Page 33 of 394

In a moderate to severe side impact,
sensors will detect rapid deceleration
and signal the control unit to
instantly inflate the side curtain
airbag on the driver’s or the
passenger’s side of the vehicle.If the impact is on the passenger’s
side, the passenger’s side curtain
airbag will inflate even if there are no
occupants on that side of the vehicle.
To get the best protection f rom the
side curtain airbags, occupants
should wear their seat belts and sit
upright and well back in their seats.
The SRS indicator alerts
you to a potential problem
with your airbags or seat belt
tensioners.
If the indicator comes on at any
other time, or does not come on at all,
you should have the system checked
by your dealer. For example:
If the indicator comes on or
flashesonandoff whileyoudrive. If the indicator stays on after the
engine starts. If the SRS indicator does not come
on after you turn the ignition to
ON (II).
When you turn the ignition to ON
(II), this indicator will come on
brief ly then go out. This tells you the
system is working properly.
How Your Side Curtain A irbags
Work
How the SRS Indicator Works
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
32
SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAG
Page 42 of 394

CONT INUED
An inf ant must be properly
restrained in a rear-f acing, reclining
child seat until the child reaches the
seat maker’s weight or height limit
for the seat and the child is at least
one year old.
Only a rear-f acing child seat provides
proper support f or a baby’s head,
neck, and back.Two types of seats may be used: a
seat designed exclusively f or inf ants,
or a convertible seat used in the rear-
f acing, reclining mode.
If placed
f acing f orward, an inf ant could be
very seriously injured during a
f rontal collision. A rear-f acing child seat can be placed
in any seating position in the back
seat, but not in the f ront.
If the passenger’s f ront airbag
inflates, it can hit the back of the
child seat with enough f orce to kill or
seriously injure an inf ant.
When properly installed, a rear-
f acing child seat may prevent the
driver or a f ront passenger f rom
moving the seat as far back as
recommended, or f rom locking the
seat-back in the desired position.
Or, it can interf ere with proper
operation of the passenger’s
advanced front airbag system.
Protecting Inf ants and Small Children
Protecting Inf ants
Child Seat T ype Child Seat Placement
Do not put a rear-f acing child seat in a f orward-f acing position. Never put a
rear-f acing child seat in t he f ront seat .
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
41
Page 43 of 394

A child who is at least 1 year old, and
who f its within the child seat maker’s
weight and height limits, should be
restrained in a f orward-f acing,
upright child seat.
Of the different seats available, we
recommend those that have a f ive-
point harness system as shown.
In any situation, we strongly
recommend that you install the child
seat directly behind the f ront
passenger’s seat, move the seat as
f ar f orward as needed, and leave it
unoccupied. Or, you may wish to get
a smaller rear-f acing child seat.
We strongly recommend placing a
forward-facing child seat in a back
seat, not the f ront. We also recommend that a small
child use the child seat as long as
possible, until the child reaches the
weight or height limit f or the seat.
Even with advanced front airbags,
which can automatically turn the
passenger’s f ront airbag of f (see
page ), a back seat is the saf est
place f or a small child.29
Protecting Inf ants and Small Children
Protecting Small Children
Child Seat T ype Child Seat Placement
42
Placing a rear-facing child seat
in the front seat can result in
serious injury or death during a
collision.
Always place a rear-facing child
seat in the back seat, not the
front.
Page 44 of 394

Conventional child seats must be
secured to a vehicle with a seat belt,
whereas LATCH-compatible seats
are secured by attaching the seat to
hardware built into the two outer
seating positions in the back seat.
Since LATCH-compatible child seats
are easier to install and reduce the
possibility of improper installation,
we recommend selecting this style.
We also recommend selecting a
LATCH-compatible seat with a rigid,
rather than a f lexible, anchor (see
page ).In seating positions and vehicles not
equipped with LATCH, a LATCH-
compatible child seat can be installed
using a seat belt.
If it is necessary to put a f orward-
f acing child seat in the f ront, move
the vehicle seat as far to the rear as
possible, and be sure the child seat is
f irmly secured to the vehicle and the
child is properly strapped in the seat.
Whatever type of seat you choose, to
provide proper protection, a child
seat should meet three
requirements:
Look f or FMVSS
213 or CMVSS 213 on the box.
Rear-facing for infants, forward-
f acing f or small children.
When buying a child seat, you need
to choose either a conventional child
seat, or one designed f or use with
the Lower Anchors and Tethers f or
Children (LATCH) system.
1.
2.
45
CONT INUED
Protecting Inf ants and Small Children, Selecting a Child Seat
Selecting a Child Seat
T he child seat should meet U.S. or Canadian Mot or Vehicle Saf et ySt andard 213.
T he child seat should be of theproper t ype and size t o f it t he child.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
43
Placing a forward-facing child
seat in the front seat can result
in serious injury or death if the
front airbag inflates.
Ifyoumustplaceaforward-
facing child seat in front, move
the vehicle seat as far back as
possible, and properly restrain
the child.
Page 45 of 394

