
Safety  belts 
Fastening  safety  belts 
Sa fe ty  fir st -eve rybody  buckle  up! 
Fig. 12  Belt buck le  and  tongue fo r  th e  dr iver's  seat 
To pro vid e maximum  prot ectio n, sa fety 
b elt s 
alw ays  be  po siti oned  cor rectly 
o n 
weare r's  bod y 20. 
- Adju st 
fro nt sea t and  head  restra int 
co rrec tly 
4. 
- Mak e su re  th e seat  back of  the rea r sea t 
b ench  i s in  an  upright  pos ition  and  se
cu rely  latche d in  plac e before  usin g th e 
sa fe ty 
- Hold  !he be lt  b y ton gu e  and  pull  it 
eve nly across  the ch es t and  pel vis 
-th e tongue  into correct 
bu ckle  for  your  seat  until  you  h ear 
latch 
sec urely 
19,  fig.  12 . 
- Pull  on 
belt  to  mak e sure  that it  is  se
cure ly  latc hed  in the bu ckle. 
Automatic  safety belt  retractors 
E ve ry 
b elt  i s equipp ed  with  an aut om ati c 
belt  retrac tor  on  th e sho uld er  bell.  Thi s fea ture 
l oc ks  th e  belt  when  the 
is  pu lled  ou t  fast , 
during  hard braking  and  in  a  collision.  The  belt 
m ay  also  lock 
yo u d rive a stee p 
hill  or  thro ugh  a  sh arp  cur ve.  Durin g no rma l 
dri vin g  th e belt  le ts yo u  mo ve freel y. 
Booklet 2 .1  Safety  first 
Belt  prete nsio ne r 
T he  re tracto rs  for  the drive r, 
pa sse nger, 
a nd  rea r outboard  seating po sition s are 
e quipp ed  wit h a belt  pr ete nsio ner  that  h elp s 
th at h elp s  to  t ight en  th e safe ty  belt  and  remo ve 
s lac k w hen  th e pr etens ioner  is  act iva te d. Th e 
fun ction  o f the  pr eten sio ner  is  m onit ored  b y a 
wa rnin g light 
39. 
Switc hable  l ocking  feature 
Every  safety  belt  excep t fo r th e one  on  th e dr ive r 
se at  is  eq uippe d wit h a sw itchable  locking  fea
tur e th at  mu st  be  use d when  the  saf ety b elt  is 
used 
1 0 att ach  a child  seal.  Be  sur e to  read  the 
imp orta nt  in formation  about  thi s feature 
60 . 
WARNING 
Imp roperl y position ed  safe ty  belt s ca n ca use 
se riou s personal  injury  in  an  accident. 
•  Saf ety  belts  offer  optimum  protection  only 
when  the seat back  is upright  and belt s arc 
c o rr ectly  positioned  on the body. 
•  Alway s m ake  sure  that th e re ar sea t  back
res t to  which  th e center re ar  safety  belt  is at
t ached  is sec urely  la tc h ed  when ever  th e rear 
center  safety belt  i s bei ng  use d 
3.1.  If 
the  b ackres t  is  n ot sec urely  latc hed,  the pa s
s enger  will  move  fon vard  wit h the  backres t 
during  sudden braking,  in  a sudd en maneuver 
a nd  especially  in a cras h. 
•  Never  attach  the safe ty belt  to  the bu ckl e 
for  another  seat.  Attachi ng the  belt  to  th e 
wrong  buckle  will  reduce safety belt  effective 
ness  and  can  cause  se rious  per sona l injury . 
•  A pa ssenge r w ho  is  not  corre ctl y restrain ed 
can  be se riou sly  injur ed by  th e sa fe ty  belt it self 
w hen 
60. 
Safety  belts  19  

Booklet  2.1  Safety  fir st 
Safety  belt  extender 
A  safety  belt extende r is  available  if a belt is too  short for the driver o r a pas
seng e,: 
F ig . 16  Safety  be lt ex tender 
If  a  safe ty  belt  is too s hort  t o co rrectly  fit yo u  or 
one  of  your  pa sse ngers , even when  th e 
b elt  is  pull ed  o ut the way,  you ca n use a safe ty 
b elt  ex te nd er 16 . Neve r use  th e sa fe ty  belt 
ex te nd er any  o ther  purp ose. att ac hm ent  of a  child  re straint. 
Th e extender  adds  about 
8 inche s (200 mm ) to 
t h e sa fety belt.  When is r e quired.  always  re
mo ve extender  and  stow  it  safe ly. See y our 
a uthoriz ed  Vo lksw agen  d ealer for  assista nce  if 
a n  ex te nder  i s re- qui re d. 
How  to  faste n  the s afet y be lt  extender  properly 
23 , "Fa steni ng  th e  saf ety  belt  ex te nd er". 
WARNING 
Im proper  use  o f the safety  belt ex te nder  in
c reas es  th e risk of  serious  perso nal injur y and 
d eat h. 
