Diesel Data: Automotive Repair

Child Safety Seat Restraints




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 portion, 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.


The safety belt 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.

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

Child Safety Seat Restraints

The child safety seat restraints include the following items:

- Serviceable child safety seat tether anchor located at the rear center seating position, bolted to the parcel shelf sheet metal
- Non-serviceable child safety seat tether anchors located at rear outboard seating positions, welded to the underside of the parcel shelf sheet metal
- Serviceable lower anchors and tethers for children attachments at both rear outboard seating positions, bolted to the floor pan

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