Page 42 of 400
Unless the passenger’s airbag or airbags have been
turned off,neverput a rear-facing child restraint in this
vehicle. Here is why:
{CAUTION:
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be
seriously injured or killed if the passenger’s
airbag in ates. This is because the back of the
rear-facing child restraint would be very close
to the in ating airbag. Do not use a rear-facing
child restraint in this vehicle unless the
passenger’s frontal airbag and side impact
airbag (if equipped) have been turned off.
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
Even though the airbag off switch is designed
to turn off the passenger’s frontal airbag and
side impact airbag (if equipped), no system is
fail-safe, and no one can guarantee that an
airbag will not deploy under some unusual
circumstance, even though it is turned off. We
recommend that rear-facing child restraints be
transported in vehicles with a rear seat that
will accommodate a rear-facing child restraint,
whenever possible.
If you need to secure a forward-facing child
restraint in the passenger seat, always move
the passenger seat as far back as it will go.
1-36
Page 43 of 400
{CAUTION:
If the airbag readiness light ever comes on
when you have turned off the passenger’s
frontal airbag and side impact airbag
(if equipped), it means that something may be
wrong with the airbag system. The passenger’s
frontal airbag and side impact airbag
(if equipped) could in ate even though the
switch is off. If this ever happens, do not let
anyone whom the national government has
identi ed as a member of a passenger airbag
risk group sit in the passenger’s position
(for example, do not secure a rear-facing child
restraint in your vehicle) until you have your
vehicle serviced. SeeAirbag Off Switch on
page 1-48.
If your child restraint is equipped with the LATCH
system, seeLower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) on page 1-31. SeeTop Strap
on page 1-31if the child restraint has one.There are no top strap anchors in your vehicle. Do not
secure a child seat in your vehicle if a national or
local law requires that the top strap be anchored, or if
the instructions that come with the restraint say that the
top strap must be anchored.
If your child restraint does not have the LATCH system
you will be using the lap-shoulder belt to secure the
child restraint in this position. Be sure to follow the
instructions that came with the child restraint. Secure
the child in the child restraint when and as the
instructions say.
1. Your vehicle has airbags. SeeAirbag Off Switch on
page 1-48. If your child restraint is forward-facing,
always move the seat as far back as it will go before
securing it in this seat. SeeManual Seats on
page 1-2orSix-Way Power Seats on page 1-2.
Never use a rear-facing child restraint in this seat
unless the airbag is off.
2. Put the child restraint on the seat.
3. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and shoulder
portions of the vehicle’s safety belt through or
around the restraint. The child restraint instructions
will show you how.
1-37
Page 45 of 400
6. To tighten the belt, push down on the child restraint,
pull the shoulder portion of the belt to tighten the
lap portion of the belt and feed the shoulder
belt back into the retractor. You may nd it helpful
to use your knee to push down on the child
restraint as you tighten the belt.
7. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure it is secure.To remove the child restraint, just unbuckle the vehicle’s
safety belt and let it go back all the way. The safety
belt will move freely again and be ready to work for an
adult or larger child passenger.
Turn on the passenger’s airbag or airbags when you
remove the child restraint from the vehicle unless
the person who will be sitting there is a member of a
passenger airbag risk group. SeeAirbag Off Switch on
page 1-48.
{CAUTION:
If the passenger’s frontal airbag and side
impact airbag (if equipped) are turned off for a
person who is not in a risk group identi ed by
the national government, that person will not
have the extra protection of an airbag. In a
crash, an airbag will not be able to in ate and
help protect the person sitting there. Do not
turn off the passenger’s frontal airbag and side
impact airbag (if equipped) unless the person
sitting there is in a risk group. SeeAirbag Off
Switch on page 1-48for more on this,
including important safety information.
1-39
Page 46 of 400
Airbag System
Your vehicle has a frontal airbag for the driver, another
frontal airbag for the passenger. Your vehicle may
also have a side impact airbag for the driver, and
another side impact airbag for the passenger.
Frontal airbags are designed to help reduce the risk of
injury from the force of an in ating frontal airbag.
But these airbags must in ate very quickly to do their
job and comply with federal regulations.
Here are the most important things to know about the
airbag system:
{CAUTION:
You can be severely injured or killed in a crash
if you are not wearing your safety belt — even
if you have airbags. Wearing your safety belt
during a crash helps reduce your chance of
hitting things inside the vehicle or being
ejected from it. Airbags are designed to work
with safety belts but do not replace them.
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
Frontal airbags for the driver and right front
passenger are designed to deploy only in
moderate to severe frontal and near frontal
crashes. They are not designed to in ate in
rollover, rear or low-speed frontal crashes, or in
many side crashes. And, for some unrestrained
occupants, frontal airbags may provide less
protection in frontal crashes than more forceful
airbags have provided in the past.
Side impact airbags for the driver and right front
passenger are designed to in ate only in
moderate to severe crashes where something
hits the side of your vehicle. They are not
designed to in ate in frontal, in rollover or in
rear crashes.
Everyone in your vehicle should wear a safety
belt properly — whether or not there is an
airbag for that person.
1-40
Page 47 of 400
{CAUTION:
Both frontal and side impact airbags in ate with
great force, faster than the blink of an eye. If you
are too close to an in ating airbag, as you
would be if you were leaning forward, it could
seriously injure you. Safety belts help keep you
in position for airbag in ation before and during
a crash. Always wear your safety belt, even with
frontal airbags. The driver should sit as far back
as possible while still maintaining control of the
vehicle. Front occupants should not lean on or
sleep against the door.
{CAUTION:
Anyone who is up against, or very close to,
any airbag when it in ates can be seriously
injured or killed. Airbags plus lap-shoulder
belts offer the best protection for adults, but
not for young children and infants. Neither the
vehicle’s safety belt system nor its airbag
system is designed for them. Young children
and infants need the protection that a child
restraint system can provide. Always secure
children properly in your vehicle. To read how,
seeOlder Children on page 1-21andInfants
and Young Children on page 1-24.
1-41
Page 48 of 400
There is an airbag
readiness light on the
instrument panel cluster,
which shows the airbag
symbol.
The system checks the airbag electrical system for
malfunctions. The light tells you if there is an electrical
problem. SeeAirbag Readiness Light on page 3-35
for more information.Where Are the Airbags?
The driver’s frontal airbag is in the middle of the
steering wheel.
1-42
Page 49 of 400
The passenger’s frontal airbag is in the instrument panel
on the passenger’s side.If your vehicle has a side impact airbag for the driver, it is
in the side of the driver’s seatback closest to the door.
1-43
Page 50 of 400
If your vehicle has a side impact airbag for the right
front passenger, it is in the side of the passenger’s
seatback closest to the door.
{CAUTION:
If something is between an occupant and an
airbag, the airbag might not in ate properly or
it might force the object into that person
causing severe injury or even death. The path
of an in ating airbag must be kept clear. Do
not put anything between an occupant and an
airbag, and do not attach or put anything on
the steering wheel hub or on or near any other
airbag covering. Do not let seat covers block
the in ation path of a side impact airbag.
1-44