•  U sing  a sa fe ty  belt  ex te n der  w hen  n ot 
n eede d can  increase  the r isk  of inju ry, es pe
cia lly  in  a co llision . On ly  use  whe n th e safe ty 
b e lt i s not  lo ng  eno ugh  when  it is wo rn  low 
a n d  sn u g,  and  in  the cor rect  sea ting po sition . 
R em ove  a nd stow  safely  w hen  not needed. 
•  Never  use  t he safe ty  belt  exte nder  if you 
can  faste n  th e safe ty  belt  w ith out  it. 
•  Never  use  mo re  t han  one  ex tende r w ith  a 
safe ty b elt . Th e use of more  t han  o ne  ex ten der 
ca n ch ange  th e way  the sa fe ty be lt passes  ove r 
th e body  and  ca n ca use ser ious  injury. 
22  Safety  belts 
WARN ING  (continued) 
•  Neve r leave  t he  safety  belt ex te n der  at
t ac hed  to t he  ve hi cle  safety  belt latc h when  it  is 
n ot  needed  and  bei ng  use d because  t he a irb ag 
con tro l m odul e will n ot r ec eive  th e  correct 
s ig n al from  the safety  belt  la tc h  and  preve nt 
t h e Adva nce d Airbag  Syste m fro m wo rk ing 
proper ly . 
•  Neve r use  the safety  belt  extende r to secure 
a c hild  restr ain t. 
•  Neve r  use  a  safety  belt  exte nder  from  an 
o the r au tomo bile manufact ure r  or au to m o
t ive  par ts  sto re  on  yo ur Volk swagen. 
•  Never  use the safety  be lt ex tende r you  ob 
t a in ed  fo r yo ur vehicl e for a ny o ther  ve hicl e, 
r egard less  o f mak e,  mo del  o r  m odel year. 
•  A drive r or passe nger  who is  no t correc tly 
r es tra ined  ca n be ser ious ly  inj ured  by  striking 
th e i nterior  o f the passenger  compartmen t o r 
by t he safe ty  belt  itse lf  w hich  can be disp laced 
f ro m  stronge r pa rts of  t he bo dy  in to se nsit ive 
areas  like the  abdom en. 
•  Always  rea d and  h eed all  WARN INGS a nd 
ot her  im portant  inform ation 
17, " Im 
por tan t safety  instructio ns  about  safe ty  belt s". 
N ote 
•  Leav ing  the  extender 
10 the  safety 
b elt bu ckle  when  the  front  scat is occ upied a nd 
the  saf ety  belt  is not  b eing  use d 
will sig n al  the 
ai rba g co ntrol  unit  that the  front  passe nge r seat 
i s  occ up ie d  and  that  the sa fe ty  b elt  is  b eing  use d. 
Th e elec troni c control  unit  fo r th e airbag  system 
w ill  th en  r ece ive  incorr ect informat io n  that  will 
ca use  the saf ety  belt  pr ete n sione r a nd  fro nt pa s
s enger  air bag  to dep loy  later  in  co llision s that 
wou ld  n orm ally  trigge r th ese  syste m s  ea rlier in 
th e colli sion 
h elp prot ect an  unr estrained 
fr ont  sea t occ up ant. 
•  If th e safe ty  belt  ex te nd er 
19  is  lef t tached  to the sa fe ty  belt  buck le,  th e safe ty  be lt 
warn ing  sys te m  will  se nse  th at  the  safety  belt  for 
that  scat  is  bei ng  use d and  the warn ing  tone  will 
not  soun d eve n thou gh th e sea t is occup ied  and 
the  safe ty  belt i s not  be in g  

Booklet 2.1  Safety  first @ 
Airbag  system 
Important  things  to  know 
Importance  of  wearing  safety  belts  and  sitting  properly . 
Airbags are only  supplemental  res traint s. For airbags  to do  th eir job , occupant s 
m ust 
prope rly  wea r th eir  saf ety b elts  and  be in a  proper  seating  position. 
Fo r yo ur safet y an d  the  safet y of your  pa s
s en gers,  before  d riv ing  alwa ys: 
Ad just dr iv er 's seat  and  stee rin g 
wh eel properl y 
4. 
Adj ust fr on t passe nge r seal  p rop erl y 
5. 
We ar sa fe ty  belt s  properly 13 . 
A lways  properl y  use  th e co rr ec t child 
r es tra int  lo  protect  childr en 
5 1. 
In  a co llisio n a irba gs  mu st infl ate  within  th e 
blink  of an  eye  and w ith  con sid erabl e fo rc e.  The 
s uppl em ental  airb ags  c an  cause  injuri es if  th e 
dri ver  or  th e  front  seat  pa sse nge r is  not  seate d 
prop erl y.  Ther efor e in  order  to help  the airba g to 
do  its  jo b , it  is  im porta nt, both  as a  driver and 
a  passe nger  to sit pro perly  at  all  times. 
keepin g  ro om  betwe en  yo ur  body  and  the 
s te erin g and  th e  fr ont  of t he  passenger 
co mpa rtm ent , the a irbag  can  i nflate  f ull y a nd 
co mpl etel y and  p rovid e suppl em ent al p rotec
t io n  in  certa in  fro ntal co llision s 
deta ils 
o n  th e  opera tio n  of  the se at adju stm ent  contro ls 
" F ro nt  seat s". 
