2017 FORD FLEX seats

Attach LATCH lower attachments of the
child seat only to the anchors shown.
Use of Inboard Lower Anchors from the
Outboard Seating Positions (Center
Seating Use)
WARNING
The standardized spacing for LATCH
lower anchors is 11 inches (28
centimeters) center to center. Do not
use LATCH lower anchors for the center
seating position unless the child seat
manufacturer's instructions permit and
specify using anchors spaced at least as
far apart as those in this vehicle. The lower anchors at the center of the
second row bench seat are spaced 20.5
inches (52 centimeters) apart. The
standardized spacing for LATCH lower
anchors is 11 inches (28 centimeters)
center to center. A child seat with rigid
LATCH attachments cannot be installed
at the center seating position. LATCH
compatible child seats (with attachments
on belt webbing) can only be used at this
seating position provided that the child
seat manufacturer
’s instructions permit
use with the anchor spacing stated. Do not
attach a child seat to any lower anchor if
an adjacent child seat is attached to that
anchor.
Each time you use the safety seat, check
that the seat is properly attached to the
lower anchors and tether anchor, if
applicable. Tug the child seat from side to
side and forward and back where it is
secured to your vehicle. The seat should
move less than one inch when you do this
for a proper installation.
If the safety seat is not anchored properly,
the risk of a child being injured in a crash
greatly increases. Combining Seatbelt and LATCH Lower
Anchors for Attaching Child Safety
Seats
When used in combination, either the
seatbelt or the LATCH lower anchors may
be attached first, provided a proper
installation is achieved. Attach the tether
strap afterward, if included with the child
seat.
Using Tether Straps
Many forward-facing child safety
seats include a tether strap
which extends from the back of
the child safety seat and hooks to an
anchoring point called the top tether
anchor. Tether straps are available as an
accessory for many older safety seats.
Contact the manufacturer of your child
seat for information about ordering a
tether strap, or to obtain a longer tether
strap if the tether strap on your safety seat
does not reach the appropriate top tether
anchor in your vehicle.
Once the child safety seat has been
installed using either the safety belt, the
lower anchors of the LATCH system, or
both, you can attach the top tether strap.
The tether strap anchors in your vehicle
are in the following positions (shown from
top view):
Second row bucket seats and third row
passenger side 26
Flex (), enUSA, First Printing Child Safety E190827

Second row bench seats and third row
passenger side
Perform the following steps to install a
child safety seat with tether anchors:
Note:
If you install a child seat with rigid
LATCH attachments, do not tighten the
tether strap enough to lift the child seat off
your vehicle seat cushion when the child is
seated in it. Keep the tether strap just snug
without lifting the front of the child seat.
Keeping the child seat just touching your
vehicle seat gives the best protection in a
severe crash. Placement of the tether strap
•
Second row outboard seat positions:
Route the child safety seat tether strap
over the seatback, under the head
restraint and between the head
restraint posts. If needed, remove the
head restraint to improve the fit of the
child safety seat or tether strap.
• Second row center seat positions:
Route the child safety seat tether strap
over the top of the head restraint. If
needed, remove the head restraint to
improve the fit of the child safety seat
or tether strap. See Head Restraints
(page 125).
• Third row seat position: Route the child
safety seat tether strap over the seat
back, under the head restraint and
between the head restraint posts. If
needed, fold the head restraint down
to improve the fit of the child safety
seat or tether strap. See
Head
Restraints (page 125).
1. Route the tether strap.
2. Locate the correct anchor for the selected seating position.
3. Clip the tether strap to the anchor as shown. The tether hook may be twisted
½ turn to improve installation. If the
tether strap is clipped incorrectly, the
child safety seat may not be retained
properly in the event of a crash. 27
Flex (), enUSA, First Printing Child SafetyE190828 E190829 E190833

4. Tighten the child safety seat tether
strap according to the manufacturer's
instructions.
If the safety seat is not anchored properly,
the risk of a child being injured in a crash
greatly increases.
If your child restraint system is equipped
with a tether strap, and the child restraint
manufacturer recommends its use, we also
recommend its use. Second row bucket (40/40)Second row bench (60/40)
Third row seat
Note:
The cargo tie downs at the rear edge
of the floor are not tether anchors. BOOSTER SEATS 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. Note:
Some booster seat safety belt guides
may not accommodate the shoulder portion
of the inflatable safety belt.
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Flex (), enUSA, First Printing Child SafetyE190830 E190831 E190832

Use a belt-positioning booster seat for
children who have outgrown or no longer
properly fit in a child safety seat (generally
children who are less than 4 feet 9 inches
(1.45 meters) tall, are greater than age four
(4) and less than age twelve (12), and
between 40 pounds (18 kilograms) and
80 pounds (36 kilograms) and upward to
100 pounds (45 kilograms) if
recommended by your child restraint
manufacturer). Many state and provincial
laws require that 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).
Booster seats should be used until you can
answer YES to ALL of these questions
when seated without a booster seat:
•
Can the child sit all the way back
against their vehicle seat back with
knees bent comfortably at the edge of
the seat cushion?
• Can the child sit without slouching?
• Does the lap belt rest low across the
hips?
• Is the shoulder belt centered on the
shoulder and chest?
• Can the child stay seated like this for
the whole trip?
Always use booster seats in conjunction
with your vehicle lap and shoulder belt. Types of Booster Seats
•
Backless booster seats
If your backless booster seat has a
removable shield, remove the shield. If a
vehicle seating position has a low seat
back or no head restraint, a backless
booster 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 another
seating position with a higher seat back or
head 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 cannot
find a seating position that adequately
supports your child's head, a high back
booster seat would be a better choice.
29
Flex (), enUSA, First Printing Child SafetyE142595 E68924 E70710

