2012 NISSAN MAXIMA warning

Thigh extension (driver’s side only, if
so equipped)
Pull up and hold the lever to extend the front
portion to the desired position.
FOLDING REAR SEAT (if so
equipped)Interior trunk access
For models without a rear center console, the
trunk can be accessed from the passenger side
of the rear seat for loading and unloading, as
shown.
1Press down on the button on the rear parcel
shelf.
2Fold down the passenger side seatback.
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.
● Properly secure all cargo with ropes or
straps to help prevent it from sliding or
shifting. Do not place cargo higher than
the seatbacks. In a sudden stop or col-
lision, unsecured cargo could cause
personal injury.
LRS0863
WRS0866
Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-5

Center armrest
Pull the armrest down until it is horizontal.
HEAD RESTRAINTS
WARNING
Head restraints supplement the other ve-
hicle safety systems. They may provide
additional protection against injury in cer-
tain rear end collisions. Adjust the head
restraints properly, as specified in this
section. Check the adjustment after
someone else uses the seat. Do not attach
anything to the head restraint stalks or
remove the head restraint. Do not use the
seat if the head restraint has been re-
moved. If the head restraint was removed,
reinstall and properly adjust the head re-
straint before an occupant uses the seat-
ing position. Failure to follow these in-
structions can reduce the effectiveness of
the head restraints. This may increase the
risk of serious injury or death in a
collision.The illustration shows the seating positions
equipped with head restraints. All of the head
restraints are adjustable.

Indicates the seating position is equipped with
a head restraint.
+ Indicates the seating position is not equipped
with a head restraint.
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Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-7

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.
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1-12Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system

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 placed in
the ON position with all doors closed
and all seat belts fastened, it may indi-
cate a malfunction 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.
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Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-13

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.
Front seat shown
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1-14Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system

2Slowly pull the seat belt out of the retractor
and insert the tongue into the buckle until
you hear and feel the latch engage.
● The retractor is designed to lock dur-
ing a sudden stop or on impact. A
slow pulling motion permits the seat
belt to move, and allows you some
freedom of movement in the seat.
● If the seat belt cannot be pulled from
its fully retracted position, firmly pull
the belt and release it. Then
smoothly pull the belt out of the re-
tractor.3Position the lap belt portion low and snug
on the hips as shown.
4Pull the shoulder belt portion toward the
retractor to take up extra slack. Be sure the
shoulder belt is routed over your shoulder
and across your chest.
The front passenger seat and the rear seating
positions three-point seat belts have two modes
of operation: ● Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR)
● Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) The Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR) mode
allows the seat belt to extend and retract to allow
the driver and passengers some freedom of
movement in the seat. The ELR locks the seat belt
when the vehicle slows down rapidly or during
certain impacts.
The Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) mode
(child restraint mode) locks the seat belt for child
restraint installation.
When the ALR mode is activated, the seat belt
cannot be extended again until the seat belt
tongue is detached from the buckle and fully
retracted. The seat belt returns to the ELR mode
after the seat belt fully retracts. See “Child re-
straints” later in this section for more information.
The ALR mode should be used only for
child restraint installation. During normal
seat belt use by an occupant, the ALR mode
should not be activated. If it is activated, it
may cause uncomfortable seat belt ten-
sion.
WARNING
When fastening the seat belts, be certain
that the seatbacks are completely se-
cured in the latched position. If they are
not completely secured, passengers may
be injured in an accident or sudden stop.
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Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-15

