
WARNING!
Using a seat belt extender when not needed can
increase the risk of injury in a collision. Only use
when the seat belt is not long enough when it is
worn low and snug, and in the recommended seating
positions. Remove and stow the seat belt extender
when not needed.
Driver And Front Passenger Supplemental
Restraint Systems (SRS) Ð Airbags
This vehicle has front airbags for both the driver and
front passenger as a supplement to the seat belt restraint
system. The driver's front airbag is mounted in the center
of the steering wheel. The passenger's front airbag is
mounted in the instrument panel, above the glove com-
partment. The words SRS/AIRBAG are embossed on the
airbag covers.
NOTE:The front airbags are certified to the Federal
regulations that allow less forceful deployment.
NOTE:Airbag covers may not be obvious in the
interior trim; but they will open to allow airbag deploy-
ment.
WARNING!
Do not put anything on or around the front airbag
covers or attempt to manually open them. You may
damage the airbags and you could be injured be-
cause the airbags are not there to protect you. These
protective covers for the airbag cushions are de-
signed to open only when the airbags are inflating.
22 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Airbags inflate in moderate to high speed impacts. Along
with the seat belts, front airbags work with the instru-
ment panel knee bolsters to provide improved protection
for the driver and front passenger.
The seat belts are designed to protect you in many types
of collisions. The front airbags deploy in moderate to
severe frontal collisions. But even in collisions where the
airbags work, you need the seat belts to keep you in the
right position for the airbags to protect you properly.
Here are some simple steps you can take to minimize the
risk of harm from a deploying airbag.
1.Children 12 years old and under should always ride
buckled up in a rear seat.
Infants in rear-facing child restraints (designed for chil-
dren up to 20 lbs (9 kg) and at least one year old) should
NEVERride in the front seat of a vehicle with a passen-
ger front airbag, unless the airbag is turned off. An airbag
deployment can cause severe injury or death to infants in
this position.Children that are not big enough to properly wear the
vehicle seat belt (Refer to ªChild Restraintº in this
section.) should be secured in the rear seat, in a child
restraint or belt-positioning booster seat. Older children
who do not use child restraints or belt-positioning
booster seats should ride properly buckled up in the rear
seat. Never allow children 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 ªChild Restraintº in this section.
You should read the instructions provided with your
child restraint to make sure that you are using it properly.
2. All occupants should use 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.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 23
2

WARNING!
²Relying on the airbags alone could lead to more
severe injuries in a collision. The airbags work
with your seat belt to restrain you properly. In
some collisions the airbags won't deploy at all.
Always wear your seat belts even though you
have airbags.
²Being too close to the steering wheel or instru-
ment panel during airbag deployment could cause
serious injury. Airbags need room to inflate. Sit
back, comfortably extending your arms to reach
the steering wheel or instrument panel.
Airbag System Components
The airbag system consists of the following:
²Airbag Control Module (ACM)
²Airbag Warning Light
²Driver Airbag
²Passenger Airbag
²Steering Wheel And Column
²Instrument Panel
²Crash Sensor
²Interconnecting Wiring
²Knee Impact Bolsters
²Passenger Airbag ON/OFF Switch (If Equipped)
How The Airbag System Works
²
TheAirbag Control Module (ACM)determines if a
frontal collision is severe enough to require the airbags
to inflate.
²The ACM will not detect side, roll over, or rear
impacts.
²The ACM also monitors the readiness of the electronic
parts of the system whenever the ignition switch is in
the START or ON position. These include all of the
items listed above except the knee bolster, the instru-
ment panel, and the steering wheel and column. If the
ignition key is in the OFF or ACC position, or not in
the ignition, the airbags are not on and will not inflate.
24 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Passenger Airbag On/Off Switch Ð If Equipped
NOTE:
The Passenger Airbag ON/OFF Switch is de-
signed so that the switch position can be changed using
the ignition key. The key inserts into the switch far
enough to fully depress a spring-loaded locking plunger,
and then rotates to the desired position. The key will not
insert fully into the switch, and the spring-loaded locking
plunger prevents the key from remaining in the switch.
The Passenger Airbag ON/OFF Switch is located on the
instrument panel. The switch is to be turned off only if
the passenger is an infant (less than 1 year old) or a child
(age 1 to 12) who must ride in the front seat because there
is no rear seat.
WARNING!
Whenever an airbag is turned off, even a lap/
shoulder belted passenger may hit their head, neck,
or chest on the dashboard (instrument panel) or
windshield in a crash. This may result in serious
injury or death.
26 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Children 12 years and under should ride properly buck-
led up in a rear seat, if available. 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 can
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.
Infants and Small Children
There are different sizes and types of restraints for
children from newborn size to the child almost large
enough for an adult safety belt. Always check the child
seat owner's manual to ensure that you have the right
seat for your child. Use the restraint that is correct for
your child.
²The rearward-facing infant carrier is for babies weigh-
ing up to about 20 lbs (9 kg), and one year old or more.
The infant restraint mustNEVERbe used in the front
seat of a vehicle with a front passenger airbag unless
the airbag is turned off. An airbag deployment could
cause severe injury or death to infants in this position.
The infant carrier is held in the vehicle by the lap belt,
lap/shoulder belt, or the LATCH child restraint an-
chorage system.
²Children under one year of age should continue to ride
in a rear-facing infant seat, even if they weigh more
than 20 lbs (9 kg). A ªconvertibleº child seat, one that
is designed to be used either rearward-facing or
forward-facing, should be used for children who are
too heavy for the infant carrier, but who are too young
to face forward in the vehicle.
²The forward-facing child seat is for children from
about 20±40 lbs (9±18 kg), and more than one year old.
The child seat is held in the vehicle by the lap belt,
lap/shoulder belt, or the LATCH child restraint an-
chorage system.
30 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

