
SITTING IN THE CORRECT
POSITION
WARNINGS
Sitting improperly, out of position or
with the seatback reclined too far can
take weight off the seat cushion and affect
the decision of the passenger sensing
system, resulting in serious injury or death
in the event of a crash. Always sit upright
against your seat back, with your feet on the
floor. Do not recline the seatback as this can
cause the occupant to slide under the
safety belt, resulting in serious injury in the
event of a crash. Do not place objects higher than the
seatback to reduce the risk of serious
injury in the event of a crash or during heavy
braking. 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:
•
Sit in an upright position with the base of
your spine as far back as possible.
• Do not recline the seatback more than
30 degrees.
• Adjust the head restraint so that the top
of it is level with the top of your head and
as far forward as possible. Make sure that
you remain comfortable. •
Keep sufficient distance between
yourself and the steering wheel. We
recommend a minimum of 10 in (25 cm)
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.
Make sure that your driving position is
comfortable and that you can maintain full
control of your vehicle.
HEAD RESTRAINTS WARNINGS
Fully adjust the head restraint before
you sit in or operate your vehicle. This
will help minimize the risk of neck injury in
the event of a crash. Do not adjust the head
restraint when your vehicle is moving.
143
MKZ Hybrid (CC9) Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV), Canada/United States of America, enUSA, First Printing SeatsE68595

REAR SEAT ARMREST
Fold the armrest down to use the armrest
and cupholder. To open the storage lid, pull
up on the latch located between the
cupholders.
Armrest pass-through
Note:
Do not exceed 80 pounds (36
kilograms) of weight on the pass-through
door. Release the latch, then pull down on the door
located in the back of the armrest. You can
store cargo of a longer length such as skis
or lumber.
154
MKZ Hybrid (CC9) Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV), Canada/United States of America, enUSA, First Printing SeatsE144635 E152622

2. Press the button once.
3. Apply the parking brake.
Note:
This switches off the ignition, all
electrical circuits, warning lamps and
indicators.
Note: If your vehicle is left running for 30
minutes without any interaction, it
automatically shuts down.
Switching Off Your Vehicle When It Is
Moving WARNING
Switching off the engine when the
vehicle is still moving will result in a
loss of brake and steering assistance. The
steering will not lock, but higher effort will
be required. When the ignition is switched
off, some electrical circuits, including air
bags, warning lamps and indicators may also
be off. If the ignition was turned off
accidentally, you can shift into neutral (N) and
re-start the engine. 1. Put the transmission in position N and
use the brakes to bring your vehicle to a
safe stop.
2. When your vehicle has stopped, put the transmission in position
P.
3. Press and hold the button for one second, or press it three times within two
seconds.
4. Apply the parking brake.
Guarding Against Exhaust Fumes WARNING
If you smell exhaust fumes inside your
vehicle, have your vehicle checked by
your authorized dealer immediately. Do not
drive your vehicle if you smell exhaust fumes.
Carbon monoxide is present in exhaust
fumes. Take precautions to avoid its
dangerous effects. Important Ventilating Information
If you stop your vehicle and then leave the
engine idling for long periods of time, we
recommend that you do one of the following:•
Open the windows at least
1 in (3 cm).
• Set your climate control to outside air.
ENGINE BLOCK HEATER
(If Equipped) WARNINGS
Failure to follow engine block heater
instructions could result in property
damage or serious personal injury. Do not use your heater with
ungrounded electrical systems or
two-pronged adapters. There is a risk of
electrical shock. Do not fully close the hood, or allow it
to drop under its own weight when
using the engine block heater. This could
damage the power cable and may cause an
electrical short resulting in fire, injury and
property damage. Note:
The heater is most effective when
outdoor temperatures are below 0°F (-18°C).
166
MKZ Hybrid (CC9) Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV), Canada/United States of America, enUSA, First Printing Starting and Stopping the Engine

