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.
WARNING: Do not leave children or animals unattended in the
vehicle. On hot days, the temperature in the trunk or vehicle
interior can rise very quickly. Exposure of people or animals to these
high temperatures for even a short time can cause death or serious
heat-related injuries, including brain damage. Small children are
particularly at risk.
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Recommendations for Safety Restraints for ChildrenChild size, height, weight, or age Recommended
restraint type
Infants
or
toddlers Children 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
children Children 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
children Children 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.
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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). See Using
Tether Straps in this chapter.
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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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.
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.
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Recommendations for attaching child safety restraints for children
Restraint TypeCombined
weight ofchild and
child seat Use any attachment method as indicated
below by X.
LATCH
(lower
anchors
and top
tether
anchor) LATCH
(lower
anchors
only)
Safety
belt
and
top
tether
anchorSafety
belt and
LATCH
(lower
anchors
and top
tether
anchor) Safety
belt
only
Rear-facing child
seat Up to 65 lb
(29.5 kg)
XX
Rear-facing child
seat Over 65 lb
(29.5 kg)
X
Forward-facing
child seat Up to 65 lb
(29.5 kg)
XXX
Forward-facing
child seat Over 65 lb
(29.5 kg)
XX
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 the Seatschapter for information on head restraints.
CHILD SAFETY LOCKS
When these locks are set, the rear doors cannot be opened from the
inside. The childproof locks are located on the rear edge of
each rear door and must be set separately for each
door.
Move the lock control up to engage the childproof
lock.
Move it down to disengage the lock.
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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.
• Bend your legs slightly so that you can press the pedals fully.
• Position the shoulder strap of the safety belt over the center of your
shoulder and position the lap strap tightly across your hips.
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ROOF RACKS AND LOAD CARRIERS
WARNING:When loading the roof rail crossbars, it is
recommended to evenly distribute the load, as well as maintain a
low center of gravity. Loaded vehicles, with higher centers of gravity,
may handle differently than unloaded vehicles. Extra precautions, such
as slower speeds and increased stopping distance, should be taken
when driving a heavily loaded vehicle.
Note: The maximum recommended load is 200 pounds (90 kilograms),
evenly distributed on the crossbars.
Note: Loads should never be placed directly on the roof panel. The roof
panel is not designed to directly carry a load.
For proper function of the roof rack system, loads must be placed
directly on crossbars affixed to the roof rack side rails. Your vehicle may
be equipped with factory-installed crossbars. Ford Genuine Accessory
crossbars, designed specifically for your vehicle, are also recommended
for use with your roof rack system.
Make sure that the load is securely fastened. Check the tightness of the
load before driving and at each fuel stop.
Adjusting the Crossbars (If Equipped)
1. Loosen the thumbwheels at both ends of the
crossbar by turning them counterclockwise (both
crossbars are adjustable).
2. Slide the crossbar to the desired location.
3. Tighten the thumbwheels at both ends of the
crossbar by turning them clockwise.
Make sure to check that the thumbwheels are tight each time a load is
added or removed from the roof rack, and periodically while traveling.
Make sure that the load is secure before traveling.
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
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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
Tire Label or 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. The maximum payload for your vehicle can be found
on the Tire Label on the B-Pillar or the edge of the driver’s door
(vehicles exported outside the US and Canada may not have a Tire
Label). Look for “THE COMBINED WEIGHT OF OCCUPANTS AND
CARGO SHOULD NEVER EXCEED XXX kg OR XXX lb.” for
maximum payload. The payload listed on the Tire Label is the maximum
payload for the vehicle as built by the assembly plant. If any aftermarket
or authorized-dealer installed equipment has been installed on the
vehicle, the weight of the equipment must be subtracted from the
payload listed on the Tire Label in order to determine the new 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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