▫Rear Center Lap/Shoulder Belt Retractor
Lockout (Four-Door Models Only) ......... 44
▫ Adjustable Upper Shoulder Belt Anchorage . . . 44
▫ Automatic Locking Retractors (ALR) Mode
— If Equipped ....................... 46
▫ Seat Belts In Passenger Seating Positions ..... 46
▫ Seat Belt Pretensioners — If Equipped ...... 47
▫ Enhanced Seat Belt Use Reminder System
(BeltAlert) ......................... 47
▫ Seat Belts And Pregnant Women .......... 49
▫ Seat Belt Extender ..................... 49
▫ Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) —
Airbags ............................ 50 ▫
Airbag Deployment Sensors And Controls . . . 55
▫ Event Data Recorder (EDR) .............. 60
▫ Child Restraints ...................... 61
Engine Break-In Recommendations .......... 75
Safety Tips ........................... 75
▫ Transporting Passengers ................ 75
▫ Exhaust Gas ......................... 76
▫ Safety Checks You Should Make Inside The
Vehicle ............................. 77
▫ Periodic Safety Checks You Should Make
Outside The Vehicle ................... 79
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 11
CAUTION!
Do not press on rear wiper blade when closing the
rear flip-up window, as damage to the blade will
result.
WARNING!
Driving with the flip-up window open can allow
poisonous exhaust gases into your vehicle. You and
your passengers could be injured by these fumes.
Keep the flip-up window closed when you are oper-
ating the vehicle.
OCCUPANT RESTRAINTS
Some of the most important safety features in your
vehicle are the restraint systems:
•Three-point lap and shoulder belts for the driver and
all passengers
•Advanced Front Airbags for driver and front passen-
ger
•Supplemental Seat-Mounted Side Airbags (SAB) — if
equipped
•An energy-absorbing steering column and steering
wheel
•Knee bolsters/blockers for front seat occupants
•Front seat belts incorporate pretensioners to enhance
occupant protection by managing occupant energy
during an impact event — if equipped
•All seat belt systems (except the driver’s) include
Automatic Locking Retractors (ALRs), which lock the
seat belt webbing into position by extending the belt
all the way out and then adjusting the belt to the
desired length to restrain a child seat or secure a large
item in a seat — if equipped
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 37
If you will be carrying children too small for adult-sized
seat belts, the seat belts or the Lower Anchors and Tether
for CHildren (LATCH) feature also can be used to hold
infant and child restraint systems. For more information
on LATCH, see Lower Anchors and Tether for CHildren
(LATCH).
NOTE:The Advanced Front Airbags have a multistage
inflator design. This allows the airbag to have different
rates of inflation based on the severity and type of
collision.
Please pay close attention to the information in this
section. It tells you how to use your restraint system
properly, to keep you and your passengers as safe as
possible.WARNING!
In a collision, you and your passengers can suffer
much greater injuries if you are not properly buckled
up. You can strike the interior of your vehicle or other
passengers, or you can be thrown out of the vehicle.
Always be sure you and others in your vehicle are
buckled up properly.
Buckle up even though you are an excellent driver, even
on short trips. Someone on the road may be a poor driver
and cause a collision that includes you. This can happen
far away from home or on your own street.
Research has shown that seat belts save lives, and they
can reduce the seriousness of injuries in a collision. Some
of the worst injuries happen when people are thrown
from the vehicle. Seat belts reduce the possibility of
38 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
Left Center Right
First Row ALR
Second Row ALR ALR ALR Third Row
If the passenger seating position is equipped with an
ALR and is being used for normal usage:
Only pull the belt webbing out far enough to comfortably
wrap around the occupants mid-section so as to not
activate the ALR. If the ALR is activated you will hear a
ratcheting sound as the belt retracts. Allow the webbing
to retract completely in this case and then carefully pull
out only the amount of webbing necessary to comfort-
ably wrap around the occupants mid-section. Slide the
latch plate into the buckle until you hear a click.
Seat Belt Pretensioners — If Equipped
The seat belts for both front seating positions may be
equipped with pretensioning devices that are designed to remove slack from the seat belt in the event of a collision.
These devices improve the performance of the seat belt
by assuring that the belt is tight about the occupant early
in a collision. Pretensioners work for all size occupants,
including those in child restraints.
NOTE:
These devices are not a substitute for proper seat
belt placement by the occupant. The seat belt still must be
worn snugly and positioned properly.
