2014 SUBARU TRIBECA ECU

&Folding down the seatback
WARNING
.Never allow passengers to rideon the folded seatback or in thecargo area. Doing so may resultin serious injury or death.
.Secure skis and other long itemsproperly to prevent them frombeing thrown around inside thevehicleand causing serious in-jury during a sudden stop, asudden steering maneuver or arapid acceleration.
.When you returnthe seatback toits original position, shake theseatback slightly to confirm thatit is securely fixed in place. If theseatback is not securely fixed inplace, the seatback may sud-denly fold down in the event ofsudden braking, or objects maymove out from the cargo area,which could cause serious injuryor death.
.Afterreturning the seatback to itsoriginal position, be sure to placeall of the seatbelts and the tabattached to the seat cushionabove the seat cushion. Also,make certain that the shoulder
belts are fully visible.
1) Lowering strap2) Folding lever
1. Pull the lowering strap to lower thehead restraint.
2. Pull up the folding lever to release theseatback lock, and fold down the seat-back. Refer to“Head restraint adjustment”F1-16.
To r e t u r n t h e s e a t b a c k t o i t s o r i g i n a lposition, raise the seatback until it locksinto place. Make sure it is securely locked.
NOTE
1) Holder
.Before folding or raising the seat-back of the third-row seat, confirm thatthe seatbelt is flat against the sidewallat the lower point and the webbing isattached to the holder..When raising the seatback of thethird-row seat, if the seatbelt catcheson the seatback, hold the belt forwardof the seatback while latching theseatback.
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1-16Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
&Head restraint adjustment
Both the third-row seats are equipped withhead restraints.
WARNING
.Never drive the vehicle with thehead restraints lowered when theseats are occupied because theyare designed to reduce the risk ofserious neck injury in the eventthat the vehicle is struck from therear.
.All occupants, including the dri-ver, should not operate a vehicleor sit in a vehicle’s seat until thehead restraints are placed in theirproper positions in order to mini-mize the risk of neck injury in theevent of a crash.
1) When not used (retracted position)2) When used (raised position)
1) Head restraint2) Lowering strap
To raise:
Pull the headrestraint up.
To lower:
Pull the lowering strap.
When the seats are not occupied, lowerthe head restraints to improve rearwardvisibility.
CAUTION
.The head restraint is not intendedto be used at the lower position.Before sitting on the seat, raisethe head restraint.
.After returning the head re-straints to the raised position,shake the head restraint slightlyto confirm that it is securely fixedin place.
.When you lower the head re-straints, confirm that there areno passengers or objects on thethird-row seat.

Seatbelts
&Seatbelt safety tips
WARNING
.All persons in the vehicle shouldfasten their seatbelts BEFOREthe vehicle starts to move. Other-wise, the possibility of seriousinjury becomes greater in theevent of a sudden stop or acci-dent.
.All belts should fit snugly in orderto provide full restraint. Loosefitting belts are not as effective inpreventing or reducing injury.
.Each seatbelt is designed tosupport only one person. Neveruse a single belt for two or morepersons–even children.Other-wise, in an accident, seriousinjury or death could result.
.Replace all seatbelt assembliesincluding retractors and attach-ing hardware worn by occupantsof a vehicle that has been in aserious accident. The entire as-sembly should be replaced evenif damage is not obvious.
.Put children aged 12 and under in
a rear seat properly restrained atall times. The SRS airbag de-ploys with considerable speedand force and can injure or evenkill children, especially if they are12 years of age and under andare not restrained or improperlyrestrained. Because children arelighter and weaker than adults,their risk of being injured fromdeployment is greater. Conse-quently, we strongly recommendthat ALL children (includingthose in child seats and thosethat have outgrown child re-straint devices) sit in a REARseat properly restrained at alltimes in a child restraint deviceor in a seatbelt, whichever isappropriate for the child’s heightand weight.
Always secure ALL types of childrestraint devices (including for-ward facing child seats) in one ofthe rear seating positions recom-mended in this Owner’s Manual.
NEVERINSTALL A REARWARDFA C I N G C H I L D S E AT I N T H EFRONT SEAT. DOING SO RISKSSERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH TOTHE CHILD BY PLACING THECHILD’S HEAD TOO CLOSE TO
THE SRS AIRBAG.
According to accident statistics,children are safer when properlyrestrained in the rear seatingpositions than in the front seat-ing positions. For instructionsand precautions concerning thechild restraint system, refer to“Child restraint systems”F1-29.
Your vehicle is equipped with a crashsensing and diagnostic module, which willrecord the use of the seatbelt(s) by thedriver and front passenger when any ofthe SRS frontal, side and curtain airbagsdeploy.
!Infants or small children
Use a child restraint system that issuitable for your vehicle. Refer to“Childrestraint systems”F1-29.
