http://www.nhtsa.gov
Telephone:
1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).
Reporting safety defects in Canada
If you believe your vehicle has a defect that could cause a crash or could cause injury or death, you should
immediately inform Transport Canada in addition to notifying Volvo Cars of Canada Corp.
To contact Transport Canada, call (800) 333- 0510, or (613) 993-9851 if you are calling from the Ottawa region.
14 01 Safety
Seat belts
Using seat belts
Seat belts should always be worn by all occupants of your vehicle. Children should be properly restrained, using an
infant, car, or booster seat determined by age, weight and height.
Volvo also believes no child should sit in the front seat of a vehicle.
Most states and provinces make it mandatory for occupants of a vehicle to use seat belts.
Seat belt pretensioners
All seat belts are equipped with pretensioners that reduce slack in the belts. These pretensioners are triggered in
situations where the front or side impact airbags deploy, and in certain impacts from the rear. The front seat belts also
include a tension reducing device which, in the event of a collision, limits the peak forces exerted by the seat belt on
the occupant.
Buckling a seat belt
Pull the belt out far enough to insert the latch plate into the receptacle until a distinct click is heard.
NOTE
The seat belt is easiest to reach by grasping it near the seat belt guide (see the illustration on page 17
), not over the
shoulder.
The seat belt retractor is normally "unlocked" and you can move freely, provided that the shoulder belt is not pulled out
too far.
The retractor will lock up as follows:
if the belt is pulled out rapidly
during braking and acceleration
if the vehicle is leaning excessively
when driving in turns
When wearing the seat belt remember:
The belt should not be twisted or turned.
The lap section of the belt must be positioned low on the hips (not pressing against the abdomen).
Make sure that the shoulder belt is rolled up into its retractor and that the shoulder and lap belts are taut.
Unbuckling the seat belt
To remove the seat belt, press the red section on the seat belt receptacle. Before exiting the vehicle, check that the
seat belt retracts fully after being unbuckled. If necessary, guide the belt back into the retractor slot.
WARNING
Never use a seat belt for more than one occupant. Never wear the shoulder portion of the belt under the arm, behind
the back or otherwise out of position. Such use could cause injury in the event of an accident. As seat belts lose
much of their strength when exposed to violent stretching, they should be replaced after any collision, even if they
appear to be undamaged.
15 01 Safety
Seat belts
WARNING
Never repair the belt yourself; have this work done by a trained and qualified Volvo service technician only.
Any device used to induce slack into the shoulder belt portion of the three-point belt system will have a
detrimental effect on the amount of protection available to you in the e vent of a collision.
The seat back should not be tilted too far back. The shoulder belt must be taut in order to function properly.
Do not use child safety seats or child booster cushions/backrests in the front passenger's seat. We also recommend
that children who have outgrown these devices sit in the rear seat with the seat belt properly fastened.
Seat belt use during pregnancy
National Customer Service
175 Gordon Baker Road
North York, Ontario M2H 2N7
1-800-663-8255
WARNING
No objects that add to the total weight on the seat should be placed on the front passenger's seat. If a child is
seated in the front passenger's seat with any additional weight, this extra weight could cause the OWS system to
enable the airbag, which might cause it to deploy in the event of a collision, thereby injuring the child.
The seat belt should never be wrapped around an object on the front passenger's seat. This could interfere with the
OWS system's function.
The front passenger's seat belt should never be used in a way that exerts more pressure on the passenger than
normal. This could increase the pressure exerted on the weight sensor by a child, and could result in the airbag being
enabled, which might cause it to deploy in the event of a collision, thereby injuring the child.
WARNING
Keep the following points in mind with respect to the OWS system. Failure to follow these instructions could
adversely affect the system's function and result in serious injury to the occupant of the front passenger's seat:
The full weight of the front seat passenger should always be on the seat cushion. The passenger should never lift
him/herself off the seat cushion using the armrest in the door or the center console, by pressing the feet on the floor,
by sitting on the edge of the seat cushion, or by pressing against the backrest in a way that reduces pressure on the
seat cushion. This could cause OWS to disable the passenger's side front airbag.
Do not place any type of object on the front passenger's seat in such a way that jamming, pressing, or squeezing
occurs between the object and the front seat, other than as a direct result of the correct use of the Automatic Locking
Retractor/Emergency Locking Retractor (ALR/ELR) seat belt (see page 32
).
No objects should be placed under the front passenger's seat. This could interfere with the OWS system's function.
25 01 Safety
Side impact protection airbags
Side impact airbags (SIPS) - front seats only
As an enhancement to the structural side impact protection built into your car, the vehicle is also equipped with Side
Impact Protection System (SIPS) airbags.
Automatic Locking Retractor/Emergency Locking Retractor (ALR/ELR)
To make child seat installation easier, each seat belt (except for the driver's belt) is equipped with a locking mechanism
to help keep the seat belt taut.
When attaching the seat belt to a child seat:
Attach the seat belt to the child seat according to the child seat manufacturer's instructions.
