.Modification of the suspension
system or front end structure.
. Installation of a tire of different
size and construction from the
tires specified on the vehicle
placard attached to the door
pillar or specified for individual
vehicle models in this Owner ’s
Manual. Child restraint systems
Infants and small children should always
be placed in an infant or child restraint
system in the rear seat while riding in thevehicle.
You should use an infant or child restraint
system that meets Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards or Canada Motor Vehi-
cle Safety Standards, is compatible with
your vehicle and is appropriate for thechild
’s age and size.
All child restraint systems are designed to
be secured in vehicle seats by lap belts or
the lap belt portion of a lap/shoulder belt
(except those covered under the section in
this manual, entitled “Installation of child
restraint systems by use of lower and tether anchorages (LATCH)
”F 1-33).
Children could be endangered in an
accident if their child restraints are not
properly secured in the vehicle. When
installing the child restraint system, care-
fully follow the manufacturer ’s instructions.
According to accident statistics, children
are safer when properly restrained in the
rear seating positions than in the front
seating positions.
All U.S. states and Canadian provinces
require that infants and small children be
restrained in an approved child restraint
system at all times while the vehicle ismoving.
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags 1-25
– CONTINUED –
installing a child restraint system.
Some types of child restraints might not be
able to be secured firmly due to projection
of the seat cushion.
In this seating position, you should use
only a child restraint system that has a
bottom base that fits snugly against the
contours of the seat cushion and can be
securely retained using the seatbelt.
C: Rear seat, center seating position
Installing a child restraint system is not
recommended, although the A/ELR seat-
belt and an upper anchorage (tether
anchorage) are provided in this position.
Some types of child restraints might not be
able to be secured firmly due to projection
of the seat cushion.
In this seating position, you should use
only a child restraint system that has a
bottom base that fits snugly against the
contours of the seat cushion and can be
securely retained using the seatbelt.WARNING
Put children in the rear seat properly
restrained at all times. The SRS
airbag deploys with considerable
speed and force and can injure or
even kill children, especially if they
are not restrained or improperly
restrained. Because children are
lighter and weaker than adults, their
risk of being injured from deploy-
ment is greater.
For that reason, be sure to secure
ALL types of child restraint devices
(including forward facing child
seats) in the REAR seats at all times.
You should choose a restraint de-
vice which is appropriate for thechild ’s age, height and weight. Ac-
cording to accident statistics, chil-
dren are safer when properly re-
strained in the rear seating posi-
tions than in the front seating posi- tions.
WARNING
SINCE YOUR VEHICLE IS
EQUIPPED WITH A PASSENGER ’S
SRS AIRBAG, DO NOT INSTALL A
REARWARD FACING CHILD
SAFETY SEAT IN THE FRONT PAS-SENGER ’S SEAT. DOING SO RISKS
SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH TO
THE CHILD BY PLACING THE
CHILD ’S HEAD TOO CLOSE TO
THE SRS AIRBAG. Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1-27
– CONTINUED –
refer to“Seatbelts ”F 1-12.
. Do not sit or lean unnecessarily
close to the SRS airbag. Because
the SRS airbag deploys with
considerable speed –faster than
the blink of an eye –and force to
protect in high speed collisions,
the force of an airbag can injure
an occupant whose body is too
close to SRS airbag.
It is also important to wear your
seatbelt to help avoid injuries
that can result when the SRS
airbag contacts an occupant not
in proper position such as one
thrown forward during pre-acci-
dent braking.
Even when properly positioned,
there remains a possibility that
an occupant may suffer minor
injury such as abrasions and
bruises to the face or arms
because of the SRS airbag de-
ployment force.
. The SRS airbags deploy with
considerable speed and force.
Occupants who are out of proper
position when the SRS airbag
deploys could suffer very serious
injuries. Because the SRS airbag
needs enough space for deploy- ment, the driver should always
sit upright and well back in the
seat as far from the steering
wheel as practical while still
maintaining full vehicle control
and the front passenger should
move the seat as far back as
possible and sit upright and well
back in the seat.
. Do not place any objects over or
near the SRS airbag cover or
between you and the SRS airbag.