!Children
If a child is too big for a child restraintsystem, the child should sit in the rear seatand be restrained using the seatbelts.According to accident statistics, childrenare safer when properly restrained in therear seating positions than in the frontseating positions.Never allow a child tostand up or kneel on the seat.
If the shoulder portion of the belt crosses
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1-18Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
the face or neck, adjust the shoulder beltanchor height (window-side seating posi-tions only) and then if necessary move thechild closer to the belt buckle to helpprovide a good shoulder belt fit. Care mustbe taken to securely place the lap belt aslow as possible on the hips and not on thechild’s waist. If the shoulder portion of thebelt cannot be properly positioned, a childrestraint system should be used. Neverplacethe shoulder belt under the child’sarm or behind the child’s back.
!Expectant mothers
Expectant mothers also need to use theseatbelts. They should consult their doctorfor specific recommendations. The lap beltshouldbe worn securely and as low aspossible over the hips, not over the waist.
&Emergency Locking Retrac-
tor (ELR)
The driver’s seatbelt has an EmergencyLocking Retractor (ELR).
The emergency locking retractor allowsnormal body movement but the retractorlocks automatically during a sudden stop,impact or if you pull the belt very quicklyout of the retractor.
&Automatic/Emergency Lock-
ing Retractor (A/ELR)
Each passenger’s seatbelt has an Auto-matic/Emergency Locking Retractor (A/ELR). The Automatic/Emergency LockingRetractor normally functions as an Emer-gency Locking Retractor (ELR). The A/ELR has an additional locking mode,“Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR)mode”, intended to secure a child restraintsystem.
The ALR mode functions as follows.
When the seatbelt is once drawn outcompletely and is then retracted evenslightly, the retractor locks the seatbelt inthat position and the seatbelt cannot beextended. As the belt is rewinding, clickswill be heard which indicate the retractorfunctions as an ALR. When the seatbelt isretracted fully, the ALR mode is canceledand the ELR mode is restored.
When securing a child restraint system onthe rear passenger’s seats by using aseatbelt, the seatbelt must be changedover to the Automatic Locking Retractor(ALR) mode. For instructions on how toinstall the child restraint system using aseatbelt, refer to“Installing child restraintsystems with A/ELR seatbelt”F1-32.
When the child restraint system is re-moved, make sure that the retractor isrestored to the Emergency Locking Re-tractor (ELR) mode by allowing the seat-belt to retract fully.
&Seatbelt warning light
and chime
Refer to“Seatbelt warning light andchime”F3-10.
&Fastening the seatbelt
WARNING
.Never use a belt that is twisted orreversed. In an accident, this canincrease therisk or severity ofinjury.
.Keep the lap belt as low aspossible on your hips. In a colli-sion, this spreads the force of thelap belt over stronger hip bones

Front seatbelt pretensioners
Thedriver’s and front passenger’s seat-belts have a seatbelt pretensioner. Theseatbelt pretensioners for the driver’s seatand front passenger’s seat operate at thesame time as the frontal, and side SRSairbags. If the vehicle rolls over, theyoperate simultaneously with the curtainairbag.
The front and side airbag sensors and therollover sensor are used as the preten-sioner sensors. If a sensor detects acertain predetermined amount of forceduring a frontal collision, a side impactcollision or a rollover collision of thevehicle, the front seatbelt is quickly drawnback in by the retractor to take up theslack so that the belt more effectively
restrains the front seat occupant.
When a seatbelt pretensioner is activated,an operating noise will be heard and asmall amount of smoke will be released.These occurrences are normal and notharmful. This smoke does not indicate afire in the vehicle.
Once the seatbelt pretensioner has beenactivated, the seatbelt retractor remainslocked. Consequently, the seatbelt can notbe pulled out and retracted and thereforemust be replaced.
NOTE
.Seatbelt pretensioners are not de-signed to activate in minor frontalimpacts, in minor side impacts or rearimpacts..The seatbelt pretensioners for thedriver’sseatandfrontpassenger’sseat operate at the same time as thefrontal, and side SRS airbags. If thevehicle rolls over, they operate simul-taneously with thecurtain airbag..Pretensioners are designed to func-tion on a one-time-only basis. In theevent that a pretensioner is activated,both the driver’s and front passenger’sseatbelt retractor assemblies must bereplaced and only by an authorizedSUBARU dealer. When replacing seat-
belt retractor assemblies, use onlygenuine SUBARU parts..If either front seatbelt does notretract or cannot be pulled out due toamalfunctionoractivationofthepretensioner, contact your SUBARUdealer as soon as possible..If the front seatbelt retractor assem-bly or surrounding area has beendamaged, contact your SUBARU dealeras soon as possible..When you sell your vehicle, we urgeyou to explain to the buyer that it hasseatbelt pretensioners by alerting himto the contents of this section.
WARNING
.To obtain maximum protection,occupants should sit in an up-right position with their seatbeltsproperly fastened. Refer to“Seat-belts”F1-17.
