2003 SUBARU FORESTER Owners Manual

1-38
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags

Top tether anchorages
Anchorage location
1) For left seat
2) For center seat 3) For right seat
Three anchorages, i.e., ones for the right, center and
left positions, are already installed on the rear edge of
the roof. Open the cover flaps to use the anchorages. To hook the top tether
1. Remove the rear seat headrest at the seating posi-
tion where the child restraint system has been in-
stalled with the seatbelt or lower anchorages; lift up
the headrest while pressing the release button. Store
the headrest in the cargo area. Avoid placing the
headrest in the passenger compartment to prevent it
from being thrown around in the passenger compart-
ment in a sudden stop or a sharp turn.
3
2
1
HS1080BB
HS1081BA

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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
–CONTINUED –
F: Front of vehicle
1) Top tether hook
2) Upper anchorage
2. Fasten the top tether hook of the child restraint sys-
tem to the appropriate upper anchorage.
3. Tighten the top tether securely.
Always remove the headrest when mounting a
child restraint system with a top tether. Other-
wise, it may not be possible to fasten the top
tether tightly. *SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint
System airbag)
*SRS: This stands for supplemental restraint system.
This name is used because the airbag system supple-
ments the vehicle’s seatbelts.
Vehicle with driver

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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
vehicle should always wear seatbelts when the
vehicle is moving. The SRS airbag is designed
only as a supplement to the primary protection
provided by the seatbelt. It does not do away
with the need to fasten seatbelts. In combina-
tion with the seatbelts, it offers the best com-
bined protection in case of a serious accident.
Not wearing a seatbelt increases the chance of
severe injury or death in a crash even when the
car has the SRS airbag.
For instructions and precautions concerning
the seatbelt system, see the “Seatbelts” sec-
tions in this chapter.
Do not sit or lean unnecessarily close to the
SRS airbag. Because the SRS airbag deploys
with considerable speed – faster than the blink
of an eye – and force to protect in high speed
collisions, the force of an airbag can injure an
occupant whose body is too close to SRS air-
bag.
It is also important to wear your seatbelt to help
avoid injuries that can result when the SRS air-
bag contacts an occupant not in proper posi-
tion such as one thrown forward during pre-
accident braking.
Even when properly positioned, there remains
a possibility that an occupant may suffer minor injury such as abrasions and bruises to the
face or arms because of the SRS airbag deploy-
ment force.
The SRS airbags deploy with considerable
speed and force. Occupants who are out of
proper position when the SRS airbag deploys
could suffer very serious injuries. Because the
SRS airbag needs enough space for deploy-
ment, the driver should always sit upright and
well back in the seat as far from the steering
wheel as practical while sti ll maintaining full ve-
hicle control and the front passenger should
move the seat as far back as possible and sit
upright and well back in the seat. Do not place any objects over or near the
SRS airbag cover or between you and the SRS
airbag. If the SRS airbag deploys, those objects
could interfere with its proper operation and
could be propelled inside the car and cause in-
jury.

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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
–CONTINUED –
Put children aged 12 and under in the rear
seat properly restrained at all times. The SRS
airbag deploys with considerable speed and
force and can injure or even kill children, espe-
cially if they are 12 years of age and under and
are not restrained or improperly restrained. Be-
cause children are lighter and weaker than
adults, their risk of being injured from deploy-
ment is greater.
For that reason, we strongly recommend that
ALL children (including those in child seats and
those that have outgrown child restraint devic- es) sit in the REAR seat properly restrained at
all times in a child restraint device or in a seat-
belt, whichever is appropriate for the child

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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags

When the SRS airbag deploys, some smoke
will be released. This smoke could cause
breathing problems for people with a history of
asthma or other breathing trouble. If you or
your passengers have breathing problems after
SRS airbag deploys, get fresh air promptly. A deploying SRS airbag releases hot gas. Oc-
cupants could get burnt if they come into direct
contact with the hot gas.
NOTE
When you sell your vehicle, we urge you to explain
to the buyer that it is equipped with SRS airbags
by alerting him to the applicable section in this
owner

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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
–CONTINUED –
4
3
1
7
9
12
5
2
10
6
8
11
HS1083BB
1) Airbag control module (including impact sensors)
2) Airbag module (driver’s side)
3) Airbag module (passenger’s
side)
4) Front sub sensor (left hand side)
5) Front sub sensor (right hand
side)
6) Side airbag module (driver’s
side if equipped)
7) Side airbag module (passen- ger’s side if equipped)
8) Side airbag sensor (driver’s
side)
9) Side airbag sensor (passenger’s side)
10) Airbag wiring
11) Seatbelt pretensioner (driver’s side)
12) Seatbelt pretensioner (passen- ger’s side)

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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags

SRS frontal airbag
The driver’s SRS frontal airbag is stowed in the center
portion of the steering wheel. The passenger’s SRS
frontal airbag is stowed near the top of the dashboard
under an “SRS AIRBAG” mark.
In a moderate to severe frontal collision, the driver’s
and front passenger’s SRS frontal airbags deploy and
supplement the seatbelts by reducing the impact on
the driver’s and front passenger’s head and chest.
NEVER INSTALL A REARWARD FACING CHILD
SEAT IN THE FRONT SEAT. DOING SO RISKS SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH TO THE CHILD
BY PLACING THE CHILD

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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
–CONTINUED –
Never hold a child on your lap or in your arms.
The SRS airbag deploys with considerable
force and can injure or even kill the child.
The SRS airbag deploys with considerable
speed and force. Occupants who are out of
proper position when the SRS airbag deploys
could suffer very serious injuries. Because the
SRS airbag needs enough space for deploy-
ment, the driver should always sit upright and
well back in the seat as far from the steering
wheel as practical while still maintaining full ve-
hicle control and the front passenger should
move the seat as far back as possible and sit
upright and well back in the seat.
It is also important to wear your seatbelt to help
HS1069BAHS1084BA