I t 's  especia lly  im port ant  th at  child ren  b e prop 
e rl y  res train ed 
5 1, "C hild  safe ty". 
Th ere  is a  lo t t hat th e  drive r and  the passe ngers 
ca n and  mu st  d o  to he lp  th e in divi du al safe ty 
f e atur es insta lled  in  yo ur Vo lks wa gen 
to
get he r as sys te m . 
Pro per  seati ng  posi tio n  is i mp ort ant  sn  th a t th e 
fron t airb ag o n th e dr ive r sid e ca n do  its  jo b . If 
y ou  ha ve 
phys ica l imp airm ent  or  cond iti on 
t h at p rev ent s yo u from  sittin g prop erly  on  t he 
dri ver 
with  the sa fe ty  belt  prop erl y 
and  r eachin g th e  pe dals , s p ecia l m odific ation s 
t o  yo ur vehicl e ma y be  necessary . 
Co nta ct you r auth ori7.e d Vo lk sw agen  dea le r, or 
c all  t he  V olk swage n Custo m er 
Ce nter  at  1-800 -822 -8987 . 
When  the  airba g sys te m  deploy s, a ga s gen erator 
w ill  fill  the airb ags , b re ak op en  th e  padd ed 
cov ers,  and  inflate  be twee n  the ste erin g wheel 
and  th e  dri ver and  b etwee n  the in strum ent 
p an el and  the fro nt p asse nge r. Th e  a irbag s 
w ill defl ate  imm edi ate ly af ter dep loy ment  so  that 
t he  front  o ccupan ts ca n see  th ro ugh  th e wind 
s h ie ld a gain  with out int errupt io n . 
A ll  of thi s takes  place in the blink  ofan  ey e, so 
fa st  that  many  peopl e do n't  eve n rea lize t hat  th e 
a irbags  have  dep lo ye d. 
airbags  a lso  inflat e 
wit h a  grea t dea l of fo rc e  and  noth in g sh ould  be 
in  their  w ay w hen  th ey  depl oy . 
airb ags  in 
com binati on  with  pr op erl y wo rn safe ty  belt s 
s lo w 
an d  limi t th e occ upant 's for wa rd 
m ove ment.  T ogether th ey help  t o preve nt the 
dri ver  a nd  fro nt sc at  passe nge r fr om  hillin g 
pa rts of  the in side  th e  ve hicle 
redu cing  th e 
fo rces  actin g o n th e occu pant  duri ng the cras h. 
In  this way  they  help  to red uce  the risk  of inju ry 
t o  th e hea d an d upp er bod y in  the c rash . A irb ags 
d o  no t p rot ect  t he  arm s or  the low er  p art s o f th e 
b ody. 
B o th  fron t a irb ags  w ill no t i nfl ate  in  all  fro ntal 
colli sio n s.  Fro nt airba gs w ill no t infla te  in  all 
front al colli sio ns ..  The  tri gge ring o f the a irbag 
sys te m  depe nds  on  the ve hicle dec ele rat io n  ra te 
ca use d by  th e  co llisio n  and  regis te re d b y th e 
e lec tron ic  control  uni t.  I f thi s ra te  is 
th e 
r efe re n ce v alu e  prog ramm ed in to  the  c ont rol 
u nit , th e  air bags 
n o t b e trig gere d , eve n 
th ou gh  th e car  may  be badl y dam aged as a  res ult 
o f the  colli sio n . Ve hicle  dama ge, re pai r co sts o r 
eve n th e  la ck of v ehi cle 
is  not  n eces-
Airbag  system  27  

Booklet  2.1  Safety  first 
Child  restraints on  the  front  seat some important  things  to  know 
- Be sure lo  read  the  import ant  informa
tion  and  hea d  th e WARNINGS for  impor
tant  detai ls  abou t ch ildr en  and  Advanced 
Airbags 
5 1. 
Ev en  though  your ve hicl e is  equipp ed wi th an 
Ad vanced  A irbag  S yste m , mak e certain all 
chi ldren,  e spec iall y thos e 12 years  and  youn ger, 
a lwa ys ride  in  the back  se at  prop erly  restrain ed 
fo r th eir  age a nd size.  The  airbag  on the pa s
s e nger  side  mak es  th e front  sea t a  pote ntially 
dangerou s pla ce fo r a ch ild to  ride. Th e front  sea t 
i s  not  the  safest  pla ce  for 
chil d in forward
faci ng c hild sea t.  It  can  be very  dangerou s 
p la c e  fo r an  in fa nt  or  a  child  in  a re a rward -facing 
s ea t. 
