1-35 SEATS AND RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
78J00-03E
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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. Refer to
“Airbag Readiness Light” in “Warning
Lights, Gages, and Indicators” in the
“Instrument Panel” section for more infor-
mation.
Where Are the Airbags?
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The driver’s airbag is in the middle of the
steering wheel.
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The right front passenger’s airbag is in the
instrument panel on the passenger’s side.
WARNING
Anyone who is up against, or very
close to, any airbag when it inflates
can be seriously injured or killed. Air-
bags 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 vehi-
cle. To read how, refer to “Older Chil-
dren” or “Infants and Young
Children” in this section.
Occupants should not lean on or
sleep against the door in the first or
second row seats, or the rear win-
dows in the third row seat, if your
vehicle has roof-mounted rollover
airbags.
1-37 SEATS AND RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
78J00-03E
When Should an Airbag Inflate?The driver’s and right front passenger’s
frontal airbags are designed to inflate in
moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal
crashes. But they are designed to inflate
only if the impact exceeds a predetermined
deployment threshold. Deployment thresh-
olds take into account a variety of desired
deployment and non-deployment events
and are used to predict how severe a crash
is likely to be in time for the airbags to
inflate and help restrain the occupants.
Whether your frontal airbags will or shoulddeploy is not based on how fast your vehi-
cle is traveling. It depends largely on what
you hit, the direction of the impact and how
quickly your vehicle slows down.
In addition, your vehicle has “dual-stage”
frontal airbags, which adjust the restraint
according to crash severity. Your vehicle
has electronic frontal sensors which help
the sensing system distinguish between a
moderate frontal impact and a more severe
frontal impact. For moderate frontal
impacts, these airbags inflate at a level
less than full deployment. For more severe
frontal impacts, full deployment occurs. If
the front of your vehicle goes straight into a
wall that does not move or deform, the
threshold level for the reduced deployment
is about 11 to 16 mph (17 to 26 km/h), and
the threshold level for a full deployment is
about 20 to 25 mph (32 to 40 km/h). The
threshold level can vary, however, with
specific vehicle design, so that it can be
somewhat above or below this range.
Frontal airbags may inflate at different
crash speeds. For example:
If the vehicle hits a stationary object, the
airbags could inflate at a different crash
speed than if the vehicle hits a moving
object.
If the vehicle hits an object that deforms,
the airbags could inflate at a different
crash speed than if the vehicle hits an
object that does not deform. If the vehicle hits a narrow object (like a
pole) the airbags could inflate at a differ-
ent crash speed than if the vehicle hits a
wide object (like a wall).
If the vehicle goes into an object at an
angle the airbags could inflate at a differ-
ent crash speed than if the vehicle goes
straight into the object.
The frontal airbags (driver and right front
passenger) are not intended to inflate dur-
ing vehicle rollovers, rear impacts, or in
many side impacts.
Your vehicle has roof-mounted rollover air-
bags and a rollover sensor. Refer to “Air-
bag System” in this section. These
“rollover capable” airbags are intended to
inflate in moderate to severe side crashes,
during a rollover or in a severe frontal
impact. A roof-mounted rollover airbag will
inflate if the crash severity is above the
system’s designed “threshold level.” The
threshold level can vary with specific vehi-
cle design. Roof-mounted rollover airbags
are not intended to inflate in rear impacts.
Both roof-mounted rollover airbags will
deploy when either side of the vehicle is
struck or during a rollover, or in a severe
frontal impact.
In any particular crash, no one can say
whether an airbag should have inflated
simply because of the damage to a vehicle
or because of what the repair costs were.
For frontal airbags, inflation is determined
by what the vehicle hits, the angle of the
WARNING
If something is between an occupant
and an airbag, the bag might not
inflate properly or it might force the
object into that person causing
severe injury or even death. The path
of an inflating airbag must be kept
clear. Do not put anything between
an occupant and an airbag, and do
not attach or put anything on the
steering wheel hub or on or near any
other airbag covering. And, if your
vehicle has roof-mounted rollover
airbags, never secure anything to the
roof of your vehicle by routing the
rope or tie down through any door or
window opening. If you do, the path
of an inflating side impact airbag will
be blocked. The path of an inflating
airbag must be kept clear.
