1-1 SEATS AND RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
78J00-03E
Front SeatsManual Seats
808318
Lift the bar located under the front of the
seat to unlock it. Slide the seat to where
you want it and release the bar. Try to
move the seat with your body to be sure
the seat is locked in place.
Driver Seat Height Adjuster
1618867
If your vehicle has a manual driver seat
height adjuster, it is located on the out-
board side of the seat near the front of the
seat cushion. To raise the seat, move the
lever upward repeatedly until the seat is at
the desired height. To lower the seat, move
the lever downward repeatedly until the
seat is at the desired height.
Power Seat
1407195
If the vehicle has a power seat, the control
used to operate it is located on the out-
board side of the driver’s seat. To adjust
the seat do any of the following:
Move the seat forward or rearward by
sliding the control forward or rearward.
Raise or lower the front part of the seat
cushion by moving the front of the con-
trol up or down.
Raise or lower the rear part of the seat
cushion by moving the rear of the control
up or down.
WARNING
You can lose control of the vehicle if
you try to adjust a manual driver’s
seat while the vehicle is moving. The
sudden movement could startle and
confuse you, or make you push a
pedal when you do not want to.
Adjust the driver’s seat only when the
vehicle is not moving.
1-3 SEATS AND RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
78J00-03E
Driver’s seat with manual recline and
manual height adjuster shown
1618868
To adjust the seatback on the driver’s seat,
lift the lever on the rear outboard side of
the seat and move the seatback to the
desired position. Then release the lever to
lock the seatback in place.Passenger seat with folding seatback
option shown
1618866
To adjust the seatback on the front passen-
ger’s seat, lift the lever on the outboard
side of the seat and move the seatback to
the desired position. Then release the
lever to lock the seatback in place. If your
front passenger’s seat is a flat folding seat,
you must fully raise the lever to disengage
the seatback.
806881
WARNING
Sitting in a reclined position when
your vehicle is in motion can be dan-
gerous. Even if you buckle up, your
safety belts cannot do their job when
you are reclined like this.
The shoulder belt cannot do its job
because it will not be against your
body. Instead, it will be in front of
you. In a crash, you could go into it,
receiving neck or other injuries.
The lap belt cannot do its job either.
In a crash, the belt could go up over
your abdomen. The belt forces would
be there, not at your pelvic bones.
This could cause serious internal
injuries.
(Continued)
1-4 SEATS AND RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
78J00-03E
Do not have a seatback reclined if your
vehicle is moving. Head Restraints
805677
Adjust the head restraint so that the top of
the restraint is at the same height as the
top of the occupant’s head. This position
reduces the chance of a neck injury in a
crash.
1525254
Pull the head restraint up to raise it. To
lower the head restraint, press the button,
located on the top of the seatback, and
push the restraint down.
The third row head rests adjust like the
front seat head restraints.
1811484
The third row seat head rests can be
removed from the seatback. To do this,
press the button, located on the top of the
seatback, and pull them out from the seat-
back. Store the head rest, front side facing
up, in the compartment behind the third
row, by inserting the head rest posts into
the slots in the storage area.
WARNING
(Continued)
For proper protection when the vehi-
cle is in motion, have the seatback
upright. Then sit well back in the seat
and wear your safety belt properly.
1-11 SEATS AND RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
78J00-03E
Question:
If I am a good driver, and I never drive
far from home, why should I wear safety
belts?
Answer:
You may be an excellent driver, but if you
are in an accident – even one that is not
your fault – you and your passengers can
be hurt. Being a good driver does not pro-
tect you from things beyond your control,
such as bad drivers.
Most accidents occur within 25 miles (40
km) of home. And the greatest number of
serious injuries and deaths occur at
speeds of less than 40 mph (65 km/h).
Safety belts are for everyone.How to Wear Safety Belts ProperlyThis part is only for people of adult size.
Be aware that there are special things to
know about safety belts and children. And
there are different rules for smaller children
and babies. If a child will be riding in your
vehicle, refer to “Older Children” or “Infants
and Young Children” in this section. Follow
those rules for everyone’s protection.
First, you will want to know which restraint
systems your vehicle has.
We will start with the driver position.
Driver PositionLap-Shoulder Belt
The driver has a lap-shoulder belt. Here is
how to wear it properly.
1) Close and lock the door.
2) Adjust the seat so you can sit up
straight. To see how, see “Seats” in the
Index.
1378723
3) Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt
across you. Do not let it get twisted.
The lap-shoulder belt may lock if you
pull the belt across you very quickly. If
this happens, let the belt go back
slightly to unlock it. Then pull the belt
across you more slowly.
4) Push the latch plate into the buckle until
it clicks.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure
it is secure. If the belt is not long
enough, refer to “Safety Belt Extender”in this section.
Make sure the release button on the
buckle is positioned so you would be
able to unbuckle the safety belt quickly
if you ever had to.
5) Move the shoulder belt height adjuster
to the height that is right for you.
Improper shoulder belt height adjust-
ment could reduce the effectiveness of
the safety belt in a crash. Refer to
“Shoulder Belt Height Adjustment” in
this section.
1378907
6) To make the lap part tight, pull up on
the shoulder belt.
1-14 SEATS AND RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
78J00-03E
1378915
To unlatch the belt, push the button on the
buckle. The belt should go back out of the
way.
Before you close the door, be sure the belt
is out of the way. If you slam the door on it,
you can damage both the belt and your
vehicle.
Shoulder Belt Height Adjustment
Before you begin to drive, move the shoul-
der belt height adjuster to the height that is
right for you.
