Page 119 of 488

119
1-7. Safety information
1
Before driving
WARNING
■SRS airbag precautions
●Do not use seat accessories which cover the parts where the SRS side
airbags inflate as they may interfere with inflation of the airbags. Such
accessories may prevent the side airbags from activating correctly, disable
the system or cause the side airbags to inflate accidentally, resulting in
death or serious injury.
●Do not strike or apply significant levels of force to the area of the SRS air-
bag components (→P. 93).
Doing so can cause the SRS airbags to malfunction.
●Do not allow anyone to kneel on the
passenger seat toward the door or put
their head or hands outside the vehicle.
●Do not attach anything to or lean any-
thing against areas such as the dash-
board or steering wheel pad.
These items can become projectiles
when SRS driver and front passenger
airbags deploy.
●Do not attach anything to areas such as
a door, windshield glass, side door
glass, rear quarter glass, front and rear
pillar or roof side rail.
Page 120 of 488

120
1-7. Safety information
WARNING
■SRS airbag precautions
●Do not touch any of the component parts immediately after the SRS air-
bags have deployed (inflated) as they may be hot.
●If breathing becomes difficult after the SRS airbag has deployed, open a
door or window to allow fresh air in, or leave the vehicle if it is safe to do
so. Wash off any residue as soon as possible to prevent skin irritation.
●If the areas where the SRS airbags are stored, such as the steering wheel
pad and front and rear pillar garnishes, are damaged or cracked, have
them replaced by your SUBARU dealer.
■Modification and disposal of SRS airbag system components
Do not dispose of your vehicle or perform any of the following modifications
without consulting your SUBARU dealer.
The SRS airbags may malfunction or deploy (inflate) accidentally, causing
death or serious injury.
●Installation, removal, disassembly and repair of the SRS airbags.
●Repairs, modifications, removal or replacement of the steering wheel,
instrument panel, dashboard, seats or seat upholstery, front, side and rear
pillars or roof side rails.
●Repairs or modifications of the front fender, front bumper, or side of the
occupant compartment.
●Installation of a grille guard (bull bars, kangaroo bar, etc.), snow plows,
winches.
●Modifications to the vehicle's suspension system.
●Installation of electronic devices su ch as mobile two-way radios and CD
players.
●Modifications to your vehicle for a person with a physical disability.
Page 132 of 488

132
1-7. Safety information
WARNING
■Front passenger occupant detection system precautions
●Never install a rearward facing child seat in the front passenger’s seat
even if the front passenger’s SRS frontal airbag is deactivated. Be sure to
install it in the rear seat in a correct manner. Also, it is strongly recom-
mended that any forward facing child seat or booster seat be installed in
the rear seat, and that even children who have outgrown a child restraint
system be also seated in the rear seat. This is because children sitting in
the front passenger’s seat may be killed or severely injured should the
front passenger’s SRS frontal airbag deploy. SUBARU believes that the
rear seats are the safest place for children
●If luggage or electronic devices are placed on the front passenger seat,
the OFF indicator may turn off and the ON indicator may illuminate. If this
occurs, the front passenger’s airbag may deploy during a collision. If this is
not desirable, remove the luggage or electronic devices from the front pas-
senger seat.
●Modifications for persons wi th disabilities that may affect the front passen-
ger occupant detection system. (U.S. onl y) Removing, replacing or modify-
ing any parts of the front seats, seatbelts, front bumper, front side frame,
instrument panel, combination meter, steering wheel, steering column,
tires, suspension or floor panel can affect the operation of the SUBARU
front passenger occupant detection system.
Page 150 of 488

150
2-1. Driving procedures
Starting off on a steep uphillVehicles with an automatic transmission Make sure that the parking brake is set and shift the select
lever to D.
Gently depress the accelerator pedal.
Release the parking brake.
Vehicles with a manual transmission With the parking brake firmly set and the clutch pedal fully
depressed, shift the shift lever to 1.
Lightly depress the accelerator pedal at the same time as
gradually releasing the clutch pedal.
Release the parking brake.
■Driving in the rain
●Drive carefully when it is raining, because visibility will be reduced, the
windows may become fogged-up, and the road will be slippery.
●Drive carefully when it starts to rain, because the road surface will be
especially slippery.
●Refrain from high speeds when driving on an expressway in the rain,
because there may be a layer of water between the tires and the road
surface, preventing the steering and brakes from operating properly.
■Engine speed while driving (vehicl es with an automatic transmission)
In the following conditions, the engine speed may become high while driving.
This is due to automatic up-shifting c ontrol or down-shifting implementation
to meet driving conditions. It does not indicate sudden acceleration.
●The vehicle is judged to be driving uphill or downhill
●When the accelerator pedal is released
●When driving on curves
●When the brake pedal is firmly depressed
STEP 1
STEP 2
STEP 3
STEP 1
STEP 2
STEP 3
Page 153 of 488
153
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
WARNING
■When starting the vehicle (vehicles with an automatic transmission)
●Always keep your foot on the brake pedal while stopped with the engine
running. This prevents the vehicle from creeping.
●Firmly depress the brake pedal because engine speed may increase
immediately after starting the engine, when the air conditioning system is
operating, when turning the steering wheel, etc., thereby causing creeping
to become stronger. Apply the parking brake as necessary.
■When driving the vehicle
●Do not drive if you are unfamiliar with the location of the brake and accel-
erator pedals to avoid depressing the wrong pedal.
Page 154 of 488

