
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.
WARNING
Do not allow children to play with the seat
belts. Most seating positions are
equipped with Automatic Locking Retrac-
tor (ALR) mode seat belts. If the seat belt
becomes wrapped around a child’s neck
with the ALR mode activated, the child can
be seriously injured or killed if the seat
belt retracts and becomes tight. This can
occur even if the vehicle is parked. Un-
buckle the seat belt to release the child. If
the seat belt cannot be unbuckled or is
already unbuckled, release the child by
cutting the seat belt with a suitable tool
(such as a knife or scissors) to release the
seat belt.
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.
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 fit-
ting seat belt could cause serious or fatal
injury. Always use appropriate child
restraints.
CHILD SAFETY
Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-31

5. Check to make sure the child restraint isproperly secured prior to each use. If the
child restraint is loose, repeat steps 2
through 4.
REAR-FACING CHILD RESTRAINT
INSTALLATION USING THE SEAT
BELTS
WARNING
The three-point seat belt with Automatic
Locking Retractor (ALR) must be used
when installing a child restraint. Failure to
use the ALR mode will result in the child
restraint not being properly secured. The
restraint could tip over or be loose and
cause injury to a child in a sudden stop or
collision. Also, it can change the opera-
tion of the front passenger air bag. See
“Front passenger air bag and status light”
later in this section.
WRS0256
1-40Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system

Refer to all Warnings and Cautions in the “Child
safety” and “Child restraints” sections before in-
stalling a child restraint.
Follow these steps to install a rear-facing child
restraint using the vehicle seat belts in the rear
seats:1. Child restraints for infants must be
used in the rear-facing direction and
therefore must not be used in the front
seat. Position the child restraint on the seat.
Always follow the restraint manufacturer’s
instructions. 2. Route the seat belt tongue through the child
restraint and insert it into the buckle until you
hear and feel the latch engage. Be sure to
follow the child restraint manufacturer’s in-
structions for belt routing. 3. Pull the shoulder belt until the belt is fully
extended. At this time, the seat belt retractor
is in the Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR)
mode (child restraint mode) . It reverts to the
Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR) mode
when the seat belt is fully retracted.
Rear-facing – step 1
WRS0256
Rear-facing – step 2
WRS0761
Rear-facing – step 3
LRS0669
Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-41

7. Check to make sure that the child restraint isproperly secured prior to each use. If the
seat belt is not locked, repeat steps 1
through 6.
After the child restraint is removed and the seat
belt fully retracted, the ALR mode (child restraint
mode) is canceled.
FORWARD-FACING CHILD
RESTRAINT INSTALLATION USING
LATCH
Refer to all Warnings and Cautions in the “Child
Safety” and “Child Restraints” sections before
installing a child restraint.
Follow these steps to install a forward-facing
child restraint in the 2nd row seats using the
LATCH system: 1. Position the child restraint on the seat. Al- ways follow the child restraint manufactur-
er’s instructions. 2. Secure the child restraint anchor attach-
ments to the LATCH lower anchors. Check
to make sure the LATCH attachment is prop-
erly attached to the lower anchors.
If the child restraint is equipped with a top
tether strap, route the top tether strap and
secure the tether strap to the tether anchor
point. See “Installing top tether strap” in this
section. Do not install child restraints that
require the use of a top tether strap in seat-
ing positions that do not have a top tether
anchor. 3. The back of the child restraint should be
secured against the vehicle seatback.
If necessary, adjust or remove the head
restraint/headrest to obtain the correct child
restraint fit. If the head restraint/headrest is
removed, store it in a secure place. Be sure
to reinstall the head restraint/headrest
when the child restraint is removed.
See “Head restraints/headrests” in this sec-
tion for head restraint/headrest adjustment
information.
Forward-facing web-mounted – step 2
WRS0799
Forward-facing rigid-mounted – step 2
WRS0800
Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-43

