2007 SUBARU FORESTER Model

Foreword
Congratulations on choosing a SUBARU vehicle. This Owner’s
Manual has all the information necessary to keep your SUBARU in
excellent condition and to properly maintain the emission control
system for minimizing emission pollutants. We urge you to read
this manual carefully so that you may understand your vehicle and
its operation. For information not found in this Owner’s Manual,
such as details concerning repairs or adjustments, please contact
the dealer from whom you purchased your SUBARU or the nearest
SUBARU dealer.
The information, specifications and illustrations found in this man-
ual are those in effect at the time of printing. FUJI HEAVY INDUS-
TRIES LTD. reserves the right to change specifications and de-
signs at any time without prior notice and without incurring any ob-
ligation to make the same or similar changes on vehicles previous-
ly sold. This Owner’s Manual applies to all models and covers all
equipment, including factory installed options. Some explanations,
therefore may be for equipment not installed in your vehicle.
Please leave this manual in the vehicle at the time of resale. The
next owner will need the information found herein.FUJI HEAVY INDUSTRIES LTD., TOKYO, JAPAN
is a registered trademark of FUJI HEAVY INDUSTRIES LTD.
© copyright 2006 FUJI HEAVY INDUSTRIES LTD.

1
– CONTINUED –
Warranties „Warranties for U.S.A.
All SUBARU vehicles distributed by
Subaru of America, Inc. and sold at retail
by an authorized SUBARU dealer in the
United States come with the following
warranties: y SUBARU Limited Warranty
y Emission Control Systems Warranty
y Emissions Performance Warranty
All warranty information, including details
of coverage and exclusions, is in the
“Warranty and Maintenance Booklet”.
Please read these warranties carefully. „ Warranties for Canada
All SUBARU vehicles distributed by
Subaru Canada, Inc. and sold at retail by
an authorized SUBARU dealer in Canada
come with the following warranties: y SUBARU Limited Warranty
y Anti-Corrosion Warranty
y Emission Control Warranty
All warranty information, including details
of coverage and exclusions, is in the War-
ranty and Service Booklet. Please read
these warranties carefully. T
2.5XT (Canada model only)
TAll models except Canada model
2.5XT
How to use this Owner’s
Manual „ Using your Owner’s Manual
Before you operate your vehicle, carefully
read this manual. To protect yourself and
extend the service life of your vehicle, fol-
low the instructions in this manual. Failure
to observe these instructions may result in
serious injury and damage to your vehicle.
This manual is composed of fourteen
chapters. Each chapter begins with a brief
table of contents, so you can usually tell at
a glance if that chapter contains the infor-
mation you want.
Chapter 1: Seat, seatbelt and SRS air-
bags
This chapter informs you how to use the
seat and seatbelt and contains precau-
tions for the SRS airbags.
Chapter 2: Keys and doors
This chapter informs you how to operate
the keys, locks and windows.
Chapter 3: Instruments and controls
This chapter informs you about the opera-
tion of instrument panel indicators and
how to use the instruments and other
switches.
Chapter 4: Climate Control
This chapter informs you how to operate
2.5XT models are equipped with
High Intensity Discharge (HID) head-
lights that contain mercury. For that
reason, it is necessary to remove
HID headlights before vehicle dis-
posal. Once removed, please reuse,
recycle or dispose of the HID head-
lights as hazardous waste.
This vehicle does not contain mer-
cury devices or parts.

16 „Combination meter
T U.S.-spec. models
V AT vehicles
XT
000248
123 4 5
86 7
1) Fuel gauge (page 3-7)
2) Temperature gauge (page 3-8)
3) Speedometer (page 3-6)
4) Tachometer (page 3-7)
5) Trip meter A/B selection and trip
meter reset knob (page 3-6)
6) Odometer and trip meter (page 3-6)
7) Outside temperature indicator (page
3-8)
8) Select lever position indicator (page
3-15)

20 TCanada-spec. models
V AT vehicles
XT
000247
123 4 5
86 7
1) Fuel gauge (page 3-7)
2) Temperature gauge (page 3-8)
3) Speedometer (page 3-6)
4) Tachometer (page 3-7)
5) Trip meter A/B selection and trip
meter reset knob (page 3-6)
6) Odometer and trip meter (page 3-6)
7) Outside temperature indicator (page
3-8)
8) Select lever position indicator (page
3-15)