154
2-1. Driving procedures
WARNING
●On vehicles with a manual transmission, do not shift the shift lever to R
while the vehicle is moving forward.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle
control.
●Do not shift the select lever to D (vehicles with an automatic transmission)
or shift lever to 1 (vehicles with a manual transmission) while the vehicle is
moving backward.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle
control.
●On vehicles with a manual transmission, do not release the clutch pedal
too quickly. Doing so may propel the vehicle forward, possibly causing an
accident.
●Moving the select lever to N (vehicles with an automatic transmission) or
shift lever to neutral (vehicles with a manual transmission) while the vehi-
cle is moving will disengage the engine from the transmission. Engine
braking is not available when N or neutral is selected.
●During normal driving, do not turn off the engine. Turning the engine off
while driving will not cause loss of steering or braking control, but the
power assist to these systems will be lost. This will make it more difficult to
steer and brake, so you should pull over and stop the vehicle as soon as it
is safe to do so.
●Use engine braking (downshift) to maintain a safe speed when driving
down a steep hill.
Using the brakes continuously may cause the brakes to overheat and lose
effectiveness. ( →P. 175, 181)
●Do not adjust the position of the steering wheel, the seat, or the inside or
outside rear view mirrors while driving.
Doing so may result in a loss of vehicle control that can cause accidents,
resulting in death or serious injury.
Page 155 of 488

155
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
WARNING
●Always check that all passengers' arms, heads or other parts of their body
are not outside the vehicle, as this may result in death or serious injury.
●Do not drive in excess of the speed limit. Even if the legal speed limit per-
mits it, do not drive over 85 mph (140 km/h) unless your vehicle has high-
speed capability tires. Driving over 85 mph (140 km/h) may result in tire
failure, loss of control and possible injury. Be sure to consult a tire dealer
to determine whether the tires on your vehicle are high-speed capability
tires or not before driving at such speeds.
■When driving on slippery road surfaces
●Sudden braking, acceleration and steering may cause tire slippage and
reduce your ability to control the vehicle, resulting in an accident.
●Sudden acceleration, engine braking due to shift changing, or changes in
engine speed could cause the vehicle to skid, resulting in an accident.
●After driving through a puddle, lightly depress the brake pedal to make
sure that the brakes are functioning properly. Wet brake pads may prevent
the brakes from functioning properly. If the brakes on only one side are wet
and not functioning properly, steering control may be affected, resulting in
an accident.
■When shifting the select lever or shift lever
●On vehicles with an automatic transmission, be careful not to shift the
select lever with the accelerator pedal depressed. Shifting the select lever
to a gear other than P or N may lead to unexpected rapid acceleration of
the vehicle that may cause an accident and result in death or serious
injury.
●Do not place items in the select lever’s or shift lever’s surrounding area. It
may cause incorrect operation.
●If the select lever’s or shift lever’s boot is pulled out during cleaning, return
it to its previous position. If the select lever’s or shift lever’s boot is left
pulled out, the select lever or shift lever may become difficult to operate.
Page 161 of 488

161
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
CAUTION
■Replacement of brake pad and lining
If you continue to drive despite the scraping noise from the audible brake
pad wear indicator, it will result in the need for costly brake rotor repair or
replacement.
■Breaking-in of new brake pads and linings
Pulling the parking brake lever too forcefully may cause the rear wheels to
lock. To avoid this, be certain to pull the lever up slowly and gently.
■If you get a flat tire while driving
A flat or damaged tire may cause the following situations. Hold the steering
wheel firmly and gradually depress the brake pedal to slow down the vehicle.
●It may be difficult to control your vehicle.
●The vehicle will make abnormal sounds or vibrations.
●The vehicle will lean abnormally.
Information on what to do in case of a flat tire ( →P. 380)
■When encountering flooded roads
Do not drive on a road that has flooded after heavy rain etc. Doing so may
cause the following serious damage to the vehicle:
●Engine stalling
●Short in electrical components
●Engine damage caused by water immersion
In the event that you drive on a flooded road and the vehicle is flooded, be
sure to have your SUBARU dealer check the following:
●Brake function
●Changes in quantity and quality of oil and fluid used for the engine, trans-
mission, differential, etc.
●Lubricant condition for the propeller shaft, bearings and suspension joints
(where possible) and the function of all joints, bearings, etc.