restraints or belt-positioning booster seats. Older chil-
dren who do not use child restraints or belt-
positioning booster seats should ride properly buckled
up in a vehicle with a rear seat.
4. Never allow children to slide the shoulder belt behind them or under their arm.
5. You should read the instructions provided with your child restraint to make sure that you are using it
properly.
6. All occupants should always wear their lap and shoulder belts properly.
7. The driver and front passenger seats should be moved back as far as practical to allow the Advanced Front
Air Bags room to inflate.
8. Do not lean against the door or window. If your vehicle has side air bags, and deployment occurs, the side air bags will inflate forcefully into the space
between occupants and the door and occupants could
be injured.
9. If the air bag system in this vehicle needs to be modified to accommodate a disabled person, contact
the Customer Center. Phone numbers are provided
under If You Need Assistance.
WARNING!
•Never place a rear-facing child restraint in front of
an air bag. A deploying passenger Advanced Front
Air Bag can cause death or serious injury to a child
12 years or younger, including a child in a rear-
facing child restraint.
• Only use a rear-facing child restraint in a vehicle
with a rear seat.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 33
BeltAlert Warning Sequence
The BeltAlert warning sequence is activated when the
vehicle is moving above a specified vehicle speed range
and the driver or outboard front seat passenger is un-
buckled (the outboard front passenger seat BeltAlert is
not active when the outboard front passenger seat is
unoccupied). The BeltAlert warning sequence starts by
blinking the Seat Belt Reminder Light and sounding an
intermittent chime. Once the BeltAlert warning sequence
has completed, the Seat Belt Reminder Light will remain
on until the seat belts are buckled. The BeltAlert warning
sequence may repeat based on vehicle speed until the
driver and occupied outboard front seat passenger seat
belts are buckled. The driver should instruct all occu-
pants to buckle their seat belts.
Change Of Status
If the driver or outboard front seat passenger (if
equipped with outboard front passenger seat BeltAlert)unbuckles their seat belt while the vehicle is traveling,
the BeltAlert warning sequence will begin until the seat
belts are buckled again. The outboard front passenger
seat BeltAlert is not active when the outboard front
passenger seat is unoccupied. BeltAlert may be triggered
when an animal or heavy object is on the outboard front
passenger seat or when the seat is folded flat (if
equipped). It is recommended that pets be restrained in
the rear seat (if equipped) in pet harnesses or pet carriers
that are secured by seat belts, and cargo is properly
stowed.
BeltAlert can be activated or deactivated by your autho-
rized dealer. FCA US LLC does not recommend deacti-
vating BeltAlert.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 35
NOTE:If BeltAlert has been deactivated and the driver
or outboard front seat passenger is unbuckled the Seat
Belt Reminder Light will turn on and remain on until the
driver and outboard front seat passenger seat belts are
buckled.
Lap/Shoulder Belts
All seating positions in your vehicle are equipped with
lap/shoulder belts.
The seat belt webbing retractor will lock only during very
sudden stops or collisions. This feature allows the shoul-
der part of the seat belt to move freely with you under
normal conditions. However, in a collision the seat belt
will lock and reduce your risk of striking the inside of the
vehicle or being thrown out of the vehicle.
WARNING!
• Relying on the air bags alone could lead to more
severe injuries in a collision. The air bags work
with your seat belt to restrain you properly. In
some collisions, the air bags won’t deploy at all.
Always wear your seat belt even though you have
air bags.
• In a collision, you and your passengers can suffer
much greater injuries if you are not properly buck-
led up. You can strike the interior of your vehicle or
other passengers, or you can be thrown out of the
vehicle. Always be sure you and others in your
vehicle are buckled up properly.
• It is dangerous to ride in a cargo area, inside or
outside of a vehicle. In a collision, people riding in
these areas are more likely to be seriously injured
or killed.
(Continued)
36 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)
Air Bag System Components
Your vehicle may be equipped with the following air bag
system components:
•Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC)
• Air Bag Warning Light
•Steering Wheel and Column
• Instrument Panel
• Knee Impact Bolsters
• Advanced Front Air Bags
• Supplemental Knee Air Bags
• Supplemental Side Air Bags
• Front and Side Impact Sensors •
Seat Belt Pretensioners
• Seat Belt Buckle Switch
Advanced Front Air Bags
This vehicle has Advanced Front Air Bags for both the
driver and front passenger as a supplement to the seat
belt restraint systems. The driver ’s Advanced Front Air
Bag is mounted in the center of the steering wheel. The
passenger ’s Advanced Front Air Bag is mounted in the
instrument panel, above the glove compartment. The
words “SRS AIRBAG” or “AIRBAG” are embossed on
the air bag covers.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 47
WARNING!
