
The passenger sensing system
turns off the right front passenger
frontal airbag and seat-mounted
side impact airbag under certain
conditions. The driver airbags
and the roof-rail airbags are not
affected by the passenger sensing
system.
The passenger sensing system
works with sensors that are part of
the right front passenger seat and
safety belt. The sensors are
designed to detect the presence
of a properly-seated occupant and
determine if the right front passenger
frontal airbag and seat-mounted side
impact airbag should be enabled
(may in ate) or not.According to accident statistics,
children are safer when properly
secured in a rear seat in a correct
child restraint for their weight
and size.
We recommend that children 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.
A label on the 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.{CAUTION
A child in a rear-facing child
restraint can be seriously injured
or killed if the right front
passenger airbag in ates.
This is because the back of the
rear-facing child restraint would
be very close to the in ating
airbag. A child in a forward-facing
child restraint can be seriously
injured or killed if the right front
passenger airbag in ates and the
passenger seat is in a forward
position.
(Continued)
1-52 Seats and Restraint System
ProCarManuals.com

CAUTION (Continued)
Even if the passenger sensing
system has turned off the right
front passenger frontal airbag and
seat-mounted side impact airbag
(if equipped), no system is
fail-safe. No one can guarantee
that an airbag will not deploy under
some unusual circumstance, even
though the airbag(s) are off.
Secure rear-facing child restraints
in a rear seat, even if the airbag(s)
are off. If you secure a
forward-facing child restraint in the
right front seat, always move the
front passenger seat as far back as
it will go. It is better to secure the
child restraint in a rear seat.
If the vehicle does not have a
rear seat that will accommodate
a rear-facing child restraint, a
rear-facing child restraint should not
be installed in the vehicle, even if the
airbag is off.The passenger sensing system is
designed to turn off the right
front passenger airbag and
seat-mounted side impact airbag if:
The right front passenger seat
is unoccupied.
The system determines that an
infant is present in a rear-facing
infant seat.
The system determines that a
small child is present in a
child restraint.
The system determines that a
small child is present in a
booster seat.
A right front passenger takes
his/her weight off of the seat
for a period of time.
The right front passenger seat is
occupied by a smaller person,
such as a child who has
outgrown child restraints.
Or, if there is a critical problem
with the airbag system or the
passenger sensing system.When the passenger sensing
system has turned off the right
front passenger frontal airbag and
seat-mounted side impact airbag,
the off indicator will light and stay lit
to remind you that the airbags
are off. SeePassenger Airbag
Status Indicator on page 3-30.
The passenger sensing system is
designed to turn on (may in ate) the
right front passenger frontal airbag
and seat-mounted side impact
airbag anytime the system senses
that a person of adult size is
sitting properly in the right front
passenger seat.
When the passenger sensing
system has allowed the airbags to
be enabled, the on indicator will light
and stay lit to remind you that the
airbags are active.
Seats and Restraint System 1-53
ProCarManuals.com

For some children who have
outgrown child restraints and for very
small adults, the passenger sensing
system may or may not turn off the
right front passenger frontal airbag
and seat-mounted side impact
airbag, depending upon the person’s
seating posture and body build.
Everyone in the vehicle who has
outgrown child restraints should wear
a safety belt properly — whether or
not there is an airbag for that person.
{CAUTION
If the airbag readiness light ever
comes on and stays on, it means
that something may be wrong with
the airbag system. To help avoid
injury to yourself or others, have
the vehicle serviced right away.
SeeAirbag Readiness Light on
page 3-29for more information,
including important safety
information.
If the On Indicator is Lit for a
Child Restraint
If a child restraint has been installed
and the on indicator is lit:
1. Turn the vehicle off.
2. Remove the child restraint from
the vehicle.
3. Remove any additional items
from the seat such as blankets,
cushions, seat covers, seat
heaters, or seat massagers.
4. Reinstall the child restraint
following the directions provided
by the child restraint manufacturer
and refer toSecuring a Child
Restraint in the Right Front Seat
Position on page 1-39.5. If, after reinstalling the child
restraint and restarting the
vehicle, the on indicator is still lit,
turn the vehicle off. Then
slightly recline the vehicle
seatback and adjust the seat
cushion, if adjustable, to
make sure that the vehicle
seatback is not pushing the child
restraint into the seat cushion.
Also make sure the child restraint
is not trapped under the vehicle
head restraint. If this happens,
adjust the head restraint.
SeeHead Restraints on
page 1-2.
6. Restart the vehicle.
If the on indicator is still lit with an
infant present in a child restraint,
secure the child restraint in a rear
seat position in the vehicle and
see your dealer/retailer.
1-54 Seats and Restraint System
ProCarManuals.com