Adjust the height so that the shoulder por-
tion of the belt is centered on your shoul-
der. The belt should be away from your
face and neck, but not falling off your
shoulder. Improper shoulder belt height
adjustment could reduce the effectiveness
of the safety belt in a crash.
1507374
To move it up or down, squeeze the
release buttons (A) together and move the
height adjuster to the desired position.
After you move the height adjuster to
where you want it, try to move it up or
down without squeezing the release but-
tons to make sure it has locked into posi-
tion.
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy
Safety belts work for everyone, including
pregnant women. Like all occupants, they
are more likely to be seriously injured if
they do not wear safety belts.
1379057
A pregnant woman should wear a lap-
shoulder belt, and the lap portion should
be worn as low as possible, below the
rounding, throughout the pregnancy.
The best way to protect the fetus is to pro-
tect the mother. When a safety belt is worn
properly, it is more likely that the fetus will
not be hurt in a crash. For pregnant
women, as for anyone, the key to making
safety belts effective is wearing them prop-
erly.
1-20 SEATS AND RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
78J00-03E
1379304 1379315
Question:
What are the different types of add-on
child restraints?
Answer:
Add-on child restraints, which are pur-
chased by the vehicle’s owner, are avail-
able in four basic types. Selection of a
particular restraint should take into consid-
eration not only the child’s weight, height,
and age but also whether or not the
restraint will be compatible with the motor
vehicle in which it will be used.
For most basic types of child restraints,
there are many different models available.
When purchasing a child restraint, be sure
it is designed to be used in a motor vehicle.
If it is, the restraint will have a label saying
that it meets federal motor vehicle safety
standards.
WARNING
People should never hold a baby in
their arms while riding in a vehicle. A
baby does not weigh much – until a
crash. During a crash a baby will
become so heavy it is not possible to
hold it. For example, in a crash at
only 25 mph (40 km/h), a 12 lb (5.5 kg)
baby will suddenly become a 240 lb
(110 kg) force on a person’s arms. A
baby should be secured in an appro-
priate restraint.
WARNING
Children who are up against, or very
close to, any airbag when it inflates
can be seriously injured or killed. Air-
bags plus lap-shoulder belts offer
protection for adults and older chil-
dren, 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.
1-21 SEATS AND RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
78J00-03E
The restraint manufacturer’s instructions
that come with the restraint state the
weight and height limitations for a particu-
lar child restraint. In addition, there are
many kinds of restraints available for chil-
dren with special needs.
Child Restraint Systems
1379317
An infant car bed (A), a special bed made
for use in a motor vehicle, is an infant
restraint system designed to restrain or
position a child on a continuous flat sur-
face. Make sure that the infant’s head rests
toward the center of the vehicle.
WARNING
Newborn infants need complete sup-
port, including support for the head
and neck. This is necessary because
a newborn infant’s neck is weak and
its head weighs so much compared
with the rest of its body. In a crash,
an infant in a rear-facing seat settles
into the restraint, so the crash forces
can be distributed across the stron-
gest part of an infant’s body, the back
and shoulders. Infants always should
be secured in appropriate infant
restraints.
WARNING
The body structure of a young child
is quite unlike that of an adult or
older child, for whom the safety belts
are designed. A young child’s hip
bones are still so small that the vehi-
cle’s regular safety belt may not
remain low on the hip bones, as it
should. Instead, it may settle up
around the child’s abdomen. In a
crash, the belt would apply force on a
body area that is unprotected by any
bony structure. This alone could
cause serious or fatal injuries. Young
children always should be secured in
appropriate child restraints.
1-42 SEATS AND RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
78J00-03E
Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped
VehicleAirbags affect how your vehicle should be
serviced. There are parts of the airbag
system in several places around your vehi-
cle. You do not want the system to inflate
while someone is working on your vehicle.
Your dealer and the service manual have
information about servicing your vehicle
and the airbag system.
The airbag system does not need regular
maintenance.
Adding Equipment to Your Airbag-
Equipped VehicleQuestion:
Is there anything I might add to the front
or sides of the vehicle that could keep
the airbags from working properly?
Answer:
Yes. If you add things that change your
vehicle’s frame, bumper system, height,
front end or side sheet metal, they may
keep the airbag system from working prop-
erly. Also, the airbag system may not work
properly if you relocate any of the airbag
sensors. If you have any questions about
this, you should contact Customer Assis-
tance before you modify your vehicle.
Question:
Because I have a disability, I have to get
my vehicle modified. How can I find out
whether this will affect my airbag sys-
tem?
Answer:
Changing or moving any parts of the front
seats, safety belts, the airbag sensing and
diagnostic module, rollover sensor module,
steering wheel, instrument panel, over-
head console, ceiling headliner, ceiling
and pillar garnish trim, roof-mounted roll-
over airbag modules, or airbag wiring can
affect the operation of the airbag system. If
you have questions, call Customer Assis-
tance.
Restraint System CheckChecking the Restraint SystemsNow 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. Refer to
“Care of Safety Belts” in “Appearance
Care” in the “Service and Appearance
Care” section for 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.
WARNING
Stowing of articles under the passen-
ger’s seat or between the passen-
ger’s seat cushion and seatback may
interfere with the proper operation of
the passenger sensing system.
WARNING
For up to 10 seconds, after the igni-
tion is turned off and the battery is
disconnected, an airbag can still
inflate during improper service. You
can be injured if you are close to an
airbag when it inflates. Avoid yellow
connectors. They are probably part of
the airbag system. Be sure to follow
proper service procedures, and make
sure the person performing work for
you is qualified to do so.