
2014 NISSAN Consumer Safety & Air Bag Information Guide                                                   1 
AIR BAG PROTECTION 
    
 
 
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT AIR BAGS 
Air bags are a supplemental restraint system designed to enhance the protection provided 
by the seat belt system during certain types of collisions. Driver and passenger front- 
impact air bags are standard on every NISSAN vehicle. Front seat-mounted side-impact 
supplemental air bags and roof-mounted curtain side-impact supplemental air bags are 
available on many 2014 NISSAN vehicles. See your vehicle owner’s manual for information 
about these air bag systems, if so equipped.  
 
Please remember, always wear your seat belt, and that a rear-facing child restraint must 
never be used in the front passenger seat if the vehicle is equipped with a front passenger 
air bag. See page 10 of this guide for important information about child restraint use. 
 
FASTER THAN THE EYE CAN BLINK 
In a collision, a lot can happen in just one second. Generally, at 0.01 seconds after a 
collision starts, an air bag begins to inflate. At 0.04 seconds, it is fully inflated. By 0.1 
seconds, it has done its job and is deflating. Considering the speed of these events, it is 
not surprising that many people involved in a frontal 
collision do not realize that their air 
bags did inflate.  
0.01 SECONDS INFLATING BEGINS 0.04 SECONDS AIR BAG IS INFLATED 0.1 SECONDS DEFLATING BEGINS
  

2014 NISSAN Consumer Safety & Air Bag Information Guide                                                   2 
THE NISSAN ADVANCED AIR BAG SYSTEM 
All 2014 NISSAN vehicles (except for the 2014 NV 1500/2500/3500*) are equipped with 
the NISSAN Advanced Air Bag System (AABS) for the driver and front passenger seats. 
Typically, this system, which has dual-stage inflators,** monitors information from various 
crash sensors, the front seat belt buckle sensors, and the occupant classification sensor. 
 
The front passenger air bag may automatically turn OFF under some conditions, depending 
on the pressure or weight detected by sensors in the passenger seat. See the vehicle 
owner’s manual for more information. If the front passenger air bag is OFF, the front 
passenger air bag status light will be illuminated.*** 
 
The front passenger air bag status light does not indicate a malfunction of the front 
passenger air bag. If the front passenger air bag status light is illuminated while a small 
adult, child, or child restraint occupies the seat, the occupant may need to shift his or her 
seating position, or remove the child restraint so the system can turn ON the front 
passenger air bag and turn off the status light. 
 
THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF AN AIR BAG: YOUR SEAT BELT 
Your chances of surviving a collision will improve greatly if one simple piece of advice is  
followed: always wear your seat belt. Remember, all air bags are supplemental restraint 
systems.  Do not count on just the air bags for occupant protection; they are merely a 
supplemental restraint system.   You must always use seat belts properly, as explained in 
the vehicle owner’s manual. 
 
Seat belts help to protect the occupants of your vehicle during collisions in which the air 
bags are not designed to activate. Moreover, in situations where the air bags are activated, 
seat belts enhance their effectiveness and can help reduce the risk of injury from an 
inflating air bag. Seat belts will also help protect the occupants of your vehicle during 
multiple-impact collisions, while the air bags work only one time if a collision is severe 
enough to activate them. Please see the SEAT BELT SAFETY and CHILD SAFETY 
sections of this guide and the vehicle owner’s manual for more information. 
 
* 
The NV lineup is equipped with dual-stage front air bags and seat belt buckle sensors, but the 
2014 NV 1500/2500/3500 does not have an occupant classification sensor (and the associated 
front passenger air bag status light). 
**Dual-stage inflators vary the air bag inflation rate based on the severity of the collision (for 
example, less     
 forceful inflation for moderate impacts and a high force of inflation for more severe impacts). In   
 addition, based on information from the seat belt buckle sensors that detect whether the seat belts  
 are fastened, whether one or both front airbags deploy. Only one front air bag may inflate in a   
 crash, depending on the crash severity, and whether the front occupants are belted or unbelted. 
***When the system detects that the seat is unoccupied, the passenger air bag status light will not  
   illuminate even though the front passenger air bag is OFF.  

2014 NISSAN Consumer Safety & Air Bag Information Guide                                                   4 
collisions, rear-end collisions, rollovers, while driving on rough roads, or during hard 
braking. However, deceleration rates in some situations can be similar to those found in 
frontal impacts and may result in front air bag activation. 
 