7. Check to make sure the child restraint isproperly secured prior to each use. If the
child restraint is loose, repeat steps 3
through 6.
FORWARD-FACING CHILD
RESTRAINT INSTALLATION USING
THE SEAT BELTS
WARNING
The three-point seat belt with Automatic
Locking Retractor (ALR) must be used
when installing a child restraint. Failure to
use the ALR mode will result in the child
restraint not being properly secured. The
restraint could tip over or be loose and
cause injury to a child in a sudden stop or
collision. Also, it can change the opera-
tion of the front passenger air bag. See
“Front passenger air bag and status light”
later in this section. Refer to all Warnings and Cautions in the “Child
Safety” and “Child Restraint” sections before in-
stalling a child restraint.
Follow these steps to install a forward-facing
child restraint using the vehicle seat belt in the
rear seats or in the front passenger seat:
1. If you must install a child restraint in
the front seat, it should be placed in a
forward-facing direction only. Move
the seat to the rearmost position. Child
restraints for infants must be used in
the rear-facing direction and, there-
fore, must not be used in the front seat. 2. Position the child restraint on the seat. Al-
ways follow the child restraint manufactur-
er’s instructions.
The back of the child restraint should be
secured against the vehicle seatback.
If necessary, adjust or remove the head
restraint/headrest to obtain the correct child
restraint fit. If the head restraint/headrest is
removed, store it in a secure place. Be sure
to reinstall the head restraint/headrest
when the child restraint is removed.
See “Head restraints/headrests” in this sec-
tion for head restraint/headrest adjustment,
removal and installation information.
If the seating position does not have an
adjustable head restraint/headrest and it is
interfering with the proper child restraint fit,
try another seating position or a different
child restraint.
Forward-facing (front passenger seat) – step 1
WRS0699
Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-45

3. Route the seat belt tongue through the childrestraint and insert it into the buckle until you
hear and feel the latch engage. Be sure to
follow the child restraint manufacturer’s in-
structions for belt routing.
If the child restraint is equipped with a top
tether strap, route the top tether strap and
secure the tether strap to the tether anchor
point (rear seat installation only) . See “In-
stalling top tether strap” in this section. Do
not install child restraints that require the use
of a top tether strap in seating positions that
do not have a top tether anchor. 4. Pull the shoulder belt until the belt is fully
extended. At this time, the seat belt retractor
is in the Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR)
mode (child restraint mode) . It reverts to
Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR) mode
when the seat belt is fully retracted. 5. Allow the seat belt to retract. Pull up on the
shoulder belt to remove any slack in the belt.
Forward-facing – step 3
WRS0680
Forward-facing – step 4
LRS0667
Forward-facing – step 5
LRS0668
1-46Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system

6. Remove any additional slack from the seatbelt; press downward and rearward firmly in
the center of the child restraint with your
knee to compress the vehicle seat cushion
and seatback while pulling up on the seat
belt.
7. Tighten the tether strap according to the manufacturer’s instructions to remove any
slack. 8. After attaching the child restraint, test it be-
fore you place the child in it. Push it from side
to side while holding the child restraint near
the seat belt path. The child restraint should
not move more than 1 in (25 mm) , from side
to side. Try to tug it forward and check to see
if the belt holds the restraint in place. If the
restraint is not secure, tighten the seat belt
as necessary, or put the restraint in another
seat and test it again. You may need to try a
different child restraint. Not all child re-
straints fit in all types of vehicles. 9. Check to make sure the child restraint is
properly secured prior to each use. If the
seat belt is not locked, repeat steps 2
through 8.
Forward-facing – step 6
WRS0681
Forward-facing – step 8
WRS0698
Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-47

Booster seats of various sizes are offered by
several manufacturers. When selecting any
booster seat, keep the following points in mind:● Choose only a booster seat with a label
certifying that it complies with Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard 213 or Canadian
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213.
● Check the booster seat in your vehicle to be
sure it is compatible with the vehicle’s seat
and seat belt system. ●
Make sure the child’s head will be properly
supported by the booster seat or vehicle
seat. The seatback must be at or above the
center of the child’s ears. For example, if a
low back booster seat
1is chosen, the
vehicle seatback must be at or above the
center of the child’s ears. If the seatback is
lower than the center of the child’s ears, a
high back booster seat
2should be used.
● If the booster seat is compatible with your
vehicle, place the child in the booster seat
and check the various adjustments to be
sure the booster seat is compatible with the
child. Always follow all recommended pro-
cedures.
All U.S. states and Canadian provinces or
territories require that infants and small
children be restrained in an approved child
restraint at all times while the vehicle is
being operated.
The instructions in this section apply to booster
seat installation in the rear seats or the front
passenger seat.
Booster seat installation
CAUTION
Do not use the lap/shoulder belt in the
Automatic Locking Retractor mode when
using a booster seat with the seat belts.
Refer to all Warnings and Cautions in the “Child
Safety”, “Child Restraint” and “Booster Seats”
sections before installing a child restraint.
Follow these steps to install a booster seat in the
rear seat or in the front passenger seat:
LRS0464
Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-51