Af ter selecting a proper child seat,
and a good place to install the seat,
there are three main steps in
installing the seat:All child seats must be
secured to the vehicle with the lap
part of a lap/shoulder belt or with
the LATCH (Lower Anchors and
Tethers f or Children) system. A
child whose seat is not properly
secured to the vehicle can be
endangered in a crash.
Af ter installing a child
seat, push and pull the seat
f orward and f rom side to side to
verif y that it is secure.
A child seat secured with a seat belt
should be installed as f irmly as
possible. However, it does not need
to be ‘‘rock solid.’’ Some side-to-side movement can be expected and
should not reduce the child seat’s
ef f ectiveness.
If the child seat is not secure, try
installing it in a dif f erent seating
position, or use a dif f erent style of
child seat that can be f irmly secured.
Bef ore purchasing a conventional
child seat, or using a previously
purchased one, we recommend that
you test the seat in the specif ic
vehicle seating position, or positions,
where the seat will be used.
Make sure the child is properly
strappedinthechildseat
according to the child seat maker’s
instructions. A child who is not
properly secured in a child seat
can be seriously injured in a crash.
The f ollowing pages provide
guidelines on how to properly install
a child seat. A f orward-f acing child
seat is used in all examples, but the
instructions are the same f or rear-
f acing child seats.
3.
1.
2.3.
Selecting a Child Seat, Installing a Child Seat
Installing a Child Seat
Properly secure t he child seat t o
the vehicle.
Make sure t he child seat is f irmlysecured.
T he child seat should f it the
vehicle seat ing posit ion (orposit ions) where it will be used.
Secure the child in the child seat.
44
Page 46 of 394
CONT INUED
To install a LATCH-compatible child
seat:Move the seat belt buckle or
tongue away f rom the lower
anchors.
Your vehicle is equipped with
LATCH (Lower Anchors and
Tethers for Children) at the outer
rear seats.
The lower anchors are located
between the seat-back and seat
bottom, and are to be used only with
a child seat designed f or use with
LATCH.
Make sure there are no objects
near the anchors that could
prevent a secure connection
between the child seat and the
anchors.
The location of each lower anchor is
indicated by a small button above the
anchor point.
Push the rear head restraint tilt
button on the ceiling console to
pivot the head restraints down.
1.
2. 3.
Installing a Child Seat
Installing a Child Seat with
LATCH
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
45
LOWER
ANCHORS
REAR HEAD RESTRAINT TILT BUTTON
Page 47 of 394
Place the child seat on the vehicle
seat, then attach the seat to the
lower anchors according to the
child seat maker’s instructions.
Some LATCH-compatible seats
have a rigid-type connector as
shown above.Other LATCH-compatible seats
have a f lexible-type connector as
shown above.
Whatever type you have, f ollow
the child seat maker’s instructions
f or adjusting or tightening the f it.
Af ter properly securing the child
seat with the lap/shoulder belt
(see page ), route the tether
strap over the head restraint.Attach the tether strap hook to the
tether anchor, then tighten the
strap as instructed by the child
seat maker.
Push and pull the child seat
f orward and f rom side to side to
verif y that it is secure.
4.
5.
6.7.
8.
47
Installing a Child Seat
46
RIGID TYPE FLEXIBLE TYPE TETHER STRAP HOOK
ANCHOR
Page 48 of 394
CONT INUED
When not using the LATCH system,
all child seats must be secured to the
vehicle with the lap part of a lap/
shoulder belt.With the child seat in the desired
seating position, route the belt
through the child seat according
to the seat maker’s instructions,
then insert the latch plate into the
buckle.To activate the lockable retractor,
slowly pull the shoulder part of the
belt all the way out until it stops,
then let the belt f eed back into the
retractor.
Af ter the belt has retracted, tug on
it. If the belt is locked, you will not
be able to pull it out. If you can pull
thebeltout,itisnotlocked,and
you will need to repeat these steps.
In addition, the lap/shoulder belts in
all seating positions except the
driver’s have a locking mechanism
that must be activated to secure a
child seat.
1.2.
3.
Installing a Child Seat
Installing a Child Seat with a L ap/
Shoulder Belt
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
47