2021 FORD ESCAPE Owners Manual

WHAT IS THE PERSONAL
SAFETY SYSTEM
An advanced safety system that protects
occupants in frontal crashes.
HOW DOES THE PERSONAL
SAFETY SYSTEM WORK
This system provides an improved level of
frontal crash protection to front seat
occupants and is designed to reduce the
risk of airbag-related injuries. The system
analyzes occupant conditions and crash
severity before activating the appropriate
safety devices. During a crash, the
restraints control module may deploy the
seatbelt pretensioners, and one or both
stages of the dual-stage airbags based on
crash severity and occupant conditions.
PERSONAL SAFETY SYSTEM
COMPONENTS
•
Driver and passenger dual-stage airbag
supplemental restraints.
• Front seat outermost seatbelts with
pretensioners, energy management
retractors and seatbelt usage sensors.
• Driver seat position sensor.
• Passenger seat position sensor.
• Front passenger sensing system.
• Passenger airbag off and on indicators.
• Front crash severity sensors.
• Restraints control module with impact
and safing sensors. •
Restraint system warning light and
tone.
• The electrical wiring for the airbags,
crash sensors, seatbelt pretensioners,
front seatbelt usage sensors, front
passenger sensing system and
indicator lights.
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Escape (CTC) Canada/United States of America, Vehicles Built From: 02-11-2020, enUSA, Edition date: 202011, First-Printing Personal Safety System
™

HOW DO THE FRONT AIRBAGS
WORK
The driver and front passenger airbags
deploy during significant frontal and near
frontal crashes.
The driver and passenger front airbag
system consists of:
•
Driver and passenger airbag modules.
• Front passenger sensing system.
• Crash sensors and monitoring system
with readiness indicator. See Crash
Sensors and Airbag Indicator (page
54
).
The airbags are a supplemental restraint
system and are designed to work with the
seatbelts to help protect the driver and
right front passenger from certain upper
body injuries. Airbags do not inflate slowly;
there is a risk of injury from a deploying
airbag.
Note: You will hear a loud bang and see a
cloud of harmless powdery residue if an
airbag deploys. This is normal.
The airbags inflate and deflate rapidly
upon activation. After airbag deployment,
it is normal to notice a smoke-like, powdery
residue or smell the burnt propellant. This
may consist of cornstarch, talcum powder
(to lubricate the bag) or sodium compounds (for example, baking soda)
that result from the combustion process
that inflates the airbag. Small amounts of
sodium hydroxide may be present which
may irritate the skin and eyes, but none of
the residue is toxic.
Contact with a deploying airbag may cause
abrasions or swelling. Temporary hearing
loss is also a possibility as a result of the
noise associated with a deploying airbag.
Because airbags must inflate rapidly and
with considerable force, there is the risk of
death or serious injuries such as fractures,
facial and eye injuries or internal injuries,
particularly to occupants who are not
properly restrained or are otherwise out of
position at the time of airbag deployment.
Thus, it is extremely important that
occupants be properly restrained as far
away from the airbag module as possible
while maintaining vehicle control.
Routine maintenance of the airbags is not
required.
HOW DO THE SIDE AIRBAGS
WORK
WARNING:
Do not place objects
or mount equipment on or near the
airbag cover, on the side of the front or
rear seatbacks, or in areas that may
come into contact with a deploying
airbag. Failure to follow these
instructions may increase the risk of
personal injury in the event of a crash. WARNING:
Do not use accessory
seat covers. The use of accessory seat
covers may prevent the deployment of
the side airbags and increase the risk of
injury in an accident.
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Escape (CTC) Canada/United States of America, Vehicles Built From: 02-11-2020, enUSA, Edition date: 202011, First-Printing Airbags E151127

WARNING: Do not lean your head
on the door. The side airbag could injure
you as it deploys from the side of the
seatback.
The side airbags are on the outermost side
of each front and rear seat backrest. In
certain sideways crashes or rollovers, the
airbags will be inflated. The airbag was
designed to inflate between the door panel
and occupant to further enhance the
protection provided occupants in side
impact crashes.
Properly restrain children 12 years old and
under in the rear seats. The rear side airbag
will not interfere with children restrained
using a properly installed child or booster
seat. The system consists of the following:
•
A label or embossed side panel
indicating that side airbags are fitted
to your vehicle.
• Side airbags inside the driver and front
passenger seat backrests, as well as
side airbags inside of each outermost
rear seat backrest.
• Crash sensors and monitoring system
with readiness indicator. See
Crash
Sensors and Airbag Indicator (page
54
). HOW DO THE KNEE AIRBAGS
WORK
The driver knee airbag is under or within
the instrument panel. During a crash, the
restraints control module may activate the
knee airbag based on crash severity and
respective occupant conditions. Under
certain crash and occupant conditions, the
knee airbag may deploy but the
corresponding front airbag may not
activate. It is important to be properly
seated and restrained to reduce the risk of
death or serious injury.
Make sure the knee airbag is
operating properly. See
Crash
Sensors and Airbag Indicator
(page
54).
HOW DOES THE SAFETY
CANOPY™ WORK WARNING:
Do not place objects
or mount equipment on or near the
headliner at the siderail that may come
into contact with a deploying curtain
airbag. Failure to follow these
instructions may increase the risk of
personal injury in the event of a crash. WARNING:
Do not lean your head
on the door. The curtain airbag could
injure you as it deploys from the
headliner. WARNING:
To reduce risk of injury,
do not obstruct or place objects in the
deployment path of the airbag.
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Escape (CTC) Canada/United States of America, Vehicles Built From: 02-11-2020, enUSA, Edition date: 202011, First-Printing AirbagsE152533 E67017

