WARNING:Sitting improperly out of position or with the seat
back reclined too far can take off weight from the seat cushion
and affect the decision of the front passenger sensing system, resulting
in serious injury or death in a crash.
Always sit upright against your seatback, with your feet on the floor.
In case there is a problem with the
passenger sensing system, the
airbag readiness lamp in the
instrument cluster will stay lit. Do
NOT attempt to repair or service the system; take your vehicle
immediately to the dealer.
WARNING: The front passenger airbag is not designed to offer
protection to an occupant in the center seating position.
WARNING: An out of position front center occupant could
affect the decision of the front passenger sensing system.
If it is necessary to modify an advanced front airbag system to
accommodate a person with disabilities, contact the Mazda Customer
Relationship Center at the phone number shown in the Customer
Assistance section of this Owner’s Manual.
The front passenger sensing system may detect small or medium objects
placed on the seat cushion. For most objects that are in the front
passenger seat, the passenger airbag will be disabled. Even though the
passenger airbag is disabled, the pass airbag offlight may or may not
be illuminated according to the table below.
Objects Pass Airbag Off
Indicator LampPassenger
Airbag
Small (i.e. three-ring binder, small
purse, bottled water) Unlit
Disabled
Medium (i.e. heavy briefcase, fully
packed luggage) Lit
Disabled
Empty seat, or small to medium
object with seat belt buckled Lit
Disabled
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WARNING:Any alteration/modification to the front passenger
seat may affect the performance of the front passenger sensing
system.
SAFETY RESTRAINTS FOR CHILDREN
See the following sections for directions on how to properly use safety
restraints for children. Also see Airbag supplemental restraint system
(SRS) in this chapter for special instructions about using airbags.
Important child restraint precautions
WARNING: Always make sure your child is secured properly in
a device that is appropriate for their height, age and weight.
Child safety restraints must be purchased separately from the vehicle.
Failure to follow these instructions and guidelines may result in an
increased risk of serious injury or death to your child.
WARNING: All children are shaped differently. The
Recommendations for Safety Restraints are based on probable
child height, age and weight thresholds from NHTSA and other safety
organizations or are the minimum requirements of law. Mazda
recommends checking with a NHTSA Certified Child Passenger Safety
Technician (CPST) and your pediatrician to make sure your child seat
is appropriate for your child, and is compatible with and properly
installed in the vehicle. To locate a child seat fitting station and CPST
contact the NHTSA toll free at 1-888-327-4236 or on the internet at
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov. Failure to properly restrain children in safety
seats made especially for their height, age, and weight may result in an
increased risk of serious injury or death to your child.
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Recommendations for attaching child safety restraints for children
Note:This vehicle is not equipped with LATCH lower anchors.
Restraint
Type Child
Weight Use any attachment method as indicated
below by “X”
LATCH
(lower
anchors
and top
tether
anchor) LATCH
(lower
anchors
only)
Seat
belt
and
top
tether
anchorSeat belt
and
LATCH
(lower
anchors
and top
tether
anchor) Seat
belt
only
Rear
facing
child seat Up to
48 lb
(21 kg)
XX
Forward
facing
child seat Up to
48 lb
(21 kg)
X XX
Forward
facing
child seat Over
48 lb
(21 kg)
XX
WARNING:
Air bags can kill or injure a child in a child seat.
NEVER place a rear-facing child seat in front of an active air
bag. If you must use a forward-facing child seat in the front seat, move
the vehicle seat all the way back. When possible, all children age 12
and under should be properly restrained in a rear seating position. If
all children cannot be seated and restrained properly in a rear seating
position, properly restrain the largest child in the front seat.
WARNING: Always carefully follow the instructions and
warnings provided by the manufacturer of any child restraint to
determine if the restraint device is appropriate for your child’s size,
height, weight, or age. Follow the child restraint manufacturer’s
instructions and warnings provided for installation and use in
conjunction with the instructions and warnings provided by the vehicle
manufacturer. A safety seat that is improperly installed or utilized, is
inappropriate for your child’s height, age, or weight or does not
properly fit the child may increase the risk of serious injury or death.
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WARNING:Never let a passenger hold a child on his or her lap
while the vehicle is moving. The passenger cannot protect the
child from injury in a collision, which may result in serious injury or
death.
WARNING: Never use pillows, books, or towels to boost a child.
They can slide around and increase the likelihood of injury or
death in a collision.
WARNING: Always restrain an unoccupied child seat or booster
seat. These objects may become projectiles in a collision or
sudden stop, which may increase the risk of serious injury.
WARNING: Never place, or allow a child to place, the shoulder
belt under a child’s arm or behind the back because it reduces
the protection for the upper part of the body and may increase the risk
of injury or death in a collision.
WARNING: Do not leave children, unreliable adults, or pets
unattended in your vehicle.
Transporting children
Always make sure your child is secured properly in a device that is
appropriate for their age, height and weight. All children are shaped
differently. The child height, age and weight thresholds provided are
recommendations or the minimum requirements of law. The National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) provides education and
training to ensure that all children ages 0 to 16 are properly restrained in
the correct restraint system. Mazda recommends checking with a NHTSA
Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST) and your
pediatrician to make sure your seat is appropriate for your child and
properly installed in the vehicle. To locate a child seat fitting station and
CPST contact the NHTSA toll free at 1-888-327-4236or on the internet
at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov.
Follow all the safety restraint and airbag precautions that apply to adult
passengers in your vehicle.
If the child is the proper height, age, and weight (as specified by your
child safety seat or booster manufacturer), fits the restraint and can be
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Installing child safety seats with combination lap and shoulder
belts (front outboard passenger seat only)
Check to make sure the child seat is properly secured before each use.
