Ford C-MAX Hybrid (2018 year). Manual — part 5

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

The LATCH anchors are at the rear section
of the rear seat between the cushion and
seatback below the symbols as shown.
Follow the child restraint manufacturer's
instructions to properly install a child
restraint with LATCH attachments. Follow
the instructions on attaching child safety
seats with tether straps.

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

Use of Inboard Lower Anchors from the
Outboard Seating Positions (Center
Seating Use)

WARNING

The standardized spacing for LATCH
lower anchors is 11 in (280 mm)
center to center. Do not use LATCH

lower anchors for the center seating
position unless the child restraint
manufacturer's instructions permit and
specify using anchors spaced at least as
far apart as those in this vehicle.

The lower anchors at the center of the
second row rear seat are spaced 18 in
(46 cm) apart. You cannot install a child
restraint with rigid LATCH attachments at
the center seating position. Only use
LATCH compatible child restraints (with
attachments on belt webbing) at this
seating position provided that the child
restraint manufacturer's instructions
permit use with the anchor spacing stated.
Do not attach a child restraint to any lower
anchor if an adjacent child restraint is
attached to that anchor.

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 restraint from side
to side and forward and back where it is
secured to your vehicle. The seat should
move less than 1 in (2.5 cm) 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 Seatbelts and LATCH Lower
Anchors for Attaching Child Safety
Seats

When used in combination, attach either
the seatbelt or the LATCH lower anchors
first, provided a proper installation is
achieved. Attach the tether strap
afterward, if included with the child
restraint.

Using Tether Straps

Many forward-facing child safety
seats include a tether strap
which extends from the back of

the child safety seat and hooks to an
anchoring point called the top tether
anchor. Tether straps are available as an
accessory for many older safety seats.

Contact the manufacturer of your child
restraint for information about ordering a
tether strap, or to obtain a longer tether
strap if the tether strap on your safety seat
does not reach the appropriate top tether
anchor in your vehicle.

Once the child safety seat has been
installed using either the seatbelt, the
lower anchors of the LATCH system, or
both, you can attach the top tether strap.

The tether strap anchors in your vehicle
are in the following positions (shown from
top view):

Perform the following steps to install a
child safety seat with tether anchors:

Note: If you install a child restraint with rigid
LATCH attachments, do not tighten the
tether strap enough to lift the child restraint
off your vehicle seat cushion when the child
is seated in it. Keep the tether strap just snug
without lifting the front of the child restraint.
Keeping the child restraint just touching your
vehicle seat gives the best protection in a
severe crash.

1.

Route the child safety seat tether strap
over the back of the seat. For outboard
seating positions, route the tether strap
under the head restraint and between
the head restraint posts. For the center
seating positions, route the tether strap
over the top of the head restraint. If
needed, you can also remove the head
restraints.

2. Locate the correct anchor on the back

panel of the rear seat for the selected
seating position. The anchors are
labeled with the tether strap symbol
and are partially covered by the gap
panel. Pull the panel back to fully
expose the anchors.

3. Clip the tether strap to the anchor as

shown.

4. Tighten the child safety seat tether

strap according to the manufacturer's
instructions. If your child restraint
system is equipped with a tether strap,
and the child restraint manufacturer
recommends its use, we also
recommend its use.

BOOSTER SEATS

WARNING

Do not put the shoulder section of
the seatbelt or allow the child to put
the shoulder section of the seatbelt

under their arm or behind their back. Failure
to follow this instruction could reduce the
effectiveness of the seatbelt and increase
the risk of injury or death in a crash.

Use a belt-positioning booster seat for
children who have outgrown or no longer
properly fit in a child safety restraint
(generally children who are less than 57 in
(1.45 m) tall, are greater than age 4 and
less than age 12, and between 40 lb (18 kg)
and 80 lb (36 kg) and upward to 100 lb

(45 kg) if recommended by your child
restraint manufacturer). Many state and
provincial laws require that children use
approved booster seats until they reach
age eight, a height of 57 in (1.45 m) tall, or
80 lb (36 kg).

Booster seats should be used until you can
answer YES to ALL of these questions
when seated without a booster seat:

•

Can the child sit all the way back
against their vehicle seat backrest with
knees bent comfortably at the edge of
the seat cushion?

•

Can the child sit without slouching?

•

Does the lap belt rest low across the
hips?

•

Is the shoulder belt centered on the
shoulder and chest?

•

Can the child stay seated like this for
the whole trip?

Always use booster seats in conjunction
with your vehicle lap and shoulder belt.

Types of Booster Seats

•

Backless booster seats

If your backless booster seat has a
removable shield, remove the shield. If a
vehicle seating position has a low seat
backrest or no head restraint, a backless
booster seat may place your child's head
(as measured at the tops of the ears)
above the top of the seat. In this case,
move the backless booster to another
seating position with a higher seat backrest
or head restraint and lap and shoulder
belts, or consider using a high back booster
seat.

•

High back booster seats

If, with a backless booster seat, you cannot
find a seating position that adequately
supports your child's head, a high back
booster seat would be a better choice.

Children and booster seats vary in size and
shape. Choose a booster that keeps the
lap belt low and snug across the hips,
never up across the stomach, and lets you
adjust the shoulder belt to cross the chest
and rest snugly near the center of the
shoulder. The following drawings compare
the ideal fit (center) to a shoulder belt
uncomfortably close to the neck and a
shoulder belt that could slip off the
shoulder. The drawings also show how the
lap belt should be low and snug across the
child's hips.