Child Restraint: Description and Operation

Safety Belt System

WARNING: After any crash, all of the following safety belt assemblies and attaching hardware must be inspected by an authorized dealer to verify correct function:
- Retractors
- Buckles
- Belt tension sensor (BTS) (if equipped)
- Front safety belt buckle support assemblies (slide bar) (if equipped)
- Safety belt shoulder belt height adjusters (if equipped)
- Child safety seat tether bracket assemblies
- Automatic locking retractor (ALR) feature for child safety seats (passenger seating positions only)

If any safety belt assembly is damaged, does not operate correctly or does not pass all of the Functional Tests in the Diagnosis and Testing, a new safety belt assembly must be installed. If any safety belt assembly attaching areas are damaged or distorted, the sheet metal must be restored to its original structural integrity and new safety belt assembly and attaching hardware must be installed. Failure to install new safety belt assemblies and attaching hardware may increase the risk of serious personal injury or death in a crash.

After any crash that results in deployment of the driver and/or front outboard passenger safety belt pretensioners, new driver and/or front outboard passenger safety belt systems (including retractors, buckles and height adjusters) must be installed. Failure to install new safety belt systems increases the risk of serious personal injury or death in a crash.

All the safety belts are continuous-loop, 3-point systems. The combination lap and shoulder belt (continuous-loop) uses a common slip tongue and retractor.

The shoulder harness retractor is designed to let the webbing move freely in and out at all times, except during vehicle hard braking, hard cornering or an impact of 24 km/h (15 mph) or more, when it is automatically locked by a mechanically actuated inertia sensor (Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR)).

When replacing safety belt buckles and/or retractor assemblies, use only the replacement parts specified in the Ford Customer Service Division Master Parts and Accessories Catalog.

The active restraint system consists of the following serviceable items:

- Front safety belt shoulder height adjusters
- Front row safety belt buckle and pretensioners attached to the inboard side of the seats
- Front row adaptive load limiting safety belt retractors located behind the B-pillar trim panels
- Second row and third row outboard safety belt retractors located behind the quarter trim panels
- Second row 60/40 seat center safety belt retractor and LH safety belt buckle assembly integrated into the 60 percent seat back
- Second row safety belt buckle assembly attached to the seat frame
- Third row safety belt buckle assembly attached to the seat frame
- Lower anchors and tethers for children located at the second row outboard seating positions and third row RH seating position, welded to the seat cushion frame
- Child safety seat tether anchors located at each second row seating position and third row RH seating position, welded to the seat cushion frame

Child Safety Seat Restraints

The child safety seat restraints include the following items:

- Non-serviceable child safety seat tether anchors located at each second row seating position and third row RH seating positions welded to the seat cushion frame
- Non-serviceable lower anchors and tethers for children located at the second row outboard seating positions and third row RH seating position, welded to the seat cushion frame

If a child safety seat was in use during a collision, inspect the child safety seat component mounting areas and repair any damage and restore the vehicle to the original production configuration.