
fire in the vehicle.
Once the seatbelt pretensioner has been
activated, the seatbelt retractor remains
locked. Consequently, the seatbelt can not
be pulled out and retracted and therefore
must be replaced.
NOTE
.Seatbelt pretensioners are not de-
signed to activate in minor impacts or
in rear impacts.
. In the case of rollover accidents
– Crosstrek models:
As the curtain airbags deploy, the
driver ’s side seatbelt pretensioner
and front passenger ’sside
shoulder belt pretensioner are acti-
vated simultaneously.
– Except Crosstrek models:
Seatbelt pretensioners are not acti-
vated.
. In cases of frontal collisions, the
following components will operate si-
multaneously.
–Seatbelt pretensioner for driver
– Seatbelt pretensioner for front
passenger
– SRS frontal airbag for driver
– SRS frontal airbag for front pas-
senger*
– SRS curtain airbags (both sides) (if an offset frontal collision occurs)
*: This does not operate if the occupant
detection system deactivates airbag op-
eration. For details, refer to
“Front
passenger ’s SRS frontal airbag ”F 1-48
.
. In cases of side collisions, the
following components will operate si-
multaneously.
–SRS curtain airbag (impacted
side)
– SRS side airbag (impacted side)
(when both the satellite safing sen-
sor and any of the center pillar
impact sensors/front door impact
sensors sense an impact force)
– Seatbelt pretensioner for driver
(when both the satellite safing sen-
sor and the driver ’s side front door
impact sensor sense an impact
force)
However, when a center pillar im-
pact sensor detects a signal faster
than the front door impact sensor,
or both sensors detect signals
simultaneously, the seatbelt preten-
sioner does not activate.
– Seatbelt pretensioner for front
passenger (shoulder belt preten-
sioner only) (when both the satellite
safing sensor and the front passen-
ger ’s side front door impact sensor
sense an impact force) However, when a center pillar im-
pact sensor detects a signal faster
than the front door impact sensor,
or both sensors detect signals
simultaneously, the seatbelt preten-
sioner does not activate.
. Pretensioners are designed to func-
tion on a one-time-only basis. In the
event that a pretensioner is activated,
both the driver ’s and front passenger ’s
seatbelt retractor assemblies should
be replaced only by an authorized
SUBARU dealer. When replacing seat-
belt retractor assemblies, use only
genuine SUBARU parts.
. If either front seatbelt does not
retract or cannot be pulled out due to
a malfunction or activation of the
pretensioner, contact your SUBARU
dealer as soon as possible.
. If the front seatbelt retractor assem-
bly or surrounding area has been
damaged, contact your SUBARU dealer
as soon as possible.
. When you sell your vehicle, we urge
you to explain to the buyer that it has
seatbelt pretensioners by alerting the
buyer to the contents of this section.
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Front seatbelt pretensioners
–CONTINUED –1-21

