58 Safety and SecurityOccupant safetySafety guidelines for the seat belt, 
emergency tensioning device and 
airbag
When you sell your vehicle we strongly 
urge you to give notice to the subsequent 
owner that it is equipped with an SRS by 
alerting them to the applicable section in 
the Operator’s Manual.Warning!
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 in-
stalled or supplied by an authorized 
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
No modifications of any kind may be 
made to any components or wiring of 
the SRS. This includes changing or re-
moving any component or part of the 
SRS, the installation of additional trim 
material, badges, etc. over the steering 
wheel hub, passenger front airbag cov-
er, or door trim panels, and installation 
of additional electrical /electronic 
equipment on or near SRS components 
and wiring. Keep area between airbags 
and occupants free from objects (e.g. 
packages, purses, umbrellas, etc.).
Airbags and ETDs are designed to func-
tion on a one-time-only basis. An airbag 
or emergency tensioning device (ETD) 
that was activated must be replaced.
Do not pass belts over sharp edges. 
They could tear.
Do not make any modification that could 
change the effectiveness of the belts.
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 unin-
tended activation of the SRS.
In addition, through improper work 
there is a risk of rendering the SRS inop-
erative or causing unintended airbag de-
ployment. Work on the SRS must 
therefore only be performed by an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck 
Center.
For your protection and the protection 
of others, when scrapping the airbag 
unit or emergency tensioning device, 
our safety instructions must be fol-
lowed. These instructions are available 
from your authorized Mercedes-Benz 
Light Truck Center.
Given the considerable deployment 
speed and the textile structure of the 
airbags, there is the possibility of abra-
sions or other injuries resulting from air-
bag deployment. 
203 Operation
Driving instructions
Standing water
Passenger compartment
Off-road driving
!Do not drive through flooded areas or 
water of unknown depth. Before driving 
through water, determine its depth. It 
should not be deeper than approxi-
mately 19 inches (48 cm).
If you must drive through standing wa-
ter, drive slowly to prevent water from 
entering the passenger compartment 
or the engine compartment. Water in 
these areas could cause damage to 
electrical components or wiring of the 
engine or transmission, or could result 
in water being ingested by the engine 
through the air intake causing severe 
internal engine damage. Any such dam-
age is not covered by the 
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Warning!
G
Always fasten items being carried as secure-
ly as possible.
In an accident, during hard braking or sud-
den maneuvers, loose items will be thrown 
around inside the vehicle, and cause injury 
to vehicle occupants unless the items are 
securely fastened in the vehicle.
The rear cargo compartment is the preferred 
place to carry objects. Always use partition 
net when transporting cargo. Partition net 
cannot secure hard or heavy objects. Al-
ways fasten items being carried as securely 
as possible using the cargo tie-down rings in 
the cargo area floor and fastening material.
Do not load items on the roof. It may cause 
instability during some maneuvers which 
could result in an accident. This vehicle is 
not intended to carry items on its roof. Thus 
roof rails and roof mounted ski or bike hold-
ers must not be used.
Warning!
G
Do not load items on the roof. It may cause 
instability during some maneuvers which 
could result in an accident.Warning!
G
Drive slowly in unknown terrain. This will 
make it easier to recognize unexpected ob-
stacles and avoid damage to the vehicle.
To help avoid the vehicle rolling over, never 
turn it around on steep inclines. If the vehi-
cle cannot complete the attempted climb, 
back it down in reverse gear.
Do not drive along the side of a slope (dan-
ger of vehicle rollover). If in doing so the ve-
hicle begins to show a tendency to roll, 
immediately steer into a line of gravity 
(straight up or downhill).