2023 FORD MAVERICK child seat

7.Try to pull the belt out of the retractorto make sure the retractor is in theautomatic locking mode. You shouldnot be able to pull more belt out. If theretractor did not lock, unbuckle the beltand 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 will provide extrahelp to remove remaining slack fromthe 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 theseat at the belt path and attempt tomove it side to side and forward andback. There should be no more than1 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.
36
2023 Maverick (CFE) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 202208, First-PrintingChild SafetyE142533 E142534

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 LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethersfor CHildren) system has three vehicleanchor points.
•Two lower anchors where the seatbackrest and seat cushion meet, calledthe seat bight.
•One top tether anchor behind thatseating position.
LATCH-compatible child restraints havetwo rigid or webbing mountedattachments that connect to the two loweranchors at the LATCH-equipped seatingpositions in your vehicle. This type ofattachment method eliminates the needto use seatbelts to attach the childrestraint.
However, you can still use the seatbelt toattach the child restraint. Forforward-facing child restraints, you mustalso attach the top tether strap to theproper top tether anchor if a top tetherstrap has been provided with your childrestraint.
Follow the instructions on attaching childrestraints with tether straps.
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.
The lower anchors at the center of thesecond row rear seat are spaced 18 in(46 cm) apart. You cannot install a childrestraint with rigid LATCH attachments atthe center seating position. You can onlyuse LATCH compatible 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 an adjacent child restraint isattached to 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 your 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.
37
2023 Maverick (CFE) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 202208, First-PrintingChild Safety

COMBINING THE SEATBELT ANDLOWER ANCHORS FORATTACHING CHILD RESTRAINTS
When used in combination, you may attacheither the seatbelt or the LATCH loweranchors first, provided a proper installationis achieved. Attach the tether strapafterward, if it is included with the childrestraint.
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.
Once you install the child restraint usingeither the seatbelt, the lower anchors ofthe LATCH system, or both, you can attachthe top tether strap.
Perform the following steps to install achild restraint with tether anchors.
Note:If you install a child restraint with rigidLATCH attachments, do not tighten thetether strap enough to lift the child restraintoff your 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 yourvehicle seat gives the best protection in asevere crash.
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 the center seating position, routethe tether strap over the top of thehead restraint.
2.To access the top tether anchors, pullthe strap on the top of the rear seatbackrest and fold the backrest forward.
3.Locate the correct anchor for theselected seating position.
4.Clip the tether strap to the anchor asshown.
5.Tighten the child restraint tether strapaccording to the manufacturer'sinstructions. If your child restraintsystem has a tether strap, and the childrestraint manufacturer recommendsits use, we also recommend its use.
38
2023 Maverick (CFE) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 202208, First-PrintingChild SafetyE356728 E142539

6.Return the rear seat backrest to itsoriginal rearward and locked position.Pull slightly on the seat backrest andmake sure that it is locked.
BOOSTER SEATS
Use a belt-positioning booster seat forchildren who have outgrown or no longerproperly fit in a child restraint and meetthe following criteria.
•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.
39
2023 Maverick (CFE) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 202208, First-PrintingChild SafetyE142595 E68924

•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.
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.
40
2023 Maverick (CFE) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 202208, First-PrintingChild SafetyE70710 E142596 E142597

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
WARNING: You cannot open therear doors from inside if you have put thechild safety locks on.
A child safety lock is on the rear edge ofeach rear door. You must switch the childsafety lock separately 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.
41
2023 Maverick (CFE) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 202208, First-PrintingChild Safety E238364

