RPO83

The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers announced a new voluntary industry safety agreement to meet new safety and performance criteria designed to enhance occupant protection in front and side impact crashes.

Today, nearly all Ford Motor Company products offer side airbags that provide both enhanced head and chest protection, a significant design feature in addressing self-protection in front-to-side compatibility. Ford Motor Company supports this voluntary agreement and would like to release the following list of vehicles for 2004 that comply with these new criteria:

Front-to-Front (Light Trucks & SUV models that conform to industry voluntary compatibility agreement during 2004 Model Year):

Volvo XC90

Land Rover Range Rover

New 2004 Ford F-150 Pickup Truck

Ford Super Duty Pickup Truck

Lincoln Navigator

Ford Expedition

Ford Explorer

Lincoln Aviator

Ford Excursion

Mercury Mountaineer


Front-to-Front (MPV models that conform to industry voluntary compatibility agreement during 2004 Model Year):


Volvo XC70

Ford Freestar

Mercury Monterey


Front-to-Side (Passenger Car & Minivan models that conform to industry voluntary compatibility agreement during 2004 Model Year):


Jaguar XK

Jaguar S-Type

Jaguar XJ

Jaguar X-Type

Volvo S40

Volvo S60

Volvo S80

Volvo V70

Volvo XC70

Lincoln LS1

Ford Taurus1

Mercury Sable1

Ford Focus, four door and five door models1

Ford Freestar1

Mercury Monterey1


Front-to-Side (Light Truck & SUV models that conform to industry voluntary compatibility agreement during 2004 Model Year):


Volvo XC90

Lincoln Aviator

Lincoln Navigator

Land Rover Range Rover

Ford Explorer1

Ford Escape1

Mercury Mountaineer1

Ford Expedition1


1 when equipped with available seat-mounted side airbags, side curtain, or Safety CanopyTM



BACKGROUND

Ford Motor Company was the first vehicle manufacturer to introduce BlockerBeamTM technology on the 2001 Model Year Ford Excursion and later Super Duty pickup. Ford Motor Company continues to enhance safety in front-to-front crashes through its commitment to align geometric front structural crash components with those of passenger vehicles.

In the late 1990's, Ford Motor Company committed to only offer side airbags that provide both head and chest protection. The 1999, Windstar, Cougar, Explorer/Mountaineer, Continental and Town Car were Ford Motor Company's first U.S. applications of seat-mounted head-chest combination side airbags. In Model Year 2000, the Taurus/Sable, Focus, Lincoln LS, Jaguar S-Type, Expedition/Navigator began offering seat-mounted head-chest side airbags. The 1999 Volvo S80 introduced side curtain head protection technology, which extends across the front and rear seating positions, combined with seat-mounted chest side airbags in the front seats as standard equipment. The 2002 Explorer and Mountaineer were Ford's first side curtain applications. In 2003, Expedition, Navigator, Aviator, and Sport Trac also added side curtain availability.

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*Retired.