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Front seatbelt pretensioners
WARNING
.To obtain maximum protection,
the occupants should sit in an
upright position with their seat-
belts properly fastened. Refer to
“Seatbelts ”F 1-11.
. Do not modify, remove or strike
the front seatbelt retractor as-
semblies or surrounding area.
This could result in accidental
activation of the seatbelt preten-
sioners or could make the sys-
tem inoperative, possibly result-
ing in serious injury. Seatbelt
pretensioners have no user-ser-
viceable parts. For required ser-
vicing of front seatbelt retractors
equipped with seatbelt preten-
sioners, consult your SUBARU
dealer.
. When discarding front seatbelt
retractor assemblies or scrap-
ping the entire vehicle due to
collision damage or for other
reasons, consult your SUBARU
dealer.
& Seatbelt with shoulder belt
and lap belt pretensioners
NOTE
This section is applicable to the front
passenger ’s seatbelt in Crosstrek mod-
els.
1) Seatbelt retractor assembly (shoulder belt pretensioner)
2) Lap belt pretensioner
On the front passenger ’s side in Crosstrek
models, the shoulder belt pretensioner is
supplemented by a lap belt pretensioner,
which is located at the base of the center
pillar. Like the shoulder belt pretensioner,
the lap belt pretensioner instantaneously
pulls in the belt to eliminate slack if a
certain level of frontal collision force is
detected. As a result, the seatbelt re- strains the front seat occupant more
effectively.
When a seatbelt pretensioner is activated,
an operating noise will be heard and a
small amount of smoke will be released.
These occurrences are normal and not
harmful. This smoke does not indicate a
fire in the vehicle.
Once the seatbelt pretensioner has been
activated, the seatbelt pretensioner re-
mains locked. Consequently, the seatbelt
cannot be pulled out and retracted and
therefore must be replaced.
NOTE
.
Seatbelt pretensioners are not de-
signed to activate in minor impacts or
in rear impacts.
. When a rollover accident occurs, the
lap belt pretensioner does not activate;
however, as the curtain airbags deploy,
the shoulder belt pretensioner is acti-
vated. At this time, the driver ’s side
seatbelt pretensioner and passenger ’s
side shoulder belt pretensioner acti-
vate simultaneously.
. In cases of frontal collisions, the
following components will operate si-
multaneously.
–Seatbelt pretensioner for driver
– Seatbelt pretensioner for front
1-22

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Child restraint systems
or in an accident and can be injured
seriously.
Additionally, children standing up or
kneeling on or in front of the front
seat are exposed another serious
danger. Since the SRS airbag de-
ploys with considerable speed and
force, the child could be injured or
even killed.
&Where to place a child re-
straint system
The following are SUBARU ’s recommen-
dations on where to place a child restraint
system in your vehicle.
A: Front passenger ’s seat
You should not install a child restraint
system (including a booster seat) due to
the hazard to children posed by the
passenger ’s airbag.
B: Rear seat, window-side seating
positions
Recommended positions for all types of
child restraint systems.
In these positions, the following equip-
ment is provided for installing a child
restraint system.
. Automatic Locking Retractor/Emer-
gency Locking Retractor (ALR/ELR) seat-
belts
. Lower anchorages (bars)
. Upper anchorages (tether anchorages)
Some types of child restraints might not be
able to be secured firmly due to projection
of the seat cushion.
In this seating position, you should use
only a child restraint system that has a
bottom base that fits snugly against the
contours of the seat cushion and can be
securely retained using the seatbelt.
C: Rear seat, center seating position
The ALR/ELR seatbelt and an upper
anchorage (tether anchorage) are pro-
vided in this position. Some types of child restraints might not be
able to be secured firmly due to projection
of the seat cushion.
In this seating position, you should use
only a child restraint system that has a
bottom base that fits snugly against the
contours of the seat cushion and can be
securely retained using the seatbelt.
When you install a child restraint system in
the rear seat
’s center seating position,
raise the center head restraint.
Lower anchorages (bars) for window-side
seating positions may be used for a seat
in the center seating position if a child
restraint system manufacturer ’s instruc-
tions permit and specify using anchors as
far apart as those in this vehicle.
If a child restraint system is not correctly
fixed in place (for example, if a child
restraint system can be moved more than
1 inch (2.5 cm) from side to side), you
should install the child restraint system in
a rear seat, window-side seating position.
WARNING
. Even with advanced airbags, chil-
dren can be seriously injured by
the airbag. Place children in the
rear seat properly restrained at
all times. The SRS airbag de-
ploys with considerable speed
1-26