Children 12 and under should be properly restrained in a rear seating
position whenever possible. If all children cannot be seated and
restrained properly in a rear seating position, properly restrain the
largest child in the front seat.
When installing a child safety seat with combination lap/shoulder belts:
•Use the correct seat belt buckle for that seating position.
• Insert the belt tongue into the proper buckle until you hear a snap
and feel it latch. Make sure the tongue is securely fastened in the
buckle.
• Keep the buckle release button pointing up and away from the safety
seat, with the tongue between the child seat and the release button,
to prevent accidental unbuckling.
• Place vehicle seat back in upright position.
• Put the seat belt in the automatic locking mode. Refer to step 5 below.
Perform the following steps when installing the child seat with
combination lap/shoulder belts:
Note: Although the child seat illustrated is a forward facing child seat,
the steps are the same for installing a rear facing child seat.
1. Position the child safety seat in a seat with a combination lap
and shoulder belt.
WARNING: Rear facing child seats should NEVER be placed in
front of an active airbag.
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Move a child to a different seating location if the shoulder belt does not
stay positioned on the shoulder during use.
Follow all instructions provided by the manufacturer of the booster seat.
WARNING:Never place, or allow a child to place, the shoulder
belt under a child’s arm or behind the back because it reduces
the protection for the upper part of the body and may increase the risk
of injury or death in a collision.
Child restraint and seat belt maintenance
Inspect the seat belt systems periodically to make sure they work
properly and are not damaged.
NOTE: If unsure about the proper procedures, bring your vehicle to an
authorized Mazda dealership for inspection. Inspect the seat belts to
make sure there are no nicks, tears or cuts, replacing if necessary. Check
the automatic locking retractor on the passenger outboard seating
position. All seat belt assemblies, including retractors, buckles, front seat
belt buckle assemblies, buckle support assemblies (slide bar-if equipped),
shoulder belt height adjusters (if equipped), shoulder belt guide on
seatback (if equipped), child safety seat tether bracket assemblies (if
equipped), and attaching hardware, should be inspected after a collision.
Mazda recommends that all seat belt assemblies used in vehicles involved
in a collision be replaced. However, if the collision was minor and an
authorized Mazda technician finds that the belts do not show damage
and continue to operate properly, they do not need to be replaced. Seat
belt assemblies not in use during a collision should also be inspected and
replaced if either damage or improper operation is noted.
The energy absorbing functions may have been activated in a collision so
the restraints should be examined; if the front airbags have deployed, the
pretensioners have also deployed and must be replaced — regardless of
whether there was an occupant in the passenger seat or not.
WARNING: Failure to inspect and if necessary replace the seat
belt assembly under the above conditions could result in severe
personal injuries in the event of a collision.
Refer to Interior in theCleaning chapter.
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NOTICE TO UTILITY VEHICLE AND TRUCK OWNERS
Utility vehicles and trucks handle
differently than passenger cars in
the various driving conditions that
are encountered on streets,
highways and off-road. Utility
vehicles and trucks are not designed
for cornering at speeds as high as
passenger cars any more than
low-slung sports cars are designed
to perform satisfactorily under
off-road conditions.
WARNING:Utility vehicles have a significantly higher rollover
rate than other types of vehicles. To reduce the risk of serious
injury or death from a rollover or other crash you must:
• Avoid sharp turns and abrupt maneuvers;
• Drive at safe speeds for the conditions;
• Keep tires properly inflated;
• Never overload or improperly load your vehicle; and
• Make sure every passenger is properly restrained.
WARNING: In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is
significantly more likely to die than a person wearing a seat belt.
All occupants must wear seat belts and children/infants must use
appropriate restraints to minimize the risk of injury or ejection.
Study your Owner’s Manual and any supplements for specific
information about equipment features, instructions for safe driving and
additional precautions to reduce the risk of an accident or serious injury.
VEHICLE CHARACTERISTICS
4WD and AWD Systems (if equipped)
A vehicle equipped with AWD or 4WD (when selected) has the ability to
use all four wheels to power itself. This increases traction which may
enable you to safely drive over terrain and road conditions that a
conventional two-wheel drive vehicle cannot.
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Power is supplied to all four wheels through a transfer case or power
transfer unit. 4WD vehicles allow you to select different drive modes as
necessary. Information on transfer case operation and shifting procedures
can be found in theDrivingchapter. Information on transfer case
maintenance can be found in the Maintenance and Specifications
chapter. You should become thoroughly familiar with this information
before you operate your vehicle.
On some 4WD models, the initial shift from two-wheel drive to 4WD
while the vehicle is moving can cause a momentary clunk and ratcheting
sound. These sounds are normal as the front drivetrain comes up to
speed and is not cause for concern.
WARNING: Do not become overconfident in the ability of 4WD
and AWD vehicles. Although a 4WD or AWD vehicle may
accelerate better than two-wheel drive vehicle in low traction
situations, it won’t stop any faster than two-wheel drive vehicles.
Always drive at a safe speed.
How your vehicle differs from other vehicles
SUV and trucks can differ from
some other vehicles in a few
noticeable ways. Your vehicle may
be:
• Higher – to allow higher load
carrying capacity and to allow it
to travel over rough terrain
without getting hung up or
damaging underbody components.
• Shorter – to give it the capability
to approach inclines and drive
over the crest of a hill without
getting hung up or damaging
underbody components. All other
things held equal, a shorter
wheelbase may make your vehicle
quicker to respond to steering inputs than a vehicle with a longer
wheelbase.
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