2011 NISSAN XTERRA Owners Manual

Folding the front passenger’s seatback
(if so equipped)
To fold the front passenger’s seatback flat for
extra storage length when transporting long
items:
1Slide the seat to the rearmost position. Lift
up on the recline lever, located on the out-
side edge of the seat, and fold the seatback
forward as far as it will go. Then lift up on the
latch located on the upper corner of the
seatback to release the back of the seat.
2Once the seatback is released, it will enable
you to fold the front passenger seatback flat
over the seat cushion.
3. To return the front passenger’s seat to a seating position, lift up on the seatback and
push it up to an upright position. Then pull up
on the recline lever and lean the seatback to
a proper seating position. Release the lever
to lock the seatback in position.
WARNING
●If you fold the front passenger’s seat-
back flat forward to carry longer ob-
jects, be sure this cargo is properly se-
cured and not near an air bag. In a
crash, an inflating air bag might force
that object toward a person. This could
cause severe injury or even death. Se-
cure objects away from the area in
which an air bag would inflate. See
“Precautions on supplemental restraint
system” later in this section.
● Never allow anyone to ride in the cargo
area or on the front passenger’s seat
when it is in the fold-down position. Use
of these areas by passengers could re-
sult in serious injury in an accident or
sudden stop.
LRS0608LRS0609
1-8Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system

Folding the 2nd row bench seat
To fold the 2nd row bench seat flat for maximum
cargo hauling:
1Disconnect and secure the center seat belt
and tongues into the retractor base. See
“Stowing the center seat belt” later in this
section. Then properly stow the outboard
seat belts in the seat belt hooks before fold-
ing down the rear seats. See “Seat belt
hook” in this section for more information.
Lower the head restraints to the full “down”
position. Pull the strap forward, located in
the center of each seat cushion, and fold
each seat cushion toward the front of the
vehicle.
2Then pull the straps located on the outside
edge of each seatback to fold the seatbacks
forward.
LRS0577LRS0578
Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-9

3This provides a level cargo floor.4To return the bench seats to a seating posi-
tion, reverse this process.Raise the seat-
backs to an upright position. Make
sure to hold the seat belts above the
seat cushion, then push the seat cush-
ion down into place.Removing the 2nd row bench seat
cushions
The rear seat cushion can be removed to provide
additional space when folding the 2nd row seat-
backs flat. To remove the 2nd row bench seat
cushions:
1. Pull the straps forward, located in the center of each seat cushion, to fold the seat cush-
ions forward.
2. Lift up and fold each of the red release handles on the seat base toward the front of
the vehicle. This will release the seat cushion
from the seat base.
LRS0579LRS0580LRS0585
1-10Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system

3. Then lift up on the seat cushion to remove itfrom the seat base. Be sure to store it in a
secure place.
To return the rear seatback to a seating position: 1. Push the anchor bars on the bottom of the seat cushions down into the seat base.
2. Rotate the seat cushion toward the rear of the vehicle and push down until they are
folded flat to secure each seat cushion to the
seat base. Make sure to hold the seat
belts above the seat cushion and prop-
erly push the seat cushion down into
place.
WARNING
● Never allow anyone to ride in the cargo
area or on the rear seat when it is in the
fold-down position. Use of these areas
by passengers without proper restraints
could result in serious injury in an acci-
dent or sudden stop.
● Do not allow people to ride in any area
of your vehicle that is not equipped with
seats and seat belts. Be sure everyone
in your vehicle is in a seat and using a
seat belt properly. Never ride in the rear
seat unless the seat bottom cushions
are in place and latched. ●
Properly secure all cargo with ropes or
straps to help prevent it from sliding or
shifting. In a sudden stop or collision,
unsecured cargo could cause personal
injury.
● When returning the seatbacks to the
upright position, be certain they are
completely secured in the latched posi-
tion. If they are not completely secured,
passengers may be injured in an acci-
dent or sudden stop.
● If the seat cushions are removed for any
reason, they should be securely stored
to prevent them from causing injury to
passengers or damage to the vehicle in
case of sudden braking or an accident.
Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-11

