
6
gine exhaust system to prevent
engine exhaust gas from enter-
ing the vehicle.
. Never run the engine in a closed
space, such as a garage, except
for the brief time needed to drive
the vehicle in or out of it.
. Avoid remaining in a parked
vehicle for a lengthy time while
the engine is running. If that is
unavoidable, then use the venti-
lation fan to force fresh air into
the vehicle.
. Always keep the front ventilator
inlet grille free from snow, leaves
or other obstructions to ensure
that the ventilation system al-
ways works properly.
. If at any time you suspect that
exhaust fumes are entering the
vehicle, have the problem
checked and corrected as soon
as possible. If you must drive
under these conditions, drive
only with all windows fully open.
. Keep the rear gate closed while
driving to prevent exhaust gas
from entering the vehicle.
& Drinking and driving
WARNING
Drinking and then driving is very
dangerous. Alcohol in the blood-
stream delays your reaction and
impairs your perception, judgment
and attentiveness. If you drive after
drinking - even if you drink just a
little - it will increase the risk of
being involved in a serious or fatal
accident, injuring or killing yourself,
your passengers and others. In
addition, if you are injured in the
accident, alcohol may increase the
severity of that injury.
Please don ’t drink and drive.
Drunken driving is one of the most
frequent causes of accidents. Since alco-
hol affects all people differently, you may
have consumed too much alcohol to drive
safely even if the level of alcohol in your
blood is below the legal limit. The safest
thing you can do is never drink and drive.
However if you have no choice but to
drive, stop drinking and sober up comple-
tely before getting behind the wheel.
& Drugs and driving
WARNING
There are some drugs (over the
counter and prescription) that can
delay your reaction time and impair
your perception, judgment and at-
tentiveness. If you drive after taking
them, it may increase your, your
passengers ’and other persons ’risk
of being involved in a serious or
fatal accident.
If you are taking any drugs, check with
your doctor or pharmacist or read the
literature that accompanies the medication
to determine if the drug you are taking can
impair your driving ability. Do not drive
after taking any medications that can
make you drowsy or otherwise affect your
ability to safely operate a motor vehicle. If
you have a medical condition that requires
you to take drugs, please consult with
your doctor.
Never drive if you are under the influence
of any illicit mind-altering drugs. For your
own health and well-being, we urge you
not to take illegal drugs in the first place
and to seek treatment if you are addicted
to those drugs.
ProCarManuals.com 

&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 

1-14
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
&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.
Place the head restraint in its lowest
position, pull up the lever to release the
seatback lock, and fold down the seat-
back.
To return the seatback to its original
position, raise the seatback until it locks
into place. Make sure it is securely locked.
NOTE1) Holder. Before folding or raising the seat-
back of the third-row seat, confirm that
the seatbelt is flat against the sidewall
at the lower point and the webbing is
attached to the holder.
. When raising the seatback of the
third-row seat, if the seatbelt catches
on the seatback, hold the belt forward
of the seatback while latching the
seatback.
ProCarManuals.com 

6-14
Interior equipment
&To remove the cover1. Rewind the cover.2. Pull either sleeve on the end of the
cover housing to shorten the cover ’s
length.
3. Take it off the retainer.
& To install the cover housing1. Remove the cover at the cover hous-
ing retaining part using a flat-head screw-
driver.
2. Pull either sleeve on the end of the
cover housing to shorten the cover ’s
length.
3. Insert the projections located on the
both ends of the sleeve into the recesses
of the retainers.
ProCarManuals.com 