²The belt-positioning booster seat is for children weigh-
ing more than 40 lbs (18 kg), but who are still too small
to fit in the vehicle's seat belts properly. If the child
cannot sit with knees bent over the seat cushion while
the child's back is against the seat back, they should
use a belt-positioning booster seat. The child and
booster seat are held in the vehicle by lap/shoulder
belt. (Some booster seats are equipped with a front
shield and are held in the vehicle by the lap portion or
lap belt.)
²For additional information, refer to
www.seatcheck.org.
WARNING!
²Improper installation can lead to failure of an
infant or child restraint. It could come loose in a
collision. The child could be badly injured or
killed. Follow the manufacturer's directions ex-
actly when installing an infant or child restraint.
²A rearward facing infant restraint should only be
used in a rear seat unless the passenger frontal
airbag is turned off. If the airbag is left on, a
rearward facing infant restraint in the front seat
may be struck by a deploying passenger airbag
which may cause severe or fatal injury to the
infant.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 31
2

Here are some tips on getting the most out of your child
restraint:
²Before buying any restraint system, make sure that it
has a label certifying that it meets all applicable Safety
Standards. The manufacturer also recommends that
you make sure that you can install the child restraint in
the vehicle where you will use it before you buy it.
²The restraint must be appropriate for your child's
weight and height. Check the label on the restraint for
weight and height limits.
²Carefully follow the instructions that come with the
restraint. If you install the restraint improperly, it may
not work when you need it.
²The passenger seat belts are equipped with cinching
latch plates designed to keep the lap portion or lap belt
tight around the child restraint so that it is not
necessary to use a locking clip. Pull up on the shoulder
portion of the lap/shoulder belt, or on the free end of
the lap belt to tighten the belt. The cinching latch plate
will keep the belt tight, however, any seat belt system
will loosen with time, so check the belt occasionally
and pull it tight if necessary.
²In the rear seat, you may have trouble tightening the
lap belt or lap/shoulder belt on the child restraint
because the buckle or latch plate is too close to the belt
path opening on the restraint. Disconnect the latch
plate from the buckle and twist the short buckle-end
belt several times to shorten it. Insert the latch plate
into the buckle with the release button facing out.
²If the belt still cannot be tightened, or if pulling and
pushing on the restraint loosens the belt, disconnect
the latch plate from the buckle, turn the buckle
around, and insert the latch plate into the buckle
again. If you still cannot make the child restraint
secure, try a different seating position.
²Buckle the child into the seat according to the child
restraint manufacturer's instructions.
²When your child restraint is not in use, secure it with
the seat belt or remove it from the vehicle. Do not leave
it loose in the vehicle. In a sudden stop or collision, it
could strike the occupants or seat backs and cause
serious personal injury.
32 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

LATCH Ð Child Seat Anchorage System (Lower
Anchors and Tether for CH ildren)
Your vehicle's front passenger and two rear outboard (if
equipped) seating positions are equipped with the child
restraint anchorage system called LATCH. The LATCH
system provides for the installation of the child restraint
without using the vehicle's seat belts, instead securing
the child restraint using lower anchorages and upper
tether straps from the child restraint to the vehicle
structure.
LATCH-compatible child restraint systems are now avail-
able. However, because the lower anchorages are to be
introduced over a period of years, child restraint systems
having attachments for those anchorages will continue to
also have features for installation using the vehicle's seat
belts. Child restraints having tether straps and hooks for
connection to the top tether anchorages have been avail-
able for some time. For some older child restraints, many
child restraint manufacturers offer add-on tether strap
kits or retro-fit kits. You are urged to take advantage of all
the available attachments provided with your child re-
straint in any vehicle.The two rear outboard seating positions have lower
anchorages that are capable of accommodating LATCH-
compatible child seats having flexible, webbing-mounted
lower attachments. Child seats with fixed lower attach-
ments must be installed in the outboard positions only.
Regardless of the specific type of lower attachment,
NEVERinstall LATCH-compatible child seats such that
two seats share a common lower anchorage. If installing
child seats in adjacent rear-seating positions or if your
child restraints are not LATCH-compatible, install the
restraints using the vehicle's seat belts.
Installing the LATCH-Compatible Child Restraint
System
We urge that you carefully follow the directions of the
manufacturer when installing your child restraint. Not all
child restraint systems will be installed as described here.
Again, carefully follow the installation instructions that
were provided with the child restraint system.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 33
2