Front seats........................................................... 1-2
Manual seat (if equipped).................................... 1-4
Power seat (if equipped)...................................... 1-5
Head restraint adjustment.................................... 1-8
Seat heater (if equipped).................................... 1-9
Front seat heater (if equipped)............................ 1-10
Rear seat heater (if equipped)............................. 1-10
Rear seats........................................................... 1-11Reclining the seatback (Outback)........................ 1-11
Folding down the rear seatback.......................... 1-12
Head restraint adjustment................................... 1-14
Armrest............................................................. 1-15
Seatbelts............................................................. 1-16Seatbelt safety tips............................................. 1-16
Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR)................... 1-17
Automatic Locking Retractor/Emergency Locking
Retractor (ALR/ELR)......................................... 1-17
Seatbelt warning light and chime........................ 1-17
Fastening the seatbelt........................................ 1-17
Seatbelt maintenance......................................... 1-24
Front seatbelt pretensioners............................. 1-24System monitors................................................ 1-26
System servicing................................................ 1-26Precautions against vehicle modification............ 1-27
Child restraint systems..................................... 1-27Where to place a child restraint system.............. 1-28
Choosing a child restraint system...................... 1-30
Installing child restraint systems with ALR/ELR
seatbelt........................................................... 1-30
Installing a booster seat..................................... 1-34
Installation of child restraint systems by use of
lower and tether anchorages (LATCH).............. 1-35
Top tether anchorages....................................... 1-38
*SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint
System airbag)................................................ 1-41
General precautions regarding SRS airbag
system............................................................ 1-41
Components...................................................... 1-48
SUBARU advanced frontal airbag system, SRS
seat cushion airbag, SRS side airbag and SRS
curtain airbag.................................................. 1-51
System operation............................................... 1-56
SRS airbag system monitors.............................. 1-68
SRS airbag system servicing ............................. 1-69
Precautions against vehicle modification............ 1-70
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Front seats
&Manual seat (if equipped)
!Forward and backward adjustment
1. Sit in the seat to adjust.
2. Pull the lever upward, slide the seat to
the desired position, and then release the
lever.
3. Try to move the seat back and forth to
make sure that it is securely locked into
place.!Reclining the seatback
1. Pull up the reclining lever, adjust the
seatback to the desired position, and then
release the lever.
2. Make sure the seatback is securely
locked into place.
The seatback placed in a reclined position
can spring back upward with force when
pulling up the lever. While operating the
lever to return the seatback, hold the
seatback lightly so that it may be raised
back gradually.!Seat cushion height adjustment
(driver’s seat)1) Push the lever down to lower the seat.
2) Pull the lever up to raise the seat.
You can adjust the height of the seat by
moving the seat cushion adjustment lever
up or down.
1-4
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Front seats
NOTE
.If the registered seat position cannot
be retrieved after performing the pre-
vious procedures, try the following
procedures.
(1) Press the“SET”button on the
driver’s door.
(2) Press the“
”button on the
access key or touch the door lock
sensor to lock the doors.
(3) Perform the prior procedures
again.
.If the keyless access function is
disabled, the seat position cannot be
retrieved by gripping the driver’s door
handle. However, the seat position can
still be retrieved by pressing the“
”
button on the access key. For informa-
tion about how to enable/disable the
keyless access function, refer to“Dis-
abling keyless access function”F2-18.
.If a new position is registered for the
same access key, the previously regis-
tered seat position is deleted.
!Clearing the registered seat
position with access key
1. Close the driver’s door.
2. While holding the access key and
pressing the“SET”button, press the“
”
button on the access key.A chirp will sound, and the registered seat
position will be cleared.
&Head restraint adjustment
WARNING
.Never drive the vehicle with the
head restraints removed because
they are designed to reduce the
risk of serious neck injury in the
event that the vehicle is struck
from the rear. Also, never install
the head restraints the opposite
way around. Doing so will pre-
vent the head restraints from
functioning as intended. There-
fore, when you remove the head
restraints, you must reinstall all
head restraints correctly to pro-
tect vehicle occupants.
.All occupants, including the dri-
ver, should not operate a vehicle
or sit in a vehicle’s seat until the
head restraints are placed in their
proper positions in order to mini-
mize the risk of neck injury in the
event of a crash.
Both the driver’s seat and front passen-
ger’s seat are equipped with head re-
straints. Both head restraints are adjusta-
ble in the following ways.!Head restraint height adjustment
1) Head restraint
2) Release button
Each head restraint should be adjusted so
that the center of the head restraint is
closest to the top of the occupant’s ears.
To raise:
Pull the head restraint up.
To lower:
Push the head restraint down while
pressing the release button on the top of
the seatback.
To remove:
While pressing the release button, pull out
the head restraint.
To install:
Install the head restraint into the holes that
1-8
are located on the top of the seatback until
the head restraint locks. Press and hold
the release button to lower the head
restraint.
!Head restraint angle adjustment
The angle of the head restraint can be
adjusted in several steps. While maintain-
ing a suitable driving posture, adjust the
head restraint to a position where the back
of your head is as close to the head
restraint as possible.
To tilt:
Tilt the head restraint by hand to the
preferred position. A click will be audible
when the head restraint is locked.
To return:
Tilt the head restraint once as far forward
as it can go. The head restraint willautomatically return to the fully upright
position. Then, adjust the head restraint
again to the preferred angle.
Seat heater (if equipped)
The seat heater operates when the igni-
tion switch is in the“ON”position.
CAUTION
.People with delicate skin may
suffer slight burns even at low
temperatures if they use the seat
heater for a long period of time.