1-39 SEATS AND RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
78J00-03E
In many crashes severe enough to inflate
the airbag, windshields are broken by vehi-
cle deformation. Additional windshield
breakage may also occur from the right
front passenger airbag.
Airbags are designed to inflate only
once. After an airbag inflates, you will
need some new parts for your airbag
system. If you do not get them, the air-
bag system will not be there to help pro-
tect you in another crash. A new system
will include airbag modules and possibly
other parts. The service manual for your
vehicle covers the need to replace other
parts.
Your vehicle has a crash sensing and
diagnostic module which records infor-
mation after a crash.
Let only qualified technicians work on
the airbag system. Improper service can
mean that an airbag system will not work
properly. See your dealer for service.Passenger Sensing SystemYour vehicle has a passenger sensing sys-
tem for the right front passenger. The pas-
senger airbag status indicator will be
visible when you start your vehicle in the
instrument panel.United States
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Canada
1476529
The words ON and OFF, or the symbol for
on and off, will be visible during the system
check. When the system check is com-
plete, either the word ON or the word OFF,
or the symbol for on or the symbol for off,
will be visible. Refer to “Passenger Airbag
Status Indicator” in “Warning Lights,
Gages, and Indicators” in the “Instrument
Panel” section.
The passenger sensing system will turn off
the right front passenger’s frontal airbag
under certain conditions. The driver’s air-
bags are not part of the passenger sensing
system.
The passenger sensing system works with
sensors that are part of the right front pas-
senger’s seat and safety belt. The sensorsare designed to detect the presence of a
properly seated occupant and determine if
the passenger’s frontal airbag should be
enabled (may inflate) or not.
Accident statistics show that children are
safer if they are restrained in the rear
rather than the front seat. We recommend
that child restraints be secured in a rear
seat, including an infant riding in a rear-
facing infant seat, a child riding in a for-
ward-facing child seat, and an older child
riding in a booster seat.
There is a label on your sun visor that
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.
1-40 SEATS AND RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
78J00-03E
If your vehicle does not have a rear seat
that will accommodate a rear-facing child
restraint, never put a child in a rear-facing
child restraint in the right front passenger
seat unless the passenger airbag status
indicator shows off and the airbag is off.
Here is why:The passenger sensing system is
designed to turn off the right front passen-
ger’s frontal airbag if:
The right front passenger seat is unoc-
cupied.
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 forward-facing 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 occu-
pied 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 right front passenger’s frontal
airbag has been turned off by the passen-
ger sensing system, the off indicator will
light and stay lit to remind you that the air-
bag is off.
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 to “Securing a Child Restraint in
the Right Front Seat Position” in this sec-
tion.
WARNING
A child in a rear-facing child restraint
can be seriously injured or killed if
the right front passenger’s airbag
inflates. This is because the back of
the rear-facing child restraint would
be very close to the inflating airbag.
Even though the passenger sensing
system is designed to turn off the
passenger’s frontal airbag if the sys-
tem 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
the rear seat, even if the airbag is off.
If you need to secure a forward-fac-
ing child restraint in the right front
seat, always move the front passen-
ger seat as far back as it will go. It is
better to secure the child restraint in
a rear seat.
WARNING
A child in a rear-facing child restraint
can be seriously injured or killed if
the right front passenger’s airbag
inflates. This is because the back of
the rear-facing child restraint would
be very close to the inflating airbag.
Be sure the airbag is off before using
a rear-facing child restraint in the
right front seat position.
Even though the passenger sensing
system is designed to turn off the
passenger’s frontal airbag if the sys-
tem 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 trans-
ported in vehicles with a rear seat
that will accommodate a rear-facing
child restraint, whenever possible.
If you need to secure a forward-fac-
ing child restraint in the right front
seat, always move the front passen-
ger seat as far back as it will go. It is
better to secure the child restraint in
a rear seat.
1-41 SEATS AND RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
78J00-03E
If, after reinstalling the child restraint and
restarting the vehicle, the on indicator is
still lit, check to make sure that the vehi-
cle’s seatback is not pressing the child
restraint into the seat cushion. If this hap-
pens, slightly recline the vehicle’s seatback
and adjust the seat cushion if possible.
Also make sure the child restraint is not
trapped under the vehicle head restraint. If
this happens, adjust the head restraint.
If the on indicator is still lit, secure the child
in the child restraint in a rear seat position
in the vehicle if one is available and check
with your dealer.
