
OCCUPANT RESTRAINTS
Some of the most important safety features in your
vehicle are the restraint systems. These include the front
and rear seat belts for the driver and all passengers,
Advanced Front Airbags for both the driver and front
passenger, and side airbags (if equipped) for both the
driver and front passenger. If you will be carrying
children too small for adult-sized belts, your seat belts
can also be used to hold infant and child restraint
systems.
NOTE:The Advanced Front Airbags have a multistage
inflator design. This allows the airbag to have different
rates of inflation that are based on collision severity.
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
injuries, including fatalities, 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 that
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 ejection and the risk of injury caused by striking the
6 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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 must still be
worn snugly and positioned properly.
The pretensioners are triggered by the Occupant Re-
straint Control (ORC) Module. Like the airbags, the
pretensioners are a single use item. After a collision that
is severe enough to deploy the airbags and pretensioners,
they must be replaced.
Enhanced Seat Belt Use Reminder System
(BeltAlert)
If the driver’s 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 Seat Belt
Use Reminder System (BeltAlert) will alert the driver to
buckle the seat belt. The driver should also instruct all
other occupants to buckle their seat belts. Once the warning is triggered, BeltAlert
will continue to chime
and flash the Seat Belt Reminder Light for 96 seconds or
until the driver’s seat belt is buckled. BeltAlert will be
reactivated if the driver’s seat belt is unbuckled for more
than 10 seconds and the vehicle speed is greater than
5 mph (8 km/h).
BeltAlert can be enabled or disabled by your authorized
dealer or by following these steps:
NOTE: The following steps must occur within the first
60 seconds of the ignition switch being turned to the ON
or START position. Chrysler Group LLC does not recom-
mend deactivating BeltAlert.
1. Turn the ignition switch to the OFF position, and
buckle the driver’s seat belt.
2. Turn the ignition key to the ACC/ON position (do not
start the engine), and wait for the Seat Belt Reminder
Light to turn off.
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WARNING!
Using a seat belt extender when not needed can
increase the risk of injury in a collision. Only use
when the seat belt is not long enough when it is worn
low and snug, and in the recommended seating
positions. Remove and stow the seat belt extender
when not needed.
Supplemental Restraint Systems (SRS)
This vehicle has airbags for both the driver and right
front passenger as a supplement to the seat belt restraint
systems. The driver’s 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 embossed on the airbag covers.
1 — Passenger Airbag
2 — Driver Airbag
3 — Knee Bolster
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 15

NOTE:These airbags are certified to the new Federal
regulations for Advanced Airbags.
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.
If the vehicle is equipped with side airbags, they are
located inside the driver and front passenger seats, and
their covers are also labeled SRS.
NOTE:Airbag covers may not be obvious in the interior
trim; but they will open during airbag deployment.
Side Airbag Location
16 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!
•Do not put anything on or around the 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 inflat-
ing.
•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.(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•If your vehicle is equipped with side airbags, 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.
The Advanced Front Airbags have a multistage inflator
design. This allows the airbag to have different rates of
inflation that are based on severity and type of collision.
Along with the seat belts, Advanced Front Airbags work
with the instrument panel knee bolsters to provide
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 17

improved protection for the driver and front passenger.
Side airbags also work with seat belts to improve occu-
pant protection.
Here are some simple steps you can take to minimize the
risk of harm from a deploying airbag:
1. All occupants should ALWAYS use their lap and
shoulder belts properly.
2. The driver and front passenger seats should be moved
back as far as practical to allow the Advanced Front
Airbags room to inflate.
3. Do not lean against the door. If your vehicle has side
airbags, the side airbags will inflate forcefully into the
space between you and the door.
4. If the airbag system in this vehicle needs to be
modified to accommodate a disabled person, contact the
Customer Center. Phone numbers are provided under “If
You Need Assistance” in Section 9 of this manual.WARNING!
•Relying on the airbags alone could lead to more
severe injuries in a collision. The airbags work
with your seat belt to restrain you properly. In
some collisions, the airbags will not deploy at all.
Always wear your seat belts even though you have
airbags.
•Being too close to the steering wheel or instrument
panel during airbag deployment could cause seri-
ous injury, including death. Airbags need room to
inflate. Sit back, comfortably extending your arms
to reach the steering wheel or instrument panel.
•If the vehicle has side airbags, they also need room
to inflate. Do not lean against the door. Sit upright
in the center of the seat.
18 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Airbag System Components
The airbag system consists of the following:
•Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC)
•Airbag Warning Light
•Driver Front Airbag
•Front Passenger Airbag
•Front Seat-Mounted Side Airbags (If Equipped)
•Steering Wheel and Column
•Instrument Panel
•Knee Impact Bolsters
•Front and Side Impact Sensors
•Driver and Front Passenger Seat Belt Pretensioner
How the Airbag System Works
Occupant Restraint Control (ORC) Module
TheORC is part of a Federally regulated safety system
required for this vehicle.
The ORC determines if deployment of the front and/or
side airbags is required in a frontal or side collision.
Based on the impact sensors signals, a central electronic
ORC deploys the Advanced Front Airbags, side airbags,
and front seat belt, as required, depending on each type
of impact.
Advanced Front Airbags are designed to provide addi-
tional protection by supplementing the seat belts in
certain frontal collisions depending on the severity and
type of collision. Advanced Front Airbags are not ex-
pected to reduce the risk of injury in rear, side, or rollover
collisions.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 19

The Advanced Front Airbags will not deploy in all frontal
collisions, including some that may produce substantial
vehicle damage — for example, some pole collisions,
truck underrides, and angle offset collisions. On the other
hand, depending on the type and location of impact,
Advanced Front Airbags may deploy in crashes with
little vehicle front-end damage but that produce a severe
initial deceleration.
The side airbags will not deploy in all side collisions. Side
airbag deployment will depend on the severity and type
of collision.
Because airbag sensors measure vehicle deceleration over
time, vehicle speed and damage by themselves are not
good indicators of whether or not an airbag should have
deployed.
Seat belts are necessary for your protection in all crashes,
and also are needed to help keep you in position, away
from an inflating airbag.The ORC also monitors the readiness of the electronic
parts of the system whenever the ignition switch is in the
START or ON positions. If the key is in the LOCK
position, in the ACC position, or not in the ignition, the
airbags are not on and will not inflate.
•Also, the ORC turns on the Airbag Warning
Light for six to eight seconds for a self-check
when the ignition is first turned on. After the
self-check, the Airbag Warning Light will
turn off. If the ORC detects a malfunction in any part
of the system, it turns on the Airbag Warning Light
either momentarily or continuously. A single chime
will sound if the light comes on again after initial
startup.
20 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE