Page 7 of 354

Front Seats......................................................1-2
Manual Seats................................................1-2
Reclining Seatbacks........................................1-4
Head Restraints.............................................1-5
Seatback Latches...........................................1-6
Easy Entry Seat.............................................1-6
Rear Seats.......................................................1-7
Rear Seat Operation.......................................1-7
Safety Belts.....................................................1-8
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone.................1-8
Questions and Answers About Safety Belts......1-12
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly.................1-13
Driver Position..............................................1-13
Shoulder Belt Height Adjustment (Four Door
Models)....................................................1-19
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy..................1-20
Right Front Passenger Position.......................1-20
Rear Seat Passengers..................................1-20
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for Children
and Small Adults.......................................1-24
Safety Belt Extender.....................................1-26
Child Restraints.............................................1-27
Older Children..............................................1-27
Infants and Young Children............................1-30Child Restraint Systems.................................1-33
Where to Put the Restraint.............................1-36
Top Strap....................................................1-37
Top Strap Anchor Location.............................1-38
Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System)...........................1-39
Securing a Child Restraint Designed for the
LATCH System.........................................1-41
Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear Seat
Position...................................................1-41
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front
Seat Position............................................1-43
Airbag System...............................................1-46
Where Are the Airbags?................................1-49
When Should an Airbag In ate?.....................1-51
What Makes an Airbag In ate?.......................1-52
How Does an Airbag Restrain?.......................1-52
What Will You See After an Airbag In ates?.....1-53
Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle...........1-55
Restraint System Check..................................1-55
Checking Your Restraint Systems...................1-55
Replacing Restraint System Parts After
a Crash...................................................1-56
Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
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Rear Seats
Rear Seat Operation
Folding the Seatback
To fold the seatback, do the following:
1. Pull the release straps
located in the trunk.
The right strap operates
the passenger’s side
rear split seat. The left
strap operates the
driver’s side rear
split seat.
2. Fold the seatback down from the inside of
the vehicle.
{CAUTION:
If the seatback is not locked, it could move
forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could
cause injury to the person sitting there. Always
press rearward on the seatback to be sure it
is locked.
{CAUTION:
A safety belt that is improperly routed, not
properly attached, or twisted will not provide
the protection needed in a crash. The person
wearing the belt could be seriously injured.
After raising the rear seatback, always check
to be sure that the safety belts are properly
routed and attached, and are not twisted.
To raise the seatback, push the seatback up to return it
to its original position.
Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is latched
securely in the fully upright position.
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Page 20 of 354

4. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure.
If the belt is not long enough, seeSafety Belt
Extender on page 1-26.
Make sure the release button on the buckle is
positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly if you ever had to.
5. To make the lap part tight, pull down on the buckle
end of the belt as you pull up on the shoulder belt.The lap part of the belt should be worn low and snug on
the hips, just touching the thighs. In a crash, this
applies force to the strong pelvic bones. And you would
be less likely to slide under the lap belt. If you slid
under it, the belt would apply force at your abdomen.
This could cause serious or even fatal injuries. The
shoulder belt should go over the shoulder and across
the chest. These parts of the body are best able to take
belt restraining forces.
The safety belt locks if there is a sudden stop or crash,
or if you pull the belt very quickly out of the retractor.
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Page 27 of 354
Lap-Shoulder Belt
All rear seating positions have lap-shoulder belts. Here
is how to wear one properly.
1. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Do not let it get twisted.
The shoulder belt may lock if you pull the belt
across you very quickly. If this happens, let the belt
go back slightly to unlock it. Then pull the belt
across you more slowly.
2. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.If the belt stops before it reaches the buckle, tilt the
latch plate and keep pulling until you can buckle it.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure.
If the belt is not long enough, seeSafety Belt
Extender on page 1-26.
Make sure the release button on the buckle is
positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly if you ever had to.
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Page 32 of 354

4. Buckle, position and release the safety belt as
described inRear Seat Passengers on page 1-20.
Make sure that the shoulder belt crosses the
shoulder.
To remove and store the comfort guides, squeeze the
belt edges together so that you can take them out of the
guides. Pull the guide upward to expose its storage
clip, and then slide the guide onto the clip. Turn
the guide and clip inward and in between the seatback
and the interior body, leaving only the loop of elastic
cord exposed.
Safety Belt Extender
If the vehicle’s safety belt will fasten around you, you
should use it.
But if a safety belt is not long enough, your dealer will
order you an extender. It is free. When you go in to order
it, take the heaviest coat you will wear, so the extender
will be long enough for you. To help avoid personal injury,
do not let someone else use it, and use it only for the seat
it is made to t. The extender has been designed for
adults. Never use it for securing child seats. To wear it,
just attach it to the regular safety belt. For more
information see the instruction sheet that comes with
the extender.
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Page 36 of 354

Infants and Young Children
Everyone in a vehicle needs protection! This includes
infants and all other children. Neither the distance
traveled nor the age and size of the traveler changes
the need, for everyone, to use safety restraints. In fact,
the law in every state in the United States and in
every Canadian province says children up to some age
must be restrained while in a vehicle.
Every time infants and young children ride in vehicles,
they should have the protection provided by appropriate
restraints. Young children should not use the vehicle’s
adult safety belts alone, unless there is no other choice.
Instead, they need to use a child restraint.{CAUTION:
People should never hold a baby in their arms
while riding in a vehicle. A baby does not
weigh much — until a crash. During a crash a
baby will become so heavy it is not possible to
hold it. For example, in a crash at only 25 mph
(40 km/h), a 12-lb (5.5 kg) baby will suddenly
become a 240-lb (110 kg) force on a person’s
arms. A baby should be secured in an
appropriate restraint.
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Page 38 of 354

Q:What are the different types of add-on child
restraints?
A:Add-on child restraints, which are purchased by the
vehicle’s owner, are available in four basic types.
Selection of a particular restraint should take
into consideration not only the child’s weight, height
and age but also whether or not the restraint will
be compatible with the motor vehicle in which it will
be used.
For most basic types of child restraints, there are
many different models available. When purchasing a
child restraint, be sure it is designed to be used
in a motor vehicle. If it is, the restraint will have a
label saying that it meets federal motor vehicle
safety standards.
The restraint manufacturer’s instructions that come
with the restraint, state the weight and height
limitations for a particular child restraint. In addition,
there are many kinds of restraints available for
children with special needs.
{CAUTION:
Newborn infants need complete support,
including support for the head and neck. This is
necessary because a newborn infant’s neck is
weak and its head weighs so much compared
with the rest of its body. In a crash, an infant in a
rear-facing seat settles into the restraint, so the
crash forces can be distributed across the
strongest part of an infant’s body, the back and
shoulders. Infants always should be secured in
appropriate infant restraints.
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{CAUTION:
The body structure of a young child is quite
unlike that of an adult or older child, for whom
the safety belts are designed. A young child’s
hip bones are still so small that the vehicle’s
regular safety belt may not remain low on the
hip bones, as it should. Instead, it may settle
up around the child’s abdomen. In a crash, the
belt would apply force on a body area that is
unprotected by any bony structure. This alone
could cause serious or fatal injuries. Young
children always should be secured in
appropriate child restraints.
Child Restraint Systems
An infant car bed (A), a special bed made for use in a
motor vehicle, is an infant restraint system designed
to restrain or position a child on a continuous at
surface. Make sure that the infant’s head rests toward
the center of the vehicle.
1-33