Child Safety

Using the Tether Strap

In this manual: Child Safety
Introduction — 1Symbol Glossary — 1Data Privacy — 7At a Glance — 1Child Safety — 11Seat Belts — 9Personal Safety System™ — 1Airbags — 8Pedestrian Warning System. 911 Assist — 1Keys and Remote Controls — 8MyKey™ — 5Doors & Locks — 5Keyless Entry — 6Easy Entry and Exit — 1Liftgate - Vehicles With: Manual Liftgate — 3Liftgate - Vehicles With: Power Liftgate — 6Safety — 4Steering Wheel — 1Wipers and Washers — 7Exterior Lighting — 8Interior Lighting — 4Windows — 3Interior Mirror — 1Exterior Mirrors — 1Sunroof (if equipped) — 4Instrument Cluster — 16Instrument Cluster Display — 14Trip Computer — 3Head-Up Display (If Equipped) — 1Remote Start — 5Climate Control — 7Cabin Air Quality — 1Front Seats — 5Rear Seats — 1Rear Seat Reminder — 1Memory Function — 1Garage Door Opener — 7USB Ports — 3Power Point - Vehicles With: 12V Outlet — 1Wireless Accessory Charger — 1Storage — 1Starting and Stopping the Engine — 9Hybrid Electric Vehicle Information — 6Auto Start-Stop — 1Fuel and Refueling — 10Catalytic Converter — 1High-Voltage Battery — 1Charging Your Vehicle – Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) — 7Automatic Transmission — 8All-Wheel Drive — 1Brakes — 4Electric parking brake — 1Hill Start Assist — 1Auto Hold — 1Traction Control — 1Stability Control — 1Steering — 1Park Aid — 7Rearview Camera — 1Active Park Assist — 5Cruise Control — 1Adaptive Cruise Control — 10Drive Mode Control — 5Lane Keeping System — 6Blind Spot Information System — 5Cross-Traffic Alert — 5Pre-Collision Assist — 9Driver Alert — 4Traffic Sign Recognition — 4Loading — 6Cargo Area — 1Trailer Hitch Connection — 3Towing a Trailer — 4Trailer Sway Control — 1Driving Tips — 4Breakdown and Emergency Information — 7Towing Your Vehicle — 4Fuses — 4Maintenance — 14Vehicle Care — 5Body Styling Kits — 1Storing Your Vehicle — 1Wheels and Tires Information — 6Tire Care — 4Tire Sealant and Inflator Kit — 8Tire Pressure Monitoring System — 4Road Wheel Replacement — 1Capacities and Specifications — 16Vehicle Identification — 1Connected Vehicle — 4Vehicle Wi-Fi Hotspot — 3Audio System — 8SYNC™ (if equipped) — 9SYNC™ 3 (if equipped) — 41Accessories — 1Ford Protect — 1Scheduled Maintenance — 4Customer Information — 23Appendices — 3
4steps
~24min
2/5difficulty
Done 0 of 4

Many forward-facing child restraints include a strap that extends from the rear of the child restraint and hooks to an attachment point called the upper tether anchor. Tether straps are available as an accessory for many older child restraints.

Contact the child restraint manufacturer to order a tether strap or to obtain a longer tether strap if the tether strap on your child restraint does not reach the correct upper tether anchor in your vehicle.

After installing the child restraint using the seat belt, the LATCH lower anchors system, or both, you can attach the upper tether strap.

Perform the following steps to install a child restraint with a tether strap.

  1. Route the tether strap over the seatback. For the outboard seating positions, route the tether strap under the head restraint and between the head restraint posts. For the center seating position, route the tether strap over the top of the head restraint. If necessary, you may also remove the head restraints.
    Ford Escape. Using Tether Straps
  2. Locate the correct upper tether anchor behind the cover for the selected seating position.
    Ford Escape. Using Tether Straps
  3. Attach the tether strap hook to the anchor as shown.
  4. Tighten the tether strap as specified in the child restraint manufacturer's instructions.

If your child restraint system has a tether strap and the child restraint manufacturer recommends its use, we also recommend using it.

Test yourself

A quick Ford Escape quiz: every answer comes with an explanation and a link to the manual page.