Warning display Status
Check park aid (if equipped) Warning returns only after the ignition
key is turned from OFF to ON.
Low tire pressure
Tire monitor fault
Tire sensor fault
Brake fluid level low
Check headlamp
Check highbeam lamp
Check turn lamp
Washer fluid level low
Oil change required
Engine oil change soon
Liftgate/glass ajar Warning returns after the condition
has cleared then reoccures within the
same ignition ON-OFF cycle.
DOOR AJAR.Displayed when a door is not completely closed.
CHECK CHARGING SYSTEM.Displayed when the electrical system is
not maintaining proper voltage. If you are operating electrical accessories
when the engine is idling at a low speed, turn off as many of the
electrical loads as soon as possible. If the warning stays on or comes on
when the engine is operating at normal speeds, have the electrical
system checked as soon as possible.
FUEL LEVEL LOW.Displayed as an early reminder of a low fuel
condition.
PARK BRAKE ENGAGED.Displayed when the manual park brake is
set, the engine is running and the vehicle is driven more than 3 mph (5
km). If the warning stays on after the park brake is released, contact
your authorized dealer as soon as possible.
CHECK BRAKE SYSTEM.Displayed when the braking system is not
operating properly. If the warning stays on or continues to come on,
contact your authorized dealer as soon as possible.
CHECK PARK AID (if equipped).Displayed when the transmission is
in R (Reverse) and the Reverse Sensing System (Park Aid) is disabled.
Refer toReverse Sensing System (Park Aid)in this section to enable.
LOW TIRE PRESSURE.Displayed when one or more tires on your
vehicle have low tire pressure. Refer toInflating Your Tiresin the
Tires, Wheels and Loadingchapter.
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TIRE MONITOR FAULT.Displayed when the Tire Pressure Monitoring
System is malfunctioning. If the warning stays on or continues to come
on, have the system inspected by your authorized dealer.
TIRE SENSOR FAULT.Displayed when a tire pressure sensor is
malfunctioning, or your spare tire is in use. For more information on how
the system operates under these conditions, refer toUnderstanding
Your Tire Pressure Monitoring Systemin theTires, Wheels and
Loadingchapter. If the warning stays on or continues to come on, have
the system inspected by your authorized dealer.
BRAKE FLUID LEVEL LOW.Indicates the brake fluid level is low and
the brake system should be inspected immediately. Refer toBrake fluid
reservoirin theMaintenance and Specificationschapter.
CHECK HEADLAMP.Displayed when the headlamps are activated and
at least one bulb is burned out. Check the lamps as soon as possible and
have the burned out lamp replaced. Refer toReplacing headlamp bulbs
in theLightschapter.
CHECK HIGHBEAM LAMP.Displayed when the highbeam lamps are
activated and at least one bulb is burned out. Check the lamps as soon
as possible and have the burned out lamp replaced. Refer toReplacing
headlamp bulbsin theLightschapter.
CHECK TURN LAMP.Displayed when the turn lamps are activated and
at least one bulb is burned out. Check the lamps as soon as possible and
have the burned out lamp replaced. Refer toReplacing headlamp bulbs
in theLightschapter.
WASHER FLUID LEVEL LOW.Indicates the washer fluid reservoir is
less than one quarter full. Check the washer fluid level. Refer to
Windshield washer fluidin theMaintenance and Specifications
chapter.
OIL CHANGE REQUIRED.Displayed when the engine oil life
remaining is 0%.
An oil change is required whenever indicated by the message center and
according to the recommended maintenance schedule. USE ONLY
RECOMMENDED ENGINE OILS.
ENGINE OIL CHANGE SOON.Displayed when the engine oil life
reaches 5% or less of the Oil Life Start Value.
LIFTGATE/GLASS AJAR.Displayed when the liftgate or the liftgate
glass is not completely closed.
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5 passenger stowage:
When the lid is open, it will stand
up on its own.
1. To open, lift the release handle
and the lid.
2. To close, lower the lid, lift the
release handle and press down on
the lid.
REAR LIFTGATE
The liftgate area is only intended for cargo, not passengers. You can open
and close the liftgate from outside the vehicle. It cannot be opened from
inside the cargo area.
•To open the liftgate window,
press the control on the remote
entry transmitter or, with the
liftgate unlocked, push the
control button on theright side
under the license plate lamp
shield.
•To open the liftgate, unlock the
liftgate (with the power door
locks, the remote entry or the
keyless entry pad) and pull the
middlelever under the license plate lamp shield.
To lock the liftgate and the liftgate window, use the power door locks or
press the door lock switch on the left side of the cargo area.
The liftgate door and window should be closed before driving. If not,
possible damage may occur to your vehicle.
Always close liftgate window before opening liftgate. Liftgate
glass and liftgate should never be open at the same time. Failure
to observe this warning may result in personal injury or damage to
your vehicle.
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Before returning the seatback to its original position, make sure
that cargo or any objects are not trapped behind the seatback.
After returning the seatback to its original position, pull on the
seatback to ensure that it has fully latched. An unlatched seat may
become dangerous in the event of a sudden stop or collision.
SAFETY RESTRAINTS
Personal Safety System
The Personal Safety Systemprovides an improved overall level of
frontal crash protection to front seat occupants and is designed to help
further reduce the risk of airbag-related injuries. The system is able to
analyze different occupant conditions and crash severity before activating
the appropriate safety devices to help better protect a range of
occupants in a variety of frontal crash situations.
Your vehicle’s Personal Safety Systemconsists of:
•Driver and passenger dual-stage airbag supplemental restraints.
