Ford Taurus X (2009 year). Manual — part 54

Move a child to a different seating location if the shoulder belt does not
stay positioned on the shoulder during use.

Follow all instructions provided by the manufacturer of the booster seat.

WARNING: Never place, or allow a child to place, the shoulder
belt under a child’s arm or behind the back because it reduces

the protection for the upper part of the body and may increase the risk
of injury or death in a collision.

Child restraint and safety belt 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 seatback (if equipped), child safety
seat LATCH and tether anchors, and attaching hardware, should be
inspected after a collision. Refer to 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 collision be
replaced. However, if the collision 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 collision should also be inspected and replaced if either
damage or improper operation is noted.

For proper care of soiled safety belts, refer to Interior in the Cleaning
chapter.

WARNING: Failure to inspect and if necessary replace the
safety belt assembly or child restraint system under the above

conditions could result in severe personal injuries in the event of a
collision.

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218

NOTICE TO CROSSOVER VEHICLE OWNERS

Crossover vehicles handle differently
than passenger cars in the various
driving conditions that are
encountered on streets, highways
and off-road. Crossover vehicles are
not designed for cornering at speeds
as high as passenger cars any more
than low-slung sports cars are
designed to perform satisfactorily under off-road conditions.

WARNING: Crossover vehicles have a significantly higher
rollover rate than other types of vehicles. To reduce the risk of

serious injury or death from a rollover or other crash you must:
• Avoid sharp turns and abrupt maneuvers;
• Drive at safe speeds for the conditions;
• Keep tires properly inflated;
• Never overload or improperly load your vehicle; and
• Make sure every passenger is properly restrained.

WARNING: In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is
significantly more likely to die than a person wearing a seat belt.

All occupants must wear seat belts and children/infants must use
appropriate restraints to minimize the risk of injury or ejection.

VEHICLE CHARACTERISTICS

All Wheel Drive (AWD) System (if equipped)
Your vehicle may be equipped with a full-time All Wheel Drive (AWD)
system. With the AWD option, power will be delivered to the front
wheels and distributed to the rear wheels as needed. This increases
traction which may enable you to safely drive over terrain and road
conditions that a conventional two-wheel drive vehicle cannot. The AWD
system is active all the time and requires no input from the operator.
Note: Your AWD vehicle is not intended for off-road use. The AWD
feature gives your vehicle some limited off-road capabilities in which

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219

driving surfaces are relatively level, obstruction-free and otherwise
similar to normal on-road driving conditions. Operating your vehicle
under other than those conditions could subject the vehicle to excessive
stress which might result in damage which is not covered under your
warranty.

For AWD vehicles, a spare tire of a different size other that the tire
provided should never be used. A dissimilar spare tire size (other than
the spare tire provided) or major dissimilar tire sized between the front
and rear axles could cause the AWD system to stop functioning and
default to front wheel drive.

WARNING: Do not become overconfident in the ability of AWD
vehicles. Although a AWD vehicle may accelerate better than

two-wheel drive vehicle in low traction situations, it won’t stop any
faster than two-wheel drive vehicles. Always drive at a safe speed.

How your vehicle differs from other vehicles

Crossover vehicles can differ from
some other vehicles in a few
noticeable ways. Your vehicle may
be:
• Higher – to allow higher load

carrying capacity.

• Shorter – to give it the capability

to approach inclines. All other
things held equal, a shorter
wheelbase may make your vehicle
quicker to respond to steering
inputs than a vehicle with a
longer wheelbase.

• Narrower — to provide greater

maneuverability in tight spaces.

As a result of the above dimensional differences, crossover vehicles often
will have a higher center of gravity and a greater difference in center of
gravity between the loaded and unloaded condition.

These differences that make your vehicle so versatile also make it handle
differently than an ordinary passenger car.

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220

INFORMATION ABOUT UNIFORM TIRE QUALITY GRADING

Tire Quality Grades apply to new
pneumatic passenger car tires. The
Quality grades can be found where
applicable on the tire sidewall
between tread shoulder and
maximum section width. For
example:

• Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
These Tire Quality Grades are determined by standards that the United
States Department of Transportation has set.

Tire Quality Grades apply to new pneumatic passenger car tires. They do
not apply to deep tread, winter-type snow tires, space-saver or
temporary use spare tires, light truck or “LT” type tires, tires with
nominal rim diameters of 10 to 12 inches or limited production tires as
defined in Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations Part 575.104(c)(2).

U.S. Department of Transportation-Tire quality grades: The U.S.
Department of Transportation requires Ford Motor Company to give you
the following information about tire grades exactly as the government
has written it.

Treadwear

The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on the wear rate of
the tire when tested under controlled conditions on a specified
government test course. For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one
and one-half (1

1

⁄

2

) times as well on the government course as a tire

graded 100. The relative performance of tires depends upon the actual
conditions of their use, however, and may depart significantly from the
norm due to variations in driving habits, service practices, and
differences in road characteristics and climate.

Traction AA A B C

The traction grades, from highest to lowest are AA, A, B, and C. The
grades represent the tire’s ability to stop on wet pavement as measured
under controlled conditions on specified government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor traction
performance.

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