Page 85 of 648
8. To remove the slack from the lap belt, pull upward on
the shoulder portion of the seat belt.
9. To release the seat belt, push the red button on the
buckle.
WARNING!
Securely lock the seat cushion into position before
using the seat. Otherwise, the seat will not provide
the proper stability for child seats and/or passengers.
An improperly latched seat cushion could cause
serious injury.
Children Too Large For Booster Seats
Children who are large enough to wear the shoulder belt
comfortably, and whose legs are long enough to bend
over the front of the seat when their back is against the
seatback, should use the seat belt in a rear seat. Use this
simple 5-step test to decide whether the child can use the
vehicle’s seat belt alone:
1. Can the child sit all the way back against the back of
the vehicle seat?
Proper Belt Use
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 83
Page 94 of 648

You can install up to two child seats using the LATCH
system at the same time. If you are installing three child
restraints, you must use the seatbelt to install the center
child restraint. You can use either the LATCH anchors for
positions (1) and (3) or the vehicle’s seat belt for installing
the child seats in the outboard positions.
Options for installing two child seats using the LATCH
anchorages in this vehicle:
1. Right and left outboard seating positions (1 and 3):
Install the child seats in the right and left outboard
seating positions using lower anchorages A and B, and
D and E. Do not use the center seat anchorage, C. If the
child seats do not block the center seat belt webbing
and buckle, the center seat belt can be used to restraint
an occupant or child restraint in the center seating
position.
2. Left outboard and center seating positions (3 and 2):
Install the first child seat in the left outboard seating
position using lower anchorages D and E. Install the
second child seat using the center anchorages, B and
C. Do not use the outer anchorage closest to the
opposite door, A. Do not use the remaining right
outboard seating position (1) for any occupant. The
92 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
Page 95 of 648

center child restraint will block the seat belt buckle for
this position.
WARNING!
•Use anchorages B and C to install a LATCH-
compatible child restraint in the center seating
position (2). Do not install a LATCH-compatible
child restraint using anchorages C and D. This is
not a LATCH-compatible position in your vehicle.
•A child restraint installed in the center position (2)
will block the seat belt buckle for the empty right
outboard seating position (1). Do not use this seat
for another occupant.
•Never use the same lower anchorage to attach more
than one child restraint.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
•If you are installing three child restraints next to
each other, you must use the seat belt and the center
tether anchor for the center position. You can then
use either the LATCH anchors or the vehicle’s seat
belt for installing the child seats in the outboard
positions. Please refer to “Installing the LATCH-
Compatible Child Restraint System” for typical
installation instructions.
Always follow the directions of the child restraint manu-
facturer when installing your child restraint. Not all child
restraint systems will be installed as described here.
To Install A LATCH-Compatible Child Restraint
1. If the selected seating position has a Switchable Auto-
matic Locking Retractor (ALR) seat belt, stow the seat
belt following the instructions below. See the section
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 93
Page 97 of 648

with it and accidentally lock the seatbelt retractor. Before
installing a child restraint using the LATCH system,
buckle the seat belt behind the child restraint and out of
the child’s reach. If the buckled seat belt interferes with
the child restraint installation, instead of buckling it
behind the child restraint, route the seat belt through the
child restraint belt path and then buckle it. Do not lock
the seatbelt. Remind all children in the vehicle that the
seat belts are not toys and that they should not play with
them.
WARNING!
•Improper installation of a child restraint to the
LATCH anchorages can lead to failure of the re-
straint. The child could be badly injured or killed.
Follow the child restraint manufacturer ’s directions
exactly when installing an infant or child restraint.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
•Child restraint anchorages are designed to with-
stand only those loads imposed by correctly-fitted
child restraints. Under no circumstances are they to
be used for adult seat belts, harnesses, or for
attaching other items or equipment to the vehicle.
Installing Child Restraints Using The Vehicle Seat
Belt
The seat belts in the passenger seating positions are
equipped with either a Switchable Automatic Locking
Retractor (ALR) or a cinching latch plate or both. Both
types of seat belts are designed to keep the lap portion of
the seat belt tight around the child restraint so that it is
not necessary to use a locking clip. The ALR retractor can
be “switched” into a locked mode by pulling all of the
webbing out of the retractor and then letting the webbing
retract back into the retractor. If it is locked, the ALR will
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 95
Page 98 of 648
make a clicking noise while the webbing is pulled back
into the retractor. For additional information on ALR,
refer to the “Automatic Locking Mode” description un-
der “Occupant Restraints.” The cinching latch plate is
designed to hold the lap portion of the seatbelt tight
when webbing is pulled tight and straight through a
child restraint’s belt path.
Please see the table below and the following sections for
more information.
Lap/Shoulder Belt Systems For Installing Child
Restraints In This Vehicle
Third Row Shown – If Equipped
•ALR - Switchable Automatic Locking Retractor
•CINCH = Cinching Latchplate
96 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
Page 100 of 648

