Page 10 of 361

mVehicle Theft Alarm......................24
mLiftgate...............................26
NPower Liftgate Ð If Equipped.............27
mWindows.............................30
NPower Windows.......................30
mOccupant Restraints......................31
NLap/Shoulder Belts.....................32
NLap/Shoulder Belt Untwisting Procedure.....38
NSeat Belt Pretensioners...................40
NEnhanced Driver Seat Belt Reminder System
(BeltAlertŸ)..........................40
NSeat Belts And Pregnant Women............41NSeat Belt Extender......................42
NDriver And Front Passenger Supplemental
Restraint System - Airbag................43
NSide Airbags Supplemental Restraint System
(SRS) Ð If Equipped....................50
NChild Restraint........................53
mEngine Break-In Recommendations...........61
mSafety Tips............................62
NExhaust Gas..........................62
NSafety Checks You Should Make Inside The
Vehicle..............................62
NPeriodic Safety Checks You Should Make
Outside The Vehicle....................63
10 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
Page 18 of 361

Auto Unlock
The doors will unlock automatically on vehicles with
power door locks if:
1. The Auto Unlock feature is enabled,
2. the transmission was in gear and the vehicle speed
returned to 0 mph (0 km/h),
3. the transmission is in NEUTRAL or PARK,
4. the driver door is opened (excluding liftgate),
5. the doors were not previously unlocked and
6. the vehicle speed is 0 mph (0 km/h).
The Auto Unlock feature can be enabled or disabled by
performing the procedure in the Electronic Vehicle Infor-
mation Center (EVIC), Customer Programmable Features
section.NOTE:Use the Auto Door Locks and Auto Unlock
features in accordance with local laws.
Child Protection Door Lock
To provide a safer environment for small children riding
in the rear seats, the rear doors are equipped with a child
protection door lock system.
WARNING!
Avoid trapping anyone in the vehicle in a collision.
Remember that the rear doors can only be opened
from the outside when the child protection locks are
engaged.
18 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
Page 31 of 361

When the lock switch is pressed the window controls on
the passenger doors will not illuminate and the passen-
ger windows will be disabled.
Auto Down Feature
All the power window switches have an auto down
feature. Press the window switch to the second detent,
release, and the window will go down automatically.
To open the window part way, press the window switch
to the first detent and release it when you want the
window to stop.
The power window switches remain active for up to 45
seconds after the ignition switch has been turned off.
Opening either front door will cancel this feature.
Wind Buffeting
Wind buffeting can be described as the perception of
pressure on the ears or a helicopter type sound in the
ears. Your vehicle may exhibit wind buffeting with thewindows down, or the sunroof (if equipped) in certain
open or partially open positions. This is a normal occur-
rence and can be minimized. If the buffeting occurs with
the rear windows open, open the front and rear windows
together to minimize the buffeting. If the buffeting occurs
with the sunroof open, adjust the sunroof opening to
minimize the buffeting.
OCCUPANT RESTRAINTS
Some of the most important safety features in your
vehicle are the restraint systems. These include the front
and rear seat belts for the driver and all passengers, front
airbags for both the driver and front passenger, driver
inflatable knee blocker and if equipped, left and right
side curtain airbags for the driver and passengers seated
next to a window. If you will be carrying children too
small for adult-size seat belts, your seat belts or the
LATCH feature (refer to the Child Restraint section in this
manual), can be used to hold infant and child restraint
systems.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 31
2
Page 46 of 361

1.Children 12 years old and under should always ride
buckled up in a rear seat.
Infants in rear facing child restraints shouldNEVERride
in the front seat of a vehicle with a passenger front airbag.
An airbag deployment can cause severe injury or death to
infants in that position.
Children that are not big enough to properly wear the
vehicle seat belt (refer to section on Child Restraint)
should be secured in the rear seat, in a child restraint or
belt-positioning booster seat appropriate for the size and
age of the child. Older children who do not use a child
restraint or belt-positioning booster seat should ride
properly buckled up in the rear seat. Never allow chil-
dren to slide the shoulder belt behind them or under their
arm.If a child from 1 to 12 years old must ride in the front
passenger seat because the vehicle is crowded, move the
seat as far back as possible, and use the proper child
restraint. Refer to the section on Child Restraint.
You should read the instructions provided with your
child restraint to make sure that you are using it properly.
2.All occupants should wear their lap and shoulder
belts properly.
3.The driver and front passenger seats should be
moved back as far as practical to allow the front airbags
room to inflate.
4.If your vehicle has left and right side curtain airbags,
do not lean against the door, airbags will inflate force-
fully into the space between you and the door.
46 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
Page 49 of 361

