
Certain conditions may reduce the visibility
of the warning lamp; therefore, it is
recommended to keep the audible warning
on.
If the front end of the vehicle is hit or
damaged, the radar sensing zone may be
altered causing missed or false collision
warnings. See your authorized dealer to have
your collision warning radar checked for
proper coverage and operation.
False Alerts
Note:
When towing a trailer, the sensors may
detect the trailer thus causing a false alert. It
may be desirable to turn the Blind Spot
Information System off if the false alerts
become annoying.
There may be certain instances when there
is a false alert by the Cross Traffic Alert
system that illuminates the alert indicator
with no vehicle in the coverage zone. Some
amount of false alerts are normal; they are
temporary and self-correct.
System Errors
If Cross Traffic Alert senses a problem with
the left or right sensor a message will appear
in the information display. See General
Information (page 89). Switching the System Off and On
You can temporarily switch Cross Traffic
Alert off in the information display. See
General Information
(page 89). When you
switch Cross Traffic Alert off, you will not
receive alerts and the information display will
display a system off message.
Note: The Cross Traffic Alert switches on
whenever the ignition is switched on and ready
to provide appropriate alerts when the
transmission is in reverse (R). Cross Traffic
Alert will not remember the last selected on
or off setting.
You can also have Cross Traffic Alert
switched off permanently at an authorized
dealer. Once switched off permanently, the
system can only be switched back on at an
authorized dealer. STEERING
Electric Power Steering WARNINGS
The electric power steering system has
diagnostic checks that continuously
monitor the system. If a fault is
detected, a message displays in the
information display. Stop your vehicle as
soon as it is safe to do so. Switch the ignition
off. After at least 10 seconds, switch the
ignition on and watch the information display
for a steering system warning message. If a
steering system warning message returns,
have the system checked by an authorized
dealer. If the system detects an error, you may
not feel a difference in the steering,
however a serious condition may exist.
Obtain immediate service from an authorized
dealer, failure to do so may result in loss of
steering control. Your vehicle has an electric power steering
system. There is no fluid reservoir. No
maintenance is required.
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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, trailer
or both, 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 Tire Label or Safety
Compliance Certification Label: Base Curb Weight - is the weight
of the vehicle including full fluids
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 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
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Cargo Weight - includes all weight
added to the Base Curb Weight,
including cargo and optional
equipment. When towing, trailer
tongue load or king pin weight is
also part of cargo weight.
GAW (Gross Axle Weight) - is the
total weight placed on each axle
(front and rear) including vehicle
curb weight and all payload.
GAWR (Gross Axle Weight
Rating) - is the maximum
allowable weight that can be carried
by a single axle (front or rear). These
numbers are shown on the Safety
Compliance Certification Label. The
label shall be affixed to either the door hinge pillar, door-latch post, or
the door edge that meets the
door-latch post, next to the driver's
seating position.
The total load on
each axle must never exceed its
Gross Axle Weight Rating.
Note: For trailer towing information
refer to the RV and Trailer Towing
Guide available at an authorized
dealer.
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WARNING
Exceeding the Safety
Compliance Certification Label
vehicle weight rating limits could
result in substandard vehicle
handling or performance, engine,
transmission and/or structural
damage, serious damage to the
vehicle, loss of control and personal
injury. GCW (Gross Combined Weight)
- is the Gross Vehicle Weight plus
the weight of the fully loaded trailer. GCWR (Gross Combined Weight
Rating) - is the maximum
allowable weight of the vehicle and
the loaded trailer, including all cargo
and passengers, that the vehicle can
handle without risking damage.
(Important: The towing vehicle ’s
braking system is rated for operation at Gross Vehicle Weight Rating, not
at Gross Combined Weight Rating.)
Separate functional brakes should
be used for safe control of towed
vehicles and for trailers where the
Gross Combined Weight of the
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GVW

towing vehicle plus the trailer
exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating of the towing vehicle.
The
Gross Combined Weight must
never exceed the Gross
Combined Weight Rating.
Maximum Loaded Trailer Weight
- is the highest possible weight of a
fully loaded trailer the vehicle can
tow. It assumes a vehicle with
mandatory options, driver and front
passenger weight (150 pounds [68
kilograms] each), no cargo weight
(internal or external) and a tongue
load of 10– 15% (conventional
trailer) or king pin weight of 15– 25%
(fifth wheel trailer). Consult an
authorized dealer (or the RV and
Trailer Towing Guide available at an
authorized dealer) for more detailed
information.
Tongue Load or Fifth Wheel King
Pin Weight -
refers to the amount
of the weight that a trailer pushes
down on a trailer hitch. Examples:
For a 5000 pound
(2268 kilogram) conventional
trailer, multiply 5000 by 0.10 and
0.15 to obtain a proper tongue load
range of 500 to 750 pounds (227 to
340 kilograms). For an 11500 pound
(5216 kilogram) fifth wheel trailer,
multiply by 0.15 and 0.25 to obtain
a proper king pin load range of 1725
to 2875 pounds (782 to 1304
kilograms). WARNINGS
Do not exceed the GVWR or the
GAWR specified on the Safety
Compliance Certification Label. Do not use replacement tires
with lower load carrying
capacities than the original tires
because they may lower the
vehicle ’s GVWR and GAWR
limitations. Replacement tires with
a higher limit than the original tires
do not increase the GVWR and
GAWR limitations. WARNINGS
Exceeding any vehicle weight
rating limitation could result in
serious damage to the vehicle
and/or personal injury. Steps for determining the correct
load limit:
1. Locate the statement "The
combined weight of occupants
and cargo should never exceed
XXX kg or XXX lb." on your
vehicle ’s placard.
