
8
&Car phone/cell phone and driving
CAUTION
Do not use a car phone/cell phone 
while driving; it may distract your
attention from driving and can lead
to an accident. If you use a car
phone/cell phone, pull off the road
and park in a safe place before
using your phone. In some States/
Provinces, only hands-free phones
may legally be used while driving.
& Modification of your vehicle
CAUTION
Your vehicle should not be modified 
other than with genuine SUBARU
parts and accessories. Other types
of modifications could affect its
performance, safety or durability,
and may even violate governmental
regulations. In addition, damage or
performance problems resulting
from modification may not be cov-
ered under warranties. &
Driving a vehicle equipped 
with a navigation system
WARNING
Do not allow the monitor to distract 
your attention from driving. Also, do
not operate the controls of the
navigation system while driving.
The loss of attention to driving
could lead to an accident. If you
wish to operate the controls of the
navigation system, first take the
vehicle off the road and stop it in a
safe place.
& Driving with pets
Unrestrained pets can interfere with your
driving and distract your attention from
driving. In a collision or sudden stop,
unrestrained pets or cages can be thrown
around inside the vehicle and hurt you or
your passengers. Besides, the pets can
be hurt under these situations. It is also for
their own safety that pets should be
properly restrained in your vehicle. Re-
strain a pet with a special traveling
harness which can be secured to the rear
seat with a seatbelt or use a pet carrier
which can be secured to the rear seat by
routing a seatbelt through the carrier ’s handle. Never restrain pets or pet carriers
in the front passenger
’s seat. For further
information, consult your veterinarian,
local animal protection society or petshop. & Tire pressures
WARNING
Driving at high speeds with exces- 
sively low tire pressures can cause
the tires to deform severely and to
rapidly become hot. A sharp in-
crease in temperature could cause
tread separation, and destruction of
the tires. The resulting loss of
vehicle control could lead to anaccident.
Check and, if necessary, adjust the
pressure of each tire (including the spare)
at least once a month and before any long
journey. 
Check the tire pressure when the tires are 
cold. Use a pressure gauge to adjust the
tire pressures to the values shown on the
tire placard. For detailed information, referto “Tires and wheels ”F 11-22. 

22 &Cargo area
1) Jack handle (page 9-19) 
2) Maintenance tools (page 9-19) 
3) Jack (page 9-19) 
4) Spare tire (page 9-5)  

3-14Instruments and controls
&Rear differential oil 
temperature warninglight
CAUTION
Reduce vehicle speed and park the 
vehicle in a safe place as soon as
possible if the R.DIFF TEMP light
illuminates. Continued driving with
this light illuminated can damage
the rear differential and other parts
of the powertrain.
If this light illuminates when the engine is
running, it may indicate that the rear
differential oil temperature is too hot. 
If the light illuminates while driving, reduce 
vehicle speed and stop the vehicle at the
nearest safe place. 
Park the vehicle for several minutes. After 
the light turns off, you can start driving. 
If the light does not turn off, contact the 
nearest SUBARU dealer for service. NOTE . If the tire pressures are not correct
and/or the tires are not all the same 
size and brand, the rear differential will 
be heavily loaded when the vehicle is 
driven, resulting in an abnormally high
oil temperature. .
The rear differential oil will deterio-
rate if its temperature increases en-
ough for the rear differential oil tem-
perature warning light to illuminate. It is
advisable to have the rear differential
oil replaced as soon as possible.
& Low tire pressure 
warning light
When the ignition switch is turned to the “ON ”position, the low tire pressure warn-
ing light will illuminate for approximately 2
seconds to check that the tire pressure
monitoring system (TPMS) is functioning
properly. If there is no problem and all tires
are properly inflated, the light will turn off. 
Each tire, including the spare (if provided), 
should be checked monthly when cold
and inflated to the inflation pressure
recommended by the vehicle manufac-
turer on the vehicle placard or tire inflation
pressure label. (If your vehicle has tires of
a different size than the size indicated on
the vehicle placard or tire inflation pres-
sure label, you should determine the
proper tire inflation pressure for thosetires.) 
As an added safety feature, your vehicle 
has been equipped with a tire pressure
monitoring system (TPMS) that illuminates
a low tire pressure telltale when one or more of your tires is significantly under-
inflated. Accordingly, when the low tire
pressure telltale illuminates, you should
stop and check your tires as soon as
possible, and inflate them to the proper
pressure. Driving on a significantly under-
inflated tire causes the tire to overheat and
can lead to tire failure. Under-inflation also
reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life,
and may affect the vehicle
’s handling and
stopping ability. 
Please note that the TPMS is not a 
substitute for proper tire maintenance,
and it is the driver ’s responsibility to
maintain correct tire pressure, even if
under-inflation has not reached the level 
to trigger illumination of the TPMS low tire 
pressure telltale. 
Your vehicle has also been equipped with 
a TPMS malfunction indicator to indicate
when the system is not operating properly.
The TPMS malfunction indicator is com-
bined with the low tire pressure telltale.
When the system detects a malfunction,
the telltale will flash for approximately one
minute and then remain continuously
illuminated. This sequence will continue
upon subsequent vehicle start-ups as long
as the malfunction exists. When the
malfunction indicator is illuminated, the
system may not be able to detect or signal
low tire pressure as intended. TPMS   

