The passenger sensing system will turn off the
right front passenger’s frontal airbag and
seat-mounted side impact 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 and safety belt. The sensors are designed
to detect the presence of a properly-seated
occupant and determine if the right front
passenger’s frontal airbag and seat-mounted side
impact 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.
A label on your sun visor says, “Never put a
rear-facing child seat in the front.” This is because
the risk to the rear-facing child is so great, if the
airbag deploys.
{CAUTION:
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can
be seriously injured or killed if the right
front passenger’s airbag in ates. This is
because the back of the rear-facing child
restraint would be very close to the
in ating airbag.
Even though the passenger sensing
system is designed to turn off the right
front passenger’s frontal and
seat-mounted side impact airbag if the
system detects a rear-facing child
restraint, no system is fail-safe, and no
one can guarantee that an airbag will not
deploy under some unusual circumstance,
even though it is turned off. We
recommend that rear-facing child
restraints be secured in a rear seat, even
if the airbags are off.
CAUTION: (Continued)
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CAUTION: (Continued)
If you secure a forward-facing child
restraint in the right front seat, always
move the front passenger seat as far back
as it will go. It is better to secure the child
restraint in a rear seat.
The passenger sensing system is designed to turn
off the right front passenger’s frontal airbag and
seat-mounted side impact airbag if:
The right front passenger seat is unoccupied.
The system determines that an infant is
present in a rear-facing infant seat.
The system determines that a small child is
present in a child restraint.
The system determines that a small child is
present in a booster seat.
A right front passenger takes his/her weight off
of the seat for a period of time.
The right front passenger seat is occupied by
a smaller person, such as a child who has
outgrown child restraints.
Or, if there is a critical problem with the airbag
system or the passenger sensing system.
When the passenger sensing system has turned
off the right front passenger’s frontal airbag
and seat-mounted side impact airbag, the off
indicator will light and stay lit to remind you that
the airbags are off. SeePassenger Airbag
Status Indicator on page 165.
If a child restraint has been installed and the on
indicator is lit, turn the vehicle off. Remove
the child restraint from the vehicle and reinstall the
child restraint following the child restraint
manufacturer’s directions and refer toSecuring a
Child Restraint in the Right Front Seat Position
on page 62.
If, after reinstalling the child restraint and restarting
the vehicle, the on indicator is still lit, check to
make sure that the vehicle’s seatback is not
pressing the child restraint into the seat cushion.
If this happens, slightly recline the vehicle’s
seatback and adjust the seat cushion if possible.
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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 and seat-mounted side impact 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 airbags to be enabled, the
on indicator will light and stay lit to remind you
that the airbags are 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 and seat-mounted
side impact 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 and
seat-mounted side impact 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 164for more on
this, including important safety
information.
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