Th e Ad vanc ed  Airbag  System  in yo ur  vehi cle ha s 
b ee n ce rtified 
com ply wi th  th e Requi re m en ts 
of  United Fed era l Moto r Ve hicl e Sta nd ard  208 as  applica ble at  the  time  your ve
hicl e was  manufactured . 
Th e  S tandard  req uires th e fro nt airbag  on  the 
pa ssenge r sid e 
be  turn ed off  ("s upp re ss e d" ) if 
a  ch ild  up  to  about  one  year  of  ag e restra ined  in 
on e of th e  re ar-fa cin g or  forward -faci ng  infa nt 
r es tra int s liste d  in  Federal  Motor Ve hicle  Safety 
Sta nda rd 208  with  whi ch  th e  Advan ced Ai rbag 
S ys te m  in  your vehi cle wa s certifi ed  has  bee n in 
stalled  o n the  front pass en ger  se at.  For  a lis ting 
o f th e child  res traint s th at  were  u sed  to  ce rt ify 
c omp lia nce  w ith th e  US Saf ety S tanda rd 
53 . 
Th e PASS ENGER  AIR BAG OFF li ght  in  th e  in 
st rum ent  panel  tells  you  when  th e  fro nt Ad
v a nce d  Airbag  on  the  passen ger  sid e has  been 
turned  off  by the  ele ctro nic  cont rol 
The  PA SSENGER AIR BAG  OFF light: 
•  will  stay  on  if  th e fro nt p ass eng er seat  i s not 
oc cupied, 
•  will  stay  on  if t here  is  a  small  child  or  ch ild  re
s tra int  on th e  front  passe ng er  sea t, 
• go  off  if th e front  passe nge r is  occ u
pied  by an ad ult  as  re g is te red  by  th e  w eigh t
s e n sing  mat 
39, "Mon itor ing  the  Ad
va nce d Airbag  S yste m ". 
The  PASSENGER  AIR BAG OFF li ght  comes on 
wh en  th e con trol  unit  detec ts  a  tota l wei gh t on  the 
pa
ssen ger sea t th at requ ires  th e front 
a ir bag  to  be  turned  off. 
I f  the  tota l w eig ht  on  the  fron t pa sse nger  seat  is 
mor e th an 
of a typical  I year- old  chil d le ss  than  the  weight of a  sma ll ad ult , th e front 
a ir bag  on the  passenger  side ca n dep loy  (th e 
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light  do es not co me 
o n ).  If t he  PA SSENGER AIR BAG  OFF light does 
no t come  o n, t he  fron t airb ag  o n  the  pas se nger 
s id e has  not  bee n  tu rn ed  off by  the e lectro nic 
c ont ro l u ni t and  can  dep loy  if th e  co ntro l u nit 
s ens es an  impact  th at  meet s th e  cond ition s 
sto re d  in  its  m em ory. 
For  exampl e, the air b ag  may  dep loy  if: 
•  a small  ch ild  that  i s heavie r 
a  ryp ic al  I 
y ea r-old  c hild is o n th e front  passenger  seat  (r e
gard less  of  wh eth er th e child  is  in  on e  of  the 
c hild  seats  liste d 
53),  or 
•  a chil d who  ha s outgrown  c hild res tra int s is 
on  the front  pa ssenger  sea t. 
I f  th e  fro nt  pa ssenger  airbag  i s turn ed  off, 
PA SSENGER  AIR  BAG  OFF l ig ht s up  in  the in
s tru ment  clu ste r and  stays  on. 
Th e  fr on t a irbag  on  the  pass e nger  sid e will de
plo y if  th e PAS SENGER  AIR BAG OFF li ght does 
co me  o n an d stay o n even  if a small  ad ult or 
te enager,  o r a  pa sse nger w ho  is s itt in g  up 
right  with  th ei r back  against  a  no n-re clin ed 
back res t w ith  th eir fe et on  the ve hicle floor  in 
fr ont  of  t he  se at  is  on  the front  passeng er  se at 
4 , " Proper  occupant  sea tin g pos itio ns" . 
If th e front  p assenger air bag  deplo ys , th e Fe dera l 
Standard  r equir es th e airb ag  to  m eet th e  "low 
deplo ym en t cri te ri a to re duc e th e ris k  of  in
ju ry throu gh  int era ction  with  the airbag . 
risk"  dep loy men t oc cu rs  in  t hos e tak e place lower  d ecelerat ion s as  defined  in 
the  e le ctron ic  c ontro l uni t 39,  "PAS
SENG ER BAG  OFF l ight". 