The passenger sensing system is
designed to enable (may inflate) the right
front passenger’s frontal airbag anytime
the system senses that a person of adult
size is sitting properly in the right front pas-
senger’s seat. When the passenger sens-
ing system has allowed the airbag to be
enabled, the on indicator will light and stay
lit to remind you that the airbag is 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 fron-
tal 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 prop-
erly – 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 per-
son 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 per-
son’s legs comfortably extended. Restart
the vehicle and have the person remain in
this position for about two minutes. This
will allow the system to detect that person
and then enable the passenger’s airbag.
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A thick layer of additional material, such as
a blanket, or aftermarket equipment such
as seat covers, seat heaters, and seat
massagers, can affect how well the pas-
senger sensing system operates. Remove
any additional material from the seat cush-
ion before reinstalling or securing the child
restraint and before a small occupant,
including a small adult, sits in the passen-
ger position. You may want to consider not
using seat covers or other aftermarket
equipment. Refer to “Adding Equipment to
Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle” in this sec-
tion for more information about modifica-
tions that can affect how the system
operates.
WARNING
If the airbag readiness light in the
instrument panel cluster ever comes
on and stays on, it means that some-
thing 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
frontal airbag. Refer to “Airbag
Readiness Light” in “Warning Lights,
Gages, and Indicators” in the “Instru-
ment Panel” section for more on this,
including important safety informa-
tion.
2-6 FEATURES AND CONTROLS
78J00-03E
Delayed LockingA chime will sound three times to indicate
a door or liftgate is open when you try to
lock the doors with the remote keyless
entry (RKE) transmitter or the power door
lock switch. The doors will not lock, and
the theft-deterrent system will not arm until
all the doors are closed and ten seconds
have passed.
The delayed locking feature can be pro-
grammed through the Driver Information
Center (DIC). Refer to “DIC Vehicle Per-
sonalization” in “Driver Information Center
(DIC)” in the “Instrument Panel” section.Programmable Automatic Door
LocksYour vehicle has an automatic lock/unlock
feature which enables you to program the
power door locks through the Driver Infor-
mation Center (DIC). Refer to “DIC Vehicle
Personalization” in “Driver Information
Center (DIC)” in the “Instrument Panel”
section for more information on DIC pro-
gramming.Rear Door Security LocksYour vehicle has rear door security locks
that prevent passengers from opening the
rear doors from the inside.
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The rear door security locks are located on
the inside edge of each rear door. You
must open the rear doors to access them.
To set the security locks, do the following:
1) Insert the key into the lock above the
rear door security lock label and turn it
to the horizontal position.
2) Close the door.
3) Repeat the steps for the other rear
door.
To open a rear door while the security lock
is on, do the following:
1) Unlock the door using the remote key-
less entry transmitter, the front door
power lock switch, or by lifting the rear
door manual lock.
2) Open the door from the outside.To cancel the rear door security lock, do
the following:
1) Unlock the door and open it from the
outside.
2) Insert the key into the slot next to the
rear door security lock label and turn it
to the vertical position.
3) Repeat the steps for the other lock.
Lockout ProtectionIf you press the power door lock switch
when the key is in the ignition and any
door is open, all the doors will lock and
only the driver’s door will unlock. Be sure
to remove the key from the ignition when
locking your vehicle.
If the keyless entry transmitter is used to
lock the doors and the key is in the ignition,
a chime will sound three times. All passen-
ger doors will lock, but the driver’s door will
remain unlocked.
2-10 FEATURES AND CONTROLS
78J00-03E
PASS-Key
® III+
The PASS-Key
® III+ system operates on a
radio frequency subject to Federal Com-
munications Commission (FCC) Rules and
with Industry Canada.
This device complies with Part 15 of the
FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the fol-
lowing two conditions:
1) This device may not cause harmful
interference.
2) This device must accept any interfer-
ence received, including interference
that may cause undesired operation.
This device complies with RSS-210 of
Industry Canada. Operation is subject to
the following two conditions:
1) This device may not cause interfer-
ence.
2) This device must accept any interfer-
ence received, including interference
that may cause undesired operation of
the device.
Changes or modifications to this system by
other than an authorized service facility
could void authorization to use this equip-
ment.
