Adjustable Upper Shoulder Belt Anchorage
In the front seat positions, the shoulder belt anchorage
can be adjusted upward or downward to position the belt
away from your neck. Push in on the anchorage near
your outside shoulder and slide it up or down to reach
the position that serves you best.WARNING!
Position the shoulder belt height adjusters so that the
belt rests across the middle of your shoulder. Failure
to adjust the safety belt properly could reduce the
effectiveness of the seat belt and increase the risk of
injury in a collision.
As a guide, if you are shorter than average, you will
prefer a lower position, and if you are taller than average,
you will prefer a higher position. When you release the
anchorage, try to move it up or down to make sure that
it is locked in position.
Adjusting Upper Shoulder Belt
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 53
To read data recorded by an EDR, special equipment is
required, and access to the vehicle or the EDR is needed.
In addition to the vehicle manufacturer, other parties,
such as law enforcement, that have the special equip-
ment, can read the information if they have access to the
vehicle or the EDR.
Child Restraints
Everyone in your vehicle needs to be buckled up at all
times, including babies and children. Every state in the
United States and all Canadian provinces require that
small children ride in proper restraint systems. This is the
law, and you can be prosecuted for ignoring it.
Children 12 years or under should ride properly buckled
up in a rear seat, if available. According to crash statistics,
children are safer when properly restrained in the rear
seats, rather than in the front.
There are different sizes and types of restraints for
children from newborn size to the child almost largeenough for an adult safety belt. Always check the child
seat owner’s manual to ensure you have the correct seat
for your child. Use the restraint that is correct for your
child.
WARNING!
In a collision, an unrestrained child, even a tiny baby,
can become a projectile inside the vehicle. The force
required to hold even an infant on your lap could
become so great that you could not hold the child, no
matter how strong you are. The child and others
could be badly injured. Any child riding in your
vehicle should be in a proper restraint for the child’s
size.
Infants And Child Restraints
Safety experts recommend that children ride rearward-
facing in the vehicle until they are two years old or until
they reach either the height or weight limit of their rear
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 71
facing child safety seat. Two types of child restraints can
be used rearward-facing: infant carriers and convertible
child seats.
The infant carrier is only used rearward-facing in the
vehicle. It is recommended for children from birth until
they reach the weight or height limit of the infant carrier.
Convertible child seats can be used either rearward-
facing or forward-facing in the vehicle. Convertible child
seats often have a higher weight limit in the rearward-
facing direction than infant carriers do, so they can be
used rearward-facing by children who have outgrown
their infant carrier but are still less than at least two years
old. Children should remain rearward-facing until they
reach the highest weight or height allowed by their
convertible child seat. Both types of child restraints are
held in the vehicle by the lap/shoulder belt or the
LATCH child restraint anchor system. Refer to “Lower
Anchors and Tether for CHildren (LATCH)”.WARNING!
•Rearward-facing child seats must never be used in
the front seat of a vehicle with the front passenger
air bag. An air bag deployment could cause severe
injury or death to infants in this position.
•Improper installation can lead to failure of an
infant or child restraint. It could come loose in a
collision. The child could be badly injured or
killed. Follow the manufacturer’s directions ex-
actly when installing an infant or child restraint.
Here are some tips for getting the most out of your child
restraint:
•Before buying any restraint system, make sure that it
has a label certifying that it meets all applicable Safety
Standards. The manufacturer also recommends that
you try a child restraint in the vehicle seats where you
will use it before you buy it.
72 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
•The restraint must be appropriate for your child’s
weight and height. Check the label on the restraint for
weight and height limits.
•Carefully follow the instructions that come with the
restraint. If you install the restraint improperly, it may
not work when you need it.
•The seat belts in the passenger seating positions are
equipped with either an Automatic Locking Retractor
(ALR) or a cinching latch plate or both. Both types of
seat belts are designed to keep the lap portion of the
seat belt tight around the child restraint so that it is not
necessary to use a locking clip. The ALR will make a
ratcheting noise if you extract the entire belt from the
retractor and then allow the belt to retract into the
retractor. For additional information on ALR, refer to
“Automatic Locking Mode”.
•In the rear seat, you may have trouble tightening the
lap/shoulder belt on the child restraint because the
buckle or latch plate is too close to the belt path
opening on the restraint. Disconnect the latch plate
from the buckle and twist the short buckle-end belt
several times to shorten it. Insert the latch plate into
the buckle with the release button facing out.
