The front passenger sensing system is designed to meet the regulatory requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 208 and is designed to disable (will not inflate) the front passenger’s frontal airbag under certain conditions.

The front passenger sensing system works with sensors that are part of the front passenger’s seat and safety belt. The sensors are designed to detect the presence of a properly seated occupant and determine if the front passenger’s frontal airbag should be enabled (may inflate) or disabled (will not inflate).

The front passenger sensing system will disable (will not inflate) the front passenger’s frontal airbag if:

• the front passenger seat is unoccupied, or has small/medium objects in the front seat,
• the system determines that an infant is present in a rear-facing infant seat that is installed according to the manufacturer’s instructions,
• the system determines that a small child is present in a forward-facing child restraint that is installed according to the manufacturer’s instructions,
• the system determines that a small child is present in a booster seat,
• a front passenger takes his/her weight off of the seat for a period of time,

Note: When the passenger airbag off light is illuminated, the passenger (seat mounted) side airbag may be disabled to avoid the risk of airbag deployment injuries.

The front passenger sensing system uses a passenger airbag off or pass airbag off indicator which will illuminate and stay lit to remind you that the front passenger frontal airbag is off. The indicator lamp is located in the center stack of the instrument panel just above the air vents.

Note: The indicator lamp will illuminate for a short period of time when the ignition is turned to the on position to confirm it is functional.

When the front passenger seat is not occupied (empty seat) or in the event that the front passenger frontal airbag is enabled (may inflate), the indicator lamp will be unlit.

The front passenger sensing system is designed to disable (will not inflate) the front passenger’s frontal airbag when a rear facing infant seat, a forward-facing child restraint, or a booster seat is detected.

• When the front passenger sensing system disables (will not inflate) the front passenger frontal airbag, the indicator lamp will illuminate and stay lit to remind you that the front passenger frontal airbag is disabled.
• If the child restraint has been installed and the indicator lamp is not lit, then turn the vehicle off, remove the child restraint from the vehicle and reinstall the restraint following the child restraint manufacturer’s instructions.

The front passenger sensing system is designed to enable (may inflate) the front passenger’s frontal airbag anytime the system senses that a person of adult size is sitting properly in the front passenger seat.

• When the front passenger sensing system enables the front passenger frontal airbag (may inflate), the indicator will be unlit and stay unlit.

If a person of adult size is sitting in the front passenger’s seat, but the passenger airbag off or pass airbag off indicator lamp is lit, it is possible that the person isn’t sitting properly in the seat. If this happens:

• Turn the vehicle off and ask the person to place the seatback in the full upright position.
• Have the person sit upright in the seat, centered on the seat cushion, with the person’s legs comfortably extended.
• Restart the vehicle and have the person remain in this position for about two minutes. This will allow the system to detect that person and enable the passenger’s frontal airbag.
• If the indicator lamp remains lit even after this, the person should be advised to ride in the rear seat.

WARNING: Even with Advanced Restraints Systems, children 12 and under should be properly restrained in a rear seating position.

After all occupants have adjusted their seats and put on safety belts, it’s very important that they continue to sit properly. A properly seated occupant sits upright, leaning against the seat back, and centered on the seat cushion, with their feet comfortably extended on the floor. Sitting improperly can increase the chance of injury in a crash event. For example, if an occupant slouches, lies down, turns sideways, sits forward, leans forward or sideways, or puts one or both feet up, the chance of injury during a crash is greatly increased.

WARNING: Sitting improperly out of position or with the seat back reclined too far can take off weight from the seat cushion and affect the decision of the front passenger sensing system, resulting in serious injury or death in a crash.

Always sit upright against your seatback, with your feet on the floor.

The front passenger sensing system may detect small or medium objects placed on the seat cushion. For most objects that are in the front passenger seat, the passenger airbag will be disabled. Even though the passenger airbag is disabled, the pass airbag off lamp may or may not be illuminated according to the table below.

If you think that the status of the “passenger airbag off” indicator lamp is incorrect, check for the following:

• Objects lodged underneath the seat
• Objects between the seat cushion and the center console (if equipped)
• Objects placed on the front-passenger seat’s occupant’s lap
• Objects that may have trapped the safety belt against the seat or passenger side b-pillar, preventing free movement of the safety belt
• Other passengers or cargo pushing or pulling on the seat’s bottom cushion
• Rear seat passenger’s feet resting on or pushing on the seat’s bottom cushion

The conditions listed above may cause the weight of a properly seated occupant to be incorrectly interpreted by the front passenger sensing system. The person in the front passenger seat may appear heavier or lighter due to the conditions described in the list above.

WARNING: To reduce the risk of possible serious injury:
Do not stow objects in seat back map pocket (if equipped) or hang objects off seat back if a child is in the front passenger seat.
Do not place objects underneath the front passenger seat or between the seat and the center console (if equipped).
Check the “passenger airbag off” or “pass airbag off” indicator lamp for proper airbag Status.
Failure to follow these instructions may interfere with the front passenger seat sensing system.

In case there is a problem with the front passenger sensing system, the airbag readiness lamp in the instrument cluster will stay lit.

If the airbag readiness lamp is lit, do the following:

The driver and/or adult passengers should check for any objects that may be lodged underneath the front passenger seat or cargo interfering with the seat.

If objects are lodged and/or cargo is interfering with the seat; please take the following steps to remove the obstruction:

• Pull the vehicle over.
• Turn the vehicle off.
• Driver and/or adult passengers should check for any objects lodged underneath the front passenger seat or cargo interfering with the seat.
• Remove the obstruction(s) (if found).
• Restart the vehicle.
• Wait at least two minutes and verify that the airbag readiness lamp is no longer illuminated
• If the airbag readiness lamp remains illuminated, this may or may/not be a problem due to the front passenger sensing system.

DO NOT attempt to repair or service the system; take your vehicle immediately to an authorized dealer.

If it is necessary to modify an advanced front airbag system to accommodate a person with disabilities, contact the Ford Customer Relationship Center at the phone number shown in the Customer Assistance chapter of this Owner’s Guide.

WARNING: Any alteration/modification to the front passenger seat may affect the performance of the front passenger sensing system.