
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) - AirbagThis vehicle has airbags for the driver and passenger as a
supplement to the seat belt restraint systems. The driver's
airbag is mounted in the steering wheel. The passenger
frontal airbag is mounted in the instrument panel, under
a cover marked SRS/AIRBAG.
These airbags inflate in higher speed frontal impacts.
They work with the instrument panel inflatable knee
blockers and the seat belts to provide improved protec-
tion for the driver and passenger.
The vehicle is also equipped with side airbags, located in
the driver and passenger doors. Side airbags also work
with seat belts to improve occupant protection.
NOTE:The front driver airbag is certified to the Federal
regulations that allow less forceful deployment. The front
driver airbag has a multi stage inflator design. This may
allow the airbag to have different rates of inflation that
are based on collision severity and occupant size. Also,
the front passenger airbag is certified to the Federal
regulations that define Occupant Classification (Refer to
ªOccupant Classification Systemº in this section). Their
covers are also labeled SRS/AIRBAG.
30 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!
²Do not put anything on or around the front airbag
covers or attempt to manually open them. You may
damage the airbags and you could be injured
because the airbags are not there to protect you.
These protective covers are designed to open only
when the airbags are inflated.
²Do not place objects between you and the side
airbags; the performance could be adversely af-
fected and/or objects could be pushed into you,
causing serious injury.
²Do not attach cup holders or any other objects on
or around the door. The inflating side airbag could
drive objects into occupants, causing serious
injury.
NOTE:The passenger front airbag may not deploy
even when the driver front airbag has deployed if the
Occupant Classification System (refer to ªOccupant Clas-
sification Systemº in this section) has determined the seatis empty or is occupied by someone that is classified in
the ªchildº category. This could be a child, a teenager, or
even a small adult. The side airbags on the crash side of
the vehicle is triggered in moderate to severe side colli-
sions. However even in collisions where the airbags
work, you need the seat belts to keep you in the right
position for the airbags to protect you properly.
The seat belts are designed to protect you in many types
of collisions. The front airbags deploy only in moderate
to severe front collisions. In certain types of collisions,
both the front and side airbags may be triggered.
Here are some simple steps you can take to minimize
the risk of harm from a deploying airbag.
1. Infants in rear-facing child safety seats shouldNEVER
ride in the front seat of a vehicle with a passenger frontal
airbag unless the airbag is shut OFF. See ªPassenger
Airbag On/Off Switchº and ªTo Shut Off the Passenger
Airbag.º The rear-facing seat places them too close to the
passenger air bag in the event of a crash. An airbag
deployment can cause severe injury or death to infants in
this position.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 31
2

Children that are not big enough to properly wear the
vehicle seat belt (see section on ªChild Restraintº) should
be secured in child safety seats or booster seats that are
appropriate for the child's age, height, and weight.
Older children who do not use child safety seats or
booster seats should ride properly buckled. Never allow
children to place the shoulder belt behind them or under
the arm.
If a child from 1 to 12 years old must ride in the vehicle,
move the seat as far back as possible, shut off the
passenger airbag, and use the proper child restraint. See
the section on ªChild Restraint.ºYou should read the instructions provided with your
child restraint or belt-positioning booster seat to make
sure that you are using it properly.
2. All occupants should wear their lap and shoulder belts
properly.
3. The driver and passenger seats should be moved back
as far as practical to allow the front airbags room to
inflate.
4. Do not lean against the door, as the side airbags will
inflate forcefully into the space between you and the
door. (See the section on ªSide Airbags.º)
32 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!
After installing a child safety seat or booster seat on
the passenger seat, do not adjust the back rest for-
ward. This could cause a higher load being perceived
by the OCS system which in turn could lead to the
passenger airbag being turned on. Failure to follow
this warning could result in serious or fatal injury. It
is always recommended to turn off the passenger
front air bags using the passenger front airbags
on/off switch located at the right end of the instru-
ment panel when the passenger is:
²an infant (less than 1 year old),
²a child, age 1 to 12,
²an adult with a medical condition which makes
passenger airbags inflation (deployment) a greater
risk for the passenger than the risk of hitting the
dashboard (instrument panel) or windshield in a
crash.
The on/off switch is accessible by opening the pas-
senger door.
WARNING!
²Relying on the airbags alone could lead to more
severe injuries in a collision. The airbags work
with your seat belt to restrain you properly. In
some collisions the airbags won't deploy at all.
Always wear your seat belts even though you have
airbags.
²Being too close to the steering wheel or instrument
panel during airbag deployment could cause seri-
ous injury.
²Airbags need room to inflate. Sit back, comfort-
ably extending your arms to reach the steering
wheel or instrument panel.
²The side airbags also need room to inflate. Do not
lean against the door. Sit upright in the center of
the seat.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 33
2

Airbag System Components
The airbag system consists of the following:
²Occupant Restraint Controller
²Airbag Warning Light
²Driver and passenger frontal airbag/inflator units
²Driver and passenger side airbag/inflator units
²Driver and Passenger Inflatable Knee Blocker
²Driver and Front Passenger Seat Belt Pretensioners
²Side impact sensors
²Front Passenger Seat Occupant Classification System
(OCS)
How the Front Airbag System Works
²
The Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC) determines
if a frontal collision is severe enough to require the
airbags to inflate. Based on the level of collision
severity, the front control module determines the
proper rate of inflation. The front airbag inflators are
designed to provide different rates of airbag inflationfrom direction provided by the ORC. The ORC may
modify the rate of inflation based on the occupant size
provided by the Occupant Classification Module. The
ORC will not detect roll overs. The ORC monitors the
readiness of the electronic parts of the system when-
ever the ignition switch is in the START or RUN
positions. If the key is in the OFF position, in the ACC
position, or not in the ignition, the airbags are not on
and will not inflate.
Also, the ORC turns on the AIRBAG warning light
(located in the instrument cluster) and Passenger
Airbag Disable (PAD) indicator light (located in the
center console) for 4 seconds for a self-check when the
ignition is first turned on. After the self-check, the
AIRBAG warning light will turn off. The PAD indica-
tor light will function normally (Refer to ªPassenger
Airbag Disable (PAD) Indicator Lightº in this section).
If the ORC detects a malfunction in any part of the
system, it turns on the AIRBAG warning light either
momentarily or continuously.
34 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

²The Knee Blocker Airbag helps protect the knees and
working with the seatbelts, position you for the best
interaction with the airbags.If a Deployment Occurs
WARNING!
Deployed airbags can't protect you in another colli-
sion. Have the airbags replaced by an authorized
dealer as soon as possible.
The airbag system is designed to deploy when the impact
sensors detect a moderate-to-severe frontal collision, to
help restrain the driver and passenger, and then to
immediately deflate.
NOTE:A frontal collision that is not severe enough to
need airbag protection will not activate the system. This
does not mean something is wrong with the airbag
system. The system may also inflate only one airbag in a
reduced severity frontal collision if the seat belt on that
side of the vehicle is not fastened. This also does not
mean something is wrong with your airbag system.
36 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

How the Occupant Classification Module (OCM)
Works
The Occupant Classification Module (OCM) is located
beneath the passenger seat.. The OCM classifies the
occupant into one of three size categories based on the
input from the Bladder Assembly and a Belt Tension
Sensor. The size categories include empty, child, and
adult. The OCM sends the Occupant Classification to the
ORC to determine if a front passenger airbag is allowed.
If a fault is present, the AIRBAG warning light is illumi-
nated.
How the Passenger Airbag Disabled (PAD)
Indicator Light Works
The Passenger Airbag Disabled (PAD) Indicator Light
indicates to the driver and passenger when the airbag is
turned OFF. In the presence of a properly seated occu-
pant, when the PAD indicator light is illuminated, the
airbag is OFF. Also, when the Occupant Classification
System detects either an empty seat or a weight less than
the predetermined threshold, the ORC will not illuminate
the PAD indicator light even though the airbag is turned
OFF.
How the Belt Tension Sensor (BTS) Works
The Belt Tension Sensor (BTS) is located at the outboard
passenger lap belt anchor. The BTS creates a signal based
on outboard lap belt tension. This signal is sent to the
OCM to ensure that the resultant bladder pressure in-
crease due to applied lap belt tension does not cause a
small occupant to be classified as a larger occupant
How the Bladder Mat and Pressure Sensor Works
The Bladder Mat and Pressure Sensor are located beneath
the seat cushion foam. The pressure sensor sends a signal
to the OCM. The passenger seat assembly contains criti-
cal components that affect the passenger airbag deploy-
ment. Correctly functioning passenger seat components
are critical for the Occupant Classification System (OCS)
to properly classify the passenger and calculate the
proper airbag deployment. Do not make any modifica-
tions to the passenger seat components, assembly, or to
the seat cover.
42 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Infants and Child Restraints
There are different sizes and types of restraints for
children from newborn size to the child almost large
enough for an adult safety belt. Always check the child
seat Owner's Manual to ensure you have the right seat
for your child. Use the restraint that is correct for your
child:
²Safety experts recommend that children ride
rearward-facing in the vehicle until they are at least
one year old and weigh at least 9 kg (20 lbs.). Two
types of child restraints can be used rearward-facing:
infant carriers and ªconvertibleº child seats.
²The infant carrier is only used rearward-facing in the
vehicle. It is recommended for children who weigh up
to about 20 lbs. (9 kg). ªConvertibleº child seats can be
used either rearward-facing or forward-facing in the
vehicle. Convertible child seats often have a higher
weight limit in the rearward-facing direction than
infant carriers do, so they can be used rearward-facing
by children who weigh more than 20 lbs. (9 kg) but are
less than one year old. Both types of child restraints are
held in the vehicle by the lap/shoulder belt or theLATCH child restraint anchorage system. (See the
LATCH - Child Seat Anchorage System section.)
²Rearward-facing child seats mustNEVERbe used in
the front seat of a vehicle with the front passenger
airbag unless the airbag is turned off. An airbag
deployment could cause severe injury or death to
infants in this position.
WARNING!
²A rearward facing infant restraint must not be
used unless the passenger airbag has been shut
off. A rearward facing infant restraint may be
struck by a deploying passenger airbag which may
cause severe or fatal injury to the infant.
²Improper installation can lead to failure of a child
restraint. It could come loose in a collision. The
child could be badly injured or killed. Follow the
manufacturer's directions exactly when installing
a child restraint.
48 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE