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 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 seat back, 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 tether straps later in this chapter.

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

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.

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.

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.

Use of inboard lower anchors from the outboard seating positions (center seating use)

The lower anchors at the center of the second row rear seat are spaced 460 mm (18 inches) apart. The standardized spacing for LATCH lower anchors is 280 mm (11 inches) center to center. A child seat with rigid LATCH attachments cannot be installed at the center seating position.

LATCH compatible child seats (with attachments on belt webbing) can only be used at this seating position provided that the child seat manufacturer’s instructions permit use with the anchor spacing stated.

Do not attach a child seat to any lower anchor if an adjacent child seat is attached to that anchor.

WARNING: The standardized spacing for LATCH lower anchors is 280 mm (11 inches) center to center. Do not use LATCH lower anchors for the center seating position unless the child seat manufacturer’s instructions permit and specify using anchors spaced at least as far apart as those in this vehicle.

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.

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.