
downward until the entire belt is pulled out.
3. Allow the belt to retract. As the belt
retracts, you will hear a clicking sound. This
indicates the safety belt is now in the
automatic locking mode.
How to Disengage the Automatic Locking Mode
Unbuckle the combination lap and shoulder belt and allow it to retract
completely to disengage the automatic locking mode and activate the
vehicle sensitive (emergency) locking mode.
Safety Belt Extension Assembly
WARNING:Do not use extensions to change the fit of the
shoulder belt across the torso.
If the safety belt is too short when fully extended, you can obtain a
safety belt extension assembly from an authorized dealer.
Use only extensions manufactured by the same supplier as the safety
belt. Manufacturer identification is on a label located either at the end of
the webbing or on the retractor behind the trim. Also, use the safety belt
extension only if the safety belt is too short for you when fully extended.
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SAFETY BELT HEIGHT ADJUSTMENT
WARNING:Position the safety belt height adjusters so that the
belt rests across the middle of your shoulder. Failure to adjust
the safety belt properly could reduce the effectiveness of the seat belt
and increase the risk of injury in a crash.
Adjust the height of the shoulder belt so the belt rests across the middle
of your shoulder.
To adjust the shoulder belt height:
1. Squeeze the side release buttons
and slide the height adjuster up or
down.
2. Pull down on the height adjuster
to make sure it is locked in place.
Second Row Comfort Guide
WARNING:Position the safety belt comfort guide so that the
belt rests across the middle of your shoulder. Failure to adjust
the safety belt properly could reduce the effectiveness of the safety belt
and increase the risk of injury in a crash.
The second row outboard lap and
shoulder belt is equipped with a belt
comfort guide. This guide is attached
to the quarter trim panel. Use it to
adjust the comfort of the shoulder belt
for smaller occupants in the outboard
second row seats.
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To adjust the comfort guide:
1. Slip the shoulder belt into the
belt guide (the portion of the belt
between the latch tongue and the
D-ring, not the portion where the
belt exits from the quarter trim
panel).
2. Slide the guide up or down along the webbing so that the belt is
centered on the occupant’s shoulder.
SAFETY BELT WARNING LIGHT AND INDICATOR CHIME
This lamp illuminates and an audible warning will sound if the
driver’s safety belt has not been fastened when the vehicle’s
ignition is turned on.
Conditions of Operation
If... Then...
The driver safety belt is not
buckled before the ignition
switch is turned to the on
position...The safety belt warning light
illuminates 1-2 minutes and the
warning chime sounds 4-8 seconds.
The driver safety belt is
buckled while the indicator
light is illuminated and the
warning chime is sounding...The safety belt warning light and
warning chime turn off.
The driver safety belt is
buckled before the ignition
switch is turned to the on
position...The safety belt warning light and
indicator chime remain off.
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SAFETY BELT-MINDER™
This feature supplements the safety belt warning function by providing
additional reminders that intermittently sound a tone and illuminate the
safety belt warning light when you are in the driver seat and the safety
belt is unbuckled.
If... Then...
You buckle your safety belt
before you switch the ignition
on or less than 1-2 minutes
elapse after you switch the
ignition on...The Belt-Minder feature will not
activate.
You do not buckle your safety
belt before your vehicle
reaches at least 6 mph
(9.7 km/h) and 1-2 minutes
elapse after you switch the
ignition...The Belt-Minder feature activates, the
safety belt warning light illuminates
and a warning tone sounds for
6 seconds every 25 seconds, repeating
for about 5 minutes or until you
buckle your safety belt.
The driver safety belt is
unbuckled for about one
minute while the vehicle is
traveling at least 6 mph
(9.7 km/h) and more than
1-2 minutes elapse after you
switch the ignition on...The Belt-Minder feature activates, the
safety belt warning light illuminates
and a warning tone sounds for
6 seconds every 25 seconds, repeating
for about 5 minutes or until you
buckle your safety belt.
Deactivating and Activating the Belt-Minder™ Feature
WARNING:While the system allows you to deactivate it, this
system is designed to improve your chances of being safely
belted and surviving an accident. We recommend you leave the system
activated for yourself and others who may use the vehicle.
Read Steps1-4thoroughly before proceeding with the programming
procedure.
Before following the procedure, make sure that:
•The parking brake is set.
•The transmission is in park (P).
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•The ignition is off.
•All vehicle doors are closed.
•The driver safety belt is unbuckled.
1. Switch the ignition on. Do not start the vehicle.
2. Wait until the safety belt warning light turns off (about 1 to
2 minutes).
•You must complete Steps 3 and 4 within 60 seconds or you will have
to repeat the procedure.
3. Buckle then unbuckle the safety belt three times, ending with the
safety belt unbuckled. The safety belt warning light will turn on.
4. Within seven seconds of the safety belt warning light turning off,
buckle then unbuckle the safety belt. The safety belt warning light will
flash.
This will switch the feature off if it is currently on.
This will switch the feature on if it is currently off.
CHILD RESTRAINT AND SAFETY BELT MAINTENANCE
Inspect the vehicle safety belts and child safety seat systems periodically
to make sure they work properly and are not damaged. Inspect the
vehicle and child seat safety belts to make sure there are no nicks, tears
or cuts. Replace if necessary. All vehicle safety belt assemblies, including
retractors, buckles, front safety belt buckle assemblies, buckle support
assemblies (slide bar-if equipped), shoulder belt height adjusters (if
equipped), shoulder belt guide on seat back (if equipped), child safety
seat LATCH and tether anchors, and attaching hardware, should be
inspected after a crash. Read the child restraint manufacturer’s
instructions for additional inspection and maintenance information
specific to the child restraint.
Ford Motor Company recommends that all safety belt assemblies in use
in vehicles involved in a crash be replaced. However, if the crash was
minor and an authorized dealer finds that the belts do not show damage
and continue to operate properly, they do not need to be replaced.
Safety belt assemblies not in use during a crash should also be inspected
and replaced if either damage or improper operation is noted.
For proper care of soiled safety belts, seeCleaning the Interiorin the
Vehicle Carechapter.
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