Alway s re m ember , 
child  seat or  infant  carr ie r 
i nsta lle d  on front  se at may  be  struck  and 
kn ocke d  o ut of position  b y the  rapid ly  inflat ing 
pa sseng er's  airbag  in a  frontal  co llis ion.  The 
a irb ag  co uld  g re a tly  red uce  the  eff ect ive ness  of 
th e c hild  res traint  a nd  even  se ri ou sly  inj ur e th e 
ch ild  dur ing in flat ion.  .,_ 
Airbag system  29  

Booklet 2.1 Safety  first 
Fo r  thi s reaso n, a n d becaus e th e  ba ck sea t is the 
sa fest place  for  childr en  -whe n properl y re
s train ed accordi ng  to  thei r age  and  size  - we 
s trongl y re comm end  that  childr en  always  sit  in 
th e ba ck  seat 
51, "C hild safety" . 
WARNING 
A child  in  a rca nvar d-fa cin g child  scat  in
s talled  o n front passeng er  sca t w ill  be  seri
ous ly  injured  and  can be  kil le d  if th e front 
airbag  inflat es -even w ith a n Advanced  A irbag 
Syste m. 
•  The  inflating a irbag  w ill hit the c hild sc at 
or  infant  carrie r wit h grea t for ce  and 
will smash  the c hild  sea t a nd  chil d aga inst  the 
backre st,  ce nter arm  rest,  doo r or  roo f. 
•  A lways  insta ll  rear-faci ng c hild  scats on  the 
rea r sc at. 
•  If yo u mu st insta ll  a  rea rwa rd  facin g child 
se at on  the front  passenger  scat  because of ex
cep tional  circum stan ces an d the  PASS ENGER 
AIR  BA G OFF  light  docs  not  come  on  and  sta y 
o n , imm ediate ly  in sta ll  th e rea r-fa cing  child 
sca t in  a rear  seating pos ition  and have  the 
a irb ag sys te m  in spe cte d  by yo ur Volkswage n 
d ea le r. 
WARNING 
A n  imp roperly  in sta lled  chi ld  re straint  can in
t er fer e wi th  th e airbag  as  it  deplo ys an d ser i
o usly  injur e or  eve n kill  the  child -even  with 
an  Advanced  Airb ag  Syste m . If , in  excep tio nal 
ci rc um sta nces,  you  mu st  in sta ll a fo nvar d
faci ng  ch ild  restrain t on  th e front  p assenge r's 
sca t: 
•  Forward -facing  child  scats  in stalled  o n the 
fr ont pa ssenger's  scat may interfe re  w ith  the 
de ploy men t o f th e a irbag  an d ca use  se rious 
per so nal inju ry to  th e child. 
•  Always  mak e sure  the fon vard -faci ng  sca t 
h as  been  d esig ned  an d 
by  its  manu 
facture r fo r u se on front  scat w ith  a pa s
senge r fr ont  and  side  ai rbag. 
•  Alwa ys care fully fo llo w the manufact ure r's 
in stru ctions  provid ed  w ith  th e chil d se at  or 
ca rri er. 
30  Airbag syste m 
WARN ING  (cont inued) 
•  Never  put  the forward -facin g child  re
s tra int  up  against or  very  near  th e  in strum ent 
p anel. 
•  Always  move  the pass enger  scat  int o its  re
ar mos t pos it ion  in th e sea t's  fore a nd  aft ad
ju stm en t ra nge,  as  far  away from the  airbag  as 
po ssible  before  installin g th e fon va rd -facing 
c h ild  restraint.  The backrest  must  b e ad juste d 
t o an  upright pos ition. 
•  Always  make  sur e tha t nothin g pr even ts 
th e front  passe nge r's sca t from  being mo ved 
to 
r ear most  pos ition  in  its fore  a nd ad 
ju stm ent  ran ge. 
•  Neve r place  a dditional  items on  th e  sca t 
that  can in crease  th e  to tal  weigh t regis tere d by 
the  weig ht-se nsing  mat  and  can ca use  inju ry 
in  a cras h. 
•  Make  sure  th at  the PASSENGER  AIR  BAG 
OFF  ligh t co mes on  and  stay s on  all  th e tim e 
w henever  the ignitio n is sw itch ed  on. 
•  If  th e PASS ENGER  AIR  BAG  OFF light  doe s 
n ot co me on  and stay  on, imm edi atel y in sta ll 
th e for ward- facing child  seat  in  a rea r se ating 
po sition a nd  have  the airb ag syste m insp ec ted 
b y you r Vo lkswagen  dea ler. 
WARNING 
To  re du ce the ri sk of  serious  inju ry, mak e sure 
th at the  PASS ENGE R AIR BAG  OFF light  is on 
w heneve r a c hild  res tra int  is  in stalled  on  th e 
fro nt pass enger  seat and  the ig ni tio n  i s 
s witc hed  on. 
•  If th e PASS ENGER  AIR  BAG  OFF  lig ht  docs 
not  sta y on, p erform  th e ch ec ks desc ribed 
39,  "Mo nitor ing th e Adv anced  A irbag 
Sys tem". 
•  Ta ke the child  re stra int  off  the  front  pas 
s e n ger sea t and  in stall  it pro perl y at  on e  of  the 
rear  seat po siti ons  if  th e PA SSE NG ER  AIR BAG 
OFF  lig ht  d ocs  no t stay o n. 