•If the belt still cannot be tightened, or if pulling and
pushing on the restraint loosens the belt, disconnect
the latch plate from the buckle, turn the buckle
around, and insert the latch plate into the buckle
again. If you still cannot make the child restraint
secure, try a different seating position.
•Buckle the child into the restraint exactly as the
manufacturer’s instructions tell you.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 73
WARNING!
When your child restraint is not in use, secure it in
the vehicle with the seat belt or remove it from the
vehicle. Do not leave it loose in the vehicle. In a
sudden stop or accident, it could strike the occupants
or seatbacks and cause serious personal injury.
Older Children And Child Restraints
Children who are two years old or who have outgrown
their rear-facing convertible child seat can ride forward-
facing in the vehicle. Forward-facing child seats and
convertible child seats used in the forward-facing direc-
tion are for children who are over two years old or who
have outgrown the rear-facing weight or height limit of
their rear-facing convertible child seat. Children should
remain in a forward-facing child seat with a harness for
as long as possible, up to the highest weight or height
allowed by the child seat. These child seats are also heldin the vehicle by the lap/shoulder belt or the LATCH
child restraint anchorage system. Refer to “Lower An-
chors and Tether for CHildren (LATCH)”.
All children whose weight or height is above the
forward-facing limit for the child seat should use a
belt-positioning booster seat until the vehicle’s seat belts
fit properly. If the child cannot sit with knees bent over
the vehicle’s seat cushion while the child’s back is against
the seatback, they should use a belt-positioning booster
seat. The child and belt-positioning booster seat are held
in the vehicle by the lap/shoulder belt.
Children Too Large For Booster Seats
Children who are large enough to wear the shoulder belt
comfortably, and whose legs are long enough to bend
over the front of the seat when their back is against the
seatback, should use the lap/shoulder belt in a rear seat.
•Make sure that the child is upright in the seat.
74 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
Seats .............................. 135
▫ Front Seat Adjustment ................. 135
▫ Manual Seat Height Adjustment — If
Equipped .......................... 136
▫ Front Seatback Recline ................. 137
▫ Front Passenger Easy Entry Seat —
Two-Door Models .................... 138
▫ Tip n’ Slide Seats — Two-Door Models ..... 139
▫ Heated Seats — If Equipped ............ 141
▫ Head Restraints ..................... 142
▫ Fold And Tumble Rear Seat — Two-Door
Models ........................... 144
▫ Removing The Rear Seat — Two-Door
Models ........................... 145 ▫
Replacing The Rear Seat — Two-Door
Models ........................... 146
▫ 60/40 Split Folding Rear Seat — Four-Door
Models ........................... 146
To Open And Close The Hood ............ 148
Lights ............................. 149
▫ Multifunction Lever .................. 149
▫ Headlights And Parking Lights .......... 150
▫ Automatic Headlights — If Equipped ...... 150
▫ Turn Signals ........................ 151
▫ Lane Change Assist ................... 152
▫ Lights-On Reminder .................. 152
▫ High/Low Beam Switch ............... 152
▫ Flash-To-Pass ....................... 152
92 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE
position. Then, using body pressure, move forward and
rearward on the seat to be sure that the seat adjusters
have latched.WARNING!
•Adjusting a seat while driving may be dangerous.
Moving a seat while driving could result in loss of
control which could cause a collision and serious
injury or death.
•Seats should be adjusted before fastening the seat
belts and while the vehicle is parked. Serious
injury or death could result from a poorly adjusted
seat belt.
Manual Seat Height Adjustment — If Equipped
The driver’s seat height can be raised or lowered by using
the ratcheting handle, located on the outboard side of the
seat. Pull upward on the handle to raise the seat; push
downward on the handle to lower the seat.
Manual Seat Adjustment
136 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE
Front Seatback Recline
Lean forward before lifting the handle, then lean back to
the desired position and release the handle. Lift the
handle to return the seatback to an upright position.WARNING!
Do not ride with the seatback reclined so that the
shoulder belt is no longer resting against your chest.
In a collision you could slide under the seat belt,
which could result in serious injury or death.
Seat Height AdjustmentRecline Lever
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UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 137