2023 FORD BRONCO Owners Manual

CHILD RESTRAINTS RECOMMENDATION
Recommended Restraint TypeChild Size, Height, Weight, or Age
Use a child restraint (sometimescalled an infant carrier, convertibleseat, or toddler seat).
Children weighing 40 lb (18 kg) or less (generallyage four or younger).
Use a belt-positioning boosterseat.
Children who have outgrown or no longer properlyfit in a child restraint (generally children who areless than 57 in (1.45 m) tall, are greater than agefour and less than age 12, and between 40 lb (18 kg)and 80 lb (36 kg) and upward to 100 lb (45 kg) ifrecommended by your child restraint manufacturer).
Use a vehicle seatbelt having thelap belt snug and low across thehips, shoulder belt centered acrossthe shoulder and chest, and seatbackrest upright.
Children who have outgrown or no longer properlyfit in a belt-positioning booster seat (generally chil-dren who are at least 57 in (1.45 m) tall or greaterthan 80 lb (36 kg) or 100 lb (45 kg) if recommendedby child restraint manufacturer).
You are required by law to properly usechild restraints for infants and toddlers inthe United States, Canada and Mexico.
Many states and provinces require thatsmall children use approved booster seatsuntil they reach age eight, a height of 57 in(1.45 m) tall, or 80 lb (36 kg). Check yourlocal and state or provincial laws forspecific requirements about the safety ofchildren in your vehicle.
When possible, properly restrain children12 years of age and under in a rear seatingposition of your vehicle. Accident statisticssuggest that children are safer whenproperly restrained in the rear seatingpositions than in a front seating position.
When installing a rear facing child restraint,adjust the vehicle seats to avoidinterference between the child restraintand the vehicle seat in front of the childrestraint.
INSTALLING CHILD
RESTRAINTS
USING SEATBELTS
WARNING: Depending on whereyou secure a child restraint, anddepending on the child restraint design,you may block access to certain seatbeltbuckle assemblies and LATCH loweranchors, rendering those featurespotentially unusable. To avoid risk ofinjury, make sure occupants only useseating positions where they are able tobe properly restrained.
Note:Although the child restraintillustrated is a forward facing child restraint,the steps are the same for installing a rearfacing child restraint.
Perform the following steps wheninstalling a child restraint with seatbelts.
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1.Position the child restraint in a seatwith a seatbelt.
2.Pull down on the shoulder belt andthen grasp the shoulder belt and lapbelt together.
3.While holding the shoulder and lap beltportions together, route the tonguethrough the child restraint accordingto the child restraint manufacturer'sinstructions. Make sure you did nottwist the belt webbing.
4.Insert the belt tongue into the properbuckle for that seating position untilthe latch engages. Make sure thetongue is latched securely by pullingon it.
5.To put the retractor in the automaticlocking mode, grasp the shoulderportion of the belt and pull downwarduntil you pull all of the seatbelt out.
Note:The automatic locking mode isavailable on the front passenger and rearseats. This vehicle does not require the useof a locking clip.
6.Allow the belt to retract to removeslack. The seatbelt clicks as it retractsto indicate it is in the automatic lockingmode.
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7.Pull the seatbelt out of the retractor tomake sure the retractor is in theautomatic locking mode. You shouldnot be able to pull more belt out. If theretractor is not locked, unbuckle thebelt and repeat Steps 5 and 6.
8.Remove remaining slack from the belt.Force the seat down with extra weight,for example, by pressing down orkneeling on the child restraint whilepulling up on the shoulder belt in orderto force slack from the belt. This isnecessary to remove the remainingslack that exists once you add the extraweight of the child to the child restraint.It also helps to achieve the propersnugness of the child restraint to yourvehicle. Sometimes, a slight leantoward the buckle helps to removeremaining slack from the belt.
9.If the child restraint has a tether strap,attach it.
10.Before placing the child in the seat,forcibly move the seat forward andback to make sure the seat is securelyheld in place.
To check this, grab the seat at the belt pathand attempt to move it side to side andforward and back. There should be nomore than 1 in (2.5 cm) of movement.
We recommend checking with a NHTSACertified Child Passenger SafetyTechnician to make certain the childrestraint is properly installed. In Canada,check with Transport Canada for referralto a Child Car Seat Clinic.
USING LOWER ANCHORS ANDTETHERS FOR CHILDREN
WARNING: Do not attach two childsafety restraints to the same anchor. Ina crash, one anchor may not be strongenough to hold two child safety restraintattachments and may break, causingserious injury or death.
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WARNING: Depending on whereyou secure a child restraint, anddepending on the child restraint design,you may block access to certain seatbeltbuckle assemblies and LATCH loweranchors, rendering those featurespotentially unusable. To avoid risk ofinjury, make sure occupants only useseating positions where they are able tobe properly restrained.
The Lower Anchors and Tethers forCHildren (LATCH) system has threevehicle anchor points:
•Two lower anchors where the vehicleseat backrest and seat cushion meet,called the seat bight.
•One top tether anchor behind thatseating position.
LATCH compatible child restraints havetwo rigid or webbing mountedattachments. These attachments connectto the two lower anchors at the LATCHequipped seating positions in your vehicle.This type of attachment methodeliminates the need to use seatbelts toattach the child restraint.
However, you can still use the seatbelt toattach the child restraint if the loweranchors are not used. For forward facingchild restraints, you must also attach thetop tether strap to the proper top tetheranchor if a top tether strap has beenprovided with your child restraint.
Follow the instructions later in this chapteron attaching child restraints with tetherstraps.
