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: 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)
• Combining safety belt and LATCH lower anchors for attaching child safety seats