SEATBELT PRECAUTIONS
WARNING: Always drive and ridewith your seatback upright and the lapbelt snug and low across the hips.
WARNING: Children must alwaysbe properly restrained.
WARNING: Do not allow apassenger to hold a child on their lapwhen your vehicle is moving. Failure tofollow this instruction could result inpersonal injury or death in the event of asudden stop or crash.
WARNING: All occupants of yourvehicle, including the driver, shouldalways properly wear their seatbelts,even when an airbag supplementalrestraint system is provided. Failure toproperly wear your seatbelt couldseriously increase the risk of injury ordeath.
WARNING: It is extremelydangerous to ride in a cargo area, insideor outside of a vehicle. In a crash, peopleriding in these areas are more likely to beseriously injured or killed. Do not allowpeople to ride in any area of your vehiclethat is not equipped with seats andseatbelts. Make sure everyone in yourvehicle is in a seat and properly using aseatbelt. Failure to follow this warningcould result in serious personal injury ordeath.
WARNING: In a rollover crash, anunbelted person is significantly morelikely to die than a person wearing aseatbelt.
WARNING: Each seating positionin your vehicle has a specific seatbeltassembly made up of one buckle andone tongue designed to be used as a pair.Use the shoulder belt on the outsideshoulder only. Never wear the shoulderbelt under the arm. Never use a singleseatbelt for more than one person.
WARNING: Even with advancedrestraints systems, properly restrainchildren 12 and under in a rear seatingposition. Failure to follow this couldseriously increase the risk of injury ordeath.
WARNING: Seatbelts and seatsmay be hot in a vehicle that is in thesunshine. The hot seatbelts or seats mayburn a small child. Check seat covers andbuckles before you place a childanywhere near them.
WARNING: If your vehicle isinvolved in a crash, have the seatbeltsand associated components inspectedas soon as possible. Failure to follow thisinstruction could result in personal injuryor death.
All seating positions in this vehicle havelap and shoulder seatbelts. All occupantsof the vehicle should properly wear theirseatbelts, even when an airbagsupplemental restraint system is provided.
The seatbelt system consists of:
•Lap and shoulder seatbelts.
•A shoulder seatbelt with automaticlocking mode, except driver seatbelt.
•Height adjusters at the front outermostseating positions.
42
2023 Maverick (CFE) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 202208, First-PrintingSeatbelts

CHECKING THE SEATBELTS
Check the seatbelts and child restraintsperiodically to make sure they workproperly and are not damaged. Make surethere are no nicks, tears or cuts. Replace ifnecessary.
Check the following seatbelt assembliesafter a crash.
•Retractors.
•Buckles.
•Front seatbelt buckle assemblies.
•Shoulder belt height adjusters.
•Shoulder belt guide on seat backrest.
•Child restraint LATCH and tetheranchors.
•Attaching hardware.
Read the child restraint manufacturer'sinstructions for additional inspection andmaintenance information specific to thechild restraint.
We recommend that all seatbeltassemblies in use in vehicles involved in acrash be replaced. However, if the crashwas minor and an authorized dealer findsthat the belts do not show damage andcontinue to operate properly, they do notneed to be replaced. Seatbelt assembliesnot in use during a crash should also bechecked and replaced if either damage orimproper operation is noted.
Properly care for seatbelts. See CleaningSeatbelts (page 331).
SEATBELT EXTENSIONS
WARNING: Persons who fit intothe vehicle's seatbelt should not use anextension. Unnecessary use could resultin serious personal injury in the event ofa crash.
WARNING: Only use extensionsprovided free of charge by our dealers.The dealer will provide an extensiondesigned specifically for this vehicle,model year and seating position. The useof an extension intended for anothervehicle, model year or seating positionmay not offer you the full protection ofyour vehicle's seatbelt restraint system.
WARNING: Never use seatbeltextensions to install child restraints.
WARNING: Do not use extensionsto change the way the seatbelt fitsacross the torso, over the lap or to makethe seatbelt buckle easier to reach.
If, because of body size or driving position,it is not possible to properly fasten theseatbelt over your lap and shoulder, anextension that is compatible with theseatbelts is available free of charge fromour dealers. Only use our seatbeltextensions made by the original equipmentseatbelt manufacturer with our seatbelts.Ask your authorized dealer if your extensionis compatible with your vehicle restraintsystem.
48
2023 Maverick (CFE) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 202208, First-PrintingSeatbelts