2. Determine the combined weight
of the driver and passengers that
will be riding in your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of
the driver and passengers from
XXX kg or XXX lb.
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4.
The resulting figure equals the
available amount of cargo and
luggage load capacity. For
example, if the “XXX” amount
equals 1,400 lb. and there will be
five 150 lb. passengers in your
vehicle, the amount of available
cargo and luggage load capacity
is 650 lb. (1400-750 (5 x 150) =
650 lb.)
5. Determine the combined weight
of luggage and cargo being
loaded on the vehicle. That
weight may not safely exceed the
available cargo and luggage load
capacity calculated in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a
trailer, load from your trailer will
be transferred to your vehicle.
Consult this manual to determine
how this reduces the available
cargo and luggage load capacity
of your vehicle. The following gives you a few
examples on how to calculate the
available amount of cargo and
luggage load capacity:
*Suppose your vehicle has a
1400-pound (635-kilogram) cargo
and luggage capacity. You decide
to go golfing. Is there enough load
capacity to carry you, four of your
friends and all the golf bags? You
and four friends average 220
pounds (99 kilograms) each and
the golf bags weigh approximately
30 pounds (13.5 kilograms) each.
The calculation would be: 1400 - (5
x 220) - (5 x 30) = 1400 - 1100 - 150
= 150 pounds. Yes, you have enough
load capacity in your vehicle to
transport four friends and your golf
bags. In metric units, the calculation
would be: 635 kilograms - (5 x 99
kilograms) - (5 x 13.5 kilograms) =
635 - 495 - 67.5 = 72.5 kilograms.
*Suppose your vehicle has a
1400-pound (635-kilogram) cargo
and luggage capacity. You and one
of your friends decide to pick up
cement from the local home
improvement store to finish that
patio you have been planning for the
past two years. Measuring the inside
of the vehicle with the rear seat
folded down, you have room for
twelve 100-pound (45-kilogram)
bags of cement. Do you have
enough load capacity to transport
the cement to your home? If you
and your friend each weigh 220
pounds (99 kilograms), the
calculation would be: 1400 - (2 x
220) - (12 x 100) = 1400 - 440 -
1200 = - 240 pounds. No, you do not
have enough cargo capacity to carry
that much weight. In metric units,
the calculation would be: 635
kilograms - (2 x 99 kilograms) - (12
x 45 kilograms) = 635 - 198 - 540 =
-103 kilograms. You will need to
reduce the load weight by at least
240 pounds (104 kilograms). If you
remove three 100-pound
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TOWING A TRAILER
WARNINGS
Do not exceed the GVWR or the
GAWR specified on the
certification label. Towing trailers beyond the
maximum recommended gross
trailer weight exceeds the limit of
your vehicle and could result in
engine damage, transmission
damage, structural damage, loss of
vehicle control, vehicle rollover and
personal injury. Note:
There may be electrical items
such as fuses or relays that can affect
trailer towing operation. See Fuses
(page 223).
The load capacity of your vehicle is
designated by weight not volume.
You may not necessarily be able to
use all available space when loading
your vehicle or trailer. Towing a trailer places extra load
on the engine, transmission, axle,
brakes, tires, and suspension.
Inspect these components before,
during and after towing.
Load Placement
To help minimize how trailer
movement affects the vehicle when
driving:
•
Load the heaviest items closest
to the trailer floor.
• Load the heaviest items in the
center of the left and right side
trailer tires. •
Load the heaviest items above
the trailer axles or just slightly
forward toward the trailer
tongue. Do not allow the final
trailer tongue weight to go above
or below 10-15% of the loaded
trailer weight.
• Select a ball mount with the
correct rise or drop. When both
the loaded vehicle and trailer are
connected, the trailer frame
should be level, or slightly angled
down toward the vehicle, when
viewed from the side.
When driving with a trailer or
payload, a slight takeoff vibration or
shudder may be present due to the
increased payload weight.
Additional information regarding
proper trailer loading and setting
your vehicle up for towing is located
in the Load Carrying chapter. See
Load Limit
(page 192).
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You can also find information in the
RV & Trailer Towing Guide
available at your authorized dealer,
or online. RV & Trailer Towing Guide Online
http://www.fleet.ford.com/towing-guides/
Website
RECOMMENDED TOWING
WEIGHTS
Note: Do not exceed the trailer
weight for your vehicle configuration
listed in the chart below.
Note: Be sure to take into
consideration trailer frontal area. Do
not exceed 12 feet 2
(1.11 meters 2
)
trailer frontal area. Note:
For high altitude operation,
reduce the gross combined weight
by 2% per 1000 feet (300 meters)
starting at the 1000 foot (300 meter)
elevation point.
Note: Certain states require electric
trailer brakes for trailers over a
specified weight. Be sure to check
state regulations for this specified
weight. The maximum trailer weights
listed may be limited to this specified
weight, as the vehicle ’s electrical
system may not include the wiring
connector needed to use electric
trailer brakes. Your vehicle may tow a Class I trailer
provided the maximum trailer
weight is less than or equal to the
maximum trailer weight listed for
your vehicle configuration on the
following chart. If your vehicle is
equipped with 3.7L engine, it cannot
tow a trailer.
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