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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 39orInfants and Young Children on
page 42.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 164for more information.
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What Makes an Airbag In ate?
In an impact of sufficient severity, the airbag
sensing system detects that the vehicle is
in a crash. The sensing system triggers a release
of gas from the in ator, which in ates the
airbag. The in ator, airbag and related hardware
are all part of the airbag modules. Frontal
airbag modules are located inside the steering
wheel and the instrument panel. For vehicles with
seat-mounted side impact airbags, there are
also airbag modules in the side of the front
seatbacks closest to the door. For vehicles with
roof-mounted side impact airbags, there are
also airbag modules in the ceiling of the vehicle,
near the side window.
How Does an Airbag Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near frontal
collisions, even belted occupants can contact the
steering wheel or the instrument panel. In
moderate to severe side collisions, even belted
occupants can contact the inside of the vehicle.
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.
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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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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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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, overhead console, 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 372.
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. Keep safety belts clean and dry.
SeeCare of Safety Belts on page 335for 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.
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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, or the side
impact airbag covering on the ceiling near the
side windows, the bag 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,
or side impact airbag module and ceiling
covering for the roof-mounted side impact
airbag. Do not open or break the airbag
coverings.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.
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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 may also mean you may 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.
If an airbag in ates, you will need to replace
airbag system parts. See the part on the airbag
system earlier in this section.If an airbag in ates, you may also need to replace
the driver’s and right front passenger’s safety
belt assemblies. Be sure to do so. Then the new
assemblies will be there to help protect you in
a collision.
After a crash you may need to replace the driver
and front passenger’s safety belt assemblies,
even if the airbags have not deployed. Have your
safety belt pretensioners checked if your vehicle
has been in a collision, or if your airbag readiness
light stays on after you start your vehicle or
while you are driving. SeeAirbag Readiness Light
on page 164.
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