Page 39 of 372
{WARNING
You can be seriously injured by
not wearing the lap-shoulder belt
properly. In a crash, you would
not be restrained by the shoulder
belt. Your body could move
too far forward increasing the
chance of head and neck injury.
You might also slide under the
lap belt. The belt force would then
be applied right on the abdomen.
That could cause serious or fatal
injuries. The shoulder belt should
go over the shoulder and across
the chest.
Q:What is wrong with this?
A:The belt is twisted across
the body.
{WARNING
You can be seriously injured by a
twisted belt. In a crash, you would
not have the full width of the belt
to spread impact forces. If a belt
is twisted, make it straight so it
can work properly, or ask your
dealer/retailer to fix it.
Seats and Restraints 2-15
Page 40 of 372

Lap-Shoulder Belt
All seating positions in the vehicle
have a lap-shoulder belt.
The following instructions explain
how to wear a lap-shoulder belt
properly.
1. If the seat has a safety belt
guide, and the safety belt is
not routed through the guide,
snap the guide around the belt
webbing. Be sure the belt is not
twisted.2. Adjust the seat, if the seat is
adjustable, so you can sit up
straight. To see how, see “Seats”
in the Index.
3. Pick up the latch plate and pull
the belt across you. Do not let
it get twisted.
The lap-shoulder belt may lock if
you pull the belt across you very
quickly. If this happens, let the
belt go back slightly to unlock it.
Then pull the belt across you
more slowly.
If the shoulder portion of a
passenger belt is pulled out
all the way, the child restraintlocking feature may be engaged.
If this happens, let the belt go
back all the way and start again.
4. Push the latch plate into the
buckle until it clicks.
Pull up on the latch plate to
make sure it is secure. If the belt
is not long enough, seeSafety
Belt Extender on page 2-20.
Position the release button on
the buckle so that the safety belt
could be quickly unbuckled if
necessary.
2-16 Seats and Restraints
Page 41 of 372

5. To make the lap part tight,
pull up on the shoulder belt.
It may be necessary to pull
stitching on the safety belt
through the latch plate to fully
tighten the lap belt on smaller
occupants.
To unlatch the belt, push the button
on the buckle. The belt should
return to its stowed position.
Before a door is closed, be sure the
safety belt is out of the way. If a door
is slammed against a safety belt,
damage can occur to both the safety
belt and the vehicle.Safety Belt Pretensioners
This vehicle has safety belt
pretensioners for the front outboard
occupants. Although the safety
belt pretensioners cannot be seen,
they are part of the safety belt
assembly. They can help tighten
the safety belts during the early
stages of a moderate to severe
frontal or near frontal crash if the
threshold conditions for pretensioner
activation are met. And, if the vehicle
has side impact airbags, safety belt
pretensioners can help tighten the
safety belts in a side crash.
Pretensioners work only once.
If the pretensioners activate in a
crash, they will need to be replaced,
and probably other new parts for
the vehicle’s safety belt system.
SeeReplacing Safety Belt System
Parts After a Crash on page 2-21.
Rear Safety Belt Comfort
Guides
Rear shoulder belt comfort guides
may provide added safety belt
comfort for older children who have
outgrown booster seats and for
some adults. When installed on a
shoulder belt, the comfort guide
positions the shoulder belt away
from the neck and head.
There is one guide for each
outboard passenger position
in the rear seat.
Seats and Restraints 2-17
Page 42 of 372
Here is how to install a comfort
guide to the safety belt:
1. Pull the elastic cord out from
between the edge of the seatback
and the interior body to remove
the guide from its storage clip.2. Place the guide over the belt and
insert the two edges of the belt
into the slots of the guide.3. Be sure that the belt is not
twisted and it lies flat. The elastic
cord must be under the belt
and the guide on top.
2-18 Seats and Restraints
Page 43 of 372

{WARNING
A safety belt that is not properly
worn may not provide the
protection needed in a crash.
The person wearing the belt could
be seriously injured. The shoulder
belt should go over the shoulder
and across the chest. These parts
of the body are best able to take
belt restraining forces.
4. Buckle, position, and release
the safety belt as described
previously in this section.
Make sure that the shoulder
belt crosses the shoulder.
To remove and store the comfort
guide, squeeze the belt edges
together so that the safety belt can
be removed from the guide. Slide the
guide onto the clip, leaving only the
loop of the elastic cord exposed.
Properly secure the guide before
folding the seatback.
Safety Belt Use During
Pregnancy
Safety belts work for everyone,
including pregnant women. Like all
occupants, they are more likely
to be seriously injured if they do
not wear safety belts.
A pregnant woman should wear a
lap-shoulder belt, and the lap portion
should be worn as low as possible,
below the rounding, throughout
the pregnancy.
Seats and Restraints 2-19
Page 44 of 372

