
44
Operation, Safety
Airbag SystemsThe airbags in combination with the safety belts 
make up a safety system which offers the driver 
and the passenger the greatest known protection 
from injuries in case of accident.
Your vehicle is equipped with a weight sensing sys-
tem for the front passenger's seat in accordance 
with U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 
208. 
Even if your vehicle is equipped with airbags, the 
safety belts must be worn at all times, 
because the front airbag system is only deployed 
by frontal collisions with an impact of sufficient se-
verity. 
Below the deployment threshold of the airbag sys-
tem, and during types of collisions which do not 
cause the actuation of the system, the safety belts 
provide the primary protection to the occupants 
when correctly worn. 
Therefore, all persons within the vehicle 
must wear safety belts at all times (in many 
states, state law requires the use of safety belts). 
fPlease see the chapter “SAFETY BELTS” on 
Page 41.
The front airbags are located under the padded 
steering wheel panel on the driver’s side and, on 
the passenger's side, in the dashboard.
The side airbags for the front seats are installed 
on the side in the seat backrests.
The head airbags are installed in the door linings.
 Danger!
To provide optimal occupant protection, air-
bags must inflate at very high speed. If you 
are not wearing your safety belt or are too 
close to the airbag when it is deployed, inflat-
ing airbags can result in serious personal in-
jury or death.
fMake sure there are no people, animals or ob-
jects between the driver or passenger and the 
area into which the airbag inflates.
fSit back as far from the dashboard or steering 
wheel as is practical, while still maintaining full 
vehicle control.
fAlways hold the steering wheel by the outer 
rim. Never rest your hands on the airbag panel.
fAlways fasten seat belts because triggering 
of the airbag system depends on the force and 
angle of impact.
fDo not transport heavy objects on or in front of 
the passenger’s seat. These could impair the 
function of the airbag, the seat belts, and 
weight sensing.
fDo not hang objects (e.g. jackets, coats, coat 
hangers) over the backrest.fAlways keep the lid of the door storage com-
partment closed. Objects must not protrude 
out of the door storage compartment.
fNo changes may be made to the wiring or 
components of the airbag system.
fDo not add any additional coverings or stickers 
to the steering wheel or in the area of the pas-
senger’s airbag, side airbags and head air-
bags. Doing so may adversely affect the func-
tioning of the airbag system or cause harm to 
the occupants if the airbag system should de-
ploy.
Do not use protective seat covers.
fDo not modify the seat coverings. Do not at-
tach additional cushions, protective coverings, 
or pillows to the passenger's seat. Do not affix 
things to the passenger's seat or cover it with 
other materials. Do not cover the back of the 
backrest. Do not make changes to the passen-
ger's seat and to the seat base frame.
fDo not undertake any wiring for electrical ac-
cessory equipment in the vicinity of the airbag 
wiring harnesses. Doing so may disable the air-
bag system or cause inadvertent inflation.
fIf the warning light comes on, the airbag sys-
tem should be repaired immediately by your 
authorized Porsche dealer.
fAlways keep feet in the footwell while driving. 
Do not put feet on the dashboard or the seat 
area. Do not lean against the inside of the door 
or outside the window while the vehicle is mov-
ing. 

Operation, Safety
45
fUsing accessories not approved by Porsche 
can cause the weight sensing system to be im-
paired. 
fDo not squeeze objects, such as the fire extin-
guisher, or first aid kit under the seat.
fOnly have seats removed and installed by an 
authorized Porsche dealer so that weight sens-
ing components will not be damaged.
fGive your passenger all of the information in 
this chapter.
Note
Airbag components (e.g. steering wheel, door lin-
ing, seats) may be disassembled only by an autho-
rized Porsche dealer.
When disposing of a used airbag unit, our safety 
instructions must be followed. These instructions 
can be obtained at any authorized Porsche dealer.
Function of the airbag systemAirbags are a supplemental safety system. Your 
primary protection comes from your safety belts.
The front airbags are triggered during a frontal col-
lision of sufficient force and direction.
In the event of a side impact of corresponding 
force, the side airbag on the impact side is 
triggered.
The inflation process generates the amount of gas 
required to fill the airbags at the necessary pres-
sure in fractions of a second.Airbags help to protect the head and upper body, 
while simultaneously damping the motion of the 
driver and passenger in the impact direction in the 
event of a frontal impact or side impact.
In order to help provide protection in severe colli-
sions which can cause death and serious injury, 
airbags must inflate extremely rapidly. Such high 
speed inflation has a negative but unavoidable 
side effect, which is that it can and does cause in-
juries, including facial and arm abrasions, bruising 
and broken bones. You can help minimize such in-
juries by always wearing your safety belts.
There are many types of accidents in which 
airbags are not expected to deploy. These include 
accidents where the airbags whould provide no 
benefit, such as a rear impact against your vehi-
cle. Other accidents where the airbags are de-
signed not to deploy are those where the risk of 
injury from the airbag deployment could exeed any 
protective benefits, such as in low speed acci-
dents or higher speed accidents where the vehicle 
decelerates over a longer time. Since airbag de-
ployment does not occur in all accidents, this fur-
ther emphasizes the need for you and your pas-
sengers to always wear safety belts.
Your vehicle is equipped with a crash sensing and 
diagnostic module. This module will record the 
use of the seat belt restraint system by the driver 
and front passenger when the airbags and/or belt 
tensioner work.
Advanced AirbagYour vehicle is equipped with a weight sensing sys-
tem for the passenger's seat in accordance with 
U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208. 
Depending on the weight acting on the front pas-
senger's seat, the front passenger's airbag will au-
tomatically be switched on and off.
Depending on the angle and force of impact, the 
front passenger's airbag which is activated will be 
triggered during a collision.
Precondition for switching the front passenger's 
airbag on and off, depending on weight:
– Vehicles equipped with key-operated airbag 
deactivation device:
Switch position AUTO.
– Ignition key is inserted.
Improper handling of the weight sensing 
system can unintentionally impair switching 
the passenger's airbag off and on. 

