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Wa r n i n g ! 
Accident research shows that the safest place for  
children in an automobile is in the rear seat. 
Should you choose to place a child 12 years old or  
under in the front passenger seat of your vehicle,  
you must properly use a BabySmart
TM child 
restraint which will turn off the passenger side  
front airbag. BabySmart
TM will not, however, turn  
off the vehicle’s side impact airbag. 
It should be noted that with respect to both front  
and rear side impact airbags there is a possibility  
for a side airbag related injury if occupants, 
especially children, are not properly seated or  
restrained when next to a side airbag which needs  
to deploy rapidly in a side impact in order to do its 
job.
To help avoid the possibility of injury, please follow  
these guidelines: (1) occupants, especially  
children, should never place their bodies or lean 
their heads in the area of the door where the side  
airbag inflates. This could result in serious  
injuries or death should the side airbag be 
activated; (2) always sit upright, properly use the  
seat belts and use an appropriately sized infant or  
child restraint system for all children 12 years old 
or under; and (3) always wear seat belts properly.If you believe that, even with the use of these 
guidelines, it would be safer for your rear seat 
occupants to have both rear door mounted side  
airbags deactivated, then deactivation can be  
accomplished upon your written election to do so at 
your authorized Mercedes-Benz Center at an  
additional cost. Please contact your local  
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center or call our Client 
Assistance Center at 1-800-FOR-MERCedes  
(1-800-367-6372) for details. 
     
        
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Safety guidelines for the seat belt,  
emergency tensioning retractor and airbag
Wa r n i n g ! 
• Damaged seat belts or belts that were highly   stressed in an accident must be replaced and  
their anchoring points must also be checked.  
Use only belts installed or supplied by an 
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.• Do not pass belts over sharp edges.• Do not make any modification that could  change the effectiveness of the belts.• Airbags and ETR’s are designed to function on a one-time-only basis. An airbag or emergency 
tensioning retractor (ETR) that was activated  
must be replaced.
• An airbag system component within the  steering wheel gets hot after the airbag has  
inflated. Do not touch.• Improper work on the system, including  incorrect installation and removal, can lead to 
possible injury through an unintended 
activation of the “SRS”.• No modifications of any kind may be made to  any components or wiring of the “SRS”. This 
includes changing or removing any component 
or part of the “SRS”, the installation of 
additional trim material, badges etc. over the  
steering wheel hub, front passenger airbag  
cover, or front door trim panels, and 
installation of additional electrical / electronic 
equipment on or near “SRS” components and 
wiring. Keep area between airbags and 
occupants free of objects (e.g. packages,  
purses, umbrellas, etc.). 
     
        
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When you sell the vehicle we strongly urge you to give  
notice to the subsequent owner that it is equipped with 
an “SRS” by alerting him to the applicable section in the 
Operator’s Manual.
• In addition, through improper work there is  the risk of rendering the “SRS” inoperative or  
causing unintended airbag deployment. Work  
on the “SRS” must therefore only be performed 
by an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck 
Center.• For your protection and the protection of   others, when scrapping the airbag unit or  
emergency tensioning retractor, our safety 
instructions must be followed. These 
instructions are available at your authorized 
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
• Given the considerable deployment speed and  
the textile structure of the airbags, there is the  
possibility of abrasions or other injuries  
resulting from airbag deployment. 
     