The best way to protect the fetus is
to protect the mother. When a safety
belt is worn properly, it is more likely
that the fetus will not be hurt in a
crash. For pregnant women, as for
anyone, the key to making safety
belts effective is wearing them
properly.
Safety Belt Extender
If the vehicle’s safety belt will fasten
around you, you should use it.
But if a safety belt is not long
enough, your dealer/retailer will order
you an extender. When you go in to
order it, take the heaviest coat you
will wear, so the extender will be
long enough for you. To help avoid
personal injury, do not let someone
else use it, and use it only for the
seat it is made to fit. The extender
has been designed for adults.
Never use it for securing child seats.
To wear it, attach it to the regular
safety belt. For more information,
see the instruction sheet that comes
with the extender.
Safety System Check
Now and then, check that the safety
belt reminder light, safety belts,
buckles, latch plates, retractors and
anchorages are working properly.
Look for any other loose or damaged
safety belt system parts that might
keep a safety belt system from doing
its job. See your dealer/retailer to
have it repaired. Torn or frayed
safety belts may not protect you in
a crash. They can rip apart under
impact forces. If a belt is torn or
frayed, get a new one right away.
Make sure the safety belt reminder
light is working. SeeSafety Belt
Reminders on page 4-16for more
information.
Keep safety belts clean and dry.
SeeSafety Belt Care on page 2-20.
Safety Belt Care
Keep belts clean and dry.
{WARNING
Do not bleach or dye safety belts.
It may severely weaken them.
In a crash, they might not be able
to provide adequate protection.
Clean safety belts only with mild
soap and lukewarm water.
2-20 Seats and Restraints
Page 45 of 372

Replacing Safety Belt
System Parts After
a Crash
{WARNING
A crash can damage the
safety belt system in the vehicle.
A damaged safety belt system may
not properly protect the person
using it, resulting in serious injury
or even death in a crash. To help
make sure the safety belt systems
are working properly after a crash,
have them inspected and any
necessary replacements made as
soon as possible.After a minor crash, replacement of
safety belts may not be necessary.
But the safety belt assemblies
that were used during any crash
may have been stressed or
damaged. See your dealer/retailer
to have the safety belt assemblies
inspected or replaced.
New parts and repairs may be
necessary even if the safety belt
system was not being used at
the time of the crash.
Have the safety belt pretensioners
checked if the vehicle has been in a
crash, or if the airbag readiness light
stays on after you start the vehicle or
while you are driving. SeeAirbag
Readiness Light on page 4-17.
Airbag System
The vehicle has the following
airbags:
•A frontal airbag for the driver.
•A frontal airbag for the right front
passenger.
•A seat-mounted side impact
airbag for the driver.
•A seat-mounted side impact
airbag for the right front
passenger.
The vehicle may also have the
following airbags:
•A roof-rail airbag for the driver
and the passenger seated
directly behind the driver.
•A roof-rail airbag for the
right front passenger and the
passenger seated directly behind
the right front passenger.
Seats and Restraints 2-21
Page 46 of 372

All of the airbags in your vehicle will
have the word AIRBAG embossed in
the trim or on an attached label near
the deployment opening.
For frontal airbags, the word
AIRBAG will appear on the middle
part of the steering wheel for
the driver and on the instrument
panel for the right front passenger.
With seat-mounted side impact
airbags, the word AIRBAG
will appear on the side of the
seatback closest to the door.
With roof-rail airbags, the word
AIRBAG will appear along the
headliner or trim.
Airbags are designed to supplement
the protection provided by safety
belts. Even though today’s airbags
are also designed to help reduce
the risk of injury from the force of
an inflating bag, all airbags must
inflate very quickly to do their job.Here are the most important things
to know about the airbag system:
{WARNING
You can be severely injured or
killed in a crash if you are not
wearing your safety belt — even
if you have airbags. Airbags are
designed to work with safety belts,
but do not replace them. Also,
airbags are not designed to deploy
in every crash. In some crashes
safety belts are your only restraint.
SeeWhen Should an Airbag
In ate? on page 2-25.
Wearing your safety belt during a
crash helps reduce your chance of
hitting things inside the vehicle or
being ejected from it. Airbags are
“supplemental restraints” to the
safety belts. Everyone in your
vehicle should wear a safety belt
properly — whether or not there
is an airbag for that person.
{WARNING
Airbags inflate with great force,
faster than the blink of an eye.
Anyone who is up against, or very
close to, any airbag when it inflates
can be seriously injured or killed.
Do not sit unnecessarily close to
the airbag, as you would be if you
were sitting on the edge of your
seat or leaning forward. Safety
belts help keep you in position
before and during a crash. Always
wear your safety belt, even with
airbags. The driver should sit as
far back as possible while still
maintaining control of the vehicle.
Occupants should not lean on or
sleep against the door or side
windows in seating positions with
seat-mounted side impact airbags
and/or roof-rail airbags.
2-22 Seats and Restraints