46
Operation, Safety Seat adjustment for the front passenger's 
seat Danger!
Safety belts only offer protection when the 
backrest is upright and the belts are properly 
positioned on the body. Improperly posi-
tioned safety belts can cause serious person-
al injury or death in an accident.
fDo not operate the car with the driver or 
passenger backrests excessively reclined.
fPorsche recommends the use of L.A.T.C.H. 
(Lower Anchorage and Tether for Children) 
equipped Porsche child seat.
Do not install a child restraint system in 
the Sports bucket seat.
The Sports bucket seat cannot be equipped with the LATCH system.
If the seat is in an extreme position (e.g., the back-
rest is in contact with the rear seat), the backrest 
can warp. Warping of the backrest can lead to mal-
functions.
fCorrect the seat adjustment. 
Ensure that the seat is not jammed and is self-
supporting. 
Ensure that the backrest is in the upright posi-
tion.
fDo not transport a load and objects in the rear 
footwell and under the passenger's seat. 
If the load or objects are under the seat, it can 
cause malfunctions.If the weight on the passenger's seat is reduced 
significantly, e.g., by supporting weight on the 
armrest, the passenger's airbag can be switched 
off.
fSelect an upright seat position, and do not sup-
port weight on the armrests or lean out of the 
window. 
Always keep feet in the footwell while driving. 
Do not put feet on the dashboard or the seat 
area. Do not lean against the inside of the door 
or outside the window while the vehicle is mov-
ing.
If the passenger's seat is warped significantly, a 
message is displayed on the on-board computer:
fCorrect the seat adjustment.
fPlease see the chapter “WARNINGS ON THE 
INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE ON-BOARD 
COMPUTER” on Page 158.
Vehicle modifications to accommodate 
persons with disabilities
Because modifications to your vehicle could com-
promise your advanced airbag system, please call 
1-800-PORSCHE prior to having your vehicle mod-
ified.Automatic deactivation of the front 
passenger’s airbag.
 Danger!
The use of a child restraint system in the 
front passenger’s seat can result in serious 
personal injury or death to the child from an 
airbag deployment.
fPlease see the chapter “PASSENGER AIRBAG 
OFF INDICATOR LAMP DOES NOT LIGHT UP” 
on Page 47.
fBefore transporting a child on the passenger’s 
seat:
Please see the chapter “CHILD RESTRAINT 
SYSTEMS” on Page 50.
fDo not install a child restraint system in the Sports bucket seat. 
– When an up to one-year old child is seated 
in the child restraint system, the front airbag is 
automatically deactivated on the passenger’s 
side.
– When an adult is seated in the front seat, the 
front airbag remains active on the passenger‘s 
side. 