The pretensioners are triggered by the Occupant Re-
straint Controller (ORC). Like the airbags, the pretension-
ers are single use items. A deployed pretensioner or a
deployed airbag must be replaced immediately.
Enhanced Seat Belt Use Reminder System
(BeltAlert)
If the driver ’s or front passenger ’s (if equipped with belt
alert) seat belt has not been buckled within 60 seconds of
starting the vehicle and if the vehicle speed is greater
than 5 mph (8 km/h), the Enhanced Warning System
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 47
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) — Airbags
This vehicle has Advanced Front Airbags for both the
driver and right front passenger as a supplement to the
seat belt restraint systems. The driver’s Advanced Front
Airbag is mounted in the steering wheel. The front
passenger airbag is mounted in the instrument panel,
above the glove compartment. The letters SRS are em-
bossed on the airbag covers.NOTE:These airbags are certified to the new Federal
regulations for Advanced Airbags.
Advanced Front Airbag and Knee Bolster Locations
1 — Driver Advanced Front Airbag
2 — Passenger Advanced Front Airbag
3 — Knee Bolster
50 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
The Advanced Front Airbags have a multistage inflator
design. This allows the airbag to have different rates of
inflation that are based on the severity and type of
collision.
This vehicle may be equipped with driver and/or front
passenger seat track position sensors that may adjust the
inflation rate of the Advanced Front Airbags based upon
seat position.
This vehicle may be equipped with a driver and/or front
passenger seat belt buckle switch that detects whether
the driver or front passenger seat belt is fastened. The
seat belt buckle switch may adjust the inflation rate of the
Advanced Front Airbags.
Supplemental Seat-Mounted Side Airbags (SAB) —
If Equipped
Supplemental Seat-Mounted Side Airbags provide en-
hanced protection to help protect an occupant during aside impact. The Supplemental Seat-Mounted Side Air-
bag is marked with an airbag label sewn into the out-
board side of the front seats.
NOTE:
Airbag covers may not be obvious in the interior
trim; but they will open during airbag deployment.
Supplemental Seat-Mounted Side Airbag Location
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 51
WARNING!
•No objects should be placed over or near the
airbag on the instrument panel, because any such
objects could cause harm if the vehicle is in a
collision severe enough to cause the airbag to
inflate.
•Do not put anything on or around the Advanced
Front Airbag covers or attempt to manually open
them. You may damage the airbags and you could
be injured because the airbags may no longer be
functional. These protective covers for the airbag
cushions are designed to open only when the
airbags are inflating.(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•If your vehicle is equipped with side airbags, do
not use accessory seat covers or place objects
between you and the side airbags; the performance
could be adversely affected and/or objects could
be pushed into you, causing serious injury.
•If your vehicle is equipped with Supplemental
Seat-Mounted Side Airbags (SAB), do not attach
cupholders or any other objects on or around the
door. The inflating side airbag could drive the
objects into occupants, causing serious injury.
•Do not cover or place items on the airbag covers.
These items may cause serious injury during in-
flation.
•Do not store or place items under the front seats.
You may damage the airbag wiring harnesses.
52 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
The Advanced Front Airbags have a multistage inflator
design. This allows the airbag to have different rates of
inflation that are based on the severity and type of
collision. Along with the seat belts, Advanced Front
Airbags work with the instrument panel knee bolsters to
provide improved protection for the driver and front
passenger. Side airbags also work with seat belts to
improve occupant protection.
Here are some simple steps you can take to minimize the
risk of harm from a deploying airbag:
1. Children 12 years and under should always ride
buckled up in a rear seat.
Infants in rear facing child restraints shouldNEVERride
in the front seat of a vehicle with a passenger airbag. An
airbag deployment could cause severe injury or death to
infants in that position. Children that are not big enough to properly wear the
vehicle seat belt should be secured in the rear seat, in a
child restraint or belt-positioning booster seat. Older
children who do not use child restraints or belt-
positioning booster seats should ride properly buckled
up in the rear seat. Never allow children to slide the
shoulder belt behind them or under their arm.
If a child from 1 to 12 years old (not in a rear facing child
seat) must ride in the front passenger seat, move the seat
as far back as possible and use the proper child restraint.
(Refer to “Child Restraints”)
You should read the instructions provided with your
child restraint to make sure that you are using it properly.
2. All occupants should ALWAYS use their lap and
shoulder belts properly.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 53