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{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 42orInfants and Young
Children on page 45.
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 202for more information.
Where Are the Airbags?
The driver’s frontal airbag is in the middle of the
steering wheel.
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Airbags supplement the protection provided
by safety belts. Airbags distribute the force of
the impact more evenly over the occupant’s upper
body, stopping the occupant more gradually.
But the frontal airbags would not help you in
many types of collisions, including rollovers, rear
impacts, and many side impacts, primarily because
an occupant’s motion is not toward the airbag.
Side impact airbags would not help you in many
types of collisions, including many frontal or
near frontal collisions, rollovers, and rear impacts.
Airbags should never be regarded as anything
more than a supplement to safety belts, and then
only in moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal
collisions for the driver’s and right front
passenger’s frontal airbags, and only in moderate
to severe side collisions for vehicles with side
impact airbags.What Will You See After an Airbag
In ates?
After the frontal and seat-mounted side impact
airbags in ate, they quickly de ate, so quickly that
some people may not even realize an airbag
in ated. Roof-mounted side impact airbags may still
be at least partially in ated minutes after the vehicle
comes to rest. Some components of the airbag
module — the steering wheel hub for the driver’s
airbag, the instrument panel for the right front
passenger’s bag, the side of the seatback closest to
the door for the seat-mounted side impact airbags
(if equipped), and the garnish trim and the area
along the ceiling of your vehicle near the side
windows for the roof–mounted side impact airbags
(if equipped) — may be hot for a short time. The
parts of the airbag that come into contact with you
may be warm, but not too hot to touch. There may
be some smoke and dust coming from the vents
in the de ated airbags. Airbag in ation does not
prevent the driver from seeing out of the windshield
or being able to steer the vehicle, nor does it
prevent people from leaving the vehicle.
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Passenger Sensing System
Your vehicle has a passenger sensing system for
the right front passenger’s position. The passenger
airbag status indicator will be visible when you start
your vehicle in the instrument panel.
The words ON and OFF, or the symbol for on
and off, will be visible during the system check.
If you are using remote start to start your vehicle
from a distance, if equipped, you may not see
the system check. When the system check
is complete, either the word ON or the word OFF,
or the symbol for on or the symbol for off, will
be visible. SeePassenger Airbag Status Indicator
on page 203.The passenger sensing system will turn off the
right front passenger’s frontal airbag under certain
conditions. The driver’s airbags are not part of
the passenger sensing system.
The passenger sensing system works with
sensors that are part of the right front passenger’s
seat. The sensors are designed to detect the
presence of a properly-seated occupant and
determine if the passenger’s frontal airbag should
be enabled (may in ate) or not.
Accident statistics show that children are safer
if they are restrained in the rear rather than
the front seat.
We recommend that children be secured in a
rear seat, including: an infant or a child riding in
a rear-facing child restraint; a child riding in a
forward-facing child seat; an older child riding
in a booster seat; and children, who are large
enough, using safety belts.
United StatesCanada
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Also make sure the child restraint is not trapped
under the vehicle head restraint. If this happens,
adjust the head restraint. SeeHead Restraints
on page 13.
Remove any additional material from the seat
cushion before reinstalling or securing the
child restraint.
If the on indicator is still lit, secure the child in
the child restraint in a rear seat position in
the vehicle, and check with your dealer/retailer.
The passenger sensing system is designed
to enable (may in ate) the right front passenger’s
frontal airbag anytime the system senses that
a person of adult size is sitting properly in the right
front passenger’s seat. When the passenger
sensing system has allowed the airbag to
be enabled, the on indicator will light and stay lit
to remind you that the airbag is active.For some children who have outgrown child
restraints and for very small adults, the passenger
sensing system may or may not turn off the
right front passenger’s frontal airbag, depending
upon the person’s seating posture and body
build. Everyone in your vehicle who has
outgrown child restraints should wear a safety
belt properly — whether or not there is an airbag
for that person.
If a person of adult-size is sitting in the right front
passenger’s seat, but the off indicator is lit, it
could be because that person is not sitting properly
in the seat. If this happens, turn the vehicle off
and ask the person to place the seatback in
the fully upright position, then sit upright in the
seat, centered on the seat cushion, with the
person’s legs comfortably extended. Restart the
vehicle and have the person remain in this position
for two to three minutes. This will allow the
system to detect that person and then enable the
right front passenger’s frontal airbag.