WARNING
●After adjustment, release the adjust-
ment button and try to move the shoul-
der belt anchor up and down to make
sure it is securely fixed in position.
● The shoulder belt anchor height should
be adjusted to the position best for you.
Failure to do so may reduce the effec-
tiveness of the entire restraint system
and increase the chance or severity of
injury in an accident.
SEAT BELT EXTENDERS
If, because of body size or driving position, it is
not possible to properly fit the lap/shoulder belt
and fasten it, an extender that is compatible with
the installed seat belts is available that can be
purchased. The extender adds approximately 8 in
(200 mm) of length and may be used for either
the driver or front passenger seating position.
See a NISSAN dealer for assistance with pur-
chasing an extender if an extender is required.
WARNING
● Only NISSAN seat belt extenders, made
by the same company which made the
original equipment seat belts, should
be used with NISSAN seat belts. ●
Adults and children who can use the
standard seat belt should not use an
extender. Such unnecessary use could
result in serious personal injury in the
event of an accident.
● Never use seat belt extenders to install
child restraints. If the child restraint is
not secured properly, the child could be
seriously injured in a collision or a sud-
den stop.
SEAT BELT MAINTENANCE
● To clean the seat belt webbing,apply a
mild soap solution or any solution recom-
mended for cleaning upholstery or carpet.
Then wipe with a cloth and allow the seat belts
to dry in the shade. Do not allow the seat belts
to retract until they are completely dry.
● If dirt builds up in the shoulder belt
guide of the seat belt anchors, the seat
belts may retract slowly. Wipe the shoulder
belt guide with a clean, dry cloth.
● Periodically check to see that the seat
belt and the metal components, such as
buckles, tongues, retractors, flexible wires
and anchors, work properly. If loose parts,
deterioration, cuts or other damage on the
webbing is found, the entire seat belt as-
sembly should be replaced. Children need adults to help protect them.
They need to be properly restrained.
In addition to the general information in this
manual, child safety information is available from
many other sources, including doctors, teachers,
government traffic safety offices, and community
organizations. Every child is different, so be sure
to learn the best way to transport your child.
There are three basic types of child restraint
systems:
● Rear-facing child restraint
● Forward-facing child restraint
● Booster seat
The proper restraint depends on the child’s size.
Generally, infants up to about 1 year and less
than 20 lbs (9 kg) should be placed in rear-facing
child restraints. Forward-facing child restraints
are available for children who outgrow rear-
facing child restraints and are at least 1 year old.
Booster seats are used to help position a vehicle
lap/shoulder belt on a child who can no longer
use a forward-facing child restraint.
CHILD SAFETY
Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-17

WARNING
Infants and children need special protec-
tion. The vehicle’s seat belts may not fit
them properly. The shoulder belt may come
too close to the face or neck. The lap belt
may not fit over their small hip bones. In an
accident, an improperly fitting seat belt
could cause serious or fatal injury. Always
use appropriate child restraints.
All U.S. states and Canadian provinces or terri-
tories require the use of approved child restraints
for infants and small children. See “Child re-
straints” later in this section.
A child restraint may be secured in the vehicle by
using either the LATCH (Lower Anchor and Teth-
ers for CHildren) system or with the vehicle seat
belt. See the “Child restraints” section for more
information.
NISSAN recommends that all pre-teens
and children be restrained in the rear seat.
Studies show that children are safer when
properly restrained in the rear seat than in
the front seat.
This is especially important because your
vehicle has a supplemental restraint sys-
tem (air bag system) for the front passen-
ger. See “Supplemental restraint system”
later in this section.
INFANTS
Infants up to at least 1 year old should be placed
in a rear-facing child restraint. NISSAN recom-
mends that infants be placed in child restraints
that comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards or Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards. You should choose a child restraint
that fits your vehicle and always follow the manu-
facturer’s instructions for installation and use.
SMALL CHILDREN
Children that are over 1 year old and weigh at
least 20 lbs (9 kg) should remain in a rear-facing
child restraint as long as possible up to the height
or weight limit of the child restraint. Forward-
facing child restraints are available for children
who outgrow rear-facing child restraints and are
at least 1 year old. Refer to the manufacturer’s
instructions for minimum and maximum weight
and height recommendations. NISSAN recom-
mends that small children be placed in child
restraints that comply with Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards or Canadian Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards. You should choose a child
restraint that fits your vehicle and always follow
the manufacturer’s instructions for installation
and use.
LARGER CHILDREN
Children who are too large for child restraints
should be seated and restrained by the seat belts
which are provided. The seat belt may not fit
properly if the child is less than 4 ft 9 in (142.5
cm) tall and weighs between 40 lbs (18 kg) and
80 lbs (36 kg) . A booster seat should be used to
obtain proper seat belt fit.
NISSAN recommends that a child be placed in a
commercially available booster seat if the shoul-
der belt fits close to the face or neck or if the lap
portion of the seat belt goes across the abdo-
men. The booster seat should raise the child so
that the shoulder belt is properly positioned
across the top, middle portion of the shoulder
and the lap belt is low on the hips. A booster seat
can only be used in seating positions that have a
three-point type seat belt. The booster seat
should fit the vehicle seat and have a label certi-
fying that it complies with Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards or Canadian Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards. Once the child has grown so
the shoulder belt is no longer on or near the face
and neck, use the shoulder belt without the
booster seat.
1-18Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system