²When the airbag control module detects a collision
requiring theFront Airbags, it signals the inflator
units. A large quantity of nontoxic gas is generated to
inflate the front airbags. Different front airbag inflation
rates are possible, these rates are determined by the
airbag control module based on collision severity. The
front airbag covers separate and fold out of the way as
the front airbags inflate to their full size. The front
airbags fully inflate in about 50 milliseconds. This is
only about half of the time it takes you to blink your
eyes. The front airbags then quickly deflate while
helping to restrain the driver and front passenger. The
driver's and passenger's front airbag gas is vented
through the airbag material and small vent openings
towards the instrument panel. In this way the front
airbags do not interfere with your control of the
vehicle.
²TheSupplemental Side Curtain Airbagsare designed
to activate only in certain side collisions. When theairbag control module detects a collision requiring the
side curtain airbags to inflate, it signals the inflators on
the crash side of the vehicle. A quantity of nontoxic gas
is generated to inflate the side curtain airbag. The
inflating side curtain airbag pushes the outside edge of
the headliner out of the way and inflates (in about the
same time it takes to blink your eyes). A properly
belted and seated occupant is less likely to be injured
by the force of the airbag or crash event. Items that are
positioned in the area where the side curtain airbag
inflates can reduce the effectiveness of the airbag and
also increase the likelihood of injuries to the occu-
pants, this especially applies to children. The side
curtain airbag is about 4 inches (10 cm) thick when it
is inflated.
²When the airbag control module detects a collision
requiring theDriver Inflatable Knee Blocker,it
signals the inflator unit. A quantity of nontoxic gas is
generated to inflate the Driver Inflatable Knee Blocker.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 49
2
Page 53 of 361

Child Restraint
Everyone in your vehicle needs to be buckled up at all
times Ð babies and children, too. Every state in the
United States and all Canadian provinces require that
small children ride in proper restraint systems. This is the
law, and you can be prosecuted for ignoring it.
Children 12 years and under should ride properly buck-
led up in a seat appropriate for their age and size.
According to crash statistics, children are safer when
properly restrained in the rear seats, rather than in the
front.WARNING!
In a collision, an unrestrained child, even a tiny
baby, can become a missile inside the vehicle. The
force required to hold even an infant on your lap
could become so great that you could not hold the
child, no matter how strong you are. The child and
others could be badly injured. Any child riding in
your vehicle should be in a proper restraint for the
child's size.
Lower Anchors and Tether for CHildren (LATCH)
Each vehicle, is equipped with two child restraint anchor-
age systems called LATCH, which stands for Lower
Anchors and Tether for CHildren. The LATCH child
restraint anchorage systems are installed on all second-
row seats.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 53
2
Page 54 of 361
The lower anchor bars of the LATCH System are located
where the seat back meets the seat cushion.
The tether anchors are located on the rear surface of the
seat.Child restraint systems designed to be compatible with
the vehicles LATCH System are now available. LATCH
child restraints make installation into the vehicle simple
and convenient.
When using the LATCH System, always follow the child
restraint manufactures installation instructions.
54 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
Page 55 of 361
NOTE:If your child restraint seat is not LATCH com-
patible, install the restraint using the vehicle seat belts.
Tether Anchors
There are tether strap anchorages behind all second row
seating positions and the driver's side third row seating
position. The tether anchors are located in the rear
surface of the seat. When using the tether anchorages in
the second row seating position, ensure that the strap is
routed over the top of the seatback and under the head
restraint between the head restraint posts.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 55
2