Ford OnTarget highlighting importance of safety system component inspections post-collision

Volume 2 of this year’s Ford OnTarget Newsletter drives home the importance of safety system component inspections in collision repair.

The topic was covered in depth two weeks ago during the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) meeting.

“As part of the collision repair process, systems relying on components that were either repaired or replaced during the repair should be tested to help evaluate that all vehicle systems work as intended,” Ford OnTarget states. “This includes seatbelts and seatbelt systems, and the official Ford Workshop Manual (WSM), found at FordServiceInfo.com, includes a seatbelt inspection and functional testing procedure, which collision shops should be very familiar with.”

The article is the first in a new “focus series” on seatbelts — in Volume 2, pointing to the 2026 Expedition as an example vehicle. OnTarget says each article in the series will include overviews of numerous subsections on the topic in the WSM.

Volume 2 highlights system operation and component description, found in “Section 501-20A: Seatbelt Systems, Description and Operation.”

Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR)

“All retractors have an emergency locking retractor (ELR) mode, which is a vehicle-sensitive feature designed to activate and lock the seatbelt webbing during hard braking, cornering, or an impact of approximately 24 km/h (15 mph),” OnTarget states. “The ELR feature helps reduce the forward movement of the driver and passengers.”

For testing, OnTarget tells repairers to refer to “Functional Test – Seatbelt Retractor, Road Test Inspection,” “Section 501-20A: Seatbelt Systems, General Procedures.”

When evaluating seatbelt retractor ELR mode, the vehicle should be tested on level ground with the seatbelt retractor installed and at in-vehicle position.

Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR)

“The automatic locking retractor (ALR) mode is used when locking a child seat in any passenger-seating position,” OnTarget states. “ALR mode automatically activates when the seatbelt webbing is fully extracted from the retractor and then allowed to retract. As the seatbelt webbing retracts back onto the spool, an audible clicking sound is made, indicating the seatbelt retractor is in ALR mode and the seatbelt webbing cannot pull out of the seatbelt retractor.”

It adds that ALR mode disengages when the webbing fully retracts back into the retractor.

For testing, see “Functional Test – Seatbelt Retractor, Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) Mode,” “Section 501-20A: Seatbelt Systems,
General Procedures.”

Web Sensing Retractor

“All seatbelt retractors have web sensing mode, which is sensitive to seatbelt retractor spool speeds,” OnTarget states. “The web sensing retractor mode is activated when the seatbelt webbing is extracted or retracted at a predetermined speed. The centrifugal force moves a lock into place, stopping the retractor spool from paying out seatbelt webbing.”

OnTarget notes that only a few millimeters of seatbelt webbing are necessary to unlock the seatbelt retractor from web sensing retractor mode.

However, if the seatbelt webbing is in the stowed position and can’t be extracted, OnTarget says to refer to “Locked Seatbelt Retractor Releasing (Section 501-20A: Seatbelt Systems, General Procedures).”

Those looking for more information on Ford seatbelt inspections or any Ford or Lincoln vehicle repair are encouraged by OnTarget to contact the Ford Crash Parts Hotline via email at [email protected], or visit FordCrashParts.com or I-CAR’s RTS Portal at RTS.i-car.com.

Learn more in Volume 2

Volume 2 of OnTarget also highlights a recently updated ADAS position statement by Ford and Lincoln.

The statement uses stronger language to say that all standards in the document are mandated.

“Ford Motor Company officially mandates adherence to these standards to ensure the vehicle is restored to the high safety standards to which it was originally manufactured,” the three-page position statement states at the end.

It adds that the proper function and performance of ADAS systems are strictly dependent on the vehicle being equipped and repaired in accordance with Ford’s original design and service specifications.

Ford defines ADAS-related repairs to include the replacement, removal, or installation of ADAS sensors, such as cameras, radar, and ultrasonics, but notes ADAS-related repairs aren’t limited to the systems themselves.

Repairs include parts that provide attachment for ADAS sensors, or affect their position, such as bumper beams, quarter panels, and mounting brackets. It also includes parts within the ADAS sensors’ field of view, including bumper fascias, grilles, glass, licensed accessories, et cetera.

The statement also provides further detailed guidance on proper ADAS-related repairs, including during windshield replacement or repair and refinish procedures.

OnTarget notes that the new ADAS position statement joins 11 others previously updated by Ford.

“Those revised position statements cover a variety of collision repair topics, including the use of genuine OEM Ford parts, aluminum structural repairs, OEM glass, and more,” OnTarget states.

GM has also revised several of its position statements, the most recent last month, which was to strengthen language around the use of OEM parts.

The newest updates add the words “strictly prohibits” in red throughout the statements.

In the Aftermarket Parts position statement, the language has been changed to strictly prohibit the use of salvage, recycled, used, or non-Genuine parts. It also strictly prohibits the use of non-GM reconditioned parts in collision, structural, or system-dependent repairs. The language is also found in an ADAS position statement.

GM also strictly prohibits the use of used, salvaged, or imitation parts for the repair of supplemental restraint systems (SRS) in its new SRS position statement.

Other repair-related topics in Ford’s OnTarget Volume 2 are:

• • Lincoln Nautilus A-pillar trim repair video
  • Ford Explorer sectioning repair option demonstration
  • Vehicle-specific body components of the Ford Escape

Images

Featured image provided by Ford

2026 Ford Expedition Platinum interior (Provided by Ford)

More information

Ford updates ADAS, aluminum, and scanning position statements