
communications equipment to avoid
negating these benefits. Mobile
communication equipment includes, but
is not limited to, cellular phones, pagers,
portable email devices, text messaging
devices and portable two-way radios.
EXPORT UNIQUE OPTIONS
For your particular global region, your
vehicle may be equipped with features and
options that are different from the features
and options that are described in this
Owner
’s Manual. A market unique
supplement may be supplied that
complements this book. By referring to the
market unique supplement, if provided,
you can properly identify those features,
recommendations and specifications that
are unique to your vehicle. This Owner ’s
Manual is written primarily for the U.S. and
Canadian Markets. Features or equipment
listed as standard may be different on units
built for export. Refer to this Owner ’s
Manual for all other required
information and warnings.
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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 National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration and other safety
organizations, base their
recommendations for child restraints on
probable child height, age and weight
thresholds, or on the minimum
requirements of the law. We recommend
that you check with a NHTSA Certified
Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST) to make sure that you properly
install the child restraint in your vehicle
and that you consult your pediatrician to
make sure you have a child restraint
appropriate for your child. To locate a
child restraint fitting station and CPST,
contact NHTSA toll free at
1-888-327-4236 or go to
www.nhtsa.dot.gov. In Canada, contact
Transport Canada toll free at
1-800-333-0371 or go to www.tc.gc.ca
to find a Child Car Seat Clinic in your
area. Failure to properly restrain children
in child restraints made especially for
their height, age and weight, may result
in an increased risk of serious injury or
death to your child.
WARNING: On hot days, the
temperature inside the vehicle 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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INSTALLING CHILD
RESTRAINTS
Child Seats
Use a child restraint (sometimes called an
infant carrier, convertible seat, or toddler
seat) for infants, toddlers or children
weighing 40 lb (18 kg) or less (generally
age four or younger).
Using Lap and Shoulder Belts WARNING:
Do not place a
rearward facing child restraint in front of
an active airbag. Failure to follow this
instruction could result in personal injury
or death. WARNING:
Properly secure
children 12 years old and under in a rear
seating position whenever possible. If
you are unable to properly secure all
children in a rear seating position,
properly secure the largest child on the
front seat. If you must use a forward
facing child restraint on the front seat,
move the seat as far back as possible.
Failure to follow these instructions could
result in personal injury or death. WARNING:
Depending on where
you secure a child restraint, and
depending on the child restraint design,
you may block access to certain seatbelt
buckle assemblies and LATCH lower
anchors, rendering those features
potentially unusable. To avoid risk of
injury, make sure occupants only use
seating positions where they are able to
be properly restrained.
When installing a child restraint with
combination lap and shoulder belts:
• Use the correct seatbelt buckle for that
seating position.
• Insert the belt tongue into the proper
buckle until you hear a snap and feel it
latch. Make sure the tongue is securely
fastened in the buckle.
• Keep the buckle release button
pointing up and away from the child
restraint, with the tongue between the
child restraint and the release button,
to prevent accidental unbuckling.
• Place the vehicle seat in the upright
position before you install the child
restraint.
• For second-row seating positions,
adjust the recliner slightly to improve
child restraint fit. If needed, remove the
head restraints.
• Put the seatbelt in the automatic
locking mode. See Step 5. This vehicle
does not require the use of a locking
clip.
Perform the following steps when
installing the child restraint with
combination lap and shoulder belts:
Note: Although the child restraint
illustrated is a forward facing child restraint,
the steps are the same for installing a rear
facing child restraint.
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Using Lower Anchors and Tethers
for CHildren (LATCH)
WARNING: Do not attach two
child safety restraints to the same
anchor. In a crash, one anchor may not
be strong enough to hold two child
safety restraint attachments and may
break, causing serious injury or death. WARNING:
Depending on where
you secure a child restraint, and
depending on the child restraint design,
you may block access to certain seatbelt
buckle assemblies and LATCH lower
anchors, rendering those features
potentially unusable. To avoid risk of
injury, make sure occupants only use
seating positions where they are able to
be properly restrained.
The LATCH system has three vehicle
anchor points: two lower anchors where
the seat backrest and seat cushion meet
(called the seat bight) and one top tether
anchor behind that seating position.
LATCH compatible child restraints have
two rigid or webbing mounted
attachments that connect to the two lower
anchors at the LATCH equipped seating
positions in your vehicle. This type of
attachment method eliminates the need
to use seatbelts to attach the child
restraint. However, you can still use the
seatbelt to attach the child restraint. For
forward-facing child restraints, you must
also attach the top tether strap to the
proper top tether anchor if one came with
your child restraint. Your vehicle has LATCH lower anchors for
child restraint installation at the seating
positions marked with the child restraint
symbol.
The LATCH anchors are at the rear section
of the rear seat between the cushion and
seat backrest below the symbols as
shown. Follow the child restraint
manufacturer's instructions to properly
install a child restraint with LATCH
attachments.