Operation, Safety
49
Key-operated airbag deactivation deviceIn case your vehicle is equipped with LATCH, you 
can switch off (OFF) the passenger’s front airbag 
manually. In the automatic mode (AUTO), the 
airbag will be switched on or off automatically 
depending on the weight on the passenger seat.
fSwitch off the passenger’s airbag on the key 
switch using the vehicle key.
Switch position AUTO – passenger’s front airbag is 
active
Switch position OFF – passenger’s front airbag is 
switched off
PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp
 Danger!
Risk of serious personal injury or death for 
passenger if passenger’s airbag remains 
switched off after the child restraint system 
is removed.
fMake sure that the key switch is switched to 
AUTO once the child seat has been removed, 
in order to provide protection to the adult occupants.Warning light “PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF”
If the airbag on the passenger’s side is switched 
off:
– Warning light “PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF” is 
continuously lit when the ignition key is 
inserted.
Danger!
Risk of serious personal injury or death from 
the passenger’s airbag. 
If the “PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF” warning 
light is not lit when the ignition key is inserted 
and the Airbag OFF switch is switched to the 
OFF-Position, this could indicate a fault in the 
system.
fDo not install a child restraint system on the 
passenger’s seat.
fHave the fault remedied immediately. Please see your authorized Porsche dealer.
Note
fDo not install a child restraint system in 
the Sports bucket seat. 
The key switch for switching off the passenger’s 
airbag in combination with the LATCH attachment 
bracket are not installed at the factory. They can 
be retrofitted (not on vehicles with Sports bucket 
seats).
fPlease see your authorized Porsche dealer. 

50
Operation, Safety
Child Restraint SystemsfDo not install a child restraint system in 
the Sports bucket seat.
The Sports bucket seat cannot be 
equipped with the LATCH system.
Porsche recommends that all infants and children 
be restrained in child restraint systems at all times 
while the vehicle is in motion in accordance with 
applicable laws.
Use only child restraint systems with the LATCH-
system recommended by Porsche. These sys-
tems have been tested and adjusted to the interior 
of your Porsche and the appropriate child weight 
groups. Other systems have not been tested and 
could entail an increased risk of injury or death. 
You can obtain child seats that are LATCH compa-
tible at your authorized Porsche dealer.
fAlways observe the separate installation in-
structions for your child seat.
The use of infant or child restraints is required by 
law in all 50 states of the U.S. and all Canadian 
provinces. The child restraint system should be 
one that complies with U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle 
Safety Standards and should be secured by a lap 
belt or lap belt portion of a lap-shoulder belt or for 
child seats equipped with the LATCH sytem (Low-
er Anchorage and Tether for Children, also known 
as ISOFIX) to the LATCH anchorages. 
A statement by the seat manufacturer of compli-
ance with this standard can be found on the in-
struction label on the restraint and in the instruc-tion manual provided with the restraint.
 Danger!
The use of a child restraint system in the 
front passenger’s seat can result in serious 
personal injury or death to the child from an 
airbag deployment.
To reduce risk of injury from an inflating air-
bag in an accident, Porsche strongly recom-
mends:
fPlease see the chapter “PASSENGER AIRBAG 
OFF INDICATOR LAMP DOES NOT LIGHT UP” 
on Page 47.
fPlease see the chapter “CHILD RESTRAINT 
SYSTEMS” on Page 50.
fDo not install a child restraint system in 
the Sports bucket seat.
The Sports bucket seat cannot be equipped with the LATCH system. 
Note
The key switch for switching off the passenger’s 
airbag and the LATCH attachment bracket are not 
installed at the factory. They can be retrofitted (not 
on vehicles with Sports bucket seats).
fPlease see your authorized Porsche dealer.
 Danger!
Risk of serious personal injury or death to the 
child.
fFollow all child restraint instructions and warnings in this manual.
– When using an infant or child restraint system, 
be sure to follow all manufacturer's instruc-
tions on installation and use.
– Infants and small children should never be held 
on the lap, nor should they share a safety belt 
with another occupant while the vehicle is in 
motion.
– Children too big for child restraint systems 
should use regular safety belts. A shoulder belt 
can be used providing it does not cross the 
face or the neck of the child.
– Choose a child restraint system according to 
the weight of the child.
– Child restraint systems that are damaged or 
h a v e  b e e n  h e a v i l y  s t r e s s e d  i n  a n  a c c i d e n t  m u s t  
be replaced immediately.
– Children could be endangered in a crash if their 
child restrains are not properly secured in the 
vehicle.
– Do not affix things to child restraint systems or 
cover it with other materials. 

