2013 SUBARU FORESTER window

Front seats........................................................... 1-2
Manual seat ........................................................ 1-3
Power seat (driver ’s seat –if equipped) ... ............ 1-4
Head restraint adjustment .................................... 1-5
Active head restraint ........................................... 1-6
Seat heater (if equipped) .................................... 1-6
Rear seats ............................................................ 1-7
Armrest .............................................................. 1-8
Head restraint adjustment .................................... 1-8
Reclining the seatback (if equipped) ................... 1-10
Folding down the rear seatback .......................... 1-10
Seatbelts ............................................................. 1-12
Seatbelt safety tips ............................................. 1-12
Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR) ................... 1-13
Automatic/Emergency Locking Retractor (A/ELR) ............................................................ 1-13
Seatbelt warning light and chime ........................ 1-13
Fastening the seatbelt ........................................ 1-13
Seatbelt maintenance ......................................... 1-19 Front seatbelt pretensioners
............................. 1-20
System monitors ............................................... 1-21
System servicing ............................................... 1-21
Precautions against vehicle modification ............ 1-22
Child restraint systems ..................................... 1-22
Where to place a child restraint system .............. 1-23
Choosing a child restraint system ...................... 1-24
Installing child restraint systems with A/ELR seatbelt ........................................................... 1-25
Installing a booster seat ..................................... 1-28
Installation of child restraint systems by use of lower and tether anchorages (LATCH) .............. 1-29
Top tether anchorages ....................................... 1-32
*SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint System airbag) ................................................ 1-33
Models with SRS airbags and lap/shoulder restraints for driver, front passenger, and
window-side rear passengers . .......................... 1-33
SUBARU advanced frontal airbag system ........... 1-37
SRS side airbag and SRS curtain airbag ............. 1-47
SRS airbag system monitors .............................. 1-57
SRS airbag system servicing ... .......................... 1-58
Precautions against vehicle modification ............ 1-59
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags1

1-8Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
WARNING
Never stack luggage or other cargo
higher than the top of the seatback
because it could tumble forward and
injure passengers in the event of a
sudden stop or accident. &
ArmrestTo lower the armrest, pull the top edge of
the armrest down.
WARNING
To avoid serious injury, passengers
must never be allowed to sit on the
center armrest while the vehicle is inmotion. &
Head restraint adjustment
Both the rear window side seats and the
rear center seat are equipped with headrestraints.
WARNING
. Never drive the vehicle with the
head restraints removed because
they are designed to reduce the
risk of serious neck injury in the
event that the vehicle is struck
from the rear. Therefore, when
you remove the head restraints,
you must reinstall all head re-
straints to protect vehicle occu-pants.
. All occupants, including the dri-
ver, should not operate a vehicle
or sit in a vehicle ’s seat until the
head restraints are placed in their
proper positions in order to mini-
mize the risk of neck injury in the
event of a crash.

!Rear windows side seating position
1) Head restraint
2) Release button
To remove:
While pressing the release button, pull out
the head restraint.
To install:
Install the head restraint into the holes that
are located on the top of the seatback until
the head restraint locks. ! Rear center seating position
CAUTION
The head restraint is not intended to
be used at the lowest position.
Before sitting on the seat, raise the
head restraint to the extended posi- tion.
A) When not used (retracted position)
B) When used (extended position)
1) Head restraint
2) Release buttonTo raise:
Pull the head restraint up.
To lower:
Push the head restraint down while
pressing the release button on the top of
the seatback.
To remove:
While pressing the release button, pull out
the head restraint.
To install:
Install the head restraint into the holes that
are located on the top of the seatback until
the head restraint locks.
When the rear-center seating position is
occupied, raise the head restraint to the
extended position.
When the rear center seating position is
not occupied, lower the head restraint to
improve rearward visibility.
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1-9
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1-12Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
Seatbelts &Seatbelt safety tips
WARNING
. All persons in the vehicle should
fasten their seatbelts BEFORE
the vehicle starts to move. Other-
wise, the possibility of serious
injury becomes greater in the
event of a sudden stop or acci-dent.
. All belts should fit snugly in order
to provide full restraint. Loose
fitting belts are not as effective in
preventing or reducing injury.
. Each seatbelt is designed to
support only one person. Never
use a single belt for two or morepersons –even children. Other-
wise, in an accident, serious
injury or death could result.
. Replace all seatbelt assemblies
including retractors and attach-
ing hardware worn by occupants
of a vehicle that has been in a
serious accident. The entire as-
sembly should be replaced even
if damage is not obvious.
. Put children aged 12 and under in the rear seat properly restrained
at all times. The SRS airbag
deploys with considerable speed
and force and can injure or even
kill children, especially if they are
12 years of age and under and
are not restrained or improperly
restrained. Because children are
lighter and weaker than adults,
their risk of being injured from
deployment is greater. For that
reason, we strongly recommend
that ALL children (including
those in child seats and those
that have outgrown child re-
straint devices) sit in the REAR
seat properly restrained at all
times in a child restraint device
or in a seatbelt, whichever is
appropriate for the child
’s height
and weight.
Secure ALL types of child re-
straint devices (including for-
ward facing child seats) in the
REAR seats at all times.
NEVER INSTALL A REARWARD
FACING CHILD SEAT IN THE
FRONT SEAT. DOING SO RISKS
SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH TO
THE CHILD BY PLACING THECHILD ’S HEAD TOO CLOSE TO
THE SRS AIRBAG. According to accident statistics,
children are safer when properly
restrained in the rear seating
positions than in the front seat-
ing positions. For instructions
and precautions concerning the
child restraint system, refer to“
Child restraint systems ”F 1-22.
Your vehicle is equipped with a crash
sensing and diagnostic module, which will
record the use of the seatbelt by the front
passenger when any of the SRS frontal
and side airbags deploy. ! Infants or small children
Use a child restraint system that is
suitable for your vehicle. Refer to “Child
restraint systems ”F 1-22.
! Children
If a child is too big for a child restraint
system, the child should sit in the rear seat
and be restrained using the seatbelts.
According to accident statistics, children
are safer when properly restrained in the
rear seating positions than in the front
seating positions. Never allow a child to
stand up or kneel on the seat.
If the shoulder portion of the belt crosses
the face or neck, adjust the shoulder belt
anchor height (window-side seating posi-

