Front Seats......................................................1-2
Bucket Seats.................................................1-2
Split Bench Seat (80/20 Split)..........................1-6
Air Suspension Seats......................................1-6
Rear Seats.....................................................1-10
Rear Seat Operation.....................................1-10
Safety Belts...................................................1-11
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone................1-11
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly.................1-16
Lap-Shoulder Belt.........................................1-24
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy..................1-26
Lap Belt......................................................1-27
Safety Belt Extender.....................................1-28
Child Restraints.............................................1-28
Older Children..............................................1-28
Infants and Young Children............................1-31
Child Restraint Systems.................................1-35
Where to Put the Restraint.............................1-38
Lower Anchors and Tethers for
Children (LATCH)......................................1-40Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear Outside
Seat Position (Crew Cab)...........................1-40
Securing a Child Restraint in the Center Rear
Seat Position (Crew Cab)...........................1-42
Securing a Child Restraint in the Center Front
Seat Position............................................1-44
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front
Seat Position............................................1-44
Airbag System...............................................1-48
Where Are the Airbags?................................1-51
When Should an Airbag Inflate?.....................1-52
What Makes an Airbag Inflate?.......................1-53
How Does an Airbag Restrain?.......................1-54
What Will You See After an Airbag Inflates?.....1-54
Airbag Off Switch..........................................1-56
Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle...........1-59
Adding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle....................................................1-59
Restraint System Check..................................1-60
Checking the Restraint Systems......................1-60
Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash............................................1-61
Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
1-1
Lap-Shoulder Belt
All seating positions in your vehicle have a lap-shoulder
belt except for the center front or rear passenger
positions, which may have a lap belt. SeeLap Belt on
page 1-27for more information.
Here is how to wear a lap-shoulder belt properly.
1. Adjust the seat, if the seat is adjustable, so you can
sit up straight. To see how, see “Seats” in the Index.
2. 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.
If you ever pull the shoulder portion of a passenger
belt out all the way, you may engage the child
restraint locking feature. If this happens, just let the
belt go back all the way and start again.3. 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, seeSafety Belt
Extender on page 1-28.
Make sure the release button on the buckle is
positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly if necessary.
4. If equipped with a shoulder belt height adjuster,
move it to the height that is right for you. Improper
shoulder belt height adjustment could reduce
the effectiveness of the safety belt in a crash. See
“Shoulder Belt Height Adjustment” later in this
section.
1-24
Safety Belt Extender
If the vehicle’s safety belt will fasten around you, you
should use it.
But if a safety belt is not long enough, your
dealer/retailer will order you an extender. When you go
in to order it, take the heaviest coat you will wear,
so the extender will be long enough for you. To help
avoid personal injury, do not let someone else use
it, and use it only for the seat it is made to fit. The
extender has been designed for adults. Never use it for
securing child seats. To wear it, attach it to the
regular safety belt. For more information, see the
instruction sheet that comes with the extender.
Child Restraints
Older Children
Older children who have outgrown booster seats should
wear the vehicle’s safety belts.
1-28
{CAUTION:
People should never hold an infant in their
arms while riding in a vehicle. An infant does
not weigh much — until a crash. During a
crash an infant 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) infant
will suddenly become a 240 lb (110 kg) force
on a person’s arms. An infant should be
secured in an appropriate restraint.
1-32
Q:What are the different types of add-on child
restraints?
A:Add-on child restraints, which are purchased by the
vehicle’s owner, are available in four basic types.
Selection of a particular restraint should take
into consideration 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.
The restraint manufacturer’s instructions that come
with the restraint state the weight and height
limitations for a particular child restraint. In addition,
there are many kinds of restraints available for
children with special needs.
{CAUTION:
Newborn infants need complete support,
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 strongest part of an
infant’s body, the back and shoulders. Infants
should always be secured in appropriate infant
restraints.
1-34
{CAUTION:
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 vehicle’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 should always be secured in
appropriate child restraints.
Child Restraint Systems
A rear-facing infant
seat (A) provides restraint
with the seating surface
against the back of
the infant.
The harness system holds the infant in place and, in a
crash, acts to keep the infant positioned in the
restraint.
1-35
Securing an Add-on Child Restraint in
the Vehicle
{CAUTION:
A child can be seriously injured or killed in a
crash if the child restraint is not properly
secured in the vehicle. Make sure the child
restraint is properly installed in the vehicle
using the vehicle’s safety belt, following the
instructions that came with that restraint, and
also the instructions in this manual.
To help reduce the chance of injury, the child restraint
must be secured in the vehicle. Child restraint systems
must be secured in vehicle seats by lap belts or the
lap belt portion of a lap-shoulder belt. A child can
be endangered in a crash if the child restraint is not
properly secured in the vehicle.
When securing an add-on child restraint, refer to the
instructions that come with the restraint which may be on
the restraint itself or in a booklet, or both, and to this
manual. The child restraint instructions are important, so
if they are not available, obtain a replacement copy
from the manufacturer.Keep in mind that an unsecured child restraint can move
around in a collision or sudden stop and injure people in
the vehicle. Be sure to properly secure any child restraint
in your vehicle — even when no child is in it.
Securing the Child Within the Child
Restraint
{CAUTION:
A child can be seriously injured or killed in a
crash if the child is not properly secured in the
child restraint. Because there are different
systems, it is important to refer to the
instructions that come with the restraint. Make
sure the child is properly secured, following
the instructions that came with that restraint.
1-37
Where to Put the Restraint
Accident statistics show that children are safer if they
are restrained in the rear rather than the front seat.
We recommend that children and child restraints
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.
Air Suspension Seats
{CAUTION:
A child restraint cannot be secured properly in
an air-suspension type seat. This is because
an air-suspension seat is designed to move up
and down for an adult passenger. Do not use a
child restraint in an air-suspension seat.If your vehicle is a regular cab model with an
air-suspension seat in the right front passenger’s
position, there is no place in your vehicle to secure a
child restraint. The only answer is to have infants
and young children make the trip in another vehicle,
where they can get the protection they need.
Bucket or Bench Seats
If your vehicle is a regular cab model with a bucket or
bench seat in the right front passenger’s position,
the child restraint must be secured properly.
If your vehicle has airbags and you need to secure a
child restraint in the right front passenger’s seat, there is
a switch on the instrument panel that you can use to
turn off the passenger’s airbag. SeeAirbag Off Switch
on page 1-56andSecuring a Child Restraint in the Right
Front Seat Position on page 1-44for more on this,
including important safety information.
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.
1-38