The Safety Canopy deploys during
significant side crashes or when a certain
likelihood of a rollover event is detected
by the rollover sensor. The Safety Canopy
is mounted to the roof side-rail sheet
metal, behind the headliner, above each
row of seats. In certain sideways crashes
or rollover events, the Safety Canopy will
be activated, regardless of which seats are
occupied. The Safety Canopy inflates
between the side window area and
occupants to further enhance protection
provided in side impact crashes and
rollover events.
The system consists of the following:
•
Safety Canopy curtain airbags above
the trim panels over the front and rear
side windows identified by a label or
wording on the headliner or roof-pillar
trim.
• A flexible headliner which opens above
the side doors to allow air curtain
deployment · Crash sensors and monitoring
system with a readiness
indicator. See Crash Sensors
and Airbag Indicator (page 54). Properly restrain children 12 years old and
under in the rear seats. The Safety Canopy
will not interfere with children restrained
using a properly installed child or booster
seat because it is designed to inflate
downward from the headliner above the
doors along the side window opening.
AIRBAG PRECAUTIONS
WARNING:
Airbags do not inflate
slowly or gently, and the risk of injury
from a deploying airbag is the greatest
close to the trim covering the airbag
module. WARNING:
All occupants of your
vehicle, including the driver, should
always properly wear their seatbelts,
even when an airbag supplemental
restraint system is provided. Failure to
properly wear your seatbelt could
seriously increase the risk of 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:
Do not place your arms
on the airbag cover or through the
steering wheel. Failure to follow this
instruction could result in personal injury.
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WARNING: Keep the areas in front
of the airbags free from obstruction. Do
not affix anything to or over the airbag
covers. Objects could become projectiles
during airbag deployment. Failure to
follow this instruction could result in
personal injury or death. WARNING:
To reduce risk of injury,
do not obstruct or place objects in the
deployment path of the airbag. 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:
Do not attempt to
service, repair, or modify the
supplementary restraint system or
associated components. Failure to
follow this instruction could result in
personal injury or death. WARNING:
Several airbag system
components get hot after inflation. To
reduce the risk of injury, do not touch
them after inflation. WARNING:
If a supplementary
restraint system component has
deployed, it will not function again. Have
the system and associated components
inspected as soon as possible. Failure to
follow this instruction could result in
personal injury or death. PROPERLY ADJUSTING THE
DRIVER AND FRONT
PASSENGER SEATS WARNING:
National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
recommends a minimum distance of at
least
10 in (25 cm) between an
occupant's chest and the driver airbag
module.
To properly position yourself away from
the airbag:
• Move your seat to the rear as far as you
can while still reaching the pedals
comfortably.
• Recline the seat slightly one or two
degrees from the upright position.
After all occupants have adjusted their
seats and put on seatbelts, it is very
important that they continue to sit
properly. Properly seated occupants sit
upright, lean against the seat backrest, and
center themselves on the seat cushion,
with their feet comfortably extended on
the floor. Sitting improperly can increase
the chance of injury in a crash event. For
example, if an occupant slouches, lies
down, turns sideways, sits forward, leans
forward or sideways, or puts one or both
feet up, the chance of injury during a crash
greatly increases.
CHILDREN AND AIRBAGS 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.
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Escape (CTC) Canada/United States of America, Vehicles Built From: 02-11-2020, enUSA, Edition date: 202011, First-Printing Airbags