1-20 Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
Seatbelt extender
If the front seatbelts are not long enough
to permit the tongue plate to engage with
the seatbelt buckle, an optional seatbelt
extender is available from your SUBARU
dealer. When ordering an extender, only
order one particularly designed for your
vehicle. Several different types of extend-
ers are available to match various variet-
ies of front seatbelt designs. See your
SUBARU dealer for assistance.
The extender adds approximately 8 inch-
es (200 mm) of length and it can be used
for either the driver or front passenger
seating position.
For the safety of others, the extender
should be removed after each use, espe-
cially if the next person using the seatbelt
does not need one.
Note that leaving the seatbelt extender’s
tongue plate engaged with the seatbelt
buckle may prevent the Subaru advanced
front airbag system from functioning cor-
rectly or cause the system to fail.
NOTE
When the seatbelt extender is used by a pregnant passenger, consult a doctor
to get approval in advance.
To connect the extender to the seatbelt,
insert the tongue plate into the seatbelt
buckle so that the “PRESS” signs on the
buckle-release buttons of the extender
and the seatbelt are both facing outward
as shown in the diagram. You will hear a
click when the tongue plate locks into the
buckle.
When releasing the seatbelt, press on the
buckle-release button on the extender, not
on the seatbelt. This helps to prevent
damage to the vehicle interior and extend-
er itself.
Be sure to observe the following
when using the seatbelt extender.
Failure to follow these instructions
and warnings could reduce the ef-
fectiveness of the seatbelt and re-
sult in more serious injury in the
event of a collision.
y
Never use the extender when the
belt itself is long enough to permit
it to be buckled properly. If remov-
al of heavy clothing is all that is
needed to permit the seatbelt to
be buckled properly, remove the
heavy clothing and do not use the
extender.
yDo not use the extender if the
buckle of the extender rests over
the abdomen.
yDo not let someone else use the
extender. Use of an extender
when it is not needed could re-
duce the effectiveness of the seat-
belt and result in more serious in-
jury in the event of a collision.
yUse the extender only for the front
seatbelts and only for the model
for which it was originally provid-
ed. Never use the extender for the
rear seatbelts or for a different
model.
100605

1-24 Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
Child restraint systems
Infants and small children should always
be placed in an infant or child restraint
system in the rear seat while riding in the
vehicle. You should use an infant or child
restraint system that meets Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standards or Canada Mo-
tor Vehicle Safety Standards, is compati-
ble with your vehicle and is appropriate for
the child’s age and size. All child restraint
systems are designed to be secured in ve-
hicle seats by lap belts or the lap belt por-
tion of a lap/shoulder belt (except those
covered under the section in this manual,
entitled “Installation of child restraint sys-
tems by use of lower and tether anchorag-
es (LATCH)”).Children could be endangered in an acci-
dent if their child restraints are not proper-
ly secured in the vehicle. When installing
the child restraint system, carefully follow
the manufacturer’s instructions.
According to accident statistics, children
are safer when properly restrained in the
rear seating positions than in the front
seating positions.
All U.S. states and Canadian provinces
require that infants and small children be
restrained in an approved child restraint
system at all times while the vehicle is
moving.
Do not perform any of the following
modifications. Such modifications
can interfere with proper operation
of the seatbelt pretensioners. y
Attachment of any equipment
(bush bar, winches, snow plow,
skid plate, etc.) other than genu-
ine SUBARU accessory parts to
the front end.
y Modification of the suspension
system or front end structure.
y Installation of a tire of different
size and construction from the
tires specified on the vehicle plac-
ard attached to the driver’s door
pillar or specified for individual
vehicle models in this Owner’s
Manual.
100607
100125

