Page 35 of 409
34 At a glanceControl panel on the door sill
Item
Page
1
Door handle
100
2
Switches for opening/closing 
windows
193
3
Switch for seat adjustment
42 
     
        
        Page 43 of 409

42 Getting startedAdjustingSeatsThe seat adjustment switch is located on 
the door sill.
1Seat fore and aft adjustment
2Seat height
3Seat angleWarning!
G
All seat, steering wheel, and rear view mirror 
adjustments, as well as fastening of seat 
belts, must be done before the vehicle is put 
into motion.Warning!
G
Do not adjust the driver’s seat while driving. 
Adjusting the seat while driving could cause 
the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
Never place hands under the seat or near 
any moving parts while a seat is being ad-
justed.
Never ride in a moving vehicle with the seat 
back in an excessively reclined position as 
this can be dangerous. You could slide un-
der the seat belt in a collision. If you slide 
under it, the belt would apply force at the ab-
domen or neck. 
That could cause serious or fatal injuries. 
The seat back and seat belts provide the 
best restraint when the wearer is in a nearly 
upright position and belts are properly posi-
tioned on the body. Your seat must be ad-
justed so that you can correctly fasten your 
seat belt (
page 46).
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the 
SmartKey from the starter switch, take it 
with you, and lock the vehicle.
Even with the SmartKey removed from the 
starter switch or the vehicle, the seats can 
be operated. Therefore, do not leave chil-
dren unattended in the vehicle, or with ac-
cess to an unlocked vehicle. Unsupervised 
use of vehicle equipment may cause an ac-
cident and/or serious personal injury. 
     
        
        Page 44 of 409

43 Getting started
Adjusting
Seat fore and aft adjustment 
Slide the switch forwards or backwards 
in the direction of arrow 1. 
Adjust seat to a comfortable seating 
position that still allows you to reach 
the accelerator/brake pedal safely. 
The position should be as far rearward 
as possible, consistent with ability to 
properly operate controls.
Seat height 
Slide the switch up or down in the di-
rection of arrow 2. 
Seat angle
Slide the switch up or down in the di-
rection of arrow 3.
Steering wheelThe stalk for steering wheel adjustment is 
located on the lower left of the steering 
column.
1Adjusting steering column, in or out
2Adjusting steering column, up or down
!When moving the seat, make sure that 
there are no items in the footwell or 
behind the seat. Otherwise you could 
damage the seat. 
Warning!
G
Do not adjust the steering wheel while 
driving. Adjusting the steering wheel while 
driving could cause the driver to lose control 
of the vehicle. 
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the 
SmartKey from the starter switch, take it 
with you, and lock the vehicle.
Even with the SmartKey removed from the 
starter switch or the vehicle, the steering 
wheel can be adjusted. Therefore, do not 
leave children unattended in the vehicle, or 
with access to an unlocked vehicle. Unsu-
pervised use of vehicle equipment may 
cause an accident and/or serious personal 
injury. 
     
        
        Page 49 of 409

48 Getting startedDriving
Pull the belt smoothly from seat belt 
holder 1.
Place the shoulder portion of the belt 
across the top of your shoulder and the 
lap portion across your hips.
Push latch plate2 into buckle3 until 
it clicks.
If necessary, tighten the lap portion to 
a snug fit by pulling shoulder portion 
up.
Proper use of seat belts
Do not twist the belt when fastening.
Adjust seat belt so that the shoulder 
portion is located as close as possible 
to the middle of the shoulder (it should 
not touch the neck). Never pass the 
shoulder portion of the belt under your 
arm.
Position the lap belt as low as possible 
on your hips (over hip joint) and not 
across the abdomen.
Place the seat backrest in a nearly up-
right position.
Never use a seat belt for more than one 
person at a time.
Do not fasten a seat belt around a per-
son and another object at the same 
time. When using a seat belt to secure 
infant or toddler restraints or children 
in booster seats, always follow the 
child seat manufacturer’s instructions.
Check your seat belt during travel to 
make sure that it is properly 
positioned.
Make sure that the seat belt is always 
fitted snugly. Take special care of this 
when wearing loose clothing.
Warning!
G
Do not pass belts over sharp edges. They 
could tear.
Do not allow the belt to get caught in the 
door or in the seat adjustment mechanism. 
This could damage the belt.
Never attempt to make modifications to 
seat belts. This could impair the effective-
ness of the belts.
Do not bleach or dye seat belts as this may 
severely weaken them. In a crash, they may 
not be able to provide adequate protection.
Damaged seat belts or belts that were highly 
stressed in an accident must be replaced. 
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz 
Center. 
     
        
        Page 65 of 409

64 Safety and SecurityOccupant safety
Adjust the driver seat as far as possible 
rearward, still permitting proper opera-
tion of vehicle controls. The distance 
from the center of the driver’s breast-
bone to the center of the airbag cover on 
the steering wheel must be at least ten 
inches (25 cm) or more. You should be 
able to accomplish this by a combina-
tion of adjustments to the seat and 
steering wheel. If you have any prob-
lems, please see an authorized 
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Do not lean with your head or chest 
close to the steering wheel or dash-
board.
Keep hands on the outside of steering 
wheel rim. Placing hands and arms in-
side the rim can increase the risk and 
potential severity of hand/arm injury 
when driver front airbag inflates.
Adjust the front passenger seat as far as 
possible rearward from the dashboard 
when the seat is occupied. 
Occupants, especially children, should 
never lean their heads in the area of the 
door where the head-thorax airbag in-
flates. This could result in serious inju-
ries or death should the airbag be 
triggered. Always sit nearly upright, 
properly use the seat belts and appropri-
ate size infant or child restraint system.
Children 12 years old and under must 
never ride in this vehicle, except in a 
Mercedes-Benz authorized 
BabySmart
TM compatible child seat, 
which operates with the BabySmart
TM 
system installed in the vehicle to deacti-
vate the passenger front airbag when it 
is properly installed. Otherwise they will 
be struck by the airbag when it inflates 
in a crash. If this happens, serious or fa-
tal injury will result.
Failure to follow these instructions can 
result in severe injuries to you or other 
occupants.
If you sell your vehicle, it is important that 
you make the buyer aware of this safety 
information. Be sure to give the buyer this 
Operator’s Manual.