Installing A Child Restraint With A Switchable
Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR)
1. Place the child seat in the center of the seating
position. For some second row seats, you may need to
recline the seat and/or raise the head restraint to get a
better fit. If the rear seat can be moved forward and
rearward in the vehicle, you may wish to move it to its
rear-most position to make room for the child seat.
You may also move the front seat forward to allow
more room for the child seat.
2. Pull enough of the seat belt webbing from the retractor
to pass it through the seat belt path of the child
restraint. Do not twist the belt webbing in the seat belt
path.
3. Slide the latch plate into the buckle until you hear a
“click”.
4. Pull on the webbing to make the lap portion tight
against the child seat.
5. To lock the seat belt, pull down on the shoulder part of
the seat belt until you have pulled all the seat belt
webbing out of the retractor. Then, allow the webbing
to retract back into the retractor. As the webbing
retracts, you will hear a clicking sound. This means the
seat belt is now in the Automatic Locking mode.
6. Try to pull the webbing out of the retractor. If it is
locked, you should not be able to pull out any web-
bing. If the retractor is not locked, repeat step 5.
7. Finally, pull up on any excess webbing to tighten the
lap portion around the child restraint while you push
the child restraint rearward and downward into the
vehicle seat.
8. If the child restraint has a top tether strap and the
seating position has a top tether anchorage, connect
98 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
Page 109 of 648

WARNING!(Continued)
•Check mounting of mats on a regular basis. Always
properly reinstall and secure floor mats that have
been removed for cleaning.
•Always make sure that objects cannot fall into the
driver footwell while the vehicle is moving. Ob-
jects can become trapped under the brake pedal
and accelerator pedal causing a loss of vehicle
control.
•If required, mounting posts must be properly in-
stalled, if not equipped from the factory.
Failure to properly follow floor mat installation or
mounting can cause interference with the brake
pedal and accelerator pedal operation causing loss of
control of the vehicle.
Periodic Safety Checks You Should Make Outside
The Vehicle
Tires
Examine tires for excessive tread wear and uneven wear
patterns. Check for stones, nails, glass, or other objects
lodged in the tread or sidewall. Inspect the tread for cuts
and cracks. Inspect sidewalls for cuts, cracks and bulges.
Check the wheel nuts for tightness. Check the tires
(including spare) for proper cold inflation pressure.
Lights
Have someone observe the operation of brake lights and
exterior lights while you work the controls. Check turn
signal and high beam indicator lights on the instrument
panel.
Door Latches
Check for positive closing, latching, and locking.
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 107
Page 117 of 648
MIRRORS
Inside Day/Night Mirror — If Equipped
A single ball joint mirror is provided in the vehicle. It is
a twist on mirror that has a fixed position at the wind-
shield. The mirror installs on the windshield button with
a counterclockwise rotation and requires no tools for
mounting. The mirror head can be adjusted up, down,
left, and right for various drivers. The mirror should be
adjusted to center on the view through the rear window.
Headlight glare from vehicles behind you can be reduced
by moving the small control under the mirror to the night
position (toward the rear of the vehicle). The mirror
should be adjusted while the small control under the
mirror is set in the day position (toward the windshield).
Adjusting Rearview Mirror
3
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 115