8-2
Driving tips
New vehicle break-in driving
–the first 1,000 miles (1,600
km)The performance and long life of your
vehicle are dependent on how you handle
and care for your vehicle while it is new.
Follow these instructions during the first
1,000 miles (1,600 km):
. Do not race the engine. And do not
allow engine speed to exceed 4,000 rpm
except in an emergency.
. Do not drive at one constant engine or
vehicle speed for a long time, either fast or
slow.
. Avoid starting suddenly and rapid
acceleration, except in an emergency.
. Avoid hard braking, except in an
emergency.
The same break-in procedures should be
applied to a newly installed or overhauled
engine or when brake pads or brake
linings are replaced with new ones.
Fuel economy hintsThe following suggestions will help to save
your fuel.
. Select the proper gear position for the
speed and road conditions.
. Avoid sudden acceleration or decelera-
tion. Always accelerate gently until you
reach the desired speed. Then try to
maintain that speed for as long as
possible.
. Do not pump the accelerator and avoid
racing the engine.
. Avoid unnecessary engine idling.
. Keep the engine properly tuned.
. Keep the tires inflated to the correct
pressure shown on the tire placard, which
is located under the door latch on the
driver ’s side. Low pressure will increase
tire wear and fuel consumption.
. Use the air conditioner only when
necessary.
. Keep the front and rear wheels in
proper alignment.
. Avoid carrying unnecessary luggage or
cargo.
Engine exhaust gas (Carbon
monoxide)
WARNING
. Never inhale engine exhaust gas.
Engine exhaust gas contains
carbon monoxide, a colorless
and odorless gas which is dan-
gerous, or even lethal, if inhaled.
. Always properly maintain the en-
gine exhaust system to prevent
engine exhaust gas from enter-
ing the vehicle.
. Never run the engine in a closed
space, such as a garage, except
for the brief time needed to drive
the vehicle in or out of it.
. Avoid remaining in a parked
vehicle for a lengthy time while
the engine is running. If that is
unavoidable, then use the venti-
lation fan to force fresh air into
the vehicle.
. Always keep the front ventilator
inlet grille free from snow, leaves
or other obstructions to ensure
that the ventilation system al-
ways works properly.
. If at any time you suspect that
ProCarManuals.com 

&Tire chains
CAUTION
Tire chains cannot be used on tires
listed in the following because of
lack of clearance between the tires
and vehicle body.
All model: P255/55R18 tires&Rocking the vehicleIf you must rock the vehicle to free it from
snow, sand, or mud, depress the accel-
erator pedal slightly and move the selector
lever back and forth between “D”and “R”
repeatedly. Do not race the engine. For
the best possible traction, avoid spinning
the wheels when trying to free the vehicle.
When the road surface is extremely
slippery, you can obtain better traction by
starting the vehicle with the transmission
in 2nd than 1st.
Refer to the “Automatic transmission ”
section in chapter 7 for information on
holding the transmission in 2nd position.
Loading your vehicle
WARNING
Never allow passengers to ride on a
folded rear seatback or in the cargo
area. Doing so may result in serious
injury.
WARNING
. Never stack luggage or other
cargo higher than the top of the
seatback because it could tumble
forward and injure passengers in
the event of a sudden stop or
accident. Keep luggage or cargo
low, as close to the floor as possible.
. When you carry something inside
the vehicle, secure it whenever
you can to prevent it from being
thrown around inside the vehicle
during sudden stops, sharp turns
or in an accident.
. Do not pile heavy loads on the
roof. These loads raise the vehi-
cle ’s center of gravity and make it
more prone to tip over.
. Secure lengthy items properly to
prevent them from shooting for-
ward and causing serious injury
during a sudden stop.
. Never exceed the maximum load
limit. If you do, some parts on
your vehicle can break, or it can
change the way your vehicle
handles. This could result in loss
of control and cause personal
injury. Also, overloading can
shorten the life of your vehicle.
. Do not place anything on the
extended luggage cover. Such
items could tumble forward in
the event of a sudden stop or a
collision. This could cause ser-
ious injury.
Driving tips
8-11
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ProCarManuals.com 