malfunctions may occur for a variety of 
reasons, including the installation of re-
placement or alternate tires or wheels on
the vehicle that prevent the TPMS from
functioning properly. Always check the
TPMS malfunction telltale after replacing
one or more tires or wheels on your
vehicle to ensure that the replacement or
alternate tires and wheels allow the TPMS
to continue to function properly. 
Should the warning light illuminate stea- 
dily after blinking for approximately one
minute, have the system inspected by
your nearest SUBARU dealer as soon aspossible.
WARNING
If this light does not illuminate 
briefly after the ignition switch is
turned ON or the light illuminates
steadily after blinking for approxi-
mately one minute, you should have
your Tire Pressure Monitoring Sys-
tem checked at a SUBARU dealer as
soon as possible. 
If this light illuminates while driving, 
never brake suddenly and keep
driving straight ahead while gradu-
ally reducing speed. Then slowly
pull off the road to a safe place.
Otherwise an accident involving serious vehicle damage and serious
personal injury could occur. 
If this light still illuminates while 
driving after adjusting the tire pres-
sure, a tire may have significant
damage and a fast leak that causes
the tire to lose air rapidly. If you have
a flat tire, replace it with a spare tire
as soon as possible. 
When a spare tire is mounted or a 
wheel rim is replaced without the
original pressure sensor/transmitter
being transferred, the Low tire pres-
sure warning light will illuminate
steadily after blinking for approxi-
mately one minute. This indicates
that the TPMS is unable to monitor
all four road wheels. Contact your
SUBARU dealer as soon as possible
for tire and sensor replacement and/
or system resetting. If the light
illuminates steadily after blinking
for approximately one minute,
promptly contact a SUBARU dealer
to have the system inspected.
CAUTION
The tire pressure monitoring system 
is NOT a substitute for manually 
checking tire pressure. The tire pressure should be checked peri-
odically (at least monthly) using a
tire gauge. After any change to tire
pressure(s), the tire pressure mon-
itoring system will not re-check tire
inflation pressures until the vehicle
is first driven more than 20 mph (32
km/h). Therefore, after adjusting the
tire pressures, increase the vehicle
speed to at least 20 mph (32 km/h) to
start the TPMS re-checking of the
tire inflation pressures. If the tire
pressures are now above the severe
low pressure threshold, the low tire
pressure warning light should turn
off a few minutes later. Therefore, be
sure to install the specified size for
the front and rear tires.
& ABS warning light
The ABS warning light illuminates when 
the ignition switch is turned to the “ON ”
position and turns off after approximately 2 seconds. 
This is an indication that the ABS system 
is working properly.
CAUTION
If the warning light behaves as 
follows, the ABS system may not Instruments and controls
3-15
– CONTINUED –  

