
NPower Door Locks.....................21
NChild Protection Door Lock...............23
mWindows.............................24
NPower Windows.......................24
NWind Buffeting........................27
mTrunk Lock And Release..................27
mTrunk Safety Warning....................28
NTrunk Emergency Release................28
mOccupant Restraints.....................29
NLap/Shoulder Belts.....................29
NLap/Shoulder Belt Untwisting Procedure.....34
NSeat Belt Pretensioners...................34
NEnhanced Seat Belt Reminder System
(BeltAlert)...........................34
NAutomatic Locking Mode Ð If Equipped.....35NSeat Belts And Pregnant Women............36
NSeat Belt Extender......................36
NDriver And Front Passenger Supplemental
Restraint System (SRS) - Airbag............37
NEvent Data Recorder (EDR)...............45
NChild Restraint........................46
mBreak-In Recommendations................54
mSafety Tips............................55
NTransporting Passengers.................55
NLock Your Vehicle......................55
NExhaust Gas..........................55
NSafety Checks You Should Make Inside The
Vehicle..............................56
NPeriodic Safety Checks You Should Make Outside
The Vehicle..........................57
10 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 

OCCUPANT RESTRAINTS
Some of the most important safety features in your
vehicle are the restraint systems. These include the front
and rear seat belts for the driver and all passengers, front
airbags for both the driver and front passenger and, if so
equipped, side curtain airbags for the driver and passen-
gers seated next to a window. If you will be carrying
children too small for adult-size belts, your seat belts also
can be used to hold infant and child restraint systems.
Please pay close attention to the information in this
section. It tells you how to use your restraint system
properly to keep you and your passengers as safe as
possible.
WARNING!
In a collision, you and your passengers can suffer
much greater injuries if you are not properly buck-
led up. You can strike the interior of your vehicle or
other passengers, or you can be thrown out of the
vehicle. Always be sure you and others in your
vehicle are buckled up properly.
Buckle up even though you are an excellent driver, even
on short trips. Someone on the road may be a poor driver
and cause a collision that includes you. This can happen
far away from home or on your own street.
Research has shown that seat belts save lives, and they
can reduce the seriousness of injuries in a collision. Some
of the worst injuries happen when people are thrown
from the vehicle. Seat belts reduce the possibility of
ejection and the risk of injury caused by striking the
inside of the vehicle.Everyonein a motor vehicle should
be belted at all times.
Lap/Shoulder Belts
All seating positions in your vehicle are equipped with
Lap/Shoulder Belts.
The belt webbing retractor is designed to lock during
very sudden stops or impacts. This feature allows the
shoulder part of the belt to move freely with you under
normal conditions. However, in a collision, the belt will
lock and reduce your risk of striking the inside of the
vehicle or being thrown out.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 29
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Lap/Shoulder Belt Untwisting Procedure
Use the following procedure to untwist a twisted lap/
shoulder belt.
1. Position the latch plate as close as possible to the
anchor point.
2. At about 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm) above the latch
plate, grasp and twist the belt webbing 180É to create a
fold that begins immediately above the latch plate.
3. Slide the latch plate upward over the folded webbing.
The folded webbing must enter the slot at the top of the
latch plate.
4. Continue to slide the latch plate up until it clears the
folded webbing.
Seat Belt Pretensioners
The seat belts for both front seating positions are
equipped with pretensioning devices that are designed to
remove any slack from the seat belts in the event of a
collision. These devices improve the performance of the
seat belt system by assuring that the belt is tight about the
occupant in a collision. Pretensioners work for all size
occupants, including those in child restraints.
NOTE:These devices are not a substitute for proper
seat belt placement by the occupant. The seat belt still
must be worn snugly and positioned properly.
The pretensioners are triggered by the Airbag Control
Module (refer to information on Airbags in this section).
Like the front airbags, the pretensioners are single use
items. After a collision that is severe enough to deploy
the airbags and pretensioners, both must be replaced.
Enhanced Seat Belt Reminder System (BeltAlert)
If the driver's seat belt has not been buckled within 60
seconds of starting the vehicle and if the vehicle speed is
greater than 5 mph (8 km/h), the Enhanced Warning
System (BeltAlert) will alert the driver to buckle their seat
belt. The driver should also instruct all other occupants to
buckle their seat belts. Once the warning is triggered, the
Enhanced Warning System (BeltAlert) will continue to
chime and flash the Seat Belt Reminder Light for 96
seconds or until the driver's seat belt is buckled. The
Enhanced Warning System (BeltAlert) will be reactivated
if the driver's seat belt is unbuckled for more than 10
seconds and the vehicle speed is greater than 5 mph (8
km/h).
34 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 