If the SRS airbag deploys, those
objects could interfere with its
proper operation and could be
propelled inside the vehicle and
cause injury.
WARNING
. Put children in the rear seat
properly restrained at all times.
The SRS airbag deploys with
considerable speed and force
and can injure or even kill chil-
dren, especially if they are not
restrained or improperly re-
strained. Because children are
lighter and weaker than adults,
their risk of being injured from
deployment is greater.
Consequently, we strongly re-
commend that ALL children (in-
cluding those in child seats and
those that have outgrown child
restraint devices) sit in the REAR
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1-39
– CONTINUED –
1-40Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
seat properly restrained at all
times in a child restraint device
or in a seatbelt, whichever is
appropriate for the child ’s age,
height and weight.
Secure ALL types of child re-
straint devices (including for-
ward facing child seats) in the
REAR seats at all times.
According to accident statistics,
children are safer when properly
restrained in the rear seating
positions than in the front seat-
ing positions.
For instructions and precautions
concerning the child restraint
system, refer to “Child restraint
systems ”F 1-25.
. NEVER INSTALL A REARWARD
FACING CHILD SEAT IN THE
FRONT SEAT. DOING SO RISKS
SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH TO
THE CHILD BY PLACING THECHILD ’S HEAD TOO CLOSE TO
THE SRS AIRBAG.
. Never allow a child to stand up,
or to kneel on the front passen-ger ’s seat, or never hold a child
on your lap or in your arms. The
SRS airbag deploys with consid-
erable force and can injure or even kill the child.
CAUTION
. When the SRS airbag deploys,
some smoke will be released.
This smoke could cause breath-
ing problems for people with a
history of asthma or other
breathing trouble. If you or your
passengers have breathing pro-
blems after SRS airbag deploys,
get fresh air promptly.
. A deploying SRS airbag releases
hot gas. Occupants could get
burned if they come into direct
contact with the hot gas.
NOTE
When you sell your vehicle, we urge
you to explain to the buyer that it is
equipped with SRS airbags by alerting
him or her to the applicable section in
this Owner ’s Manual.
WARNING
Do not attach accessories to the
windshield, or fit an extra-wide mir-
ror over the rear view mirror. If the
SRS airbag deploys, those objects
could become projectiles that could
seriously injure vehicle occupants.
! Driver ’s SRS frontal airbag
The driver ’s SRS frontal airbag uses a
dual stage inflator. The inflator operates in
different ways depending on the severity
of impact.
Have the system inspected by your
SUBARU dealer immediately if the SRS
airbag system warning light illuminates. NOTE
The driver
’s SRS side airbag, SRS
curtain airbag and seatbelt preten-
sioner are not controlled by the
SUBARU advanced frontal airbag sys-tem. ! Front passenger ’s SRS frontal air-
bag
The front passenger ’s SRS frontal airbag
uses a dual stage inflator. The inflator
operates in different ways depending on
the severity of impact.
The total load on the seat is monitored by
the passenger ’s occupant detection sys-
tem weight sensor under the seat.
Using the total seat load and seatbelt
buckle switch, the occupant detection
system determines whether the frontpassenger ’s SRS frontal airbag should or
should not be inflated.
The occupant detection system may not
inflate the front passenger ’s SRS frontal
airbag even when the driver ’s SRS frontal
airbag deploys. This is normal.
Observe the following precautions. Failure
to do so may prevent the SUBARU
advanced frontal airbag system from
functioning correctly or cause the system
to fail. . Do not apply any strong impact to the
front passenger ’s seat such as by kicking. .
Do not spill liquid on the front passen-
ger ’s seat. If liquid is spilled, wipe it off
immediately.. Do not remove or disassemble the front
passenger ’s seat.
. Do not install any accessory (such as
an audio amplifier) other than a genuine
SUBARU accessory under the front pas-senger ’s seat.
. Do not place anything (shoes, umbrel-
la, etc.) under the front passenger ’s seat.