7-28Starting and operating
Tire pressure monitoring 
system (TPMS)
The tire pressure monitoring system pro- 
vides the driver with a warning message
by sending a signal from a sensor that is
installed in each wheel when tire pressure
is severely low. 
The tire pressure monitoring system will 
activate only when the vehicle is driven at
speeds above 20 mph (32 km/h). Also,
this system may not react immediately to a
sudden drop in tire pressure (for example,
a blow-out caused by running over a
sharp object).
WARNING
If the low tire pressure warning light 
illuminates while driving, never
brake suddenly and keep driving
straight ahead while gradually redu-
cing speed. Then slowly pull off the
road to a safe place. Otherwise an
accident involving serious vehicle
damage and serious personal injury
could occur. 
Check the pressure for all four tires 
and adjust the pressure to the COLD
tire pressure shown on the tire
placard on the door pillar on thedriver ’s side.
Even when the vehicle is driven a
very short distance, the tires get
warm and their pressures increase
accordingly. Be sure to let the tires
cool thoroughly before adjusting
their pressures to the standard 
values shown on the tire placard. 
Refer to “Tires and wheels ”F 11-22.
The tire pressure monitoring system
does not function when the vehicle
is stationary. After adjusting the tire
pressures, increase the vehicle
speed to at least 20 mph (32 km/h)
to start the TPMS re-checking of the
tire inflation pressures. If the tire
pressures are now above the severe low pressure threshold, the low tire
pressure warning light should turn
off a few minutes later. 
If this light still illuminates while 
driving after adjusting the tire pres-
sure, a tire may have significant
damage and a fast leak that causes
the tire to lose air rapidly. If you have
a flat tire, replace it with a spare tire
as soon as possible. 
When a spare tire is mounted or a 
wheel rim is replaced without the
original pressure sensor/transmitter
being transferred, the low tire pres-
sure warning light will illuminate
steadily after blinking for approxi-
mately one minute. This indicates
the TPMS is unable to monitor all
four road wheels. Contact your
SUBARU dealer as soon as possible
for tire and sensor replacement and/
or system resetting. 
Do not inject any tire liquid or 
aerosol tire sealant into the tires,
as this may cause a malfunction of
the tire pressure sensors. If the light
illuminates steadily after blinking for
approximately one minute, promptly
contact a SUBARU dealer to have
the system inspected.  

power to all four wheels. AWD models 
provide better traction when driving on
slippery, wet or snow-covered roads and
when moving out of mud, dirt or sand. By
shifting power between the front and rear
wheels, SUBARU AWD can also provide
added traction during acceleration, and
added engine braking force during decel-eration. 
Therefore, your SUBARU AWD vehicle 
may handle differently than an ordinary
two wheel drive vehicle and it contains
some features unique to AWD. For safety
purposes as well as to avoid damaging
the AWD system, you should keep the
following tips in mind. .An AWD model is better able to climb
steeper roads under snowy or slippery 
conditions than a two wheel drive vehicle.
There is little difference in handling,
however, during extremely sharp turns or
sudden braking. Therefore, when driving
down a slope or turning corners, be sure
to reduce your speed and maintain an
ample distance from other vehicles. . When replacing a tire, make sure you
use only the same size, circumference, 
construction, brand, and load range as the
original tires listed on the tire placard.
Using other sizes, circumferences or
construction may result in severe mechan-
ical damage to the drive train of your vehicle and may affect ride, handling,
braking, speedometer/odometer calibra-
tion, and clearance between the body
and tires. It also may be dangerous and
lead to loss of vehicle control. .
If you use a temporary spare tire to
replace a flat tire, be sure to use the 
original temporary spare tire stored in the
vehicle. Using other sizes may result in
severe mechanical damage to the drive
train of your vehicle. . Always check the cold tire pressure
before starting to drive. The recom- 
mended tire pressure is provided on the
tire placard, which is located under the
door latch on the driver ’s side.
. There are some precautions that you
must observe when towing your vehicle.
For detailed information, refer to “Towing ”
F 9-14. On-road and off-road driving
WARNING
. In a rollover crash, an unbelted
person is significantly more 
likely to die than a person wear-
ing a seatbelt. You the driver and
all your passengers should fas-
ten the seatbelts before starting
to drive in order to minimize the
chance of serious injury or death.
. Do not make sharp turns and
quick maneuvers unless abso-
lutely unavoidable. Such actions
are dangerous as you may lose
control, possibly resulting in a
rollover which could cause death
or serious injury.
. Always maintain a safe driving
speed according to the road and
weather conditions in order to
avoid having an accident on a
sharp turn, during sudden brak-
ing or under other similar condi- tions.
. Whenever strong crosswinds are
present, slow down sufficiently 
to maintain control of your vehi-
cle. Remember that your vehicle,
with its higher profile and center Driving tips
8-5
– CONTINUED – 