Operation, Safety
51
– Your authorized Porsche dealer will be glad to 
advise you about the installation possibility for 
a Porsche child restraint system which allows 
a key-operated airbag deactivation of the pas-
senger’s airbag.
– The key-operated airbag deactivation device 
installation requires special programming 
available only from your authorized Porsche 
dealer.
fPlease see the chapter “KEY-OPERATED 
AIRBAG DEACTIVATION DEVICE” on Page 49.
Direction of installation for child restraint 
systemsAccording to accident statistics, children are safer 
when properly restrained in the rear seating 
positions than in the front seating positions.
Under all normal circumstances, the forward 
facing child seat must be placed in the rear.
Group 0 and 0+: Children up to 29 lbs (13 kg)
Children of this weight must be transported in a 
restraint system which is installed on the 
passenger’s seat facing rearward.
Group I: Children in between 20 lbs (9 kg) 
and 40 lbs (18 kg)
Children of this weight are held in child restraint 
systems facing forward. 
Whenever possible, these child restraint systems 
should be installed on the rear seats.
Group II: Children in between 33 lbs (15 kg) 
and 55 lbs (25 kg)
Children of this weight are held in child restraint 
systems facing forward. 
Whenever possible, these child restraint systems 
should be installed on the rear seats.Group III: Children in between 49 lbs (22 kg) 
and 80 lbs (36 kg)
Children of this weight are held in child restraint 
systems facing forward. 
Whenever possible, these child restraint systems 
should be installed on the rear seats.
If a child restraint system must be fastened to the 
passenger’s seat, the passenger’s seat must be 
adjusted to the lower rear position.
Note
If a child seat with top tether is adapted for use on 
the front seat, the rear right (passenger’s side) an-
chor point must be used for anchoring the top 
tether. 
It is then not permitted for a passenger to use the 
rear right (passenger’s side) seat.
It is then not permitted to install a child restraint 
system on the rear right (passenger’s side) seat.
fPlease see the chapter “CHILD RESTRAINT 
ANCHORAGES” on Page 55. 

52
Operation, Safety
Using child restraint systems in the front 
passenger seatfDo not install a child restraint system in 
the Sports bucket seat. 
 Danger!
The use of a child restraint system in the 
front passenger seat can result in serious 
personal injury or death to the child from an 
airbag deployment.
To reduce risk of injury from an inflating air-
bag in an accident, Porsche strongly recom-
mends:
fPlease see the chapter “PASSENGER AIRBAG 
OFF INDICATOR LAMP DOES NOT LIGHT UP” 
on Page 47.
fPlease see the chapter “CHILD RESTRAINT 
SYSTEMS” on Page 50.
fDo not install a child restraint system in 
the Sports bucket seat.
The Sports bucket seat cannot be equipped with the LATCH system. Child restraint system for up to one-year old 
children
– Make sure that the PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF 
indicator lamp lights up. 
– Adjust the passenger's seat as far away from 
the airbag as possible.
 Danger!
Risk of serious personal injury or death due 
to the passenger’s airbag triggering uninten-
tionally.
When the ignition is on and the up to one-
year old child is seated in the child restraint 
system on the passenger’s seat the indicator 
lamp „PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF“ must be on. 
If the “PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF” indicator 
lamp does not light up, it could indicate a 
fault in the system.
In this case:
fOn vehicles with key-operated airbag deactiva-
tion device: Switch to position OFF.
fOn vehicles without key-operated airbag deac-
tivation device: Do not use a child restraint sys-
tem in the front passenger’s seat.
fHave the fault remedied at your nearest autho-rized Porsche dealer.Child restraint system for children older than 
one year
Your vehicle is equipped with a weight sensing sys-
tem for the passenger's seat in accordance with 
U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208. 
Depending on the weight acting on the passen-
ger's seat, the passenger's airbag will automati-
cally be switched on or off.
Small adult passengers
Make sure that the PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indi-
cator lamp does not light up. 
 Danger!
Risk of serious personal injury or death due 
to the passenger’s airbag not triggering. 
When the ignition key is inserted and the 
small adult passenger is seated on the pas-
senger’s seat, the indicator lamp “PASSEN-
GER AIRBAG OFF” must be off. 
If the “PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF” indicator 
lamp lights up, it could indicate a fault in the 
system.
In this case:
fThe passenger should sit in the rear seat until 
the fault is repaired.
fHave the fault remedied at the nearest autho-rized Porsche dealer. 

54
Operation, Safety
LATCH SystemChild seat bracket on the passenger’s 
seatfDo not install a child restraint system in 
the Sports bucket seat.
The Sports bucket seat cannot be 
equipped with the LATCH system.
The key switch for switching off the passenger’s 
airbag and the LATCH attachment bracket are not 
installed at the factory. They can be retrofitted 
(not on vehicles with Sports bucket seats).
fPlease see your authorized Porsche dealer.
Porsche recommends the use of a Porsche Child 
Seat with Lower Anchorage and Tether for Chil-
dren system (LATCH).
These systems have been tested and adjusted to 
the interior of your Porsche and the appropriate 
child weight groups. Other systems have not been 
tested and could entail an increased risk of injury.
You can obtain child seats that are LATCH compat-
ible at your authorized Porsche dealer.
fAlways observe the separate installation in-
structions for your child seat.
fPlease see the chapter “CHILD RESTRAINT 
SYSTEMS” on Page 50.
Installing a LATCH child seat system1. Secure the child seat to retaining lugs A as 
outlined in the instruction manual for the child 
seat.
2. Pull the child seat to check that both fastening 
points are engaged correctly.
Note
fMake sure that the key switch is switched to 
AUTO once the child seat has been removed, 
in order to provide protection to the adult 
occupants.