WHEN THE FRONT AIR BAGS INFLATE 
Please remember, for the supplemental front air bags to be most effective, you must always 
buckle up and be seated upright and well back in the seat away from the steering wheel or 
instrument panel to allow room for the air bags to inflate. For the front air bags to do their 
job, they must inflate with great force. As mentioned earlier in this guide, this may cause 
serious or even fatal injury if, for example, you are unrestrained out of position in any way, 
sitting or leaning too close to the steering wheel or instrument panel during inflation. Even 
when seated properly, there is a possibility of injury from an inflating front air bag. This 
usually consists of minor skin abrasions or burns, but may be more serious. Overall, these 
injuries are minimal compared to the injuries the front air bags are designed to prevent. 
After the front air bags have inflated, you may notice a light smoke within the cabin. This is 
a normal by-product of the rapid chemical reaction necessary to inflate the front air bags 
and, although harmless do not inhale it, it may cause irritation and choking. 
 
REPLACING THE AIR BAGS 
Air bags are not reusable. After a collision in which your air bags have activated, 
have the respective air bag system inspected and replaced by your NISSAN dealer 
as soon as possible.  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) 
has expressed concern regarding reports of counterfeit replacement air bags 
installed in vehicles.   Visit www.nhtsa.gov
 for more information. We recommend the 
replacement of air bags by your NISSAN dealer to ensure that you receive new 
original equipment replacement parts.   Counterfeit replacement air bags may not 
be made to the standards of quality, reliability and durability of Genuine NISSAN 
parts.   The use of counterfeit replacement air bags or used or salvaged air bags is 
a potential serious safety problem and may not provide the same level of protection 
in a crash.    
 
OTHER SPECIFICS ABOUT AIR BAGS 
 ƒ If the air bag warning light continues to remain on or flashes after you start the vehicle, 
see your NISSAN dealer as soon as possible. 
 ƒ After inflation, air bag components are hot, so avoid contact. 
 ƒ Do not place objects on or near the steering wheel or instrument panel where the air 
bags inflate. 
 ƒ Child restraints for infants must be used in a rear-facing direction and therefore 
must not be used in the front seat.  Never install a rear-facing child restraint in the 
front passenger seat of a vehicle equipped with a front passenger air bag. 
 ƒ See the vehicle owner’s manual for other important information.
 WELL BACK AND UPRIGHT  

2014 NISSAN Consumer Safety & Air Bag Information Guide                                                   10 
OTHER SPECIFICS ABOUT SIDE-IMPACT, CURTAIN SIDE-IMPACT, 
AND CURTAIN SIDE-IMPACT/ROLLOVER AIR BAG SYSTEMS 
 ƒ Do not allow anyone sitting in the front seat to extend his or her hand out the window or 
lean against the door. 
 ƒ When sitting in the rear, do not hold onto the seatbacks of the front seats. Be especially 
careful with children, who should always be properly seated and restrained. 
 ƒ Do not allow anyone to place their hand, leg or face near the side-impact air bag 
modules on the side of the seatbacks of the front seats or near the curtain side-impact 
air bag modules in the roof rails 
or in the front door panels. 
 ƒ Curtain side-impact/rollover air bags are designed to inflate not only in rollovers, but 
also in near rollover situations. As a result, certain vehicle movements (for example, 
during severe off-road driving) may cause these air bags to inflate. 
 ƒ See the vehicle owner's manual for other important information about side-impact, 
curtain side-impact, and curtain side-impact/rollover air bag systems (if the vehicle is 
equipped with these systems).
 
 
 
 
 
CHILD SAFETY 
 
WHENEVER A CHILD IS IN YOUR VEHICLE 
The risk of serious or fatal injury to children in automobile collisions can be reduced with a 
properly installed child restraint. Before you install a child restraint in your vehicle, please 
consult the vehicle owner’s manual and the child restraint manufacturer’s instructions for 
proper installation.  
 
Never install a rear-facing child restraint in the 
front passenger seat. An inflating front passenger 
air bag could seriously injure or kill your child. 
According to statistics, children are safer when 
properly restrained in the rear seat than in the front 
seat. NISSAN and the federal government 
recommend that children 12 and under should ride 
in the rear seat, properly secured in child restraints, 
booster seats, or seat belts, according to their size.  

2014 NISSAN Consumer Safety & Air Bag Information Guide                                                   11 
If you must install a forward-facing child restraint in the front passenger seat, move the 
passenger seat to the rearmost position. See the vehicle owner’s manual for details and 
additional important information. 
 