Children must always be properly
restrained. Accident statistics suggest that
children are safer when properly restrained
in the rear seating positions than in the
front seating position. Failure to follow
these instructions may increase the risk of
injury in a crash.
FRONT PASSENGER SENSING
SYSTEM
What Is the Front Passenger
Sensing System
This system detects a properly seated
occupant and determines if the front
passenger airbag should be enabled.
How Does the Front Passenger
Sensing System Work
The system uses a passenger airbag status
indicator which illuminates indicating that
the front passenger frontal airbag is either
enabled or disabled.
Note:
When you first switch the ignition on,
the passenger airbag status indicator off
and on lamps illuminate for a short period
to confirm they are functional. The indicator lamps are in the center stack
of the instrument panel.
The front passenger sensing system is
designed to disable the front passenger
frontal airbag under these conditions:
•
The front passenger seat is
unoccupied.
• The system determines an infant is
present in a child restraint.
• A passenger takes their weight off of
the seat for a period of time.
• If there is a problem with the airbag
system or the passenger sensing
system.
Even with this technology, parents are
strongly encouraged to always properly
restrain children in the rear seat.
• When the front passenger sensing
system disables the front passenger
frontal airbag, the passenger airbag
status indicator illuminates the off
lamp.
• If you have installed the child restraint,
but the passenger airbag status
indicator illuminates the on lamp,
switch your vehicle off, remove the
child restraint from your vehicle and
reinstall the restraint following the
child restraint manufacturer's
instructions.
The front passenger sensing system works
with sensors that are part of the front
passenger seat and seatbelt. The sensors
are designed to detect the presence of a
properly seated occupant and determine
if the front passenger frontal airbag should
be enabled.
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•
When the front passenger sensing
system enables the front passenger
frontal airbag, the passenger airbag
status indicator illuminates the on
lamp.
If a person of adult size is sitting in the front
passenger seat, but the passenger airbag
status indicator off lamp is illuminated, it
is possible that the person is not sitting
properly in the seat. If this happens:
• Switch your vehicle off and ask the
person to place the seat backrest in an
upright position.
• Have the person sit upright in the seat,
centered on the seat cushion, with the
person's legs comfortably extended.
• Restart your vehicle and have the
person remain in this position for about
two minutes. This allows the system
to detect that person and enable the
passenger frontal airbag.
• If the indicator off lamp remains
illuminated even after this, advise the
person to ride in the rear seat.
After all occupants have adjusted their
seats and put on seatbelts, it is very
important that they continue to sit upright,
leaning against the seat backrest, and
centered on the seat cushion, with their
feet comfortably extended on the floor.
Sitting improperly can increase the chance
of injury in a crash event. For example, if
an occupant slouches, lies down, turns
sideways, sits forward, leans forward or
sideways, or puts one or both feet up, the
chance of injury during a crash greatly
increases.
If you think that the state of the passenger
airbag status indicator lamp is incorrect,
check for the following:
• Objects lodged underneath the seat.
• Objects between the seat cushion and
the center console.
• Objects hanging off the seat backrest. •
Objects stowed in the seat backrest
map pocket.
• Objects placed on the occupant's lap.
• Cargo interference with the seat
• Other passengers pushing or pulling on
the seat.
• Rear passenger feet and knees resting
or pushing on the seat.
The listed conditions could cause the
weight of a properly seated occupant to
be incorrectly interpreted by the front
passenger sensing system. The person in
the front passenger seat could appear
heavier or lighter due to the conditions
listed. Make sure the front passenger
sensing system is operating
properly. See Crash Sensors
and Airbag Indicator (page 54).
If the airbag readiness light is on, do the
following:
• Pull your vehicle over.
• Switch your vehicle off.
• Check for any objects lodged
underneath the front passenger seat
or cargo interfering with the seat.
• Remove the obstruction if found.
• Restart your vehicle.
• Wait at least two minutes and verify
that the airbag readiness light in the
instrument cluster is no longer
illuminated.
• If the airbag readiness light in the
instrument cluster remains illuminated,
there may be a problem due to the
front passenger sensing system.
Do not attempt to repair or service the
system. Take your vehicle in for service
immediately.
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Escape (CTC) Canada/United States of America, Vehicles Built From: 02-11-2020, enUSA, Edition date: 202011, First-Printing AirbagsE67017

If it is necessary to modify an advanced
front airbag system to accommodate a
person with disabilities, contact your
Customer Relationship Center.
Front Passenger Sensing System
Precautions
WARNING: 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. WARNING:
Any alteration or
modification to the front passenger seat
may affect the performance of the front
passenger sensing system. This could
seriously increase the risk of injury or
death.
Front Passenger Sensing System Indicators Passenger Airbag
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator
Occupant
Disabled
OFF: Illuminated
Empty
ON: Not Illuminated Disabled
OFF: Illuminated
Child
ON: Not Illuminated Enabled
OFF: Not Illuminated
Adult
ON: Illuminated
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Escape (CTC) Canada/United States of America, Vehicles Built From: 02-11-2020, enUSA, Edition date: 202011, First-Printing Airbags