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Child restraint systems
&Installing child restraint sys-
tems with ALR/ELR seatbelt
WARNING
. Child restraint systems and seat-
belts can become hot in a vehicle
that has been closed up in sunny
weather; they could burn a small
child. Check the child restraint
system before you place a child
in it.
. Do not leave an unsecured child
restraint system in your vehicle.
Unsecured child restraint sys-
tems can be thrown around in-
side of the vehicle in a sudden
stop, turn or accident; they can
strike and injure vehicle occu-
pants as well as result in serious
injuries or death to the child.
CAUTION
. When you install a child restraint
system, follow the manufac-
turer ’s instructions supplied with
it. After installing the child re-
straint system, check to ensure
that it is held securely in posi-
tion. If it is not held tight and secure, the danger of your child
suffering personal injury in the
event of an accident may be
increased.
. When installing a child restraint
system in the rear center seating
position, set both seatbacks to
the original position. Otherwise,
the child restraint system cannot
be securely restrained, which
may result in death or serious
injuries in the event of sudden
stop, sudden steering maneuver
or an accident.
! Installing a rearward facing child
restraint
1. Place the child restraint system in the rear seating position.
2. Run the lap and shoulder belt through
or around the child restraint system
following the instructions provided by its
manufacturer.
3. Insert the tongue plate into the buckle
until you hear a click.
4. Take up the slack in the lap belt.
5. Pull out the seatbelt fully from the
retractor to change the retractor over from
the Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR)
to the Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR)
function. Then, allow the belt to rewind
into the retractor. As the belt is rewinding,
clicks will be heard which indicate the
retractor functions as ALR.
1-28

6. Push and pull the child restraint
system forward and from side to side to
check if it is firmly secured. Sometimes a
child restraint can be more firmly secured
by pushing it down into the seat cushion
and then tightening the seatbelt.
7. Pull at the shoulder portion of the belt
to confirm that it cannot be pulled out (ALR
properly functioning).8. To remove the child restraint system,
press the release button on the seatbelt
buckle and allow the belt to retract
completely. The belt will return to the
ELR mode.
WARNING
NEVER INSTALL A REARWARD FA-
CING CHILD SEAT IN THE FRONT
PASSENGER’SSEAT.DOINGSO
RISKS SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH
TO THE CHILD BY PLACING THE
CHILD ’S HEAD TOO CLOSE TO THE
SRS AIRBAG.
NOTE
When the child restraint system is no
longer in use, remove it and restore the
ELR function of the retractor. That
function is restored by allowing the
seatbelt to retract fully.
! Installing forward facing child re-
straint
WARNING
Before installing a child restraint
system, be sure to confirm that the
seatback is securely locked into
place. Otherwise, in an accident,
serious injury or death could result.
1. Shake the seatback slightly to confirm
that it is securely locked into place. –It is possible to check whether the
seatback is locked visually. If the
seatback is locked into place, the red
colored unlocking marker which is
attached to the bottom of the lock
release knob is invisible. For details,
refer to “Folding down the rear seat-
back ”F 1-10.
2. Prepare the rear seat head restraint
where a child restraint system is intended
to be installed in the following way.
–When a child restraint system is
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Child restraint systems
–CONTINUED –1-29

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Child restraint systems
installed on thewindow-side seating
position or therear center seating
position of a 4-door model, remove
the rear seat head restraint. For de-
tails, refer to “Head restraint adjust-
ment ”F 1-8.
Store the head restraint in the trunk (4-
door models) or cargo area (5-door
models). Avoid placing the head re-
straint in the passenger compartment
to prevent it from being thrown around
in the passenger compartment in a
sudden stop or a sharp turn.
– When a child restraint system is
installed on the rear center seating
position of a 5-door model, raise the
rear seat head restraint to the ex-
tended position. Do not remove the
head restraint. For details, refer to
“ Rear center seating position” F1-9.
3. Place the child restraint system in the
rear seating position.
WARNING
When you intend to install a child
restraint system on the rear center
seating position, if the child restraint
system does not fit snugly against
the contours of the rear center seat
cushion, install the child restraint
system on the window-side seating position to be safe. For details, refer
to
“Where to place a child restraint
system” F1-26.
4. Run the lap and shoulder belt through
or around the child restraint system
following the instructions provided by its
manufacturer.
–When a child restraint system is
installed on the rear center seating
position of a 5-door model, pass the
rear center seatbelt through the belt
guide properly. For details, refer to
“Rear center seatbelt on 5-door mod-
els ”F 1-16.
5. Insert the tongue plate into the buckle
until you hear a click.
6. Take up the slack in the lap belt.
7. Pull out the seatbelt fully from the
retractor to change the retractor over from
the Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR)
to the Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR)
function. Then, allow the belt to rewind
into the retractor. As the belt is rewinding,
clicks will be heard which indicate the
retractor functions as ALR.
1-30