CHILD RESTRAINTS FOR INFANTS AND SMALL CHILDREN 
Infants and small children should always be placed in an appropriate child restraint while 
riding in the vehicle. Failure to properly use a child restraint can result in serious injury or 
death. 
 
Children and infants should never be carried on 
your lap. It is not possible for even the strongest 
adult to resist the forces of a severe collision. The 
child could be crushed between the adult and parts 
of the vehicle. Also, never put the same seat belt 
around both your child and yourself, or another 
child.  
 
Always install a child restraint properly, and check that it is securely held in place by the 
vehicle’s seat belt or LATCH system (if so equipped). An improperly installed child restraint 
could lead to serious injury or death in a collision. See the vehicle owner’s manual and your 
child restraint manufacturer’s instructions for complete details. 
 
Child restraints specially designed for infants and small children are offered by several 
manufacturers. When selecting any child restraint, keep the following points in mind: 
 
1. The LATCH system (Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren) is a universal child 
restraint system. This system – which also may be referred to as the ISOFIX or ISOFIX 
compatible system – allows the child restraint to be installed into the vehicle without 
the use of seat belts. Both the vehicle and child restraint must have LATCH system 
capabilities. 
 
2. Choose only a restraint with a label certifying that it complies with Federal Motor 
Vehicle Safety Standard 213. 
 
3. Always make sure the child restraint is appropriate for the age and size of your infant or 
small child. 
   

2014 NISSAN Consumer Safety & Air Bag Information Guide                                                   12 
4. Check the child restraint in your vehicle to be sure it is compatible with the vehicle’s 
seat and seat belt system. 
 
5. If the child restraint is compatible with your vehicle, place your child in the child 
restraint and check the various adjustments to be sure the child restraint is compatible 
with your child. Always follow all recommended procedures. 
 
All U.S. states require that infants and small children be restrained in a certified child 
restraint at all times while the vehicle is being operated. 
 
THE LATCH SYSTEM (LOWER ANCHORS AND TETHERS FOR 
CH
ILDREN) 
Most 2014 NISSAN vehicles are equipped with universal child restraint lower anchors and 
top tether anchors for the installation of child restraints equipped with LATCH attachments. 
With this system, you do not have to use a vehicle seat belt to secure the child restraint. 
Instead, special anchor points are utilized to install the child restraint, provided it is 
compatible with the LATCH system. See the vehicle owner’s manual for child restraint 
instruction details and additional important information. 
 
SNUG KIDS™ 
The first of its kind, Snug Kids™ is our online guide to selecting a child restraint seat for 
your NISSAN vehicle. Our Certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians
 have evaluated 
numerous child restraint seats and have compiled their findings to create the Snug Kids™ 
Child Safety Seat Fit Guides. These guides include important tips on correct installation 
procedures. Visit www.NISSANUSA.com/snugkids to view or download the latest guide
 
information for finding a child restraint system that is right for your Nissan vehicle. 
 
 
 
 
  

2014 NISSAN Consumer Safety & Air Bag Information Guide                                                   14 
 
 
 
For the seat belt to be most effective when the vehicle is in motion, the seatback should be 
upright. Do not ride in a moving vehicle when the seatback is reclined. This can be 
dangerous, as the shoulder belt will not be against your body. In a collision, 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. Always sit well back in the seat with both feet on 
the floor and adjust the seat belt properly. 
 
OTHER SPECIFICS ABOUT SEAT BELTS 
 ƒ Do not wear the seat belt inside out or twisted. 
 ƒ Do not allow more than one person to use the same seat belt. 
 ƒ Never carry more people in the vehicle than there are seat belts. 
 ƒ If the seat belt warning light illuminates continuously while the ignition is turned ON with 
all doors closed and all seat belts fastened, it may indicate a malfunction in the system; 
have the system checked by a NISSAN dealer. 
 ƒ See the vehicle owner’s manual for more detailed information to help you better 
understand the important safety warnings, system features, operation and maintenance 
of your vehicle’s seat belts.  
 
CONCERN FOR YOUR SAFETY 
NISSAN urges you to always use your available seat belt restraint system whenever you 
drive, even if your vehicle is equipped with supplemental air bags. Please ask all of your 
passengers to buckle up too. For children, make sure they are properly secured in an 
appropriate child restraint or booster seat.* Seat belts do save lives. See the vehicle 
owner’s manual for details. 
 
 
 
* Please see the vehicle owner’s manual and child restraint manufacturer’s instructions for complete  
 
 details.