•Being too close to the steering wheel or instrument
panel during Advanced Front Air Bag deployment
could cause serious injury, including death. Air
bags need room to inflate. Sit back, comfortably
extending your arms to reach the steering wheel or
instrument panel.
• Never place a rear-facing child restraint in front of
an air bag. A deploying Passenger Advanced Front
Air Bag can cause death or serious injury to a child
12 years or younger, including a child in a rear-
facing child restraint.
• Only use a rear-facing child restraint in a vehicle
with a rear seat.
Advanced Front Air Bag And Knee Impact Bolster
Locations
1 — Driver And Passenger Advanced Front Air Bags
2 — Passenger Knee Impact Bolster/Supplemental Passenger
Knee Air Bag
3 — Driver Knee Impact Bolster/Supplemental Driver Knee Air
Bag 48 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
Advanced Front Air Bag Features
The Advanced Front Air Bag system has multistage
driver and front passenger air bags. This system provides
output appropriate to the severity and type of collision as
determined by the Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC),
which may receive information from the front impact
sensors or other system components.
The first stage inflator is triggered immediately during an
impact that requires air bag deployment. A low energy
output is used in less severe collisions. A higher energy
output is used for more severe collisions.
This vehicle may be equipped with a driver and/or front
passenger seat belt buckle switch that detects whether
the driver or front passenger seat belt is buckled. The seat
belt buckle switch may adjust the inflation rate of the
Advanced Front Air Bags.
WARNING!
•No objects should be placed over or near the air
bag on the instrument panel or steering wheel,
because any such objects could cause harm if the
vehicle is in a collision severe enough to cause the
air bags to inflate.
• Do not put anything on or around the air bag
covers or attempt to open them manually. You may
damage the air bags and you could be injured
because the air bags may no longer be functional.
The protective covers for the air bag cushions are
designed to open only when the air bags are
inflating.
• Relying on the air bags alone could lead to more
severe injuries in a collision. The air bags work
with your seat belt to restrain you properly. In
(Continued)
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 49
WARNING!(Continued)
some collisions, air bags won’t deploy at all. Al-
ways wear your seat belts even though you have air
bags.
Advanced Front Air Bag Operation
Advanced Front Air Bags are designed to provide addi-
tional protection by supplementing the seat belts. Ad-
vanced Front Air Bags are not expected to reduce the risk
of injury in rear, side, or rollover collisions. The Ad-
vanced Front Air Bags will not deploy in all frontal
collisions, including some that may produce substantial
vehicle damage — for example, some pole collisions,
truck underrides, and angle offset collisions.
On the other hand, depending on the type and location of
impact, Advanced Front Air Bags may deploy in crashes
with little vehicle front-end damage but that produce a
severe initial deceleration. Because air bag sensors measure vehicle deceleration
over time, vehicle speed and damage by themselves are
not good indicators of whether or not an air bag should
have deployed.
Seat belts are necessary for your protection in all colli-
sions, and also are needed to help keep you in position,
away from an inflating air bag.
When the ORC detects a collision requiring the Ad-
vanced Front Air Bags, it signals the inflator units. A large
quantity of non-toxic gas is generated to inflate the
Advanced Front Air Bags.
The steering wheel hub trim cover and the upper right
side of the instrument panel separate and fold out of the
way as the air bags inflate to their full size. The Advanced
Front Air Bags fully inflate in less time than it takes to
blink your eyes. The air bags then quickly deflate while
helping to restrain the driver and front passenger.
50 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
•The Air Bag Warning Light does not come on during
the four to eight seconds when the ignition switch is
first turned to the MAR/ACC/ON/RUN position.
• The Air Bag Warning Light remains on after the four to
eight-second interval.
• The Air Bag Warning Light comes on intermittently or
remains on while driving.
NOTE: If the speedometer, tachometer, or any engine
related gauges are not working, the Occupant Restraint
Controller (ORC) may also be disabled. In this condition
the air bags may not be ready to inflate for your protec-
tion. Have an authorized dealer service the air bag
system immediately.WARNING!
Ignoring the Air Bag Warning Light in your instru-
ment panel could mean you won’t have the air bags
to protect you in a collision. If the light does not come
on as a bulb check when the ignition is first placed in
the on position, and stays on after you start the
vehicle, or if it comes on as you drive, have an
authorized dealer service the air bag system immedi-
ately.
Maintaining Your Air Bag System
WARNING!
• Modifications to any part of the air bag system
could cause it to fail when you need it. You could
be injured if the air bag system is not there to
(Continued)
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 59