create a traffic safety hazard. 
For safety, always connect the towing 
vehicle and trailer with trailer safety
chains. Pass the chains crossing each
other under the trailer tongue to prevent
the trailer from dropping onto the ground
in case the trailer tongue should discon-
nect from the hitch ball. Allow sufficient
slack in the chains taking tight turn
situations into account; however, be care-
ful not to let them drag on the ground. 
For more information about the safety 
chain connection, refer to the instructions
for your hitch and trailer. !Side mirrors
After hitching a trailer to your vehicle, 
check that the standard side mirrors
provide a good rearward field of view
without significant blind spots. If significant blind spots occur with the vehicle
’s stan-
dard side mirrors, use towing mirrors that
conform with Federal, state/province and/
or other applicable regulations. ! Trailer lights
CAUTION
Direct splicing or other improper 
connection of trailer lights may
damage your vehicle ’s electrical
system and cause a malfunction of
your vehicle ’s lighting system.
Connection of trailer lights to your vehi-cle ’s electrical system requires modifica-
tions to the vehicle ’s lighting circuit to
increase its capacity and accommodate
wiring changes. To ensure the trailer lights
are connected properly, please consult
your SUBARU dealer. Check for proper
operation of the turn signals, the brake
lights and parking lights each time you 
hitch up. ! Tires
WARNING
Never tow a trailer when the tem- 
porary spare tire is used. The tem-
porary spare tire is not designed to
sustain the towing load. Use of the temporary spare tire when towing
can result in failure of the spare tire
and/or less stability of the vehicle.
Make sure that all the tires on your vehicle
are properly inflated. 
The recommended cold tire pressure 
under trailer towing conditions is shownin “Tires ”F 12-8 and in “GAS STATION
REFERENCE ”at the end of this manual.
Adjust the rear tire pressure to the
recommended pressure when the tires
are cold. Normal pressure should be
maintained in the front tires. 
Trailer tire condition, size, load rating and 
proper inflation pressure should be in
accordance with the trailer manufacturer ’s
specifications. 
In the event your vehicle gets a flat tire 
when towing a trailer, ask a commercial
road service to repair the flat tire. 
If you carry a regular size spare tire in your 
vehicle or trailer as a precaution against
getting a flat tire, be sure that the spare
tire is firmly secured. Driving tips
8-25
– CONTINUED –  

If you park your vehicle in an emergency......... 9-2
Spare tire ............................................................. 9-2
Removing the spare tire ...................................... 9-3
Re-storage of spare tire ....................................... 9-4
Temporary spare tire ........................................... 9-5
Flat tires ............................................................... 9-6
Changing a flat tire .............................................. 9-6
Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) . ........... 9-10
Jump starting ..................................................... 9-11
How to jump start ............................................... 9-12 Engine overheating
........................................... 9-14
If steam is coming from the engine compartment ................................................... 9-14
If no steam is coming from the engine compartment ................................................... 9-14
Towing ................................................................ 9-14
Towing and tie-down hooks. ............................... 9-15
Using a flat-bed truck. ........................................ 9-17
Towing with all wheels on the ground ................. 9-17
Rear gate –if the rear gate cannot be
unlocked .......................................................... 9-18
Maintenance tools ............................................. 9-19
Jack and jack handle ......................................... 9-19
In case of emergency
9