2011 TOYOTA MATRIX Owners Manual

81 1-7. Safety information
1
Before driving
CAUTION
■SRS airbag precautions
●Do not use seat accessories which cover the parts where the SRS side
airbags inflate as they may interfere with inflation of the airbags.
●Do not strike or apply significant levels of force to the area of the SRS air-
bag components (P. 72).
Doing so can cause the SRS airbags to malfunction.
●Do not touch any of the component parts immediately after the SRS air-
bags have deployed (inflated) as they may be hot.
●Do not attach anything to areas such as
the door, windshield glass, side door
glass, front and rear pillars, roof side
rail or assist grip.
●Do not hang coat hangers or other hard
objects on the coat hooks. All of these
items could become projectiles and
seriously injure or kill you, should the
SRS curtain shield airbag deploy.

82 1-7. Safety information
CAUTION
■SRS airbag precautions
●If breathing becomes difficult after the SRS airbag has deployed, open a
door or window to allow fresh air in, or leave the vehicle if it is safe to do
so. Wash off any residue as soon as possible to prevent skin irritation.
●If the areas where the SRS airbags are stored, such as the steering wheel
pad and front and rear pillar garnishes, are damaged or cracked, have
them replaced by your Toyota dealer.
■Modification and disposal of SRS airbag system components
Do not dispose of your vehicle or perform any of the following modifications
without consulting your Toyota dealer.
The SRS airbags may malfunction or deploy (inflate) accidentally, causing
death or serious injury.
●Installation, removal, disassembly and repair of the SRS airbags.
●Repairs, modifications, removal or replacement of the steering wheel,
instrument panel, dashboard, seats or seat upholstery, front, side and rear
pillars or roof side rail.
●Repairs or modifications of the front fender, front bumper, or side of the
occupant compartment.
●Installation of snow plows, winches, etc. to the front grille (bull bars, kan-
garoo bar etc.).
●Modifications to the vehicle's suspension system.
●Installation of electronic devices such as mobile two-way radios or CD
players.
●Modifications to your vehicle for a person with a physical disability.

83
1
1-7. Safety information
Before driving
Front passenger occupant classification system
Your vehicle is equipped with a front passenger occupant classifica-
tion system. This system detects the conditions of the front passen-
ger seat and activates or deactivates the devices for the front
passenger.
SRS warning light
“AIR BAG OFF” indicator light
“AIR BAG ON” indicator light
Front passenger's seat belt reminder light

84 1-7. Safety information
Conditions and operation of the front passenger occupant classification system
■Adult*1
■Child*3 or child restraint system*4
Indicator/
warning light
“AIR BAG ON” and “AIR BAG OFF” indicator
lights“AIR BAG
ON”
SRS warning light Off
Front passenger’s seat belt reminder light Flashing
*2
DevicesFront passenger airbag
Activated Side airbag on the front
passenger seats
Curtain shield airbag in the front
passenger side
Front passenger’s seat belt pretensioner
Indicator/
warning light
“AIR BAG ON” and “AIR BAG OFF” indicator
lights“AIR BAG
OFF”*5
SRS warning light Off
Front passenger’s seat belt reminder light Flashing
*2
DevicesFront passenger airbag
Deactivated
Side airbag on the front
passenger seats
Curtain shield airbag in the front
passenger side
Activated
Front passenger’s seat belt pretensioner

85 1-7. Safety information
1
Before driving
■Unoccupied
■There is a malfunction in the system
*1: The system judges a person of adult size as an adult. When a
smaller adult sits in the front passenger seat, the system may rec-
ognize him/her as a child depending on his/her physique and pos-
ture.
*2: In the event the front passenger does not wear a seat belt.
*3: When a larger child who has outgrown a child restraint system
sits in the front passenger seat, the system may recognize him/
her as an adult depending on his/her physique or posture.
Indicator/
warning light
“AIR BAG ON” and “AIR BAG OFF” indicator
lightsNot illuminated
SRS warning light
Off
Front passenger’s seat belt reminder light
DevicesFront passenger airbag
Deactivated
Side airbag on the front
passenger seats
Curtain shield airbag in the front
passenger sideActivated
Front passenger’s seat belt pretensioner Deactivated
Indicator/
warning light
“AIR BAG ON” and “AIR BAG OFF” indicator
lights“AIR BAG
OFF”
SRS warning light On
Front passenger’s seat belt reminder light Off
DevicesFront passenger airbag
Deactivated
Side airbag on the front
passenger seats
Curtain shield airbag in the front
passenger side
Activated
Front passenger’s seat belt pretensioner