. The front passenger ’s seat must not be
used with the head restraint removed. . Do not leave any articles on the front
passenger ’s seat or the seatbelt tongue
and buckle engaged when you leave your vehicle. . Do not place a magnet near the
seatbelt buckle and the seatbelt retractor.. Do not use front seats with their back-
ward-forward position and seatback not
being locked into place securely. If any of
them are not locked securely, adjust them
again. For adjusting procedure, refer to“ Manual seat ”F1-3 (models equipped
with manual seats only).
If the seatbelt buckle switch and/or front passenger ’s occupant detection system
have failed, the SRS airbag system
warning light will illuminate. Have the
system inspected by your SUBARU deal- Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1-45
– CONTINUED –
facing child restraint system and a small
child is restrained with it. (See WARNING
that follows.) .The seat is equipped with a booster
seat and a small child is in the booster
seat. (See WARNING that follows.) . The seat is relieved of the occupant
load for a time exceeding the predeter-
mined monitoring time period. . The seat is occupied by a child who
has outgrown a child restraint system
(See WARNING that follows.) or by a
small adult. . The front passenger ’s occupant detec-
tion system is faulty.
WARNING
NEVER INSTALL A REARWARD FA-
CING CHILD SEAT IN THE FRONT
PASSENGER ’S SEAT EVEN IF THE
FRONT PASSENGER ’S SRS FRON-
TAL AIRBAG IS DEACTIVATED. Be
sure to install it in the REAR seat in
a correct manner. Also, it is strongly
recommended that any forward fa-
cing child seat or booster seat be
installed in the REAR seat, and that
even children who have outgrown a
child restraint system be also
seated in the REAR seat. This is
because children sitting in the front passenger
’s seat may be killed or
severely injured should the frontpassenger ’s SRS frontal airbag de-
ploy. REAR seats are the safest
place for children.
When the front passenger ’s seat is occu-
pied by a child, observe the following
precautions. Failure to do so may increase
the load on the front passenger ’s seat,
activating the front passenger ’sSRS
frontal airbag even though that seat is
occupied by a child. . Do not place any article on the seat
other than the child occupant and a child
restraint system. . Do not place more than one child on
the seat.. Do not install any accessory such as a
table or TV onto the seatback.. Do not store a heavy load in the
seatback pocket.. Do not allow the rear seat occupant to
place his/her hands or legs on the front passenger ’s seatback, or allow him/her to
pull the seatback. !
If the front passenger ’s frontal air-
bag ON indicator illuminates and the
OFF indicator turns off even when
an infant or a small child is in a child
restraint system (including boosterseat)
Turn the ignition switch to the “LOCK ”
position if the front passenger ’s frontal
airbag ON indicator illuminates and the
OFF indicator turns off even when an
infant or a small child is in a child restraint
system (including booster seat). Remove
the child restraint system from the seat. By
referring to the child restraint manufac-turer ’s recommendations as well as the
child restraint system installation proce-
dures in “Child restraint systems ”F 1-25,
correctly install the child restraint system.
Turntheignitionswitchtothe “ON ”
position and make sure that the frontpassenger ’s frontal airbag ON indicator
turns off and the OFF indicator illuminates.
If still the ON indicator remains illuminated
while the OFF indicator turns off, take the
following actions. . Ensure that no article is placed on the
seat other than the child restraint system
and the child occupant. . Ensure that there is no article left in the
seatback pocket.. Ensure that the backward-forward po-Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1-47
– CONTINUED –
1-48Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
sition and seatback of front passenger ’s
seat are locked into place securely by
moving the seat back and forth. (Models
equipped with manual seats only)
If the ON indicator still remains illuminated
while the OFF indicator turns off after
taking relevant corre ctive actions de-
scribed above, relocate the child restraint
system to the rear seat and immediately
contact your SUBARU dealer for aninspection.
NOTE
When a child who has outgrown a child
restraint system or a small adult is
seated in the front passenger ’s seat,
the SUBARU advanced frontal airbag
system may or may not activate the
front passenger ’s SRS frontal airbag
depending on the occupant ’s seating
posture. If the front passenger ’s SRS
frontal airbag is activated (the ON
indicator remains i lluminated while
the OFF indicator turns off), take the
following actions. . Ensure that no article is placed on
the seat other than the occupant. . Ensure that there is no article left in
the seatback pocket.