PASS-Key
® III+ uses a radio frequency
transponder in the key that matches a
decoder in your vehicle.PASS-Key
® III+ Operation
Your vehicle has PASS-Key
® III+ (Person-
alized Automotive Security System) theft-
deterrent system. PASS-Key® III+ is a pas-
sive theft-deterrent system. This means
you do not have to do anything special to
arm or disarm the system. It works when
you transition the key to RUN, ACC or
START from the LOCK position.
When the PASS-Key
® III+ system senses
that someone is using the wrong key, it
prevents the vehicle from starting. Anyone
using a trial-and-error method to start the
vehicle will be discouraged because of the
high number of electrical key codes.
If the engine does not start and the secu-
rity light on the instrument panel comes on
when trying to start the vehicle, the key
may have a damaged transponder. Turn
the ignition off and try again.
If the engine still does not start, and the
key appears to be undamaged, try another
ignition key. At this time, you may also
want to check the fuse, refer to “Fuses and
Circuit Breakers” in “Electrical System” in
the “Service and Appearance Care” sec-
tion. If the engine still does not start with
the other key, your vehicle needs service.
If your vehicle does start, the first key may
be faulty. See your dealer who can service
the PASS-Key
® III+ to have a new key
made. In an emergency, contact Roadside
Assistance.It is possible for the PASS-Key
® III+
decoder to “learn” the transponder value of
a new or replacement key. Up to nine addi-
tional keys may be programmed for the
vehicle. The following procedure is for pro-
gramming additional keys only. If all the
currently programmed keys are lost or do
not operate, you must see your dealer or a
locksmith who can service PASS-Key® III+
to have keys made and programmed to the
system.
See your dealer or a locksmith who can
service PASS-Key
® III+ to get a new key
blank that is cut exactly as the ignition key
that operates the system.
To program the new additional key do the
following:
1) Verify that the new key has a
stamped on it.
2) Insert the original, already pro-
grammed, key in the ignition and start
the engine. If the engine will not start,
see your dealer for service.
3) After the engine has started, turn the
key to LOCK, and remove the key.
4) Insert the new key to be programmed
and turn it to the RUN position within
five seconds of removing the original
key.
5) The security light will turn off once the
key has been programmed.
6) Repeat Steps 1 through 5 if additional
keys are to be programmed.
2-11 FEATURES AND CONTROLS
78J00-03E
If you are driving and the security light
comes on and stays on, you may be able
to restart your engine. Your PASS-Key
®
III+ system, however, may not be working
properly and must be serviced by your
dealer.
If you lose or damage your PASS-Key
®
III+ key, see your dealer or a locksmith
who can service PASS-Key
® III+ to have a
new key made.
Daily Inspection ChecklistBefore Driving1) Make sure that windows, mirrors, lights
and reflectors are clean and unob-
structed.
2) Visually check the tires for the following
points:
– the depth of the tread groove
– abnormal wear, cracks and damage
– loose wheel nuts
– existence of foreign material such as
nails, stones, etc.
Refer to “Tires” in the “SERVICE AND
APPEARANCE CARE” section for details.
3) Look for oil or other fluid leaks.
NOTE:
It is normal for water to drip from the air
conditioning system after use.
4) Make sure the hood is fully closed and
latched.
5) Check the headlights, turn signal lights,
brake lights and horn for proper opera-
tion.
6) Lock all doors.
7) Adjust the seat and adjustable head
restraints (if equipped).
8) Check the brake pedal.
9) Adjust the mirrors.
10)Make sure that you and all passengers
have properly fastened your safety
belts.11)Make sure that all warning lights come
on as the key is turned to the “ON” or
“START” position.
12)Check all gauges.
13)Make sure that the BRAKE light turns
off when the parking brake is released.
Once a week, or each time you fill your fuel
tank, perform the following under-hood
checks:
1) Engine oil level
2) Coolant level
3) Brake fluid level
4) Power steering (if equipped) fluid level
5) Windshield washer fluid level
6) Hood latch operation
Pull the hood release handle inside the
vehicle. Make sure that you cannot
open the hood all the way without
releasing the secondary latch. Be sure
to close the hood securely after check-
ing for proper latch operation. Refer to
“Lubricate body components” under
“Scheduled Maintenance” in the
“Maintenance Schedule” section for the
lubrication schedule.
WARNING
Make sure the hood is fully closed
and latched before driving. If it is not,
it can fly up unexpectedly during
driving, obstructing your view and
resulting in an accident.