Liftgate
{CAUTION
Exhaust gases can enter the
vehicle if it is driven with the
liftgate, trunk/hatch open, or
with any objects that pass through
the seal between the body and
the trunk/hatch or liftgate.
Engine exhaust contains Carbon
Monoxide (CO) which cannot be
seen or smelled. It can cause
unconsciousness and even death.
If the vehicle must be driven with
the liftgate, or trunk/hatch open:
Close all of the windows.
Fully open the air outlets on or
under the instrument panel.
(Continued)
CAUTION (Continued)
Adjust the Climate Control
system to a setting that
brings in only outside air
and set the fan speed to the
highest setting. See Climate
Control System in the Index.
If the vehicle is equipped with
a power liftgate, disable the
power liftgate function.
For more information about
carbon monoxide, seeEngine
Exhaust on page 2-28.
To lock or unlock the liftgate, press
the button on the Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) transmitter twice
or the power door lock switch.
To open the liftgate, press
the touchpad on the underside of
the liftgate handle and pull up.
To close the liftgate, pull down using
the handle and close until it latches.Liftgate Operation with Loss of
Power
To open the liftgate if the vehicle’s
battery is disconnected or the
voltage is low, access the release
lever. Remove the interior trim cover
on the inside of the liftgate. Use a
tool to push the lever on the latch
until the liftgate releases.
Features and Controls 2-9
ProCarManuals.com

Reading Lamps
The reading lamps are located on
the overhead console.
To turn the reading lamps on or off,
press the button located next to
each lamp.
Electric Power
Management
The vehicle has Electric Power
Management (EPM) that estimates
the battery’s temperature and state
of charge. It then adjusts the voltage
for best performance and extended
life of the battery.
When the battery’s state of charge is
low, the voltage is raised slightly to
quickly bring the charge back up.
When the state of charge is high,
the voltage is lowered slightly to
prevent overcharging. If the vehicle
has a voltmeter gage or a voltage
display on the Driver InformationCenter (DIC), you may see the
voltage move up or down. This is
normal. If there is a problem, an alert
will be displayed.
The battery can be discharged at
idle if the electrical loads are very
high. This is true for all vehicles. This
is because the generator (alternator)
may not be spinning fast enough at
idle to produce all the power that is
needed for very high electrical loads.
A high electrical load occurs when
several of the following are on,
such as: headlamps, high beams,
fog lamps, rear window defogger,
climate control fan at high speed,
heated seats, engine cooling fans,
trailer loads, and loads plugged into
accessory power outlets.
EPM works to prevent excessive
discharge of the battery. It does this
by balancing the generator’s output
and the vehicle’s electrical needs.It can increase engine idle speed to
generate more power, whenever
needed. It can temporarily reduce
the power demands of some
accessories.
Normally, these actions occur
in steps or levels, without being
noticeable. In rare cases at the
highest levels of corrective action,
this action may be noticeable to the
driver. If so, a Driver Information
Center (DIC) message might be
displayed, such as BATTERY
SAVER ACTIVE, BATTERY
VOLTAGE LOW, or LOW BATTERY.
If this message is displayed, it is
recommended that the driver reduce
the electrical loads as much as
possible. SeeDIC Warnings and
Messages on page 3-49.
Instrument Panel 3-15
ProCarManuals.com

Climate Controls
Climate Control System
The heating, cooling, and ventilation for the vehicle can be controlled with this
system. For vehicles with the remote start feature, the climate control system
functions as part of the remote start feature. SeeRemote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System Operation on page 2-4 .
A. Fan Control
B. Temperature Control
C. Air Delivery Mode Control
D. Air Conditioning E. Outside Air
F. Recirculation
G. Rear Window Defogger
A(Fan Control):
Turn clockwise
or counterclockwise to increase or
decrease the fan speed. To turn
the fan off, turn the left knob all
the way counterclockwise. In any
setting other than off, the fan runs
continuously with the ignition on.
There will be some air ow noticeable
from the various outlets when driving,
even with the fan in the off position.
To turn off the air completely, turn the
fan to
9and select the recirculation
button.
Temperature Control: Turn
clockwise or counterclockwise
to increase or decrease the
temperature inside the vehicle.
Air Delivery Mode Control: Turn
clockwise or counterclockwise
to change the current air ow mode.
Select from the following air
delivery modes:
H(Vent): Air is directed to the
instrument panel outlets.
Instrument Panel 3-17
ProCarManuals.com