• 
th e airbag  system  inspe cted  by yo ur 
Vo lkswage n dealer  imme diately 
•  J\lways carefu lly  fo llow  i nstru cti ons  from 
c hild  restraint  manufactur ers  w hen  insta llin g 
ch ild  

Booklet  2.1  Safety  first 
Front airbag  system -the  basics 
Description  of  front  airbags 
The airbag system  can provide  supplemental  protection  to properly restrained 
front  seat 
Fig.  21  L ocotion  of  d rive r airbag:  in  steer ing whee l 
Your is fru 11L 
"A dva nced  Airbag in  co mplian ce United  Stales Fede ral Moto r Veh icle  Safery dard  (FMVSS ) 208 as  applicab le a l time  your 
ve hicle  was  manufac tu re d . Yo ur vehicle  is also 
e quipped 
side  airbags  fo r driver and seal passe nge r. Your  vehicl e ma y also  be wit h op tional  sid e ai rb ags  for re ar board T he belt s for front  and 
r ea r ou tboa rd  seats  equipped  with  opti onal side 
a irbags  have  "pretensioner s" that  help  to  take 
s lack 
of  th e  belt  sys tem.  The pret en sio ners 
ar e also  activa te d  by  the ele ctroni c control 
for airbag  syste m. 
The  front  a nd  outb oard  r ea r seats 
belts 
al so  hav e loa d limit ers  to  help  reduce force s 
appli ed  to body  in a  crash. 
Th e airbag  for 
driver  is  in steering  whee l 
h ub 2 1 an d airb ag for  th e  fr o nt  pas
se nger  is  in in strum ent  panel 22. Th e location  of airba gs is  marked 
There  is  a yo u n eed to  know airb ags 
in  your  vehicle.  \V e urge  you rea d detail ed 
in forma tion airbags,  safety and  child 
safety  in  this and  th e  oth er  bookl ets  th at  mak e 
Fig. 22  Location  of front  passenger's  airbag:  in  the 
instrume nt  pa nel 
up  1he  ow ner 's literawre.  Please  be s ure  to  h eed WARNI NGS -th ey  arc ext remely for  your safet y and  the sa fety  of yo ur  pass enger s, 
especially  infants and  sm all  childr en. 
WARNING 
Ne ver  re ly o n air bags  alone  for protection. 
•  Even  w hen  th ey deplo y, airbags  provide 
on ly s uppl em en tal  prot ection. 
•  Airbag  work  mo st  effectivel y when  used 
w ith  prop erly  wo rn safety  belts. 
•  Th erefore,  always  wear  your safety  belts 
and  make  sur e 
everybody  in your  vehicle 
is properly  re strained. 
WARNING 
A  person  on front  pa ssenger  seat , espe
ci ally infants  and  sma ll childr en, w ill  rec eive 
se riou s injuri es and  can even  be  killed  by 
being  too close  to  lhe airbag  when 
it inflat es. 
•  Although 
Advanced  Airbag  Syste m  in 
yo ur  vehicl e is designed  to  turn  off the 
passenger  airbag an infant  or a  small  child  in 
o ne  of  the  child  restraints  used  to cer tify 
Adva nced  A irbag  Sys te m  i s on pas-
Airbag  system  31  

Booklet  2.1  Safety  first 
,0. WARNING  (continued) 
se nger  seat, nobody  can  absolutely guarantee 
th at d eplo yme nt  und er these  specia l co ndi 
tion s is i mpo ssible  in  all  co nce iva ble situa
tion s that  may  happ en durin g the  use ful li fe of 
yo ur  vehicl e. 
•  The Adva nced Airbag Sys tem 
w ill dep loy  in 
acco rdance  with  th e "low  risk"  optio n under 
th e U.S.  Federal Stan dar d ifa  child  that  is 
h eav ier  than  the  t ypical  one-yea r  old child  i s 
to vehicles:  wilh odvanced  front  oirbog  system 
Advanced  front  airbag  system 
Your veh icle  is  eq uip ped  with  a front  Advanced 
Airbag  Syste m in co mplian ce with  Unit ed  Sta tes 
Federa l Motor  Vehicle  Safety  Standard 208 asap
pli cable  at  the time  your  ve hicle was  manufac
tur ed . 
Th e front Advanced  Ai rbag Syste m su pple ment s 
the  safety  belt s 
provide ad dition al p rotect ion 
for  the dri ver's  and  fron t pa sse nger's  hea ds  and 
up per  bodie s in  frontal  crashes.  The  airbags  in
fla te only  in fron ta l impa cts when  th e  vehicle 
d ecele ratio n  is  hi gh  e noug h. 
T he  fro nt Advanced  Airbag System  for th e  fron t 
sea t occupants  is  not  a  sub stit ute  for you r sa fety 
belts.  Rat her, 
is part  of the  overall  occ upant  re
s traint  system  in yo ur  vehicl e. Always remem ber 
t h at the  airb ag sys tem  can onl y help  to prot ect 
you,  if yo u ar e sittin g up rig h t,  wearing 
safet y bel t an d wear ing it  properly.  This  is  w hy 
yo u and  yo ur passenger s mu st  always  be  prop
erly  res train ed , 
ju st  bec ause  the req uires 
yo u be. 