child from injury in a collision,
because the child will be caught
between the passenger and objects
inside the vehicle.
Additionally, holding a child in your
lap or arms in the front seat exposes
that child to another serious danger.
Since the SRS airbag deploys with
considerable speed and force, the
child could be injured or even killed.
WARNING
Children should be properly re-
strained at all times. Never allow a
child to stand up, or to kneel on any
seat. Unrestrained children will be
thrown forward during sudden stop or in an accident and can be injured
seriously.
Additionally, children standing up or
kneeling on or in front of the front
seat are exposed another serious
danger. Since the SRS airbag de-
ploys with considerable speed and
force, the child could be injured or
even killed.
& Where to place a child re-
straint system
The following are SUBARU ’s recommen-
dations on where to place a child restraint
system in your vehicle.
A: Front passenger ’s seat
You should not install a child restraint
system (including a booster seat) due to
the hazard to children posed by thepassenger ’s airbag.
B: Rear seat, window-side seatingpositions
Recommended positions for all types of
child restraint systems.
In these positions, Automatic/Emergency
Locking Retractor (A/ELR) seatbelts and
lower anchorages (bars) are provided for
installing a child restraint system.
Some types of child restraints might not be
able to be secured firmly due to projection
of the seat cushion.
In this seating position, you should use
only a child restraint system that has a
bottom base that fits snugly against the
contours of the seat cushion and can be
securely retained using the seatbelt.
C: Rear seat, center seating position
Installing a child restraint system is not
recommended, although the A/ELR seat-
belt and an upper anchorage (tether
anchorage) are provided in this position.
Some types of child restraints might not be
able to be secured firmly due to projection
of the seat cushion.
In this seating position, you should use Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1-23
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1-30Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
Your vehicle is equipped with four lower
anchorages (bars) and three upper an-
chorages (tether anchorages) for accom-
modating such child restraint systems.
The lower anchorages (bars) are used for
installing a child restraint system only on the rear seat window-side seating posi-
tions. For each window-side seating posi-
tion, two lower anchorages are provided.
Each lower anchorage is located where
the seat cushion meets the seatback.
The tether anchorages (upper an-
chorages) are provided at the locations
shown in the above illustration.
1) Cover
You will find marks “
”on the cover at the
bottom of the rear seat seatbacks. These
marks indicate the positions of the lower
anchorages (bars).
1. Open the covers of the two lower

1-32Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
&Top tether anchorages
Your vehicle is equipped with three top
tether anchorages so that a child restraint
system having a top tether can be
installed in the rear seat. When installing
a child restraint system using top tether,
proceed as follows, while observing the
instructions by the child restraint system
manufacturer.
Since a top tether can provide additional
stability by offering another connection
between a child restraint system and the
vehicle, we recommend that you use a top
tether whenever one is required or avail-able. !
Anchorage location
1) For right seat
2) For center seat
3) For left seat
There is an anchorage located on the rear
edge of the ceiling above each seating position. !
To hook the top tether
CAUTION
Always remove the head restraint
when mounting a child restraint
system with a top tether. Otherwise,
the top tether cannot be fastened
tightly.
1. Remove the head restraint at the
window-side seating position where the
child restraint system has been installed
with the lower anchorages or seatbelt; lift
up the head restraint while pressing the
release button. Store the head restraint in
the cargo area. Avoid placing the head
restraint in the passenger compartment to

prevent it from being thrown around in the
passenger compartment in a sudden stop
or a sharp turn.
2. Open the cover for the appropriate
upper anchorage.
3. Attach the child restraint top tetherhook to the appropriate upper anchorage.
4. Tighten the top tether securely.
Please contact your SUBARU dealer if
you have any question regarding the
installation of a child restraint system.
*SRS airbag (Supplemental
Restraint System airbag)
*SRS: This stands for supplemental re-
straint system. This name is used be-
cause the airbag system supplements thevehicle
’s seatbelts.
Your vehicle is equipped with a crash
sensing and diagnostic module, which will
record the use of the seatbelt by the front
passenger when any of the SRS frontal,
side and curtain airbags deploys.
& Models with SRS airbags and
lap/shoulder restraints for
driver, front passenger, and
window-side rear passengers
Your vehicle is equipped with a supple-
mental restraint system in addition to a
lap/shoulder belt at each front seating
position and each rear window-side seat-
ing positions. The supplemental restraint
system (SRS) consists of six airbags.
The configurations are as follows. . Driver ’s and front passenger ’s frontal
airbags . Driver ’s and front passenger ’s side
airbags. Curtain airbags (for driver, front pas-
senger, and window-side rear passen- Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1-33
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