Page 69 of 560
Q: What is wrong with this?
A:The shoulder belt is worn under the arm. It should
be worn over the shoulder at all times.
{WARNING:
You can be seriously injured if you wear the
shoulder belt under your arm. In a crash, your
body would move too far forward, which would
increase the chance of head and neck injury.
Also, the belt would apply too much force to the
ribs, which are not as strong as shoulder bones.
You could also severely injure internal organs like
your liver or spleen. The shoulder belt should go
over the shoulder and across the chest.
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Page 70 of 560
Q: What is wrong with this?
A:The belt is behind the body.
{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.
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Page 71 of 560
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.
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Page 72 of 560

Lap-Shoulder Belt
All seating positions in the vehicle have a lap-shoulder
belt except for the center front passenger position,
if equipped, which has a lap belt. SeeLap Belt
on
page 2‑47for more information.
The lap‐shoulder belts for the first and second row
seating positions are equipped with free‐falling latch
plates. If the vehicle has a third row, the lap‐shoulder
belts have either free‐falling or cinching latch plates.
Use the following pictures to determine the latch
plate style:
Free-Falling Latch Plate
Cinching Latch Plate
The following instructions explain how to wear a
lap-shoulder belt properly. 1. Adjust the seat, if the seat is adjustable, so you can sit up straight. To see how, see “Seats”in
the Index.
2. 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.
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Page 73 of 560

If the shoulder portion of a passenger belt with a
free‐falling latch plate is pulled out all the way, the
child restraint locking feature may be engaged.
If this happens, let the belt go back all the way and
start again.
Engaging the child restraint locking feature in the
right front seating position may affect the
passenger sensing system, if equipped. See
Passenger Sensing System
on page 2‑85for
more information.
If the belt stops before it reaches the buckle, for
lap‐shoulder belts with cinching latch plates, tilt the
latch plate and keep pulling the safety belt until it
can be buckled.
3. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks. If you find that the latch plate will not go fully into
the buckle, see if you are using the correct buckle.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure.
If the belt is not long enough, see Safety Belt
Extender
on page 2‑48.
Position the release button on the buckle so that
the safety belt could be quickly unbuckled if
necessary.
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Page 74 of 560
4. If equipped with a shoulder belt height adjuster,move it to the height that is right for you. See
“Shoulder Belt Height Adjustment” later in this
section for instructions on use and important
safety information.
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 belt and the vehicle.
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Page 75 of 560

Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster
The vehicle has a shoulder belt height adjuster for the
driver and right front passenger positions.
Adjust the height so that the shoulder portion of the belt
is centered on the shoulder. The belt should be away
from the face and neck, but not falling off the shoulder.
Improper shoulder belt height adjustment could reduce
the effectiveness of the safety belt in a crash.
Squeeze the buttons (A)
on the sides of the height
adjuster and move the
height adjuster to the
desired position.
The adjuster can be moved up just by pushing up on
the shoulder belt guide.
After the adjuster is set to the desired position, try to
move it down without squeezing the buttons to make
sure it has locked into position.
Safety Belt Pretensioners
This vehicle has safety belt pretensioners for 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, near frontal, or rear 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 or a rollover event.
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. See Replacing Restraint System Parts After a
Crash on page 2‑94.
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides
This vehicle may have rear shoulder belt comfort
guides. If not, they are available through your dealer/
retailer. The guides may provide added safety belt
comfort for older children who have outgrown booster
seats and for some adults. When installed and properly
adjusted, the comfort guide positions the belt away from
the neck and head.
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Page 76 of 560
There is one guide, if equipped, for each outside
passenger position in the second row seat and the
third row, if the vehicle has one. Here is how to install a
comfort guide to the safety belt:
Second Row
1. For the second row, remove the guide from its storage clip on the interior body.
Third Row
If your vehicle has a third row, remove the guide
from its storage pocket on the side of the seat.
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