8-26
Driving tips
&Trailer towing tips
CAUTION
. Never exceed 45 mph (72 km/h)
when towing a trailer in hilly
country on hot days.
. When towing a trailer, steering,
stability, stopping distance and
braking performance will be dif-
ferent from normal operation. For
safety’ s sake, you should employ
extra caution when towing a
trailer and you should never
speed. You should also keep the
following tips in mind:
! Before starting out on a trip
. Check that the vehicle and vehicle-to-
hitch mounting are in good condition. If
any problems are apparent, do not tow the
trailer.
. Check that the vehicle sits horizontally
with the trailer attached. If the vehicle is
tipped sharply up at the front and down at
the rear, check the total trailer weight,
GVW, GAWs and tongue load again, then
confirm that the load and its distribution
are acceptable.
. Check that the tire pressures are
correct. .
Check that the vehicle and trailer are
connected properly. Confirm that
–the trailer tongue is connected
properly to the hitch ball.
– the trailer lights connector is con-
nected properly and trailer ’sbrake
lights illuminate when the vehicle ’s
brake pedal is pressed, and that the
trailer ’s turn signal lights flash when
the vehicle’ s turn signal lever is oper-
ated.
– the safety chains are connected
properly.
– all cargo in the trailer is secured
safely in position.
– the side mirrors provide a good
rearward field of view without a sig-
nificant blind spot.
. Sufficient time should be taken to learn
the “feel ”of the vehicle/trailer combination
before starting out on a trip. In an area free
of traffic, practice turning, stopping and
backing up.
! Driving with a trailer
. You should allow for considerably more
stopping distance when towing a trailer.
Avoid sudden braking because it may
result in skidding or jackknifing and loss of
control.
. Avoid uneven steering, sharp turns and
rapid lane changes. .
Slow down before turning. Make a
longer than normal turning radius because
the trailer wheels will be closer than the
vehicle wheels to the inside of the turn. In
a tight turn, the trailer could hit your
vehicle.
. Crosswinds will adversely affect the
handling of your vehicle and trailer, caus-
ing sway. Crosswinds can be due to
weather conditions or the passing of large
trucks or buses. If swaying occurs, firmly
grip the steering wheel and slow down
immediately but gradually.
. When passing other vehicles, consid-
erable distance is required because of the
added weight and length caused by
attaching the trailer to your vehicle.
1) Left turn
2) Right turn
ProCarManuals.com 

WARNING
Do not use oil or grease on the
wheel studs or nuts when the spare
tire is installed. This could cause the
nuts to become loose and lead to an
accident.
15. Turn the jack handle counterclockwise
to lower the vehicle.
CAUTION
There are 2 types of wheel nut
wrenches that apply to different
lengths.
For an aluminum wheel vehicle, the
11.2-inch (285 mm) wheel nut
wrench is equipped as a mainte-
nance tool. And for a chrome plated
wheel vehicle, the 13.2-inch (335
mm) wheel nut wrench is equipped
as well. Confirm the equipped wheel
nut wrench type when you replace a
tire. If the wheel nut wrench is the
different type, it cannot be tightened
to the specified torque.
1) The length of the wheel nut wrench16. Confirm the length of the equipped
wheel nut wrench.
For an aluminum wheel vehicle, the 11.2-
inch (285 mm) wheel nut wrench is
equipped as a maintenance tool. And for
a chrome plated wheel vehicle, the 13.2-
inch (335 mm) wheel nut wrench is
equipped as well.
17. Use the wheel nut wrench to securely
tighten the wheel nuts to the specified
torque, following the tightening order in the
illustration.
Wheel nuts tightening torque for tem-
porary spare tire:
74 to 89 lbf·ft (100 to 120 N·m, 10 to 12
kgf·m)
This torque is equivalent to applying the
following load on the edge of the wheel
nut wrench.
When you use a wheel nut wrench of
the 11.2-inch (285 mm) length:
Approximately 88 to 110 lbs (40 to 50
kg)
When you use a wheel nut wrench of
the 13.2-inch (335 mm) length:
In case of emergency
9-9
– CONTINUED –
ProCarManuals.com