&Reclining the seatback
WARNING
To prevent the passenger from slid-
ing under the seatbelt in the event of
a collision, always put the seatback
in the upright position while the
vehicle is in motion. Also, do not
place objects such as cushions
between the passenger and the
seatback. If you do so, the risk of
sliding under the lap belt and of the
lap belt sliding up over the abdomen
will increase, and both can result in
serious internal injury or death.
CAUTION
. In a 7-seater model vehicle, never
allow the third-row seat passen-
gers to adjust the seatback of the
second row. Doing so is danger-
ous as the seatback will tilt
rapidly and could injure the pas-
sengers.
. If the cargo area cover is
equipped, be careful not to pinch
your hand between the headrest
and the cargo area cover when
you recline the rear seat.Pull the lever up and adjust the seatback
to the desired position.
Then release the lever and make sure the
seatback is securely locked into place.
& Folding down the seatback
WARNING
. After returning the seat to its
original position, be certain to
place all of the seatbelts and the
tab attached to the seat cushion
above the seat cushion. And
make certain that the shoulder
belts are fully visible.
. Never allow passengers to ride
on the folded seatback or in the
cargo area. Doing so may result
in serious injury or death.
. Secure skis and other lengthy
items properly to prevent them
from being thrown around inside
the vehicle and causing serious
injury during a sudden stop, a
sudden steering maneuver or a
rapid acceleration.
. If passengers are sitting on the
third-row seat, never drive while
folding the second-row seat. It
can be a serious interference at
the time of braking and impact.
. If passengers are sitting on the
third-row seat, never drive while
the center seatback of the sec-
ond-row seat is folded. Doing so
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1-9
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ProCarManuals.com
Cargo area cover (if
equipped)The cargo area cover is provided for
covering the cargo area and to protect its
contents from direct sunlight. This cover is
detachable to make room for additional
cargo.&Using the cover1) HolderInsert the seat belt webbing to the holder
of the third-row seat. (7-seater models)
To extend the cover, pull the end of the
cover out of the housing, then insert its
hooks into the catches as shown. To
rewind it, unhook it from the catches and
it will rewind automatically. You should
hold on to the cover and guide it back into
the cover housing while it is rewinding.
WARNING
Do not place anything on the ex-
tended cover. Putting excessive
weight on the extended cover can
break it and an object on the cover
could tumble forward in the event of
a sudden stop or collision. This
could cause serious injury.
CAUTION
. If the cargo area cover is
equipped, be careful not to pinch
your hand between the headrest
and the cargo area cover when
you recline the rear seat.
. Be careful not to scratch the rear
gate stays while extending and
rewinding the cover.
Scratches on the stays could
cause leakage of gas from the
stays, which may result in their
inability to hold the rear gate
open.NOTEWhen the head restraint is adjusted at
the rearmost position of the seat with
the seatback leaned back, the head
restraint comes in contact with the
cargo area cover. In this case, raise
the seatback before adjusting the head
restraint.
If the head restraint is correctly fixed in
any of the lock positions, the head
restraint does not contact the cargo
area cover even when the seatback is
reclined.
Interior equipment
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ProCarManuals.com
Cleaning the interiorUse a soft, damp cloth to clean the climate
control panel, audio equipment, instru-
ment panel, center console, combination
meter panel, and switches. (Do not use
organic solvents.)&Seat fabricRemove loose dirt, dust or debris with a
vacuum cleaner. If the dirt is caked on the
fabric or hard to remove with a vacuum
cleaner, use a soft blush then vacuum it.
Wipe the fabric surface with a tightly
wrung cloth and dry the seat fabric
thoroughly. If the fabric is still dirty, wipe
using a solution of mild soap and luke-
warm water then dry thoroughly.
If the stain does not come out, try a
commercially-available fabric cleaner. Use
the cleaner on a hidden place and make
sure it does not affect the fabric adversely.
Use the cleaner according to its instruc-
tions.NOTEWhen cleaning the seat, do not use
benzine, paint thinner, or any similar
materials.
&Leather seat materialsThe leather used by SUBARU is a high
quality natural product which will retain its
distinctive appearance and feel for many
years with proper care.
Allowing dust or road dirt to build up on the
surface can cause the material to become
brittle and to wear prematurely. Regular
cleaning with a soft, moist, natural fiber
cloth should be performed monthly, taking
care not to soak the leather or allow water
to penetrate the stitched seams.
A mild detergent suitable for cleaning
woolen fabrics may be used to remove
difficult dirt spots, rubbing with a soft, dry
cloth afterwards to restore the luster. If
your SUBARU is to be parked for a long
time in bright sunlight, it is recommended
that the seats and headrests be covered,
or the windows shaded, to prevent fading
or shrinkage.
Minor surface blemishes or bald patches
may be treated with a commercial leather
spray lacquer. You will discover that each
leather seat section will develop soft folds
or wrinkles, which is characteristic of
genuine leather.&Synthetic leather upholsteryThe synthetic leather material used on the
SUBARU may be cleaned using mild soap or detergent and water, after first vacuum-
ing or brushing away loose dirt. Allow the
soap to soak in for a few minutes and wipe
off with a clean, damp cloth. Commercial
foam-type cleaners suitable for synthetic
leather materials may be used when
necessary.
NOTEStrong cleaning agents such as sol-
vents, paint thinners, window cleaner
or gasoline must never be used on
leather or synthetic interior materials.&
Climate control panel, audio
panel, instrument panel,
console panel, switches,
combination meter, and other
plastic surfaceUse a soft, damp cloth to clean the climate
control panel, audio equipment, instru-
ment panel, center console, combination
meter panel, and switches.NOTEDo not use organic solvents such as
paint thinners or gasoline, or strong
cleaning agents that contain those
solvents.
Appearance care
10-5
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ProCarManuals.com