Children and booster seats vary in size and
shape. Choose a booster that keeps the
lap belt low and snug across the hips,
never up across the stomach, and lets you
adjust the shoulder belt to cross the chest
and rest snugly near the center of the
shoulder. The following drawings compare
the ideal fit (center) to a shoulder belt
uncomfortably close to the neck and a
shoulder belt that could slip off the
shoulder. The drawings also show how the
lap belt should be low and snug across the
child's hips.If the booster seat slides on the vehicle
seat upon which it is being used, placing a
rubberized mesh sold as shelf or carpet
liner under the booster seat may improve
this condition. Do not introduce any item
thicker than this under the booster seat.
Check with the booster seat
manufacturer's instructions.
CHILD RESTRAINT
POSITIONING WARNINGS
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
30
Flex (), enUSA, First Printing Child SafetyE142596 E142597

Recommendations for attaching child safety restraints for children
Use any attachment method as indicated below by X
Combined weight ofchild and
child seat
Restraint
Type Safety belt
only
Safety belt
and LATCH
(lower
anchors and top tether
anchor)
Safety belt
and toptether
anchor
LATCH
(lower
anchors only)
LATCH
(lower
anchors and top tether
anchor)
X
X
Up to 65 lb
(29.5 kg)
Rear facing
child seat
X
Over
65 lb
(29.5 kg)
Rear facing
child seat
X
X
X
Up to
65 lb
(29.5 kg)
Forward
facing
child seat
X
X
Over
65 lb
(29.5 kg)
Forward
facing
child seat
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 Seats (page
125
).
CHILD SAFETY LOCKS
When these locks are set, the rear doors
cannot be opened from the inside. 32
Flex (), enUSA, First Printing Child SafetyE112197

PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION
WARNINGS
Always drive and ride with your
seatback upright and the lap belt
snug and low across the hips.
To reduce the risk of injury, make
sure children sit where they can be
properly restrained.
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. All occupants of your vehicle,
including the driver, should always
properly wear their safety belts, even
when an airbag supplemental restraint
system is provided. Failure to properly wear
your safety belt could seriously increase
the risk of injury or death. It is extremely dangerous to ride in a
cargo area, inside or outside of a
vehicle. In a crash, people riding in
these areas are more likely to be seriously
injured or killed. Do not allow people to ride
in any area of your vehicle that is not
equipped with seats and safety belts. Be
sure everyone in your vehicle is in a seat
and using a safety belt properly. In a rollover crash, an unbelted
person is significantly more likely to
die than a person wearing a safety
belt. Each seating position in your vehicle
has a specific safety belt assembly
which is made up of one buckle and
one tongue that are designed to be used
as a pair. 1) Use the shoulder belt on the
outside shoulder only. Never wear the
shoulder belt under the arm. 2) Never
swing the safety belt around your neck over
the inside shoulder. 3) Never use a single
belt for more than one person. WARNINGS
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. 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. Front and rear seat occupants,
including pregnant women, should
wear safety belts for optimum
protection in an accident. All seating positions in your 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
and rear inflatable safety belt).
• Height adjuster at the front outboard
seating positions.
• Safety belt pretensioner at the front
outboard seating positions.
• Belt tension sensor at the front
outboard passenger seating position. •
Safety belt warning light and chime. •
Crash sensors and monitoring system
with readiness indicator.
34
Flex (), enUSA, First Printing SeatbeltsE71880 E67017

2. Grasp the shoulder portion and pull
downward until you pull the entire belt
out. As the belt retracts, you will hear
a clicking sound. This indicates the
seatbelt is now in the automatic
locking mode.
Rear outboard inflatable seatbelts
(second row only –if equipped)1. Buckle the combination lap and
shoulder belt.
2. Grasp the lap portion of the belt and pull upward until you pull the entire
belt out.
3. Allow the belt to retract. As the belt retracts, you will hear a clicking sound.
This indicates the seatbelt 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.
Rear Inflatable Seatbelt (If Equipped) WARNING
Do not attempt to service, repair, or
modify rear inflatable seatbelts. Note:
The rear inflatable seatbelts are
compatible with most infant and child
safety car seats and belt positioning booster
seats when properly installed. This is
because they are designed to fill with a
cooled gas at a lower pressure and at a
slower rate than traditional airbags. After
inflation, the shoulder portion of the
seatbelt remains cool to the touch.
The rear inflatable seatbelts are in the
shoulder portion of the seatbelts of the
second-row outboard seating positions.
The rear inflatable seatbelt consists of the
following:
• An inflatable bag in the shoulder
seatbelt webbing.
• Lap seatbelt webbing with automatic
locking mode.
• Crash sensors and monitoring system
with readiness indicator. See
Crash
Sensors and Airbag Indicator (page
50
).
How does the rear inflatable seatbelt
system work? WARNING
If the rear inflatable seatbelt has
deployed, it will not function again
and must be replaced immediately.
If the seatbelt is not replaced, the
unrepaired area will increase the risk of
injury in a crash. The rear inflatable seatbelts function like
standard restraints in everyday usage.
37
Flex (), enUSA, First Printing SeatbeltsE146363