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TRUNK SAFETY WARNING
WARNING!
Do not allow children to have access to the trunk,
either by climbing into the trunk from outside, or
through the inside of the vehicle. Always close the
trunk lid when your vehicle is unattended. Once in
the trunk, young children may not be able to escape,
even if they entered through the rear seat. If trapped
in the trunk, children can die from suffocation or
heat stroke.
Trunk Internal Emergency Release
As a security measure, a Trunk Internal Emergency
Release lever is built into the trunk latching mechanism.
In the event of an individual being locked inside the
trunk, the trunk can be simply opened by pulling on the
glow-in-the-dark handle attached to the trunk latching
mechanism.OCCUPANT RESTRAINTS
Some of the most important safety features in your
vehicle are the restraint systems:
•Three-point lap and shoulder belts for all seating
positions
Trunk Internal Emergency Release
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•Advanced Front Air Bags for driver and front passen-
ger
•Supplemental Active Head Restraints (AHR) located
on top of the front seats (integrated into the head
restraint) — if equipped
•Supplemental Seat-Mounted Side Air Bags (SAB)
•An energy-absorbing steering column and steering
wheel
•Knee bolsters/blockers for front seat occupants
•Front seat belts incorporate pretensioners that may
enhance occupant protection by managing occupant
energy during an impact event
•All seat belt systems (except the driver’s) include
Automatic Locking Retractors (ALRs), which lock the
seat belt webbing into position by extending the beltall the way out and then adjusting the belt to the
desired length to restrain a child seat or secure a large
item in a seat
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.
If you will be carrying children too small for adult-sized
seat belts, the seat belts or the Lower Anchors and Tether
for CHildren (LATCH) feature also can be used to hold
infant and child restraint systems. For more information
on LATCH, refer to Lower Anchors and Tether for
CHildren (LATCH).
NOTE: The Advanced Front Air Bags have a multistage
inflator design. This allows the air bag to have different
rates of inflation based on the severity and type of
collision.
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Buckle up even though you are an excellent driver, even
on short trips. Someone on the road may be a poor driver
and cause an accident that includes you. This can happen
far away from home or on your own street.
Research has shown that seat belts save lives, and they
can reduce the seriousness of injuries in an accident.
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
inside of the vehicle. Everyone in a motor vehicle should
be belted at all times.
Lap/Shoulder Belts
All seating positions in your vehicle are equipped with
lap/shoulder belts.
The belt webbing retractor is designed to lock during
very sudden stops or accidents. This feature allows the
shoulder part of the belt to move freely with you undernormal conditions. However, in an accident, the belt will
lock and reduce the risk of you striking the inside of the
vehicle or being thrown out.
WARNING!
•Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and
using a seat belt properly.
•It is dangerous to ride in a cargo area, inside or
outside of a vehicle. In an accident, people riding
in these areas are more likely to be seriously
injured or killed.
•Wearing a seat belt incorrectly is dangerous. Seat
belts are designed to go around the large bones of
your body. These are the strongest parts of your
body and can take the forces of an accident the
best.
(Continued)
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1. Position the latch plate as close as possible to the
anchor point.
2. At about 6 to 12 in (15 to 30 cm) above the latch plate,
grasp and twist the belt webbing 180° to create a fold that
begins immediately above the latch plate.
3. Slide the latch plate upward over the folded webbing.
The folded webbing must enter the slot at the top of the
latch plate.
4. Continue to slide the latch plate up until it clears the
folded webbing.
Seat Belts In Passenger Seating Positions
The seat belts in the passenger seating positions are
equipped with Automatic Locking Retractors (ALR)
which are used to secure a child restraint system. For
additional information, refer to “Installing Child Re-
straints Using The Vehicle Seat Belt” under the “Child
Restraints” section. The chart below defines the type of
feature for each seating position.
Driver Center Passenger
First Row N/A N/A ALR
Second Row ALR N/A ALR
•N/A — Not Applicable
•ALR — Automatic Locking Retractor
If the passenger seating position is equipped with an
ALR and is being used for normal usage:
Only pull the belt webbing out far enough to comfortably
wrap around the occupant’s mid-section so as to not
activate the ALR. If the ALR is activated, you will hear a
ratcheting sound as the belt retracts. Allow the webbing
to retract completely in this case and then carefully pull
out only the amount of webbing necessary to comfort-
ably wrap around the occupant’s mid-section. Slide the
latch plate into the buckle until you hear a click.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 47
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Automatic Locking Retractor Mode (ALR) — If
Equipped
In this mode, the shoulder belt is automatically pre-
locked. The belt will still retract to remove any slack in
the shoulder belt. The Automatic Locking Mode is avail-
able on all passenger-seating positions with a combina-
tion lap/shoulder belt. Use the Automatic Locking Mode
anytime a child safety seat is installed in a seating
position that has a belt with this feature. Children
12 years old and under should always be properly
restrained in the rear seat.
How To Engage The Automatic Locking Mode
1. Buckle the combination lap and shoulder belt.
2. Grasp the shoulder portion and pull downward until
the entire belt is extracted.3. Allow the belt to retract. As the belt retracts, you will
hear a clicking sound. This indicates the safety belt is
now in the Automatic Locking Mode.
How To Disengage The Automatic Locking Mode
Unbuckle the combination lap/shoulder belt and allow it
to retract completely to disengage the Automatic Locking
Mode and activate the vehicle sensitive (emergency)
locking mode.
WARNING!
•The belt and retractor assembly must be replaced
if the seat belt assembly Automatic Locking Re-
tractor (ALR) feature or any other seat belt func-
tion is not working properly when checked ac-
cording to the procedures in the Service Manual.
•Failure to replace the belt and retractor assembly
could increase the risk of injury in collisions.
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Energy Management Feature
This vehicle has a safety belt system with an Energy
Management feature in the front seating positions to help
further reduce the risk of injury in the event of a head-on
accident. This safety belt system has a retractor assembly
that is designed to release webbing in a controlled
manner. This feature is designed to help reduce the belt
force acting on the occupant’s chest.
WARNING!
•The belt and retractor assembly must be replaced
if the seat belt assembly Automatic Locking Re-
tractor (ALR) feature or any other seat belt func-
tion is not working properly when checked ac-
cording to the procedures in the Service Manual.
•Failure to replace the belt and retractor assembly
could increase the risk of injury in accidents.
Seat Belt Pretensioners
The seat belts for both front seating positions are
equipped with pretensioning devices that are designed to
remove slack from the seat belt in the event of an
accident. These devices may improve the performance of
the seat belt by assuring that the belt is tight about the
occupant early in an accident. 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 still must be
worn snugly and positioned properly.
The pretensioners are triggered by the Occupant Re-
straint Controller (ORC). Like the air bags, the preten-
sioners are single use items. A deployed pretensioner or
a deployed air bag must be replaced immediately.
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1. Grasp the deployed AHR from the rear seat.
2. Position the hands on the top of the deployed AHR at
a comfortable position.3. Pull
downthenrearward towards the rear of the
vehicle then downto engage the locking mechanism.
Hand Positioning Points On AHR
1 — Downward Movement
2 — Rearward Movement
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4. The AHR front soft foam and trim half should lock
into the back decorative plastic half.NOTE:•If you have difficulties or problems resetting the
Active Head Restraints, see an authorized dealer.
•For safety reasons, have the Active Head Restraints
checked by a qualified specialist at an authorized
dealer.
3—Final Downward Movement To Engage Locking MechanismAHR In Reset Position
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