When using the heater, always be
sure to warn the persons con-
cerned.
.Do not put anything on the seat
which insulates against heat,
such as a blanket, cushion, or
similar items. This may cause the
seat heater to overheat.
.When the seat is warmed enough
or before you leave the vehicle,
be sure to turn off the seat heater.
NOTE
Use of the seat heater for a long period
of time while the engine is not running
can cause battery discharge.
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Seat heater
–CONTINUED–1-9
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Rear seats
&Head restraint adjustment
Both the rear window side seats and the
rear center seat are equipped with head
restraints.
WARNING
.Never drive the vehicle with the
head restraints removed because
they are designed to reduce the
risk of serious neck injury in the
event that the vehicle is struck
from the rear. Therefore, when
you remove the head restraints,
you must reinstall all head re-
straints to protect vehicle occu-
pants.
.All occupants, including the dri-
ver, should not operate a vehicle
or sit in a vehicle’s seat until the
head restraints are placed in their
proper positions in order to mini-
mize the risk of neck injury in the
event of a crash.!Rear window side seating position
1) Head restraint
2) Release button
To raise:
Pull the head restraint up.
To lower:
Push the head restraint down while
pressing the release button on the top of
the seatback.
To remove:
While pressing the release button, pull out
the head restraint.
To install:
Install the head restraint into the holes that
are located on the top of the seatback until
the head restraint locks.
The head restraint should be adjusted sothat the center of the head restraint is
closest to the top of the occupant’s ears.
When the seats are not occupied, lower
the head restraints to improve rearward
visibility.
NOTE
For Legacy, it is not possible to remove
or install the head restraint without
folding down the rear seatback. Fold
down the rear seatback and then
remove or install the head restraint.
1-14
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Child restraint systems
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 retracting the
seatbelt 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.
2. If the child restraint system makes
contact with the head restraint of the rear
seating position where the child restraint
system is to be installed, raise the head
restraint to the extended position. If the
child restraint system still makes contact,
remove the head restraint. For details,
refer to“Head restraint adjustment”F1-
14.
CAUTION
Store the head restraint that has
been removed in the trunk or cargo
area. Avoid placing the head re-
straint in the passenger compart-
ment to prevent it from being thrown
around in the passenger compart-
ment in a sudden stop or a sharp
turn.
3. For the Outback, adjust the seatback
to the upright position.
4. 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”F1-28.
1-32
Tilt/telescopic steering wheel
WARNING
.Do not adjust the steering wheel
tilt/telescopic position while driv-
ing. This may cause loss of
vehicle control and result in
personal injury.
.If the lever cannot be raised to
the fixed position, adjust the
steering wheel again. It is dan-
gerous to drive without locking
the steering wheel. This may
cause loss of vehicle control
and result in personal injury.
1) Tilt adjustment
2) Telescopic adjustment
1. Adjust the seat position. Refer to
“Front seats”F1-2.
2. Pull the tilt/telescopic lock lever down.
3. Move the steering wheel to the desired
level.
4. Pull the lever up to lock the steering
wheel in place.
5. Make sure that the steering wheel is
securely locked by moving it up and down,
and forward and backward.
Horn
To sound the horn, push the horn pad.
Instruments and controls/Tilt/telescopic steering wheel3-63
Starting and operating/Preparing to drive
.A vehiclefails the OBDII inspection if
the“CHECK ENGINE”warning light is not
properly operating (light is illuminated or is
not working due to a burned out bulb) or
there is one or more diagnostic trouble
codes stored in the vehicle’s computer.
.A state emission inspection may reject
(not pass or fail) a vehicle if the number of
OBDII system readiness monitors“NOT
READY”is greater than one. If the
vehicle’s battery has been recently re-
placed or disconnected, the OBDII system
inspection may indicate that the vehicle is
not ready for the emission test. Under this
condition, the vehicle driver should be
instructed to drive his/her vehicle for a few
days to reset the readiness monitors and
return for an emission re-inspection.
.Owners of rejected or failing vehicles
should contact their SUBARU Dealer for
service.
Some states still use dynamometers in
their emission inspection program. A
dynamometer is a treadmill or roller-like
testing device that allows your vehicle’s
wheels to turn while the vehicle remains in
one place. Prior to your vehicle being put
on a dynamometer, tell your emission
inspector
not to place your SUBARU
AWD vehicle on a two-wheel dynam-
ometer.Otherwise, serious transmis-
sion damage will result.The U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) and states using two-wheel
dynamometers in their emission testing
program have EXEMPTED SUBARU
AWD vehicles from the portion of the
testing program that involves a two-wheel
dynamometer. There are some states that
use four-wheel dynamometers in their
testing program. When properly used, this
equipment should not damage a SUBARU
AWD vehicle.
Under no circumstances should the rear
wheels be jacked off the ground, nor
should the driveshaft be disconnected for
state emission testing.
Preparing to drive
You should perform the following checks
and adjustments every day before you
start driving.
1. Check that all windows, mirrors, and
lights are clean and unobstructed.
2. Check the appearance and condition
of the tires. Also check tires for proper
inflation.
3. Look under the vehicle for any sign of
leaks.
4. Check that the hood, trunk (Legacy)
and rear gate (Outback) are fully closed.
5. Check the adjustment of the seat.
6. Check the adjustment of the inside
and outside mirrors.
7. Fasten your seatbelt. Check that your
passengers have fastened their seatbelts.
8. Check the operation of the warning
and indicator lights when the ignition
switch is turned to the“ON”position.
9. Check the gauges, indicator and warn-
ing lights after starting the engine.
10. Check that no small animals enter the
engine compartment.
7-8