        
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Infant and child restraint systems 
We recommend t ha t all infa nts and children be  properly  
restrained at all times while the vehicle is in motion. All 
lap-shoulder belts except the driver’s seat belt have  
special seat belt retractors for secure fastening of child  
restraints. 
To fasten a child restraint follow child restraint  
instructions for routing. Then pull shoulder belt out 
completely and let it retract. During the seat belt  
retraction a ratcheting sound can be heard to indicate  
that the special seat belt retractor is activated. The belt 
is now locked. Push down on child restraint to take up 
any slack. 
To deactivate, release seat belt buckle and let seat belt  
retract completely. The seat belt can again be used in  
the usual manner. 
Note: 
For child seats with mounting fittings for tether  
anchorages refer to page 67 (installation of infant and  
child restra int systems).  Important! 
The use of infant or child restraints is required by law in  
all 50 states and all Canadian provinces. 
Infants and small children should be seated in an  
appropriate infant or child restraint system properly 
secured by a lap-shoulder belt, and that complies with  
U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213 and  
Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213. 
A statement by the child restraint manufacturer of 
compliance with this standard can be found on the 
instruction label on the restraint and in the instruction 
manual provided with the restraint. 
When using any infant or child restraint system, be sure  
to carefully read and follow all manufacturer’s 
instructions for installation and use. 
Please read and observe warning labels affixed to inside  
of vehicle and to infant or child restraints.
Wa r n i n g ! 
Never release the seat belt buckle while vehicle is  
in motion, since the special seat belt retractor will  
be deactivated. 
     
        
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Wa r n i n g ! 
Children 12 years old and under must never ride in  
the front seat, except in a Mercedes-Benz 
authorized BabySmart
TM compatible child seat,  
which operates with the BabySmart
TM System  
installed in the vehicle to deactivate the passenger 
front airbag when it is properly installed.  
Otherwise they will be struck by the airbag when it  
inflates in a crash. If this happens, serious or fatal 
injury can result.
According to accident statistics, children are safer 
when properly restrained in the rear seating 
positions than in the front seating positions.  
Infants and small children must ride in back seats  
and be seated in an infant or child restraint system, 
which is properly secured with the vehicle’s seat  
belt, fully in accordance with the child seat  
manufacturer’s instructions.
Infants and small children should never share a  
seat belt with another occupant. During an  
accident, they could be crushed between the 
occupant and seat belt.Children too big for child restraint systems must 
ride in back seats using regular seat belts. Position 
shoulder belt across chest and shoulder, not face or  
neck. A booster seat may be necessary to achieve  
proper belt positioning for children from 41 lbs. to 
the point where a lap / shoulder belt fits properly  
without one.When the child restraint is not in use, remove it  
from the vehicle or secure it with the seat belt to  
prevent the child restraint from becoming a  
projectile in the event of an accident. 
     
        
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Installation of infant and child restraint systems 
To secure a tether strap to the anchorage, securely  
fasten the hook (1), which is part of the tether strap, to 
the anchorage ring (2). For safety, please make sure that  
the hook has attached to the ring beyond the safety  
catch, as illustrated.  Vehicle without third row seats 
3  Tether anchorages for second row seats 
4  Tether anchorages for third row seats (optional) 
This vehicle is provided with three tether  
anchorages (3) for a top tether strap behind the 
second row seats. 
Note: 
Do not use the tether anchorages (4) for a top tether  
strap on a second row seat. 
     
        
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Vehicle with third row seats 
3  Tether anchorages for second row seats 
4  Tether anchorages for third row seats 
This vehicle is provided with tether anchorages for a top  
tether strap behind the second row seats (3) and the 
third row seats (4).  We recommend to install infant and child restraints on  
the third row seats. 
When using the third row seats observe the following: 
•  Installation of infant and child restraint systems  
with a top tether strap is allowed only on both third 
row seats plus the center second row seat. 
•  When using the center second row seat for a top  
tether strap, the left third row seat should only be  
used for a child restraint system, since exiting the  
vehicle may not be possible in an emergency due to 
the routing of the top tether strap. 
To store the left third row seat, see page 126. 
     
        
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Important! 
An infant and child restraint system must not be  
installed on the right second row seat while a passenger 
rides in a third row seat. Use of the easy-entry / exit  
feature is not possible. See page 123 for easy-entry / exit  
feature.  Note: 
When installing an infant or child restraint system with  
a top tether strap on the left second row seat, the left  
third row seat should not be occupied. For storage of the  
left third row seat, see page 126.