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Safety belts help keep the passenger in position
on the seat during vehicle maneuvers and
braking, which helps the passenger sensing
system maintain the passenger airbag status.
See “Safety Belts” and “Child Restraints” in
the Index for additional information about the
importance of proper restraint use.
{CAUTION:
If the airbag readiness light in the
instrument panel cluster ever comes on
and stays on, it means that something
may be wrong with the airbag system.
If this ever happens, have the vehicle
serviced promptly, because an adult-size
person sitting in the right front
passenger’s seat may not have the
protection of the airbag(s). SeeAirbag
Readiness Light on page 202for more
on this, including important safety
information.
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Adding Equipment to Your
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Q:Is there anything I might add to the front
or sides of the vehicle that could keep the
airbags from working properly?
A:Yes. If you add things that change your
vehicle’s frame, bumper system, height,
front end or side sheet metal, they may keep
the airbag system from working properly.
Also, the airbag system may not work properly
if you relocate any of the airbag sensors.
If you have any questions about this,
you should contact Customer Assistance
before you modify your vehicle. The phone
numbers and addresses for Customer
Assistance are in Step Two of the Customer
Satisfaction Procedure in this manual.
SeeCustomer Satisfaction Procedure
on page 476.
Q:Because I have a disability, I have to get
my vehicle modi ed. How can I nd out
whether this will affect my airbag system?
A:Changing or moving any parts of the
front seats, safety belts, the airbag sensing
and diagnostic module, steering wheel,
instrument panel, ceiling headliner, ceiling
and pillar garnish trim, roof-mounted airbag
modules, or airbag wiring can affect the
operation of the airbag system. If you have
questions, call Customer Assistance. The
phone numbers and addresses for Customer
Assistance are in Step Two of the Customer
Satisfaction Procedure in this manual.
SeeCustomer Satisfaction Procedure
on page 476.
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Restraint System Check
Checking the Restraint Systems
Now and then, make sure the safety belt reminder
light and all your belts, buckles, latch plates,
retractors, and anchorages are working properly.
Look for any other loose or damaged safety
belt system parts. If you see anything that might
keep a safety belt system from doing its job, have
it repaired. SeeCare of Safety Belts on page 439
for more information.
Torn or frayed safety belts may not protect you in
a crash. They can rip apart under impact forces.
If a belt is torn or frayed, get a new one right away.
Also look for any opened or broken airbag
covers, and have them repaired or replaced. The
airbag system does not need regular maintenance.Notice:If you damage the covering for the
driver’s or the right front passenger’s airbag,
or the airbag covering on the driver’s and
right front passenger’s seatback (if equipped),
or the side impact airbag covering on the
garnish trim and ceiling near the side windows
(if equipped), the airbag may not work
properly. You may have to replace the airbag
module in the steering wheel, both the
airbag module and the instrument panel for
the right front passenger’s airbag, the airbag
module and seatback for the driver’s and
right front passenger’s seat-mounted side
impact airbags (if equipped), or the side
impact airbag module, garnish trim and ceiling
covering for the roof-mounted side impact
airbags (if equipped). Do not open or break
the airbag coverings.
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Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash
{CAUTION:
A crash can damage the restraint systems
in your vehicle. A damaged restraint
system may not properly protect the
person using it, resulting in serious injury
or even death in a crash. To help make
sure your restraint systems are working
properly after a crash, have them inspected
and any necessary replacements made
as soon as possible.If you have had a crash, do you need new belts
or LATCH system parts?
After a very minor collision, nothing may be
necessary. But if the belts were stretched, as they
would be if worn during a more severe crash,
then you need new parts.
If the LATCH system was being used during a
more severe crash, you may need new LATCH
system parts.
If belts are cut or damaged, replace them.
Collision damage also may mean you will need to
have LATCH system, safety belt or seat parts
repaired or replaced. New parts and repairs may
be necessary even if the belt or LATCH system
was not being used at the time of the collision.
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