INSTALLING A CHILD RESTRAINTIN A CENTER SEAT
WARNING: The standardizedspacing for LATCH lower anchors is 11 in(280 mm) center to center. Do not useLATCH lower anchors for the centerseating position unless the child restraintmanufacturer's instructions permit andspecify using anchors spaced at least asfar apart as those in this vehicle.
You cannot install a child restraint withrigid LATCH attachments at the centerseating position. You can only use LATCHcompatible child restraints, withattachments on belt webbing, at thisseating position provided that the childrestraint manufacturer's instructionspermit use with the anchor spacing stated.Do not attach a child restraint to any loweranchor if another child restraint is attachedto that anchor.
Each time you use the child restraint, checkthat the seat is properly attached to thelower anchors and tether anchor, ifapplicable. Tug the child restraint from sideto side and forward and back where it issecured to the vehicle. The seat shouldmove less than 1 in (2.5 cm).
If you did not properly anchor the childrestraint, the risk of a child being injured ina crash greatly increases.
COMBINING THE SEATBELT ANDLOWER ANCHORS FORATTACHING CHILD RESTRAINTS
When used in combination, you may attachthe seatbelt or the LATCH lower anchorsfirst, provided a proper installation isachieved. Attach the tether strap afterwardif it is included with the child restraint.
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USING TETHER STRAPS
Many forward-facing child restraintsinclude a tether strap which extends fromthe back of the child restraint and hooksto an anchoring point called the top tetheranchor. Tether straps are available as anaccessory for many older child restraints.
Contact the manufacturer of your childrestraint for information about ordering atether strap, or to obtain a longer tetherstrap if the tether strap on your childrestraint does not reach the appropriatetop tether anchor in your vehicle.
Attach the tether strap only to theappropriate tether anchor. The tether strapmay not work properly if attachedsomewhere other than the correct tetheranchor.
Note:If you install a child restraint with rigidLATCH attachments, do not tighten thetether strap enough to lift the child restraintoff the vehicle seat cushion when the childis seated in it. Keep the tether strap just snugwithout lifting the front of the child restraint.Keeping the child restraint just touching thevehicle seat gives the best protection in asevere crash.
Once you have installed the child restraintusing either the seatbelt, the lower anchorsof the LATCH system, or both, you canattach the top tether strap.
1.Route the child restraint tether strapover the back of the seat. For theoutermost seating positions, route thetether strap under the head restraintand between the head restraint posts.For vehicles with a center seatingposition, route the tether strap over thetop of the head restraint. If needed, youcan also remove the head restraints.
Note:The head restraints are notremovable on 2-door vehicles.
2.Locate the correct anchor behind thegap cover for the selected seatingposition.
3.Clip the tether strap to the anchor asshown.
4.Tighten the child restraint tether strapaccording to the manufacturer'sinstructions.
If your child restraint system has a tetherstrap, and the child restraint manufacturerrecommends its use, we also recommendits use.
BOOSTER SEATS
Use a belt-positioning booster seat forchildren who have outgrown or no longerproperly fit in a child restraint and meetthe following criteria.
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•Generally children who are less than57 in (1.45 m) tall.
•Are greater than age four (4) and lessthan age twelve (12).
•Are between 40 lb (18 kg) and 80 lb(36 kg) and upward to 100 lb (45 kg).
Many state and provincial laws require thatchildren use approved booster seats untilthey reach age eight, a height of 57 in(1.45 m) tall, or 80 lb (36 kg).
Booster seats should be used until you cananswer yes to all of these questions whenseated without a booster seat:
•Can the child sit all the way backagainst their vehicle seat backrest withknees bent comfortably at the edge ofthe seat cushion?
•Can the child sit without slouching?
•Does the lap belt rest low across thehips?
•Is the shoulder belt centered on theshoulder and chest?
•Can the child stay seated like this forthe whole trip?
Always use booster seats in conjunctionwith your vehicle lap and shoulder belt.
Types of Booster Seats
•Backless booster seats
If your backless booster seat has aremovable shield, remove the shield.
If a vehicle seating position has a low seatbackrest or no head restraint, a backlessbooster seat may place your child's head,as measured at the tops of the ears, abovethe top of the seat. In this case, move thebackless booster to another seatingposition with a higher seat backrest orhead 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 cannotfind a seating position that adequatelysupports your child's head, a high-backbooster seat would be a better choice.
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Children and booster seats vary in size andshape. Choose a booster that keeps thelap belt low and snug across the hips,never up across the stomach, and lets youadjust the shoulder belt to cross the chestand rest snugly near the center of theshoulder.
The following drawings compare the idealfit to a shoulder belt uncomfortably closeto the neck and a shoulder belt that couldslip off the shoulder. The drawings alsoshow how the lap belt should be low andsnug across the child's hips.
If the booster seat slides on the vehicleseat upon which it is being used, placing arubberized mesh sold as shelf or carpetliner under the booster seat may improvethis condition. Do not use any item thickerthan this under the booster seat. Checkwith the booster seat manufacturer'sinstructions.
CHILD SAFETY LOCKS (IF
EQUIPPED)
WARNING: You cannot open therear doors from inside if you have put thechild safety locks on.
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A child safety lock is on the rear edge ofeach rear door. Switch the child safety lockseparately on each door.
Left-Hand Side
Turn the key clockwise to switch the childlock on and counterclockwise to switch itoff.
Right-Hand Side
Turn the key counterclockwise to switchthe child lock on and clockwise to switchit off.
Note:To make sure the child safety lock ison, pull the inside door handle twice to verifythe door does not open.
Note:To open the rear doors from insidethe vehicle when the child lock is engaged,roll down the rear window and use theoutside door handle. Or have someoneoutside the vehicle open the door.
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