Page 18 of 436
Unfolding the Seats
To return the rear seats to the normal seating
position, do the following:
1. Unclip the hook from the front seat head
restraint.
2. Remove the safety belt buckles and center
seat safety belt from the storage area.
Notice:Damage to the safety belt buckle or
rear seat locking mechanism can occur if
the safety belt and buckles are pinched under
the rear seat cushion. Do not place the
safety belt and buckles on the oor under the
rear seat cushion when the rear seat is put
back to the sitting position.
3. Push the seat cushion down to its original
position until it latches securely. Try to pull
up on the seat to make sure it is locked
in place.4. Hook the safety belts in the outboard seating
positions into the retaining clips.
18
Page 19 of 436

{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.
5. Lift the seatback up and push it back to its
original latched position.
6. Unhook the safety belts in the outboard
seating positions from the retaining clips.
7. Return the safety belt buckles and the center
seat safety belt to their original position
between the rear seatback and the seat
cushion. Make sure the straps of the safety
belt and buckles are not twisted.8. Reattach the center seat safety belt to the
mini buckle. SeeCenter Rear Passenger
Position on page 39.
{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 push and pull on the
seatback to be sure it is locked.
9. Push down and rearward firmly on the top of
the seatback until it latches securely in the
fully upright position.
19
Page 20 of 436

Safety Belts
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone
This part of the manual tells you how to use
safety belts properly. It also tells you some things
you should not do with safety belts.
{CAUTION:
Do not let anyone ride where he or she
cannot wear a safety belt properly. If you
are in a crash and you are not wearing a
safety belt, your injuries can be much
worse. You can hit things inside the
vehicle or be ejected from it. You can be
seriously injured or killed. In the same
crash, you might not be, if you are
buckled up. Always fasten your safety
belt, and check that your passengers’
belts are fastened properly too.
{CAUTION:
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a
cargo area, inside or outside of a vehicle.
In a collision, people riding in these areas
are more likely to be seriously injured or
killed. Do not allow people to ride in any
area of your vehicle that is not equipped
with seats and safety belts. Be sure
everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and
using a safety belt properly.
Your vehicle has a light
that comes on as a
reminder to buckle up.
SeeSafety Belt
Reminder Light on
page 175.
20
Page 21 of 436
In most states and in all Canadian provinces,
the law says to wear safety belts. Here is
why:They work.
You never know if you will be in a crash. If you do
have a crash, you do not know if it will be a
bad one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be
so serious that even buckled up, a person
would not survive. But most crashes are in
between. In many of them, people who buckle up
can survive and sometimes walk away. Without
belts they could have been badly hurt or killed.
After more than 40 years of safety belts in
vehicles, the facts are clear. In most crashes
buckling up does matter... a lot!Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast
as it goes.
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it is just a
seat on wheels.
21
Page 24 of 436

or the safety belts!
With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle
does. You get more time to stop. You stop
over more distance, and your strongest bones
take the forces. That is why safety belts
make such good sense.
Questions and Answers About
Safety Belts
Q:Will I be trapped in the vehicle after an
accident if I am wearing a safety belt?
A:Youcouldbe — whether you are wearing a
safety belt or not. But you can unbuckle a
safety belt, even if you are upside down. And
your chance of being conscious during and
after an accident, so youcanunbuckle and get
out, ismuchgreater if you are belted.
Q:If my vehicle has airbags, why should I
have to wear safety belts?
A:Airbags are supplemental systems only; so
they workwithsafety belts — not instead of
them. Every airbag system ever offered
for sale has required the use of safety belts.
Even if you are in a vehicle that has airbags,
you still have to buckle up to get the most
protection. That is true not only in frontal
collisions, but especially in side and other
collisions.
24
Page 25 of 436

Q:If I am a good driver, and I never drive far
from home, why should I wear safety
belts?
A:You may be an excellent driver, but if you are
in an accident — even one that is not your
fault — you and your passengers can be hurt.
Being a good driver does not protect you
from things beyond your control, such as bad
drivers.
Most accidents occur within 25 miles (40 km)
of home. And the greatest number of
serious injuries and deaths occur at speeds of
less than 40 mph (65 km/h).
Safety belts are for everyone.
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
This part is only for people of adult size.
Be aware that there are special things to know
about safety belts and children. And there
are different rules for smaller children and babies.
If a child will be riding in your vehicle, see
Older Children on page 41orInfants and Young
Children on page 44. Follow those rules for
everyone’s protection.
First, you will want to know which restraint
systems your vehicle has.
We will start with the driver position.
25
Page 26 of 436

Driver Position
Lap-Shoulder Belt
The driver has a lap-shoulder belt. Here is how to
wear it properly.
1. Close and lock the door.
2. Adjust the seat so you can sit up straight. To
see how, see “Seats” in the Index.
3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across
you. Do not let it get twisted.The lap-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.
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 40.
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. Move the shoulder belt height adjuster to the
height that is right for you. Improper shoulder
belt height adjustment could reduce the
effectiveness of the safety belt in a crash. See
Shoulder Belt Height Adjustment on page 33.
26
Page 27 of 436
6. To make the lap part tight, pull up on the
shoulder belt.
It may be necessary to pull stitching on the
safety belt through the latch plate to fully
tighten the lap belt on smaller occupants.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.
27