PRECAUTIONS ON SEAT BELT
USAGE
If you are wearing your seat belt properly ad-
justed and you are sitting upright and well back in
your seat with both feet on the floor, your chances
of being injured or killed in an accident and/or the
severity of injury may be greatly reduced.
NISSAN strongly encourages you and all of your
passengers to buckle up every time you drive,
even if your seating position includes a supple-
mental air bag.
Most U.S. states and Canadian provinces
or territories specify that seat belts be worn
at all times when a vehicle is being driven.
SSS0136
SEAT BELTS
1-12Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system

WARNING
●Every person who drives or rides in this
vehicle should use a seat belt at all
times. Children should be properly re-
strained in the rear seat and, if appro-
priate, in a child restraint.
WARNING
●The seat belt should be properly ad-
justed to a snug fit. Failure to do so may
reduce the effectiveness of the entire
restraint system and increase the
chance or severity of injury in an acci-
dent. Serious injury or death can occur
if the seat belt is not worn properly.
SSS0134SSS0016
Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-13

WARNING
●Always route the shoulder belt over
your shoulder and across your chest.
Never put the belt behind your back,
under your arm or across your neck. The
belt should be away from your face and
neck, but not falling off your shoulder.
● Position the lap belt as low and snug as
possible AROUND THE HIPS, NOT THE
WAIST. A lap belt worn too high could
increase the risk of internal injuries in
an accident. ●
Be sure the seat belt tongue is securely
fastened to the proper buckle.
● Do not wear the seat belt inside out or
twisted. Doing so may reduce its
effectiveness.
● Do not allow more than one person to
use the same seat belt.
● Never carry more people in the vehicle
than there are seat belts.
● If the seat belt warning light glows con-
tinuously while the ignition is turned
ON with all doors closed and all seat
belts fastened, it may indicate a mal-
function in the system. Have the system
checked by a NISSAN dealer.
● No changes should be made to the seat
belt system. For example, do not modify
the seat belt, add material, or install
devices that may change the seat belt
routing or tension. Doing so may affect
the operation of the seat belt system.
Modifying or tampering with the seat
belt system may result in serious per-
sonal injury. ●
Once a seat belt pretensioner has acti-
vated, it cannot be reused and must be
replaced together with the retractor.
See your NISSAN dealer.
● Removal and installation of preten-
sioner system components should be
done by a NISSAN dealer.
● All seat belt assemblies, including re-
tractors and attaching hardware,
should be inspected after any collision
by a NISSAN dealer. NISSAN recom-
mends that all seat belt assemblies in
use during a collision be replaced un-
less the collision was minor and the
belts show no damage and continue to
operate properly. Seat belt assemblies
not in use during a collision should also
be inspected and replaced if either
damage or improper operation is noted.
● All child restraints and attaching hard-
ware should be inspected after any col-
lision. Always follow the restraint
manufacturer’s inspection instructions
and replacement recommendations.
The child restraints should be replaced
if they are damaged.
SSS0014
1-14Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system

PREGNANT WOMEN
NISSAN recommends that pregnant women use
seat belts. The seat belt should be worn snug and
always position the lap belt as low as possible
around the hips, not the waist. Place the shoulder
belt over your shoulder and across your chest.
Never run the lap/shoulder belt over your ab-
dominal area. Contact your doctor for specific
recommendations.
INJURED PERSONS
NISSAN recommends that injured persons use
seat belts. Check with your doctor for specific
recommendations.
THREE-POINT TYPE SEAT BELT
WITH RETRACTOR
WARNING
●Every person who drives or rides in this
vehicle should use a seat belt at all
times.
● Do not ride in a moving vehicle when
the seatback is reclined. This can be
dangerous. The shoulder belt will not
be against your body. In an accident,
you could be thrown into it and receive
neck or other serious injuries. You
could also slide under the lap belt and
receive serious internal injuries.
● For the most effective protection when
the vehicle is in motion, the seat should
be upright. Always sit well back in the
seat with both feet on the floor and
adjust the seat belt properly.
Fastening the seat belts
1Adjust the seat. See “Seats” earlier in this
section.
Manual seat shown
WRS0174
Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-15