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags 1-43
– CONTINUED –
y
Do not apply any strong impact to the
front passenger’s seat such as by kicking. y Do not spill liquid on the front passen-
ger’s seat. If liquid is spilled, wipe it off im-
mediately. y Do not remove or disassemble the front
passenger’s seat. y Do not install any accessory (such as
an audio amplifier) other than a genuine
SUBARU accessory under the front pas-
senger’s seat. y Do not place anything (shoes, umbrella,
etc.) under the front passenger’s seat. y The front passenger’s seat must not be
used with the head restraint removed. y Do not leave any article including a child
restraint system on the front passenger’s
seat or the seatbelt tongue and buckle en-
gaged when you leave your vehicle. y Do not place a magnet near the seatbelt
buckle and the seatbelt retractor. y Do not use front seats with their back-
ward-forward position and seatback not
being locked into place securely. If any of
them are not locked securely, adjust them
again. For adjusting procedure, refer to
the “Manual seat” in the front seats sec-
tion in Chapter 1 in this Owner’s Manual.
(Models equipped with manual seats only) y If you use an optional seatbelt extender,
remove it after each use. (Refer to the
“Seatbelt extender” section in this chap- ter.)
If the seatbelt buckle switch and/or front
passenger’s occupant detection system
have failed, the SRS airbag system warn-
ing light will illuminate. Have the system
inspected by your SUBARU dealer imme-
diately if the SRS airbag system warning
light comes on.
If your vehicle has sustained impact, this
may affect the proper function of the Sub-
aru advanced frontal airbag system. Have
your vehicle inspected at your SUBARU
dealer.
NOTE
The front passenger’s SRS side airbag
and seatbelt pretensioner are not con-
trolled by the Subaru advanced frontal
airbag system. T
Passenger’s frontal airbag ON and
OFF indicators
1) U.S.-spec. models
2) Canada-spec. models or :Front passenger’s frontal airbag ON indicator
or :Front passenger’s frontal airbag OFF indicator
The front passenger’s frontal airbag ON
and OFF indicators show you the status of
the front passenger’s SRS frontal airbag.
The indicators are located next to the
clock in the central portion of the instru-
ment panel.
When the ignition switch is turned to the
“ON” position, both the ON and OFF indi-
cators illuminate for 6 seconds during
which time the system is checked. Follow-
ing the system check, both indicators ex-
12
12
100547

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags 1-45
– CONTINUED –
y
Do not place more than one child on the
seat. y Do not install any accessory such as a
table or TV onto the seatback. y Do not store a heavy load in the seat-
back pocket. y Do not allow the rear seat occupant to
place his/her hands or legs on the front
passenger’s seatback, or allow him/her to
pull the seatback. V If the front passenger’s frontal air-
bag ON indicator illuminates and the
OFF indicator extinguishes even
when an infant or a small child is in
a child restraint system (including
booster seat)
Turn the ignition switch to the “OFF” posi-
tion if the front passenger’s frontal airbag
ON indicator illuminates and the OFF indi-
cator extinguishes even when an infant or
a small child is in a child restraint system
(including booster seat). Remove the child
restraint system from the seat. By refer-
ring to the child restraint manufacturer’s
recommendations as well as the child re-
straint system installation procedures in
the “Child restraint systems” section in this
chapter, correctly install the child restraint
system. Turn the ignition switch to the
“ON” position and make sure that the front
passenger’s frontal airbag ON indicator goes out and the OFF indicator comes on.
If the ON indicator remains illuminated
while the OFF indicator extinguishes, take
the following actions. y
Ensure that no article is placed on the
seat other than the child restraint system
and the child occupant. y Ensure that there is no article left in the
seatback pocket. y Ensure that the backward-forward posi-
tion and seatback of front passenger’s
seat are locked into place securely by
moving the seat back and forth. (Models
equipped with manual seats only)
If the ON indicator still illuminates while
the OFF indicator extinguishes after tak-
ing relevant corrective actions described
above, relocate the child restraint system
to the rear seat and immediately contact
your SUBARU dealer for an inspection.
NOTE
When a child who has outgrown a child
restraint system or a small adult is
seated in the front passenger’s seat,
the Subaru advanced frontal airbag
system may or may not activate the
front passenger’s SRS frontal airbag
depending on the occupant’s seating
posture. If the front passenger’s SRS
frontal airbag is activated (the ON indi- cator illuminates while the OFF indica-
tor extinguishes), take the following
actions.y
Ensure that no article is placed on
the seat other than the occupant.y Ensure that there is no article left in
the seatback pocket.
If the ON indicator still illuminates
while the OFF indicator extinguishes
despite the fact that the actions noted
above have been taken, seat the child/
small adult in the rear seat and immedi-
ately contact your SUBARU dealer for
an inspection. Even if the system has
passed the dealer inspection, it is rec-
ommended that on subsequent trips
the child/small adult always take the
rear seat.
Children who have outgrown a child re-
straint system should always wear the
seatbelt irrespective of whether the airbag
is deactivated or activated. T Conditions in which front passen-
ger’s SRS frontal airbag is activated
The front passenger’s SRS frontal airbag
will be activated for deployment upon im-
pact when any of the following conditions
is met regarding the front passenger’s
seat. y When the seat is occupied by an adult.