WARNING   WARNING:  Even with Advanced Restraints Systems, children 12 and under should be properly restrained in a rear seating position. Failure to follow this could seriously increase the risk of injury or death.
WARNING   WARNING:  Sitting improperly out of position or with the seatback 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.
WARNING   WARNING:  To reduce the risk of possible serious injury: Do not stow objects in the seatback map pocket or hang objects off a seatback 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. 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.
WARNING   WARNING:  Any alteration or modification to the front passenger seat may affect the performance of the front passenger sensing system which could seriously increase the risk of injury or death.

This system works with sensors that are part of the front passenger seat and safety belt to detect the presence of a properly-seated occupant and determine if the front passenger frontal airbag should be enabled (may inflate) or not.
Airbag OFF Light
The front passenger sensing system uses a passenger airbag off indicator which will illuminate and stay lit to remind you that the front passenger frontal airbag is disabled.
The indicator lamp is located at the top center of the instrument panel.
Note:   When the ignition is first tuned on, the indicator lamp will illuminate for a short period of time to confirm it is functional.
The front passenger sensing system is designed to disable (will not inflate) the front passenger frontal airbag when a rear facing infant seat, a forward-facing child restraint, or a booster seat is detected. Even with this technology, parents are strongly encouraged to always properly restrain children in the rear seat. The sensor also turns off the passenger front airbag and seat-mounted side airbag when the passenger seat is empty.
  • 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 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 lamp will be unlit and stay unlit.
If a person of adult size is sitting in the front passenger seat, but the airbag off indicator lamp is lit, it is possible that the person is not 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 frontal airbag.
  • If the indicator lamp remains lit even after this, the person should be advised to ride in the rear seat.

Occupant   Passenger airbag OFF indicator   Passenger airbag  
Empty   Unlit   Disabled  
Child   Lit   Disabled  
Adult   Unlit   Enabled  

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.
After all occupants have adjusted their seats and put on safety belts, it is very important that they continue to sit properly. A properly seated occupant sits upright, leaning against the seatback, 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.
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.
  • Objects hanging off the seatback.
  • Objects stowed in the seatback map pocket.
  • Objects placed on the occupant's lap.
  • Cargo interference with the seat.
  • Other passengers pushing or pulling on the seat.
  • Rear passenger feet and knees resting or pushing on the seat.
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.
Airbag  Make sure the front passenger sensing system is operating properly.   See   Crash Sensors and Airbag Indicator. 
If the airbag readiness light is lit, do the following:
The driver and adult passengers should check for objects lodged underneath the front passenger seat, or cargo interfering with the seat.
If there are lodged objects, or cargo is interfering with the seat, take the following steps to remove the obstruction:
  • Pull the vehicle over.
  • Turn the vehicle off.
  • Driver and 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 light is no longer illuminated.
  • If the airbag readiness light 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.   See   Getting the Services You Need. 

Owner's Manual Feedback

Submit

Thank You For Your Feedback

Ok