
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Seatbelts
possible on your hips. In a colli-
sion, this spreads the force of the
lap belt over stronger hip bones
instead of across the weaker
abdomen.
.Seatbelts provide maximum re-
straint when the occupant sits
well back and upright in the seat.
To reduce the risk of sliding
under the seatbelt in a collision,
the front seatbacks should be
always used in the upright posi-
tion while the vehicle is running.
If the front seatbacks are not
used in the upright position in a
collision, the risk of sliding under
the lap belt and of the lap belt
sliding up over the abdomen will
increase, and both can result in
serious internal injury or death.
.Do not put cushions or any other
materials between occupants
and seatbacks or seat cushions.
If you do so, the risk of sliding
under the lap belt and of the lap
belt sliding up over the abdomen
will increase, and both can result
in serious internal injury or
death.
WARNING
Never place the shoulder belt under
the arm or behind the back. If an
accident occurs, this can increase
the risk or severity of injury.
CAUTION
Metallic parts of the seatbelt can
become very hot in a vehicle that
has been closed up in sunny weath-
er; they could burn an occupant. Do
not touch such hot parts until they
cool.!Front seatbelts
1. Adjust the seat position:
Driver’s seat:Adjust the seatback to the
upright position. Move the seat as far from
the steering wheel as practical while still
maintaining full vehicle control.
Front passenger’s seat:Adjust the seat-
back to the upright position. Move the seat
as far back as possible.
2. Sit well back in the seat.
3. Pick up the tongue plate and pull the
belt out slowly. Do not let it get twisted.
.If the belt stops before reaching the
buckle, return the belt slightly and pull
it out more slowly.
.If the belt still cannot be unlocked,
let the belt retract slightly after giving it
a strong pull, then pull it out slowly
again.
1-18

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Front seatbelt pretensioners
CAUTION
.Do not allow the retractor to roll
up the seatbelt too quickly.
Otherwise, the metal tongue
plates may hit against the trim,
resulting in damaged trim.
.Have the seatbelt fully rolled up
so that the tongue plates are
neatly stored. A hanging tongue
plate can swing and hit against
the trim during driving, causing
damage to the trim.
&Seatbelt maintenance
To clean the seatbelts, use a mild soap
and lukewarm water. Never bleach or dye
the belts because this could seriously
affect their strength.
Inspect the seatbelts and attachments
including the webbing and all hardware
periodically for cracks, cuts, gashes,
tears, damage, loose bolts or worn areas.
Replace the seatbelts even if only minor
damage is found.
CAUTION
.Keep the belts free of polishes,
oils, chemicals and particularly
battery acid.
.Never attempt to make modifica-
tions or changes that will prevent
the seatbelt from operating prop-
erly.
Front seatbelt pretensioners
The driver’s and front passenger’s seat-
belts have a seatbelt pretensioner. The
seatbelt pretensioners are designed to be
activated in the event of an accident
involving moderate to severe frontal and
side collisions and rollover accidents.
The pretensioner sensor also serves as
follows.
.SRS frontal airbag sensor
.Side impact sensor
.Rollover sensor
If the sensor detects a certain predeter-
mined amount of force during frontal or
side collisions or rollover accidents, the
front seatbelt is quickly drawn back in by
the retractor to take up the slack so that
1-24

the belt more effectively restrains the
driver.
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 retractor remains
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.
.In cases of rollover accidents, as the
SRS curtain airbags deploy, the seat-
belt pretensioners are activated simul-
taneously.
.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 seat cushion airbag fordriver
–SRS seat cushion airbag for front
passenger*
–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”F1-52
.
.In cases of side collisions, the
following components will operate si-
multaneously.
–SRS curtain airbag (impacted
side)
–SRS side airbag (impacted side)
(when any of the center pillar im-
pact sensors/front door impact sen-
sors senses an impact force)
–Seatbelt pretensioner for driver
(when the driver’s side front door
impact sensor senses an impact
force)
–Seatbelt pretensioner for front
passenger (when the front passen-
ger’s side front door impact sensor
senses an impact force)
.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 authorizedSUBARU 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.
WARNING
.To obtain maximum protection,
the occupants should sit in an
upright position with their seat-
belts properly fastened. Refer to
“Seatbelts”F1-16.
.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
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Front seatbelt pretensioners
–CONTINUED–1-25

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Child restraint systems
WARNING
Never let a passenger hold a child
on his or her lap while the vehicle is
moving. The passenger cannot pro-
tect the child from injury in a colli-
sion, because the child will be
caught between the passenger and
objects inside the vehicle. Addition-
ally, holding a child in your lap or
arms in the front seat exposes that
child to another serious danger.
Since the SRS airbag deploys with
considerable speed and force, the
child could be injured or even killed.
WARNING
Children should be properly re-
strained at all times. Never allow a
child to stand up, or to kneel on any
seat. Unrestrained children will be
thrown forward during sudden stop
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 descriptions are SUBARU’s
recommendations 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,Automatic Locking
Retractor/Emergency Locking Retractor
(ALR/ELR) seatbelts and lower an-
1-28