LOAD LIMIT
Vehicle Loading - with and without a
Trailer
This section guides you in the proper
loading of your vehicle, trailer, or both.
Keep your loaded vehicle weight within
its design rating capability, with or
without a trailer. Properly loading your
vehicle provides maximum return of
vehicle design performance. Before you
load your vehicle, become familiar with
the following terms for determining your
vehicle
’s weight rating, with or without
a trailer, from the vehicle ’s Tire and
Loading Information label or Safety
Compliance Certification label. Tire and Loading Label Information
Example:
249
MKZ Hybrid (CC9) Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV), Canada/United States of America, enUSA, First Printing Load CarryingE198719

Payload
Payload is the combined weight of cargo
and passengers that your vehicle is
carrying. The maximum payload for your
vehicle appears on the Tire and Loading
label. The label is either on the B-pillar
or the edge of the driver door. Vehicles
exported outside the US and Canada
may not have a tire and loading 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 and Loading Information
label is the maximum payload for your
vehicle as built by the assembly plant. If you install any additional equipment on
your vehicle, you must determine the
new payload. Subtract the weight of the
equipment from the payload listed on
the Tire and Loading label. When towing,
trailer tongue weight or king pin weight
is also part of 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. 250
MKZ Hybrid (CC9) Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV), Canada/United States of America, enUSA, First Printing Load CarryingE143816PAYLOAD

GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating)
GAWR is the maximum allowable weight
that a single axle (front or rear) can carry.
These numbers are on the Safety
Compliance Certification label. The label
is located on the door hinge pillar,
door-latch post, or the door edge that
meets the door-latch post, next to the
driver seating position.
The total load on each axle must never
exceed its Gross Axle Weight Rating.
GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating)
GVWR is the maximum allowable weight
of the fully loaded vehicle. This includes
all options, equipment, passengers and
cargo. It appears on the Safety
Compliance Certification label. The label
is located on the door hinge pillar,
door-latch post, or the door edge that
meets the door-latch post, next to the
driver seating position.
The gross vehicle weight must never
exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating.
Safety Compliance Certification Label
Example:
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. Maximum Loaded Trailer Weight
Maximum loaded trailer weight is the
highest possible weight of a fully loaded
trailer the vehicle can tow. Consult an
authorized dealer (or the RV and Trailer
Towing Guide available at an authorized
dealer) for more detailed information.
GCWR (Gross Combined Weight
Rating)
GCWR 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 towing vehicle
plus the trailer exceed the Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating of the towing vehicle.
251
MKZ Hybrid (CC9) Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV), Canada/United States of America, enUSA, First Printing Load CarryingE198828

The gross combined weight must never
exceed the Gross Combined Weight
Rating.
Note:
For trailer towing information
refer to the RV and Trailer Towing Guide
available at an authorized dealer. 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 your vehicle ’s GVWR and GAWR
limitations. Replacement tires with a
higher limit than the original tires do not
increase the GVWR and GAWR
limitations. Exceeding any vehicle weight
rating limitation could result in
serious damage to your vehicle,
personal injury or both. 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.
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.
Helpful examples for calculating 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) =
252
MKZ Hybrid (CC9) Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV), Canada/United States of America, enUSA, First Printing Load Carrying

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 (45-kilogram)
cement bags, then the load calculation
would be:1400 - (2 x 220) - (9 x 100) =
1400 - 440 - 900 = 60 pounds. Now you
have the load capacity to transport the
cement and your friend home. In metric
units, the calculation would be: 635
kilograms - (2 x 99 kilograms) - (9 x 45
kilograms) = 635 - 198 - 405 = 32
kilograms.
The above calculations also assume that
the loads are positioned in your vehicle
in a manner that does not overload the
front or the rear gross axle weight rating
specified for your vehicle on the Safety
Compliance Certification label.
Special Loading Instructions for
Owners of Pick-up Trucks and Utility-
type Vehicles WARNING
Loaded vehicles may handle
differently than unloaded vehicles.
Take extra precautions, such as slower
speeds and increased stopping
distance, when driving a heavily loaded
vehicle. 253
MKZ Hybrid (CC9) Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV), Canada/United States of America, enUSA, First Printing Load Carrying