Page 22 of 488

Black plate (24,1)
Never allow a passenger to sit or stand
on the folded seatback while the
vehicle is moving:
Driving with a passenger on the
folded seatback is dangerous.
Allowing a child to sit up on the
folded seatback while the vehicle is
moving is particularly dangerous. In
a sudden stop or even a minor
collision, a child not in a proper seat
or child-restraint system and seat
belt could be thrown forward, back
or even out of the vehicle resulting in
serious injuries or death. The child in
the baggage area could be thrown
into other occupants and cause
serious injury.
Never give the car keys to children and
do not allow them to play in the vehicle
(4 Door):
Playing with the folding rear seats is
dangerous. The folding rear
seatbacks cannot be folded down
from inside the trunk. Once the
seatbacks are back up, a child in the
trunk would not be able to get out
the way they had entered. If you have
small children, keep the seatbacks
locked.Always leave your car locked and keep
the car keys safely away from children:
Leaving your car unlocked or the
keys in reach of children is
dangerous. Children who find their
way into the trunk through an
unlocked rear seatback or an open
trunk can become accidentally locked
in the trunk. This could result in
death or brain damage from heat
prostration, particularly in the
summer. Always lock the doors and
the trunk, and as an added measure,
keep the rear seatbacks locked,
whether you have children in your
home or not.
Do not leave the key in your vehicle
with children and keep them in a place
where your children will not find or
play with them:
Leaving children in a vehicle with the
key is dangerous. This could result in
someone being badly injured or even
killed. Children may find these new
kinds of keys to be an interesting toy
to play with and could cause the
power windows or other controls to
operate, or even make the vehicle
move.
NOTE
When returning a rear seat to its original
position, also replace the seat belt to its
normal position. Verify that the seat belt pulls
out and retracts.
2-10
Essential Safety Equipment
Seats
Mazda3_8AD6-EC-09A_Edition1 Page24
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Form No.8AD6-EC-09A
Page 23 of 488

Black plate (25,1)
qSplit-Folding Rear Seatback
To fold the seatbacks
CAUTION
When operating the rear seatback
knob, make sure you support the
seatback with your hand. If the
seatback is not supported with your
hand, it will flip forward suddenly
and could cause injury to the finger
that pushes the rear seatback knob
down.
1. Position the outboard seat belts to the
side when folding the seatbacks down.
2. Support the seatback with your hand.
3. Push the rear seatback knob down.
To return the seatbacks to the upright
position
1. Position the outboard seat belts to the
side.
2. Lift the seatbacks upright.
3. Make sure the seat belts are fully
pulled out from under the seatbacks.
4. Pull on the top of the seatbacks from
inside the vehicle to make sure they are
locked.
WARNING
Always make sure the seat belts are
fully pulled out from under the
seatbacks:
A seat belt caught under a seatback
after the seatback is returned to its
upright position is dangerous. In a
collision or sudden stop, the seat belt
cannot provide adequate protection.
When returning the seatback to the
upright position, make sure there is no
red indication:
A rear seatback not fully returned
and locked in the upright position is
dangerous. Sudden stops or
maneuvering could cause a seatback
to flip forward suddenly resulting in
injury. If the red indicator is visible on
the back of the rear seatback knob,
the seatback is not locked in the
upright position.
Locked position
Unlocked position
Red indicator
Essential Safety Equipment
Seats
2-11
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Form No.8AD6-EC-09A
Page 116 of 488

Black plate (118,1)
Trunk Lid (4 Door)
WARNING
Never allow a person to ride in the
trunk:
Allowing a person to ride in the trunk
is dangerous. In addition, the person
in the trunk could be seriously
injured or killed during sudden
braking or a collision.
Keep the trunk closed when driving:
Exhaust gas entering the cabin of a
vehicle through an open trunk is
dangerous. This gas contains CO
(carbon monoxide), which is
colorless, odorless, and highly
poisonous. If inhaled, it can cause
loss of consciousness and death.
qOpening and Closing the Trunk Lid
WARNING
Close the trunk lid, be sure the seat
backs are latched and do not allow
children to play inside the vehicle:
Leaving the trunk lid open or leaving
children in the vehicle with the keys is
dangerous. Children could open the
trunk lid and climb inside resulting in
possible injury or death from heat
exposure.
Always keep the car from being a
tempting place to play by latching the
rear seats, doors and the trunk, and
keeping the keys where children can
not play with them:
Leaving children or animals
unattended in a parked vehicle is
dangerous. Babies left sleeping and
children who lock themselves in cars
or trunks can die very quickly from
heat prostration. Do not leave your
children or pets alone in a car at any
time. Do not leave the car, the rear
folding seats or the trunk unlocked.
CAUTION
For vehicles equipped with a rear
spoiler, do not raise or lower the
trunk lid using the spoiler. Otherwise,
the rear spoiler and the trunk lid
could be damaged.
3-42
Knowing Your Mazda
Doors and Locks
Mazda3_8AD6-EC-09A_Edition1 Page118
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Form No.8AD6-EC-09A
Page 118 of 488

Black plate (120,1)
Inside Trunk Release Lever
Your vehicle is equipped with an inside
trunk release lever that provides a means
of escape for children and adults in the
event they become locked inside the
trunk.
No matter how careful adults might be
with keys and locking their cars, parents
should be aware that children may be
tempted to play around vehicles and use
the trunk as a hiding place.
Adults are advised to familiarize
themselves with the operation and
location of the inside trunk release lever
so that all children can be told about it in
an appropriate way, keeping in mind that
most vehicles do not have such levers.
WARNING
Close the trunk lid, be sure the seat
backs are latched and do not allow
children to play inside the vehicle:
Leaving the trunk lid open or leaving
children in the vehicle with the keys is
dangerous. Children could open the
trunk lid and climb inside resulting in
possible injury or death from heat
exposure.
Always keep the car from being a
tempting place to play by latching the
rear seats, doors and the trunk, and
keeping the keys where children can
not play with them:
Leaving children or animals
unattended in a parked vehicle is
dangerous. Babies left sleeping and
children who lock themselves in cars
or trunks can die very quickly from
heat prostration. Do not leave your
children or pets alone in a car at any
time. Do not leave the car, the rear
folding seats or the trunk unlocked.
3-44
Knowing Your Mazda
Doors and Locks
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Form No.8AD6-EC-09A