Driver and Front Passenger Supplemental
Restraint System (SRS) - Airbag
This vehicle has front airbags for both the driver and
front passenger as a supplement to the seat belt restraint
systems. The driver's airbag is mounted in the center of
the steering wheel. The passenger's front airbag is
mounted in the instrument panel, above the glove com-
partment. The words SRS AIRBAG are embossed on the
airbag covers.
NOTE:The front airbags are certified to the Federal
regulations that allow less forceful deployment.The front airbags have a multistage inflator design. This
may allow the airbag to have different rates of inflation
that are based on collision severity.
This vehicle may also be equipped with side curtain
airbags to protect the driver and passengers sitting next
to a window. If the vehicle is equipped with side curtain
airbags, they are located above the side windows. Their
covers are also labeled SRS AIRBAG.
Front Airbag ComponentsWindow Airbag
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 37
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NOTE:Airbag covers may not be obvious in the
interior trim; but they will open to allow airbag deploy-
ment.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 no longer functional. These
protective covers for the airbag cushions are de-
signed to open only when the airbags are inflating.
²If your vehicle is equipped with side curtain
airbags, do not stack luggage or other cargo up
high enough to block the location of the side
curtain airbag. The area where the side curtain
airbag is located should remain free from any
obstructions.
²If your vehicle is equipped with side curtain
airbags, do not have any accessory items installed
which will alter the roof, including adding a
sunroof to your vehicle. Do not add roof racks that
require permanent attachments (bolts or screws)
for installation on the vehicle roof. Do not drill
into the roof of the vehicle for any reason.
²Do not drill, cut or tamper with the knee bolster in
any way.
²Do not mount any accessories to the knee bolster
such as alarm lights, stereos, citizens band radios
etc.
38 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 

NOTE:Do not use a clothing bar mounted to the coat
hooks in this vehicle. A clothing bar will impede the
proper performance of the curtain airbags.
Along with the seat belts, front airbags work with the
instrument panel knee bolsters to provide improved
protection for the driver and front passenger. Side Cur-
tain Airbags also work with seat belts to improve occu-
pant protection.
The seat belts are designed to protect you in many types
of collisions. The front airbags deploy in moderate to
severe frontal collisions.
If your vehicle is so equipped, the Side Curtain Airbag on
the crash side of the vehicle is triggered in moderate to
severe side collisions. However, even in collisions where
the airbags deploy, you need the seat belts to keep you in
the correct position for the airbags to protect you prop-
erly.
Here are some simple steps you can take to minimize
the risk of harm from a deploying airbag.
1. Children 12 years old and under should ride buckled
up in the rear seat.2. Infants in rear-facing child restraints shouldNEVER
ride in the front seat of a vehicle with a passenger front
airbag. An airbag deployment could cause severe injury
or death to infants in that position.
3. Children that are not big enough to wear the vehicle
seat belt properly (refer to information on Child Restraint
in this section) should be secured in the rear seat in child
restraints or belt-positioning booster seats.
4. Older children who do not use child restraints or
belt-positioning booster seats should ride properly buck-
led up in the rear seat. Never allow children to slide the
shoulder belt behind them or under their arm.
5. If a child from 1 to 12 years old must ride in the front
passenger seat because the vehicle is crowded, move the
seat as far back as possible, and use the proper child
restraint (refer to information on Child Restraint in this
section).
6. You should read the instructions provided with your
child restraint to make sure that you are using it properly.
7. All occupants should use their seat belts properly.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 39
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8. The driver and front passenger seats should be moved
back as far as practical to allow the airbags time to inflate.
9. If your vehicle has side curtain airbags do not lean
against the door, airbags will inflate forcefully into the
space between you and the door.
10. If the airbag system in this vehicle needs to be
modified to accommodate a disabled person, contact the
Customer Center. Phone numbers are provided in the9If
You Need Customer Assistance9section in this manual.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 instru-
ment panel during airbag deployment could cause
serious injury. Airbags need room to inflate. Sit
back, comfortably extending your arms to reach
the steering wheel or instrument panel.
²If the vehicle has side curtain airbags, they also
need room to inflate. Do not lean against the door
or window. Sit upright in the center of the seat.
Air Bag System Components
The airbag system consists of the following:
²Airbag Control Module (ACM)
²Side Remote Acceleration Sensors (if equipped)
40 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 

²Airbag Warning Light
²Driver Airbag
²Front Passenger Airbag
²Supplemental Side Curtain Airbags above Side Win-
dows (if equipped)
²Steering Wheel and Column
²Instrument Panel
²Interconnecting Wiring
²Seatbelt Reminder Light
²Knee Impact Bolsters
²Front Acceleration Sensors
²Driver and Front Passenger Seat Belt Pretensioners
How The Airbag System Works
²
TheAirbag Control Module (ACM)determines if a
frontal collision is severe enough to require the airbags
to inflate. The front airbag inflators are designed toprovide different rates of airbag inflation from direc-
tion provided by the ACM. The ACM will not detect
roll over.
²The ACM also monitors the readiness of the electronic
parts of the system whenever the ignition switch is in
the START or ON positions. These include all of the
items listed above except the knee bolster, the instru-
ment panel, and the steering wheel and column. If the
key is in the LOCK position, in the ACC position, or
not in the ignition, the airbags are not on and will not
inflate.
²The ACM also turns on the Airbag Warning
Light in the instrument panel for 6 to 8
seconds as a self-check when the ignition is
first turned on. After the self-check, the
Airbag Warning Light will turn off. If the ACM detects
a malfunction in any part of the system, it turns on the
Airbag Warning Light either momentarily or continu-
ously. A single chime will sound if the light comes on
again after initial start up.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 41
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