The LATCH system is composed of three vehicle anchor points: two (2) lower anchors located where the vehicle seat back and seat cushion meet (called the “seat bight”) and one (1) top tether anchor located behind that seating position.

LATCH compatible child safety seats have two rigid or webbing mounted attachments that connect to the two lower anchors at the LATCH equipped seating positions in your vehicle. This type of attachment method eliminates the need to use safety belts to attach the child seat, however the safety belt can still be used to attach the child seat. For forward-facing child seats, the top tether strap must also be attached to the proper top tether anchor, if a top tether strap has been provided with your child seat. Ford Motor Company recommends the use of a child safety seat having a top tether strap. See Attaching child safety seats with tether straps and Recommendations for attaching safety restraints for children in this chapter for more information.

Your vehicle has LATCH lower anchors for child seat installation at the seating positions marked with the child seat symbol.

The LATCH anchors are located at the rear section of the rear seat between the cushion and seatback, below the locator symbols on the seat back. Follow the child seat manufacturer’s instructions to properly install a child seat with LATCH attachments.

Follow the instructions on attaching child safety seats with tether straps.

Refer to Attaching child safety seats with tether straps later in this chapter.

Attach LATCH lower attachments of the child seat only to the anchors shown.

All the LATCH lower anchors are equally spaced, 280 mm (11 inches) apart, so that a single LATCH child seat can be installed at any rear seating position. If two child safety seats are installed using the LATCH lower anchors, they must be placed in the outboard seating positions only. If three child safety seats are installed, you can install two using the LATCH lower anchors by placing them in each outboard seating position and the third in the center using the lap/shoulder belt, OR you can use the LATCH lower anchors for the center child safety seat and the lap/shoulder belts for the other two child safety seats in the outboard positions. Use the tether anchors if applicable.

WARNING: Never attach two child safety seats to the same anchor. In a crash, one anchor may not be strong enough to hold two child safety seat attachments and may break, causing serious injury or death.

Each time you use the safety seat, check that the seat is properly attached to the lower anchors and tether anchor, if applicable. Tug the child seat from side to side and forward and back where it is secured to the vehicle. The seat should move less than one inch when you do this for a proper installation.

If the safety seat is not anchored properly, the risk of a child being injured in a crash greatly increases.

WARNING: Depending on where you secure a child restraint, and depending on the child restraint design, you may block access to certain safety belt buckle assemblies and/or LATCH lower anchors, rendering those features potentially unusable. To avoid risk of injury, occupants should only use seating positions where they are able to be properly restrained.

Combining safety belt and LATCH lower anchors for attaching child safety seats

When used in combination, either the safety belt or the LATCH lower anchors may be attached first, provided a proper installation is achieved.

Attach the tether strap afterward, if included with the child seat. Refer to Recommendations for attaching child safety restraints for children in this chapter.