Follow the instructions on attaching child
restraints with tether straps. See
Using
Tether Straps later in this chapter.
Attach LATCH lower attachments of the
child restraint only to the anchors shown.
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Use of Inboard Lower Anchors from the
Outermost Seating Positions (Center
Seating Use)
WARNING: The standardized
spacing for LATCH lower anchors is 11 in
(280 mm) center to center. Do not use
LATCH lower anchors for the center
seating position unless the child restraint
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 in
(52 cm)
apart. The standardized spacing
for LATCH lower anchors is 11 in (28 cm)
center to center. You cannot install a child
restraint with rigid LATCH attachments at
the center seating position. You can only
use LATCH compatible child restraints with
attachments on belt webbing at this
seating position provided that the child
restraint manufacturer ’s instructions
permit use with the anchor spacing stated.
Do not attach a child restraint to any lower
anchor if an adjacent child restraint is
attached to that anchor.
Each time you use the child restraint, check
that you properly attach the seat to the
lower anchors and tether anchor, if
applicable. Tug the child restraint from side
to side and forward and back where you
secured it to your vehicle. The seat should
move less than
1 in (2.5 cm) when you do
this for a proper installation.
If the child restraint is not anchored
properly, the risk of injury to a child greatly
increases in a crash. Combining Seatbelt and LATCH Lower
Anchors for Attaching Child Restraints
When used in combination, you can attach
either the seatbelt or the LATCH lower
anchors first, provided a proper installation
is achieved. Attach the tether strap
afterward, if included with the child
restraint.
Using Tether Straps Many forward-facing child
restraints include a tether strap
which extends from the back of
the child restraint and hooks to an
anchoring point called the top tether
anchor. Tether straps are available as an
accessory for many older child restraints.
Contact the manufacturer of your child
restraint for information about ordering a
tether strap, or to obtain a longer tether
strap if the tether strap on your child
restraint does not reach the appropriate
top tether anchor in your vehicle.
Once you install the child restraint using
either the seatbelt, 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). 26
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If your child restraint system has a tether
strap, and the child restraint manufacturer
recommends its use, we also recommend
its use.
BOOSTER SEATS
WARNING: Do not put the
shoulder section of the seatbelt or allow
the child to put the shoulder section of
the seatbelt under their arm or behind
their back. Failure to follow this
instruction could reduce the
effectiveness of the seatbelt and
increase the risk of injury or death in a
crash.
Use a belt-positioning booster seat for
children who have outgrown or no longer
properly fit in a child safety restraint
(generally children who are less than
57 in
(1.45 m) tall, are greater than age 4 and
less than age 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). Many state and
provincial laws require that children use
approved booster seats until they reach
age eight, a height of
57 in (1.45 m) tall, or
80 lb (36 kg).
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 backrest 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
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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
WARNING: Do not place a
rearward facing child restraint in front of
an active airbag. Failure to follow this
instruction could result in personal injury
or death. WARNING:
Properly secure
children 12 years old and under in a rear
seating position whenever possible. If
you are unable to properly secure all
children in a rear seating position,
properly secure the largest child on the
front seat. If you must use a forward
facing child restraint on the front seat,
move the seat as far back as possible.
Failure to follow these instructions could
result in personal injury or death. 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:
Do not allow a
passenger to hold a child on their lap
when your vehicle is moving. Failure to
follow this instruction could result in
personal injury or death in the event of a
sudden stop or crash. WARNING:
Do not use pillows,
books or towels to boost your child's
height. Failure to follow this instruction
could result in personal injury or death.
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WARNING: Properly secure child
restraints or booster seats when they are
not in use. They could become projectiles
in a sudden stop or crash. Failure to
follow this instruction could result in
personal injury or death. WARNING: Do not put the
shoulder section of the seatbelt or allow
the child to put the shoulder section of
the seatbelt under their arm or behind
their back. Failure to follow this
instruction could reduce the
effectiveness of the seatbelt and
increase the risk of injury or death in a
crash. WARNING:
Do not leave children
or pets unattended in your vehicle.
Failure to follow this instruction could
result in personal injury or death.
Recommendations for Attaching Child Safety Restraints for Children Use Any Attachment Method as Indicated Below by X
Combined Weight ofChild and Child
Restraint
Restraint
Type Seatbelt
Only
Seatbelt
and LATCH (Lower
Anchors and Top Tether
Anchor)
Seatbelt
and Top Tether
Anchor
LATCH
(Lower
Anchors Only)
LATCH
(Lower
Anchors and Top Tether
Anchor)
X
X
Up to
65 lb
(29.5 kg)
Rear facing
child
restraint
X
Over
65 lb
(29.5 kg)
Rear facing
child
restraint
X
X
X
Up to
65 lb
(29.5 kg)
Forward
facingchild
restraint
X
X
Over
65 lb
(29.5 kg)
Forward
facingchild
restraint
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Explorer (CTW) Police, Canada/United States of America, Police, enUSA, Edition date: 201902, Second-Printing Child Safety