.Do not modify, remove or strikethe front seatbelt retractor as-semblies or surrounding area.This could result in accidentalactivation of the seatbelt preten-sioners or could make the sys-tem inoperative, possibly result-ing in serious injury. Seatbeltpretensioners have no user-ser-
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vehicle models in this Owner’sManual.Child restraint systems
Whileriding in the vehicle, infants andsmall children should always be placed inan infant or child restraint system in one ofthe rear seating positions recommendedin this Owner’s Manual.
You should use an infant or child restraintsystem that meets Federal Motor VehicleSafetyStandards or Canada Motor Vehi-cle Safety Standards, is compatible withyour vehicle and is appropriate for thechild’s age and size.
Allchild restraint systems are designed tobe secured in vehicle seats by lap belts orthe lap belt portion of a lap/shoulder belt(except those described in“Installation ofchild restraint systems by use of lower and
tether anchorages (LATCH)”F1-37).
Children could be endangered in anaccident if their child restraints are notproperly secured in the vehicle. Wheninstalling the child restraint system, care-fully follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
According to accident statistics, childrenare safer when properly restrained in therear seating positions than in the frontseating positions.
All U.S. states and Canadian provincesrequire that infants and small children berestrained in an approved child restraintsystem at all times while the vehicle ismoving.
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1-30Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
WARNING
Never let a passenger hold a childon his or her lap while the vehicle ismoving. The passenger cannot pro-tect the child from injury in a colli-sion, because the child will becaught between the passenger andobjects inside the vehicle. Addition-ally, holding a child in your lap orarms in the front seat exposes thatchild to another serious danger.Since the SRSairbag deploys withconsiderable speed and force, thechild could be injured or even killed.
WARNING
Children should be properly re-strained at all times. Never allow achild to stand up, or to kneel on anyseat. Unrestrained children will bethrown forward during sudden stopor in an accident and can be injuredseriously.
Additionally, children standing up orkneeling on or in front of the frontseat are exposed another seriousdanger. Since the SRS airbag de-ployswith considerable speed andforce, the child could be injured oreven killed.
&Where to place a child re-
straint system
The following are SUBARU’s recommen-dations on where to place a child restraintsystem in your vehicle.
A: Front passenger’s seat
You should not install a child restraintsystem (including a booster seat) due tothe hazard to children posed by thepassenger’s airbag.
B: Second-row outboard seats
Recommended positions for all types ofchild restraint systems.
In these positions, Automatic/EmergencyLocking Retractor (A/ELR) seatbelts andlower anchorages (bars) are provided forinstalling a child restraint system.
Some types of child restraints might not beable to be secured firmly due to projectionof the seat cushion.
In this seating position, you should useonly a child restraint system that has abottom base that fits snugly against the

contours of the seat cushion and can besecurely retained using the seatbelt.
C: Second-row center seat
Installing a child restraint system is notrecommended, although the A/ELR seat-belt and an upper anchorage (tetheranchorage) are provided in this position.
Some types of child restraints might not beable to be secured firmly due to projectionof the seat cushion.
In this seating position, you should useonly a child restraint system that has abottom base that fits snugly against thecontours of the seat cushion and can besecurelyretained using the seatbelt.
D: Third-row seat
Installing a child restraint system is notrecommended, although the A/ELR seat-belt and two upper anchorages (tetheranchorages)are provided in these posi-tions.
These seating positions are not equippedwith lower anchorages (bars) for installingLATCH system-type child restraints. How-ever, child restraint devices can be used inthese position using the A/ELR seatbeltsand upper anchorages (tether an-chorages) provided.
Some typesof child restraints might not beable to be secured firmly due to projectionof the seat cushion.
In this seating position, you should useonly a child restraint system that has abottom base that fits snugly against thecontours of the seat cushion and can besecurely retained using the seatbelt.
WARNING
Put children aged 12 and under inthe rear seat properly restrained atalltimes. The SRS airbag deployswith considerable speed and forceand can injure or even kill children,especially if they are 12 years of ageand under and are not restrained orimproperly restrained. Because chil-dren are lighter and weaker thanadults, their risk of being injuredfrom deployment is greater.
Consequently, be sure to secureALL types of child restraint devices(including forward facing childseats) in the REAR seats at all times.You should choose a restraint de-vice which is appropriate for thechild’s age, height and weight. Ac-cording to accident statistics, chil-dren are safer when properly re-strained in the rear seating posi-tions than in the front seating posi-tions.
WARNING
SINCE YOUR VEHICLE ISEQUIPPED WITH A PASSENGER’SSRS AIRBAG, DO NOT INSTALL AREARWARD FACING CHILDSAFETY SEAT IN THE FRONT PAS-SENGER’S SEAT. DOING SO RISKSSERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH TOTHE CHILD BY PLACING THECHILD’SHEADTOOCLOSETOTHE SRS AIRBAG.
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