Th e Adva nce d Airbag  System  in your  vehicle  has 
bee n ce rtifi ed 
me et the "low  risk "  "re quir e
m ent s fo r 3  an d 6  year-o ld  childr en  on pas
s eng er  side  and  very  s mall adults  on  the  drive r 
side.  " Low  risk " d eployme nt occ urs in  th ose 
c rashe s th at  tak e pla ce at lower dece lerat io ns  as 
d efine d in  the  elec tron ic  con tro l u nit 
39 . 
The  low  risk  depl oy men t criteria  are intend ed to 
h elp  reduce  th e  risk  of  injury  through  intera c
tion  wit h th e front  airb ag  that ca n occur , for  ex
ample,  by  bein g 
th e s teer ing  whee l 
a nd  in strum ent  pane l wh en  the  airbag  infl ates. 
Fo r "low  risk "  deplo ym ent  to  occur, the 
PA SSENGER  AIR  BAG  OFF li ght  mu st be  off. 
32  Airbag  system 
,0. WARN ING (conti nued) 
on  the  front  passenge r sea t and  the  other  con
dition s for a irbag  deploym ent  arc  met. 
•  Acci dent  stati sti cs  have s hown th at chil 
dre n arc genera lly s afer  in  th e rea r sc at  area 
th an  in  th e front  seating po sition. 
•  For  their  own  safety, a ll children,  especially 
1 2 years  a nd youn ger, s hould  always  ride in 
th e back  properly  res train ed  for their  age  and 
s ize. 
-4 
39  "Moni to rin g th e Advanced  Ai rbag 
Sys tem ." 
When  a  perso n is  detected  on 
fron t pa s
se nger  seat, we ig hi ng  more  than  t he  total  weight 
of  a c hild  that  i s abo ut  I  year  old  res trai ned  in 
one  of the  rea r-faci ng  or  fo rward-facing  infant 
re strain ts  ( listed  in F ed era l Mot or Veh icle Sa fety 
Standard  208 wit h wh ic h  the  Advanced  Airbag 
S ys tem  in you r ve hicle was  cert ifie d),  the 
P ASS ENGER AIR B AG OFF  light  sh oul d not come 
o n  and  sh ould  stay off  .. When  the  PAS SENGER 
AIR  BAG  OFF light is off,  the  fron t airba g on  the 
passenger  side  may or  may no t dep loy  de
pending  on  the  natur e of  the co llisio n as  regis
tered  by  the electronic  co ntrol  unit. 
For  example , th e airb ag  may  deploy  in the " low 
risk " mode  if: 
•  a sm all c hild that  is  heav ier  than  a ty pical  I 
yea r-o ld  child  in  on e of  the c hild  re stra ints  wit h 
wh ic h  the  Advan ced A irbag  Syste m  was ce rtifi ed 
53  is  on  the front  passenger sea t 
•  a child  who  has  out grown  chil d  r estrai nts  is 
o n  th e fron t pa ssenger  seat. 
•  a sma ll adult  or teenage r is o n the front  pa s
se nger  seat 
•  a pas senger  who  is  no t sitt ing upr igh t wi th 
their  back  aga in st a  non- reclined  back rest  w it h 
t h ei r fee t on  the  vehicle  floo r in  front  of the  seat 
i s  on  the front  passe nger  seat 
5 
In  addition , the sy stem  has  been  certifi ed  to 
co mpl y wit h the  "sup press ion"  req uireme nts  of 
th e Safe ty  S tandard, 
to turn  off the fron t airbag 
fo r infan ts  12  m ont hs old  and  younger  who  are 
r es trai ned  on  th e  front  passenge r sea t in  chil d  

res tr a int s th at liste d  in  th e Sta nd ard 53. "C hild  restra int s an d  Adva nce d Air
bag s." 
"S uppr essio n "  req uir es the front  a irb ag  o n  the 
p ass eng er  side  to  be  tu rn ed  off  if: 
•  a child  up 
o n th e fro nt pa ss e n ger se at  in  one of th e 
r ea r-f acing  o r forward -facing infant  r estra int s 
li sted  in  F ed era l M otor  Vehicl e Sa fe ty  Stan dard 
20 8 w ith  whi ch  th e Ad van ce d  Air b ag Sys te m  in 
yo ur v eh icl e 
ce rtifi ed.  Fo r a l is ti ng o f th e 
c h ild r estrai nts th at we re  use d yo ur  ve
hi cle's  complian ce the US Sta n dard 
•  weight  le ss th an a  t hres ho ld  leve l sto re d  in 
t h e  co nt rol uni t is  detec ted  on  th e fro nt  pas
se nge r 
Th e PASS ENGER  AIR B AG OFF li ght co mes  on 
w hen  th e  el ec tro nic co ntro l un it de tec ts  a 
w ei ght  on  th e  fron t p asse nge r se at th at r eq uires 
th e front a irbag b e  tu rn ed  off. If  th e PAS-
S EN G BAG  OFF lig ht do es not  co me o n 
a nd  stay o n, th e air bag  o n  the passe nge r 
s id e  has b een  turn ed ofTb y th e con trol u nit depl oy  if th e  con tro l un it se nses  an  im
pa ct m ee ts th e co nditi ons st ored  in i ts 
m emor y.=>  page  45 39 "Mo nitoring th e 
A dva nce d Airb ag Sys te m ." 
