Ford Fusion (2018 year). Manual — part 9

4. While the safety belt warning light is

on, buckle and then unbuckle the
safety belt. After Step 4, the safety belt
warning light flashes for confirmation.

•

This will switch the feature off for that
seating position if it is currently on.

•

This will switch the feature on for that
seating position if it is currently off.

CHILD RESTRAINT AND
SEATBELT MAINTENANCE

Inspect the vehicle safety belts and child
safety seat systems periodically to make
sure they work properly and are not
damaged. Inspect the vehicle and child
seat safety belts to make sure there are no
nicks, tears or cuts. Replace if necessary.
All vehicle safety belt assemblies, including
retractors, buckles, front safety belt buckle
assemblies, buckle support assemblies
(slide bar-if equipped), shoulder belt
height adjusters (if equipped), shoulder
belt guide on seat back (if equipped), child
safety seat LATCH and tether anchors, and
attaching hardware, should be inspected
after a crash. Read the child restraint
manufacturer's instructions for additional
inspection and maintenance information
specific to the child restraint.

Ford Motor Company recommends that
all safety belt assemblies in use in vehicles
involved in a crash be replaced. However,
if the crash was minor and an authorized
dealer finds that the belts do not show
damage and continue to operate properly,
they do not need to be replaced. Safety
belt assemblies not in use during a crash
should also be inspected and replaced if
either damage or improper operation is
noted.

Properly care for safety belts. See Vehicle
Care (page 275).

SEATBELT EXTENSION

WARNINGS

Persons who fit into the vehicle's
seatbelt should not use an extension.
Unnecessary use could result in

serious personal injury in the event of a
crash.

Only use extensions provided free of
charge by Ford Motor Company
dealers. The dealer will provide an

extension designed specifically for this
vehicle, model year and seating position.
The use of an extension intended for
another vehicle, model year or seating
position may not offer you the full
protection of your vehicle’s seatbelt
restraint system.

Never use seatbelt extensions to
install child restraints.

Do not use a seatbelt extension with
an inflatable seatbelt.

Do not use extensions to change the
fit of the belt across the torso, over
the lap or to make the seatbelt

buckle easier to reach.

If, because of body size or driving position,
it is not possible to properly fasten the
seatbelt over your lap and shoulder, an
extension that is compatible with the
seatbelts is available free of charge from
Ford Motor Company dealers. Only Ford
seatbelt extensions made by the original
equipment seatbelts manufacturer should
be used with Ford seatbelts. Ask your
authorized dealer if your extension is
compatible with your Ford vehicle restraint
system.

The Personal Safety System provides an
improved overall level of frontal crash
protection to front seat occupants and is
designed to help further reduce the risk of
airbag-related injuries. The system is able
to analyze different occupant conditions
and crash severity before activating the
appropriate safety devices to help better
protect a range of occupants in a variety
of frontal crash situations.

The Vehicle Personal Safety System
consists of:
•

Driver and passenger dual-stage airbag
supplemental restraints.

•

Front seat outboard seatbelts with
pretensioners, energy management
retractors and seatbelt usage sensors.

•

Driver seat position sensor.

•

Passenger seat position sensor.

•

Front passenger sensing system.

•

Passenger airbag off and on indicator
lamp.

•

Front crash severity sensors.

•

Restraints control module with impact
and safing sensors.

•

Restraint system warning light and
backup tone.

•

The electrical wiring for the airbags,
crash sensors, seatbelt pretensioners,
front seatbelt usage sensors, driver
seat position sensor, front passenger
sensing system and indicator lights.

How Does the Personal Safety
System Work?

The Personal Safety System can adapt the
deployment strategy of the safety devices
according to crash severity and occupant
conditions. A collection of crash and
occupant sensors provides information to
the restraints control module. During a
crash, the restraints control module may
deploy the seatbelt pretensioners, one or
both stages of the dual-stage airbags
based on crash severity and occupant
conditions.

PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION

WARNINGS

Airbags do not inflate slowly or
gently, and the risk of injury from a
deploying airbag is the greatest close

to the trim covering the airbag module.

