warning FORD EXPLORER 2023 User Guide

GENERAL INFORMATION
See the following sections for directionson how to properly use safety restraintsfor children.
WARNING: Always make sure yourchild is secured properly in a device thatis appropriate for their height, age andweight. Child safety restraints must bebought separately from your vehicle.Failure to follow these instructions andguidelines may result in an increased riskof serious injury or death to your child.
WARNING: All children are shapeddifferently. The National Highway TrafficSafety Administration and other safetyorganizations, base theirrecommendations for child restraints onprobable child height, age and weightthresholds, or on the minimumrequirements of the law. We recommendthat you check with a NHTSA CertifiedChild Passenger Safety Technician
(CPST) to make sure that you properlyinstall the child restraint in your vehicleand that you consult your pediatrician tomake sure you have a child restraintappropriate for your child. To locate achild restraint fitting station and CPST,contact NHTSA toll free at1-888-327-4236 or go towww.nhtsa.dot.gov. In Canada, contactTransport Canada toll free at1-800-333-0371 or go to www.tc.gc.cato find a Child Car Seat Clinic in yourarea. Failure to properly restrain childrenin child restraints made especially fortheir height, age and weight, may resultin an increased risk of serious injury ordeath to your child.
WARNING: On hot days, thetemperature inside the vehicle can risevery quickly. Exposure of people oranimals to these high temperatures foreven a short time can cause death orserious heat related injuries, includingbrain damage. Small children areparticularly at risk.
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INSTALLING CHILD
RESTRAINTS
Child Seats
Use a child restraint (sometimes called aninfant carrier, convertible seat, or toddlerseat) for Infants, toddlers and childrenweighing 40 lb (18 kg) or less (generallyfour-years-old or younger).
Using Lap and Shoulder Belts
WARNING: Do not place arearward facing child restraint in front ofan active airbag. Failure to follow thisinstruction could result in personal injuryor death.
WARNING: Properly securechildren 12 years old and under in a rearseating position whenever possible. Ifyou are unable to properly secure allchildren in a rear seating position,properly secure the largest child on thefront seat. If you must use a forwardfacing child restraint on the front seat,move the seat as far back as possible.Failure to follow these instructions couldresult in personal injury or death.
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.
When installing a child restraint withcombination lap and shoulder belts:
•Use the correct seatbelt buckle for thatseating position.
•Insert the belt tongue into the properbuckle until you hear a snap and feel itlatch. Make sure the tongue is securelyfastened in the buckle.
•Keep the buckle release buttonpointing up and away from the childrestraint, with the tongue between thechild restraint and the release button,to prevent accidental unbuckling.
•Place the vehicle seat in the uprightposition before you install the childrestraint.
•For second row seating positions,adjust the recliner slightly to improvechild restraint fit. If needed, remove thehead restraints.
•For third row seating positions, stowthe head restraints to improve childrestraint fit. See Head Restraints(page 144).
•Put the seatbelt in the automaticlocking mode. See Step 5 in theprocedure that follows. This vehicledoes not require the use of a lockingclip.
Perform the following steps wheninstalling the child restraint withcombination lap and shoulder belts:
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Using Lower Anchors and Tethersfor CHildren (LATCH)
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.
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 system has three vehicleanchor points: two lower anchors wherethe seat backrest and seat cushion meet(called the seat bight) and one top tetheranchor behind that seating 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 theseatbelt to attach the child restraint. Forforward-facing child restraints, you mustalso attach the top tether strap to theproper top tether anchor if one came withyour child restraint.
Your vehicle has LATCH lower anchors forchild restraint installation at the seatingpositions marked with the child restraintsymbol.
Second Row Bucket Seats and ThirdRow Seats
Second Row Bench Seats and ThirdRow Seats
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The LATCH anchors are at the rear sectionof the rear seat between the cushion andseat backrest below the symbols asshown. Follow the child restraintmanufacturer's instructions to properlyinstall a child restraint with LATCHattachments.
Follow the instructions on attaching childrestraints with tether straps. See UsingTether Straps later in this chapter.
Attach LATCH lower attachments of thechild restraint only to the anchors shown.