following the instructions provided by its
manufacturer.
3. Insert the tongue plate into the buckle
until you hear a click. Take care not to
twist the seatbelt.
Make sure the shoulder belt is positioned
across the center of child’s shoulder and
that the lap belt is positioned as low as
possible on the child’s hips.
4. To remove the booster seat, press the
release button on the seatbelt buckle and
allow the belt to retract.
WARNING
.Never use a belt that is twisted or
reversed. In an accident, this can
increase the risk or severity of
injury to the child..Never place the shoulder belt
under the child’s arm or behind
the child’s back. If an accident
occurs, this can increase the risk
or severity of injury to the child.
.The seatbelt should fit snugly in
order to provide full restraint.
Loose fitting belts are not as
effective in preventing or redu-
cing injury.
.Place the lap belt as low as
possible on the child’s hips. A
high-positioned lap belt will in-
crease the risk of sliding under
the lap belt and of the lap belt
sliding up over the abdomen, and
both can result in serious inter-
nal injury or death.
.Make sure the shoulder belt is
positioned across the center of
child’s shoulder. Placing the
shoulder belt over the neck may
result in neck injury during sud-
den braking or in a collision.
&Installation of child restraint
systems by use of lower and
tether anchorages (LATCH)
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 manufacturer’s
instructions supplied with it. After
installing the child restraint system,
check to ensure that it is held
securely in position. If it is not held
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Child restraint systems
–CONTINUED–1-35

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/*SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint System airbag)
belt. They do not eliminate the
need to fasten seatbelts. It is also
important to wear your seatbelt
to help avoid injuries that can
result when an occupant is not
seated in a proper upright posi-
tion.
WARNING
.The SRS airbags deploy with
considerable speed and force.
Occupants who are out of proper
position when the SRS airbag
deploys could suffer very serious
injuries. Because the SRS airbag
needs enough space for deploy-
ment, the driver should always
sit upright and well back in theseat as far from the steering
wheel as practical while still
maintaining full vehicle control
and the front passenger should
move the seat as far back as
possible and sit upright and well
back in the seat.
WARNING
.Do not sit or lean unnecessarily
close to either front door. The
SRS side airbags are stored in
both front seat seatbacks next to
the door, and they provide pro-
tection by deploying rapidly (fas-
ter than the blink of an eye) in the
event of a side impact collision.
However, the force of SRS sideairbag deployment may cause
injuries if your head or other
parts of the body are too close
to the SRS side airbag.
.Since your vehicle is equipped
with SRS curtain airbags, do not
sit or lean unnecessarily close to
the front or rear door on either
side. Also, do not put your head,
arms or hands out of the window.
The SRS curtain airbags on both
sides of the cabin are stored in
the roof side (between the front
pillar and a point over the rear
seat), and they provide protec-
tion by deploying rapidly (faster
than the blink of an eye) in the
event of a side impact, a rollover
or also a frontal collision depend-
ing on circumstances. However,
the force of its deployment may
cause injuries if your head is too
close to it.
.Do not sit or lean unnecessarily
close to the SRS airbag. Because
the SRS airbag deploys with
considerable speed (faster than
the blink of an eye) and force to
protect in high speed collisions,
the force of an airbag can injure
an occupant whose body is too
close to SRS airbag.
1-42

It is also important to wear your
seatbelt to help avoid injuries
that can result when the SRS
airbag contacts an occupant not
in proper position such as one
thrown forward during pre-acci-
dent braking.
Even when properly positioned,
there remains a possibility that
an occupant may suffer minor
injury such as abrasions and
bruises to the face or arms
because of the SRS airbag de-
ployment force.
WARNING
.Do not rest your arm on eitherfront door or its internal trim. You
could be injured in the event of
SRS side airbag deployment.
.Do not place any objects over or
near the SRS airbag cover or
between you and the SRS airbag.
If the SRS airbag deploys, these
objects could interfere with its
proper operation and could be
propelled inside the vehicle,
causing injury.
WARNING
Do not put any objects over the
steering wheel pad and dashboard.
If the SRS frontal airbag deploys,
these objects could interfere with itsproper operation and could be pro-
pelled inside the vehicle, causing
injury.
WARNING
Do not attach accessories to the
windshield, or fit an extra-wide mir-
ror over the rear view mirror. If the
SRS airbag deploys, those objects
could become projectiles that could
seriously injure vehicle occupants.
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/*SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint System airbag)
–CONTINUED–1-43

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/*SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint System airbag)
WARNING
Never hold a child on your lap or in
your arms. The SRS airbag deploys
with considerable force and can
injure or even kill the child.
WARNING
.Never allow a child to do the
following.
–Kneel on any passenger’sseat facing the side window
–Wrap his/her arms around the
front seat seatback
–Put his/her head, arms or
other parts of the body out of
the window
In the event of an accident, the
force of SRS side airbag and/or
SRS curtain airbag deployment
could injure the child seriously
because his/her head, arms or
other parts of the body are too
close to the SRS side airbag and/
or SRS curtain airbag.
.Since your vehicle is also
equipped with a front passen-
ger’s SRS frontal airbag, children
should be placed in the rear seat
anyway and should be properly
restrained at all times.
CAUTION
.When the SRS airbag deploys,
some smoke will be released.
This smoke could cause breath-
ing problems for people with a
history of asthma or other
breathing trouble. If you or your
passengers have breathing pro-
blems after SRS airbag deploys,
1-46