All occupants of your vehicle,
including the driver, should always
properly wear their seatbelts, even

when an airbag supplemental restraint
system is provided. Failure to properly wear
your seatbelt could seriously increase the
risk of injury or death.

Even with advanced restraints
systems, properly restrain children
12 and under in a rear seating

position. Failure to follow this could
seriously increase the risk of injury or death.

Do not place your arms on the airbag
cover or through the steering wheel.
Failure to follow this instruction

could result in personal injury.

Keep the areas in front of the airbags
free from obstruction. Do not affix
anything to or over the airbag covers.

Objects could become projectiles during
airbag deployment or in a sudden stop.
Failure to follow this instruction could
result in personal injury or death.

Airbags can kill or injure a child in a
child restraint. Never place a
rear-facing child restraint in front of

an active airbag. If you must use a
forward-facing child restraint in the front
seat, move the seat upon which the child
restraint is installed all the way back.

Do not attempt to service, repair, or
modify the supplementary restraint
system or associated components.

Failure to follow this instruction could
result in personal injury or death.

WARNINGS

Several airbag system components
get hot after inflation. To reduce the
risk of injury, do not touch them after

inflation.

If a supplementary restraint system
component has deployed, it will not
function again. Have the system and

associated components inspected as soon
as possible. Failure to follow this
instruction could result in personal injury
or death.

The airbags are a supplemental restraint
system and are designed to work with the
seatbelts to help protect the driver and
right front passenger from certain upper
body injuries. Airbags do not inflate slowly;
there is a risk of injury from a deploying
airbag.

Note: You will hear a loud bang and see a
cloud of harmless powdery residue if an
airbag deploys. This is normal.

The airbags inflate and deflate rapidly
upon activation. After airbag deployment,
it is normal to notice a smoke-like, powdery
residue or smell the burnt propellant. This
may consist of cornstarch, talcum powder
(to lubricate the bag) or sodium
compounds (for example, baking soda)
that result from the combustion process
that inflates the airbag. Small amounts of
sodium hydroxide may be present which
may irritate the skin and eyes, but none of
the residue is toxic.

While the system is designed to help
reduce serious injuries, contact with a
deploying airbag may also cause abrasions
or swelling. Temporary hearing loss is also
a possibility as a result of the noise
associated with a deploying airbag.
Because airbags must inflate rapidly and
with considerable force, there is the risk of
death or serious injuries such as fractures,
facial and eye injuries or internal injuries,

particularly to occupants who are not
properly restrained or are otherwise out of
position at the time of airbag deployment.
Thus, it is extremely important that
occupants be properly restrained as far
away from the airbag module as possible
while maintaining vehicle control.

Routine maintenance of the airbags is not
required.

DRIVER AND PASSENGER
AIRBAGS

WARNINGS

Do not place your arms on the airbag
cover or through the steering wheel.
Failure to follow this instruction

could result in personal injury.

Keep the areas in front of the airbags
free from obstruction. Do not affix
anything to or over the airbag covers.

Objects could become projectiles during
airbag deployment or in a sudden stop.
Failure to follow this instruction could
result in personal injury or death.

Airbags can kill or injure a child in a
child restraint. Never place a
rear-facing child restraint in front of

an active airbag. If you must use a
forward-facing child restraint in the front
seat, move the seat upon which the child
restraint is installed all the way back.

E151127

The driver and front passenger airbags will
deploy during significant frontal and near
frontal crashes.

The driver and passenger front airbag
system consists of:
•

Driver and passenger airbag modules.

•

Front passenger sensing system.

E67017

· Crash sensors and monitoring
system with readiness indicator.
See Crash Sensors and Airbag

Indicator (page 48).

Proper Driver and Front Passenger
Seating Adjustment

WARNING

National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA)
recommends a minimum distance

of at least 10 in (25 cm) between an
occupant's chest and the driver airbag
module.

To properly position yourself away from
the airbag:
•

Move your seat to the rear as far as you
can while still reaching the pedals
comfortably.

•

Recline the seat slightly (one or two
degrees) from the upright position.