•Front safety belts with pretensioners, energy management retractors,
and safety belt usage sensors.
•Driver’s seat position sensor.
•Front passenger sensing system
•“Passenger airbag off” or “pass airbag off” indicator lamp
•Front crash severity sensor.
•Restraints Control Module (RCM).
•Restraint system warning light and back-up tone.
•The electrical wiring for the airbags, crash sensor(s), safety belt
pretensioners, front safety belt usage sensors, driver seat position
sensor, front passenger sensing system, and indicator lights.
How does the Personal Safety Systemwork?
The Personal Safety Systemcan adapt the deployment strategy of your
vehicle’s safety devices according to crash severity and occupant
conditions. A collection of crash and occupant sensors provides
information to the Restraints Control Module (RCM). During a crash, the
RCM activates the safety belt pretensioners and/or either one or both
stages of the dual-stage airbag supplemental restraints based on crash
severity and occupant conditions.
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Determining if the Personal Safety Systemis operational
The Personal Safety Systemuses a warning light in the instrument
cluster or a back-up tone to indicate the condition of the system. Refer
to theWarning lights and chimessection in theInstrument Cluster
chapter. Routine maintenance of the Personal Safety Systemis not
required.
The Restraints Control Module (RCM) monitors its own internal circuits
and the circuits for the airbag supplemental restraints, crash sensor(s),
safety belt pretensioners, front safety belt buckle sensors, and the driver
seat position sensor. In addition, the RCM also monitors the restraints
warning light in the instrument cluster. A difficulty with the system is
indicated by one or more of the following:
•The warning light will either flash or stay lit.
•The warning light will not illuminate immediately after the ignition is
turned on.
•A series of five beeps will be heard. The tone pattern will repeat
periodically until the problem and warning light are repaired.
If any of these things happen, even intermittently, have the Personal
Safety Systemserviced at an authorized dealer immediately. Unless
serviced, the system may not function properly in the event of a
collision.
Safety restraints precautions
Always drive and ride with your seatback upright and the lap
belt snug and low across the hips.
To reduce the risk of injury, make sure children sit in the back
seat where they can be properly restrained.
Never let a passenger hold a child on his or her lap while the
vehicle is moving. The passenger cannot protect the child from
injury in a collision.
All occupants of the vehicle, including the driver, should always
properly wear their safety belts, even when an airbag
supplemental restraint system (SRS) is provided.
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To adjust the comfort guide:
1. Slip the shoulder belt into the
belt guide.
2. Slide the guide up or down along
the webbing so that the belt is
centered on the occupant’’s
shoulder.
Safety belt extension assembly
If the safety belt is too short when fully extended, there isa8inch(20
cm) safety belt extension assembly that can be added (part number
611C22). This assembly can be obtained from an authorized dealer.
Use only extensions manufactured by the same supplier as the safety
belt. Manufacturer identification is located at the end of the webbing on
the label. Also, use the safety belt extension only if the safety belt is too
short for you when fully extended.
Do not use extensions to change the fit of the shoulder belt
across the torso.
Safety belt warning light and indicator chime
The safety belt warning light illuminates in the instrument cluster and a
chime sounds to remind the occupants to fasten their safety belts.
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Conditions of operation
If... Then...
The driver’s safety belt is not
buckled before the ignition
switch is turned to the ON
position...The safety belt warning light
illuminates 1-2 minutes and the
warning chime sounds 4-8 seconds.
The driver’s safety belt is
buckled while the indicator
light is illuminated and the
warning chime is sounding...The safety belt warning light and
warning chime turn off.
The driver’s safety belt is
buckled before the ignition
switch is turned to the ON
position...The safety belt warning light and
indicator chime remain off.
BeltMinder
The BeltMinderfeature is a supplemental warning to the safety belt
warning function. This feature provides additional reminders by
intermittently sounding a chime and illuminating the safety belt warning
light in the instrument cluster when the driver’s and front passenger’s
safety belt is unbuckled.
The BeltMinderfeature uses information from the front passenger
sensing system to determine if a front seat passenger is present and
therefore potentially in need of a warning. To avoid activating the
BeltMinderfeature for objects placed in the front passenger seat,
warnings will only be given to large front seat occupants as determined
by the front passenger sensing system.
Both the driver’s and passenger’s safety belt usages are monitored and
either may activate the BeltMinderfeature. The warnings are the same
for the driver and the front passenger. If the BeltMinderwarnings have
expired (warnings for approximately 5 minutes) for one occupant (driver
or front passenger), the other occupant can still activate the BeltMinder
feature.
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If... Then...
The driver’s and front
passenger’s safety belts are
buckled before the ignition
switch is turned to the ON
position or less than 1-2
minutes have elapsed since the
ignition switch has been turned
ON...The BeltMinderfeature will not
activate.
The driver’s or front
passenger’s safety belt is not
buckled when the vehicle has
reached at least 3 mph (5
km/h) and 1-2 minutes have
elapsed since the ignition
switch has been turned to
ON...The BeltMinderfeature is activated -
the safety belt warning light
illuminates and the warning chime
sounds for 6 seconds every 30
seconds, repeating for approximately
5 minutes or until the safety belts are
buckled.
The driver’s or front
passenger’s safety belt becomes
unbuckled for approximately 1
minute while the vehicle is
traveling at least 3 mph (5
km/h) and more than 1-2
minutes have elapsed since the
ignition switch has been turned
to ON...The BeltMinderfeature is activated -
the safety belt warning light
illuminates and the warning chime
sounds for 6 seconds every 30
seconds, repeating for approximately
5 minutes or until the safety belts are
buckled.
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