PREPARING TO DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE
Your vehicle has special design and equipment features to make it
capable of performing in a wide variety of circumstances. These special
design features, such as larger tires and increased ground clearance, give
the vehicle a higher center of gravity than a passenger car.
WARNING: Utility vehicles have a significantly higher rollover
rate than other types of vehicles. Vehicles with a higher center
of gravity such as utility and four-wheel drive vehicles handle
differently than vehicles with a lower center of gravity. Utility
and four-wheel drive vehicles are not designed for cornering at
speeds as high as passenger cars any more than low-slung sports
cars are designed to perform satisfactorily under off-road
conditions. Avoid sharp turns, excessive speed and abrupt
maneuvers in these vehicles. Failure to drive cautiously could
result in an increased risk of loss of vehicle control, vehicle
rollover, personal injury and death.
WARNING: In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is
significantly more likely to die than a person wearing a seat
belt.
WARNING: Loaded vehicles, with a higher center of gravity,
may handle differently than unloaded vehicles. Extra
precautions, such as slower speeds and increased stopping
distance, should be taken when driving a heavily loaded vehicle.
Your vehicle has the capability to haul more cargo and people than most
passenger cars. Depending upon the type and placement of the load,
hauling people and cargo may raise the center of gravity of the vehicle.
Use extra caution while becoming familiar with your vehicle. Know the
capabilities and limitations of both you as a driver and your vehicle.
With a higher center of gravity, the weight and tongue loading warnings
and instructions in the towing section are also more important; please
consider them carefully. Refer to theVehicle Loadingsection in this
chapter.
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION OPERATION (IF EQUIPPED)
Brake-shift interlock
This vehicle is equipped with a brake-shift interlock feature that prevents
the gearshift lever from being moved from P (Park) when the ignition is
in the ON position unless brake pedal is depressed.
Driving
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WARNING: If you use the temporary spare tire continuously or
do not follow these precautions, the tire could fail, causing you
to lose control of the vehicle, possibly injuring yourself or
others.
When driving with the temporary spare tiredo not:
²use more than one temporary spare tire at a time
²
exceed 80 km/h (50 mph) or drive further than 3,200 km (2,000 miles)
total under any circumstances
²load the vehicle beyond maximum vehicle load rating listed on the
Safety Compliance Label
²tow a trailer
²use tire chains
²try to repair the temporary spare tire or remove it from its wheel
²use the wheel for any other type of vehicle
Use of a temporary spare tire at any one wheel location can lead to
impairment of the following:
²handling, stability and braking performance
²comfort and noise
²ground clearance and parking at curbs
²Winter driving capability
Tire change procedure
WARNING: When one of the front wheels is off the ground, the
transmission alone will not prevent the vehicle from moving or
slipping off the jack, even if the vehicle is in P (Park)
(automatic transaxle) or R (Reverse) (manual transaxle).
WARNING: To prevent the vehicle from moving when you
change a tire, be sure the parking brake is set, then block both
sides of the wheel that is diagonally opposite (other side and
end of the vehicle) to the tire being changed.
Roadside Emergencies
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