Use of Inboard Lower Anchors from theOutboard Seating Positions (CenterSeating Use)
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 bench seat are spaced 20.5 in(52 cm) apart. The standardized spacingfor LATCH lower anchors is 11 in (28 cm)center to center. 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 you have an adjacent childrestraint attached to that anchor.
Each time you use the child restraint, checkthat you properly attached the seat to thelower anchors and tether anchor, ifapplicable. Tug the child restraint from sideto side and forward and back where yousecured it to your vehicle. The childrestraint should move less than 1 in(2.5 cm) if you properly install the seat.
If you do not properly anchor the childrestraint, the risk of injury to a child greatlyincreases in a crash.
Combining Seatbelt and LATCH LowerAnchors for Attaching Child Restraints
When used in combination, you can attacheither the seatbelt or the LATCH loweranchors first, provided you achieve a properinstallation. Attach the tether strapafterward, if included with the childrestraint.
Using Tether Straps
Many forward-facing childrestraints include a tether strapwhich extends from the back ofthe child restraint and hooks to ananchoring 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.
The tether strap anchors in your vehicleare in the following positions (shown fromtop view):
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BOOSTER SEATS
WARNING: Do not put the shouldersection of the seatbelt or allow the childto put the shoulder section of theseatbelt under their arm or behind theirback. Failure to follow this instructioncould reduce the effectiveness of theseatbelt and increase the risk of injury ordeath in a crash.
Use a belt-positioning booster seat forchildren who have outgrown or no longerproperly fit in a child safety restraint(generally children who are less than 57 in(1.45 m) tall, are greater than age 4 andless 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 childrestraint manufacturer). Many state andprovincial laws require that children useapproved booster seats until they reachage eight, a height of 57 in (1.45 m) tall, or80 lb (36 kg).
Booster seats should be used until you cananswer YES to ALL of these questionswhen seated 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 avehicle 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)above the top of the seat. In this case,move the backless booster to anotherseating position with a higher seat backrestor head restraint and lap and shoulderbelts, or consider using a high back boosterseat.
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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 introduce any itemthicker than this under the booster seat.Check with the booster seatmanufacturer's instructions.
CHILD RESTRAINT
POSITIONING
WARNING: Do not place arearward facing child restraint in front ofan active airbag. Failure to follow thisinstruction could result in personal injuryor death.
WARNING: Properly securechildren 12 years old and under in a rearseating position whenever possible. Ifyou are unable to properly secure allchildren in a rear seating position,properly secure the largest child on thefront seat. If you must use a forwardfacing child restraint on the front seat,move the seat as far back as possible.Failure to follow these instructions couldresult in personal injury or death.
WARNING: Always carefully followthe instructions and warnings providedby the manufacturer of any childrestraint to determine if the restraintdevice is appropriate for your child's size,height, weight, or age. Follow the childrestraint manufacturer's instructions andwarnings provided for installation anduse in conjunction with the instructions
and warnings provided by your vehiclemanufacturer. A safety seat that isimproperly installed or utilized, isinappropriate for your child's height, age,or weight or does not properly fit thechild may increase the risk of seriousinjury or death.
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: Do not use pillows,books or towels to boost your child'sheight. Failure to follow this instructioncould result in personal injury or death.
WARNING: Properly secure childrestraints or booster seats when they arenot in use. They could become projectilesin a sudden stop or crash. Failure tofollow this instruction could result inpersonal injury or death.
WARNING: Do not put the shouldersection of the seatbelt or allow the childto put the shoulder section of theseatbelt under their arm or behind theirback. Failure to follow this instructioncould reduce the effectiveness of theseatbelt and increase the risk of injury ordeath in a crash.
WARNING: Do not leave childrenor pets unattended in your vehicle.Failure to follow this instruction couldresult in personal injury or death.
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Recommendations for Attaching Child Safety Restraints for Children
Use Any Attachment Method as Indicated Below by X
CombinedWeight ofChild andChildRestraint
RestraintType
SeatbeltOnlySeatbeltand LATCH(LowerAnchorsand TopTetherAnchor)
Seatbeltand TopTetherAnchor
LATCH(LowerAnchorsOnly)
LATCH(LowerAnchorsand TopTetherAnchor)
XXUp to 65 lb(29.5 kg)
Rear facingchildrestraint
XOver 65 lb(29.5 kg)
Rear facingchildrestraint
XXXUp to 65 lb(29.5 kg)
Forwardfacingchildrestraint
XXOver 65 lb(29.5 kg)
Forwardfacingchildrestraint
Note:The child restraint must rest tightlyagainst the vehicle seat upon which it isinstalled. It may be necessary to lift orremove the head restraint. See Seats (page144).