!To install a child restraint system
using lower and tether an-
chorages
To install a child restraint system using
lower and tether anchorages, perform the
following procedure.
WARNING
Before installing a child restraint
system, be sure to confirm that the
seatback is securely locked into
place. Otherwise, in an accident,
serious injury or death could result.
1. Shake the seatback slightly to confirm
that it is securely locked into place. –It is possible to check whether the
seatback is locked visually. If the
seatback is locked into place, the red
colored unlocking marker which is
attached to the bottom of the lock
release knob is invisible. For details,
refer to “Folding down the rear seat-
back ”F 1-10.
2. You will find marks “”at the bottom of
the rear seat seatbacks. These marks
indicate the positions of the lower an-
chorages (bars).
Remove the covers and locate the lower
anchorages (bars). 3. Remove the rear seat head restraint.
For details, refer to
“Rear windows side
seating position” F1-9.
4. While following the instructions sup-
plied by the child restraint system manu-
facturer, connect the lower hooks onto the
lower anchorages located at “
”marks on
the bottom of the rear seatback. When the
hooks are connected, make sure the
adjacent seatbelts are not caught.
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Child restraint systems
–CONTINUED –1-35

.Do not apply any strong impact
to the front passenger ’sseat
such as by kicking.
. Do not let rear passengers rest
their feet between the front seat-
back and seat cushion.
. Do not spill liquid on the front
passenger ’s seat. If liquid is
spilled, wipe it off immediately.
. Do not remove or disassemble
the front passenger ’s seat.
. Do not install any accessory
(such as an audio amplifier) other
than a genuine SUBARU acces-
sory under the front passenger ’s
seat.
. Do not place anything (shoes,
umbrella, etc.) under the front
passenger ’s seat.
. Do not use the front passenger ’s
seat with the head restraint re-
moved.
. Do not leave any articles on the
front passenger ’s seat or the
seatbelt tongue and buckle en-
gaged when you leave your ve-
hicle.
. Do not put sharp object(s) on the
seat or pierce the seat uphols-
tery. .
Do not place a magnet near the
seatbelt buckle and the seatbelt
retractor.
. Do not use front seats with their
forward-backward position and
seatback not being locked into
place securely. If any of them are
not locked securely, adjust them
again. For adjusting procedure,
refer to “Forward and backward
adjustment” F1-3 and “Reclining
the seatback ”F 1-4.
If the seatbelt buckle switch and/or front
passenger ’s occupant detection system
have failed, the SRS airbag system
warning light will illuminate. Have the
system inspected by your SUBARU deal-
er immediately if the SRS airbag system
warning light illuminates.
If your vehicle has sustained impact, this
may affect the proper function of the
SUBARU advanced frontal airbag system.
Have your vehicle inspected at your
SUBARU dealer. Do not use the front
passenger ’s seat while driving the vehicle
to your SUBARU dealer.
NOTE
The front passenger ’s SRS side airbag
and SRS curtain airbag are not con-
trolled by the SUBARU advanced fron- tal airbag system.
!
Passenger ’s frontal airbag ON and
OFF indicators
Refer to “Front passenger ’s frontal airbag
ON and OFF indicators” F3-16.
! Occupant detection system
The occupant detection system sensor is
installed under the seat upholstery and
monitors the physique and posture of the
front passenger. Using this information,
the occupant detection system determines
whether the front passenger ’s SRS frontal
airbag should be deployed or not.
If the front passenger ’s seat cushion is
wet, this may adversely affect the ability of
the system to determine deployment. If
the seat cushion is wet, the front passen-
ger should stop sitting on the front
passenger ’s seat. Wipe off liquid from
the seat immediately, let the seat dry
naturally and then check the SRS airbag
system warning light as follows.
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/*SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint System airbag)
–CONTINUED –1-49