86 1-7. Safety information
*4: Never install a rear-facing child restraint system on the front pas-
senger seat. A forward-facing child restraint system should only
be installed on the front passenger seat when it is unavoidable.
(P. 88)
*5: In case the indicator is not illuminated, consult this manual as for
installing the child restraint system properly. (P. 92)
CAUTION
■Front passenger occupant classification system precautions
Observe the following precautions regarding the front passenger occupant
classification system.
Failure to do so may cause death or serious injury.
●Wear the seat belt properly.
●Make sure the front passenger’s seat belt tab has not been left inserted
into the buckle before someone sits in the front passenger seat.
●Make sure the “AIR BAG OFF” indicator light is not illuminated when using
the seat belt extender for the front passenger seat. If the “AIR BAG OFF”
indicator light is illuminated, disconnect the extender tongue from the seat
belt buckle, then reconnect the seat belt. Reconnect the seat belt extender
after making sure the “AIR BAG ON” indicator light is illuminated. If you
use the seat belt extender while the “AIR BAG OFF” indicator light is illumi-
nated, the front passenger airbag and side airbag on the front passenger
side may not activate correctly, which could cause death or serious injury
in the event of collision.
●Do not apply a heavy load to the front passenger seat.
●Do not put weight on the front passenger seat by putting your hands or
feet on the front passenger seat seatback from the rear passenger seat.
●Do not let a rear passenger lift the front passenger seat with their feet or
press on the seatback with their legs.
●Do not put objects under the front passenger seat.

87 1-7. Safety information
1
Before driving
CAUTION
■Front passenger occupant classification system precautions
●Do not recline the front passenger seatback so far that it touches a rear
seat. This may cause the “AIR BAG OFF” indicator light to be illuminated,
which indicates that the passenger’s airbags will not deploy in the event of
a severe accident. If the seatback touches the rear seat, return the seat-
back to a position where it does not touch the rear seat. Keep the front
passenger seatback as upright as possible when the vehicle is moving.
Reclining the seatback excessively may lessen the effectiveness of the
seat belt system.
●If an adult sits in the front passenger seat, the “AIR BAG ON” indicator
light is illuminated. If the “AIR BAG OFF” indicator is illuminated, ask the
passenger to sit up straight, well back in the seat, feet on the floor, and
with the seat belt worn correctly. If the “AIR BAG OFF” indicator still
remains illuminated, either ask the passenger to move to the rear seat, or
if that is not possible, move the front passenger seat fully rearward.
●When it is unavoidable to install the forward-facing child restraint system
on the front passenger seat, install the child restraint system on the front
passenger seat in the proper order. (P. 92)
●Do not modify or remove the front seats.
●Do not kick the front passenger seat or subject it to severe impact. Other-
wise, the SRS warning light may come on to indicate a malfunction of the
detection system. In this case, contact your Toyota dealer immediately.
●Child restraint systems installed on the rear seat should not contact the
front seatbacks.
●Do not use a seat accessory, such as a cushion or seat cover, that covers
the seat cushion surface.
●Do not modify or replace the upholstery of the front seat.

88
1-7. Safety information
Child restraint systems
Points to remember
Studies have shown that installing a child restraint system on a rear
seat is much safer than installing one to the front passenger seat.
●Choose a child restraint system that suits your vehicle and is
appropriate to the age and size of the child.
●For installation details, follow the instructions provided with the
child restraint system.
General installation instructions are provided in this manual.
(P. 9 2 )
A child restraint system for a small child or baby must be properly
restrained on the seat with the lap portion of the lap/shoulder belt.
The laws of all 50 states of U.S.A. and Canada now require the use of
child restraint systems.