If the ON indicator still remains illumi-
nated while the OFF indicator turns off despite the fact that the actions noted
above have been taken, seat the child/
small adult in the rear seat and im-
mediately contact your SUBARU dealer
for an inspection. Even if the system
has passed the dealer inspection, it is
recommended that on subsequent trips
the child/small adult always take the
rear seat.
Children who have outgrown a child
restraint system should always wear the
seatbelt irrespective of whether the airbag
is deactivated or activated. !
Conditions in which front passen- ger’s SRS frontal airbag is activated
The front passenger ’s SRS frontal airbag
will be activated for deployment upon
impact when any of the following condi-
tions is met regarding the front passen-ger ’s seat.
. When the seat is occupied by an adult.
. When a heavy article is placed on the
seat.
When the front passenger ’s seat is occu-
pied by an adult, observe the following
precautions. Failure to do so may lessen
the load on the front passenger ’s seat,
deactivating the front passenger ’s SRS
frontal airbag despite the fact that the seat
is occupied by an adult. .
Do not allow the rear seat occupant to
lift the front passenger ’s seat cushion
using his/her feet. . Do not place any article under the front
passenger ’s seat, or squeeze any article
from behind and under the seat. This may
lift the seat cushion. . Do not squeeze any article between
the front passenger ’s seat and side trim/
pillar, door or center console box. This
may lift the seat cushion. ! If the passenger ’s frontal airbag OFF
indicator illuminates and the ON
indicator turns off even when the
front passenger ’s seat is occupied
by an adult
This can be caused by the adult incor-
rectly sitting in the front passenger ’s seat.
Turn the ignition switch to the “LOCK ”
position. Ask the front passenger to set
the seatback to the upright position, sit up
straight in the center of the seat cushion,
correctly fasten the seatbelt, position his/
her legs out forward, and adjust the seat to
the rearmost position. Turn the ignition
switch to the “ON ”position. If the OFF
indicator remains illuminated while the ON
indicator remains off, take the followingactions. . Turn the ignition switch to the “LOCK ”
position.
.Ensure that there is no article, book,
shoe, or other object trapped under the
seat, at the rear of the seat, or on the side
of the seat. . Ensure that the backward-forward po-
sition and seatback of front passenger ’s
seat are locked into place securely by
moving the seat back and forth. (Models
equipped with manual seats only) . Next, turn the ignition switch to the
“ ON ”position and wait 6 seconds to allow
the system to complete self-checking.
Following the system check, both indica-
tors turn off for 2 seconds. Now, the ON
indicator should illuminate while the OFF
indicator remains off.
If the OFF indicator still remains illumi-
nated while the ON indicator remains off,
ask the occupant to move to the rear seat
and immediately contact your SUBARU
dealer for an inspection. ! Effect vehicle modifications made
for persons with disabilities may
have on SUBARU advanced frontal
airbag system operation (U.S. only)
Changing or moving any parts of the front
seats, seat belts, front bumper, front side
frame, instrument panel, combination me-
ter, steering wheel, steering column, tire,
suspension or floor panel can affect the
operation of the SUBARU advanced air- bag system. If you have any questions,
you may contact the following SUBARUdistributors:
Subaru of America, Inc.
Customer Dealer Services Department
P.O. Box 6000
Cherry Hill, NJ 08034-6000
1-800-SUBARU3 (1-800-782-2783)
Servco Subaru Inc., dba Subaru Hawaii
2850 Pukoloa Street, Suite 202, Honolulu,
HI 96819 808-839-2273
’s Corporation dba Prestige Automo-
bile
491, East Marine Drive, Route 1 Dededo, Guam 671-633-2698
Trebol Motors
P.O. Box 11204, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00910 787-793-2828
There are currently no SUBARU distribu-
tors in any other U.S. territories. If you are in such an area, please contact the
SUBARU distributor or dealer from which
you bought your vehicle. !
Operation
1) Driver ’s side
2) Passenger ’s side
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1-49
– CONTINUED –