CHILD SAFETY LOCKS
WARNING: You cannot open therear doors from inside if you have put thechild safety locks on.
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PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION
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.
All seating positions in your vehicle havelap and shoulder seatbelts. All occupantsof the vehicle should always properly weartheir seatbelts, even when an airbagsupplemental restraint system is provided.
The seatbelt system consists of:
•Lap and shoulder seatbelts.
•Shoulder seatbelt with automaticlocking mode, (except driver seatbelt).
•Height adjuster at the front outermostseating positions.
•Seatbelt pretensioners at the frontoutermost and second row outermostseating positions.
•Belt tension sensor at the frontoutermost passenger seating position.
•Seatbelt warning light and chime.
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•Crash sensors and monitoring systemwith readiness indicator.
The seatbelt pretensioners are designedto tighten the seatbelts when activated. Infrontal and near-frontal crashes, theseatbelt pretensioners may be activatedalone or, if the crash is of sufficient severity,together with the front airbags. Thepretensioners may also activate when aSafety Canopy airbag deploys.
FASTENING THE SEATBELTS
The front outboard and rear safetyrestraints in the vehicle are combinationlap and shoulder belts.
1.Insert the belt tongue into the properbuckle (the buckle closest to thedirection the tongue is coming from)until you hear a snap and feel it latch.Make sure that you securely fasten thetongue in the buckle.
2.To unfasten, press the release buttonand remove the tongue from thebuckle.
Using Seatbelts During Pregnancy
WARNING: Always ride and drivewith your seatback upright and properlyfasten your seatbelt. Fit the lap portionof the seatbelt snugly and low acrossthe hips. Position the shoulder portion ofthe seatbelt across your chest. Pregnantwomen must follow this practice. Seethe following figure.
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Pregnant women should always wear theirseatbelt. Position the lap belt portion of acombination lap and shoulder belt lowacross the hips below the belly and wornas tight as comfort allows. Position theshoulder belt to cross the middle of theshoulder and the center of the chest.
Seatbelt Locking Modes
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 safety restraints in the vehicle arecombination lap and shoulder belts. Thedriver seatbelt has the first type of lockingmode, and the front outboard passengerand rear seat seatbelts have both types oflocking modes described as follows:
Vehicle Sensitive Mode
This is the normal retractor mode, whichallows free shoulder belt lengthadjustment to your movements andlocking in response to vehicle movement.For example, if the driver brakes suddenlyor turns a corner sharply, or the vehiclereceives an impact of about 5 mph(8 km/h) or more, the combinationseatbelts lock to help reduce forwardmovement of the driver and passengers.
In addition, the design of the retractor is tolock if you pull the webbing out too quickly.If the seatbelt retractor locks, slowly lowerthe height adjuster to allow the seatbeltto retract. If the retractor does not unlock,pull the seatbelt out slowly then feed a
small length of webbing back toward thestowed position. For rear seatbelts, reclinethe rear seat backrest or push the seatbackrest cushion away from the seatbelt.Feed a small length of webbing backtoward the stowed position.
Automatic Locking Mode
In this mode, the shoulder beltautomatically pre-locks. The belt retractsto remove any slack in the shoulder belt.The automatic locking mode is notavailable on the driver seatbelt.
When to Use the Automatic LockingMode
Use this mode any time you install a childsafety seat, except a booster, in passengerfront or rear seating positions. Properlyrestrain children 12 years old and under ina rear seating position whenever possible.See Child Safety (page 23).
How to Use the Automatic LockingMode
1.Buckle the combination lap andshoulder belt.
2.Grasp the shoulder portion and pulldownward until you pull the entire beltout. Allow the belt to retract. As thebelt retracts, you will hear a clickingsound. This indicates the seatbelt isnow in the automatic locking mode.
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