Al ways  re m emb er: E ve n  t hou gh  your  veh ic le  is 
eq uip ped 
Adv an ce d Air b ags.  the safes t 
p la c e  fo r chil dren  i s prop erl y  res tra in ed  on  th e 
b ack 
Ple a se  be  sur e re a d  th e infor matio n  in  th e sections fo llow  a nd  b e 
s u re  to a ll  of th e WARN INGS . 
WARNIN G 
To re du ce the  ri sk  of inj ury  w hen  an  airb ag  in 
flate s, always  we ar safet y belt s  pro perl y. 
•  If  yo u ar e un res tra ine d, lea nin g forw ard, 
s itlin g sid eway s or o ut of  pos ition  in  any way, 
y our  risk of  injur y is mu ch  hi ghe r. 
•  You  will  als o  rece iv e  se ri o us  injuri es and 
co uld  eve n be  kill ed  if yo u arc  up again st  th e 
a ir bag  o r  too  clo se  to  it when  it infl ate s 
e ve n 
w ith  an  Adva nced Airb ag 27 . 
WARNING 
A  chil d in  a rear ward -fa ci ng c hild  sea t in
s talled  on th e front  p assenge r sea t w ill b e se ri
ou sly  in jur ed  and  can  be  killed if th e front 
Booklet  2.1  Safety  first 
WARNI NG (conti nued) 
a irba g infl ates eve n with  an Ad van ced Airb ag 
Sys te m . 
•  Alth ou gh  th e Adva nced  A irbag Sys te m  in 
y our  vehicl e is  de sig ned  to  turn  ofT the front 
a irb ag  w hen  a rea nva rd-fa cing c hild  res trai nt 
ha s bee n in stalled  on th e front  pa ssenger  sca t, 
n ob od y ca n  ab solut ely g uarant ee that d epl oy 
m ent  is im poss ible in  all  co ncei va ble s itu a
ti on s  th at ma y ha pp en du rin g th e use ful  life of 
yo ur ve hicl e. 
•  Th e infl ating  airb ag will hit  the c hild  seal 
or  in fant  carri er  w ith  grea t for ce  an d w ill 
s m as h th e c hild  seat and  child  aga inst th e 
ba ckres t,  ce nter  arm  r est, door , or  r oof . 
•  Al ways  insta ll  rea rw ard -facin g child  r e
s traint s in  th e back  scat. 
•  If yo u m ust  insta ll a  rea rwa rd  fa cin g c hild 
sca t on  the  front  passe nger  sea t bec aus e of ex
ce pti ona l cir cum sta n ces  and  the "PAS
SENGE R A IR B AG O FF"  light  doc s not  come  on 
a nd  stay  on,  imm edi atel y in stall  the re ar
f aci ng c hild  scat in  a re ar  se atin g position  and 
hav e th e a irbag  s ys te m  in sp ect ed b y your 
V ol kswage n dea le r. 
WARNING 
A n  im prop erl y  in sta lled  child  restr ain t can  in
t e rf ere w ith the a irbag as  it d epl oy s and  se ri
o usly  injur e or eve n kill  the c hild  -eve n with 
an  Ad van ced Airba g Sy stem . If , in  exc epti onal 
cir cum stan ce s, y ou  mu st in sta ll  a fo rwar d
facin g child  r estraint  on  the front  p asse nger' s 
s ea t: 
•  Fo rward- facin g child  scat s i nstall ed  on  th e 
fr ont  p asse nge r's s cat ma y inter fere w ith  the 
d epl oy ment of  the a irbag  and  cause  ser iou s 
p erso nal inju ry to the  child. 
•  Alw ays  m ake  sur e th e forwar d-fa cing  se a t 
h as  bee n d esig ned  and  certified  by  its 
fa ctur er for  u se o n a front  se a t with  a pas
s e n ge r front  and  sid e air bag . 
•  Alw ay s car efull y follo w the m anu fac turer' s 
i n stru ctio ns  prov ided  with  th e child  seat or 
ca rri er. 
•  Neve r  put  th e fon var d-facin g child  re
s traint  up  against  or  ve ry  ne ar the in strum ent 
p an el. 
•  Always  move  the passe nge r scat  in to  its  re 
a rm ost  pos ition  in  th e sea t's  for e and 
Airbag  system  33