Pull the seat belt out as far as possible.
Insert the seat belt latch plate into the buckle (lock) in the usual way.
Release the seat belt and pull it taut around the child seat.
A sound from the seat belt retractor will be audible at this time and is normal. The belt will now be locked in place.
This function is automatically disabled when the seat belt is unlocked and the belt is fully retracted.
WARNING
Do not use child safety seats or child booster cushions/backrests in the front passenger's seat. We also recommend
that children who have outgrown these devices sit in the rear seat with the seat belt properly fastened.
Volvo's recommendations
Why does Volvo believe that no child should sit in the front seat of a car? It's quite simple really. A front airbag is a
very powerful device designed, by law, to help protect an adult.
Because of the size of the airbag and its speed of inflation, a child should never be placed in the front seat, even if he
or she is properly belted or strapped into a child safety seat. Volvo has been an innovator in safety for over seventy-
five years, and we'll continue to do our part. But we need your help. Please remember to put your children in the back
seat, and buckle them up.
Volvo has some very specific recommendations:
Always wear your seat belt.
Airbags are a SUPPLEMENTAL safety device which, when used with a three-point seat belt can help reduce
serious injuries during certain types of accidents. Volvo recommends that you do not disconnect the airbag system in
your vehicle.
Volvo strongly recommends that everyone in the vehicle be properly restrained.
Volvo recommends that ALL occupants (adults and children) shorter than 4 feet 7 inches (140 cm) be seated in the
back seat of any vehicle with a front passenger side airbag.
Drive safely!
33 01 Safety
Child restraint systems
Child restraints
2. Attach the seat belt to the infant seat according to the manufacturer's instructions.
3. Fasten the seat belt by inserting the latch plate into the buckle (lock) until a distinct click is audible.
36 01 Safety
Infant seats
WARNING
A child seat should never be used in the front passenger seat of any vehicle with a front passenger airbag - not even
if the "Passenger airbag off" symbol near the rear-view mirror is illuminated (on vehicles equipped with Occupant
Weight Sensor). If the severity of an accident were to cause the airbag to inflate, this could lead to serious injury or
death to a child seated in this position.
4. Pull the shoulder section of the seat belt out as far as possible to activate the belt's automatic locking function.
5. Press the infant seat firmly in place, let the seat belt retract and pull it taut. A sound from the seat belt retractor's
automatic locking function will be audible at this time and is normal. The seat belt should now be locked in place.
NOTE
The locking retractor will automatically release when the seat belt is unbuckled and allowed to retract fully.
6. Push and pull the infant seat to ensure that it is held securely in place by the seat belt.
WARNING
It should not be possible to move the child restraint more than 1 in. (2.5 cm) in any direction.
7. The infant seat can be removed by unbuckling the seat belt and letting it retract completely.
37 01 Safety
Convertible seats
Securing a convertible seat with a seat belt
Convertible seats
WARNING
Convertible child seats should be installed in the rear seat only.
A rear-facing convertible seat should not be positioned behind the driver's seat unless there is adequate space for
safe installation.
2. Attach the seat belt to the convertible seat according to the manufacturer's instructions.
3. Fasten the seat belt by inserting the latch plate into the buckle (lock) until a distinct click is audible.
4. Pull the shoulder section of the seat belt out as far as possible to activate the belt's automatic locking function.
5. Press the convertible seat firmly in place, let the seat belt retract and pull it taut. A sound from the seat belt
retractor's automatic locking function will be audible at this time and is normal. The seat belt should now be locked in
place.
39 01 Safety
Convertible seats
NOTE
The locking retractor will automatically release when the seat belt is unbuckled and allowed to retract fully.
1. Place the booster cushion in the rear seat of the vehicle.
2. With the child properly seated on the booster cushion, attach the seat belt to or around the cushion according to the
manufacturer's instructions.
3. Fasten the seat belt by inserting the latch plate into the buckle (lock) until a distinct click is audible.
4. Ensure that the seat belt is pulled taut and fits snugly around the child.
WARNING
The hip section of the three-point seat belt must fit snugly across the child's hips, not across the stomach.
The shoulder section of the three-point seat belt should be positioned across the chest and shoulder.
The shoulder belt must never be placed behind the child's back or under the arm.
41 01 Safety
ISOFIX lower anchors
Using the ISOFIX lower child seat anchors
Lower anchors for ISOFIX-equipped child seats are located in the rear seats, hidden below the backrest cushions.
Symbols on the seat back upholstery mark the anchor positions (see the illustration).
To access the anchors:
1. Put the child restraint in position.
2. Kneel on the child restraint to press down the seat cushion and locate the anchors by feel.
3. Fasten the attachment on the child restraint's lower straps to the ISOFIX lower anchors.
4. Firmly tension the lower child seat straps according to the manufacturer's instructions.
NOTE
Always follow your child seat manufacturer's installation instructions, and use both ISOFIX lower anchors and top
tethers whenever possible.