Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Seatbelts
WARNINGNever 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 according to
the following procedure.
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. 4. Insert the tongue plate into the buckle
until you hear a click.
5. To make the lap part tight, pull up on
the shoulder belt.
6. Place the lap belt as low as possible
on your hips, not on your waist.1-14
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/*SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint System airbag)
The system also controls front seatbelt
pretensioners. For operation instructions
and precautions concerning the seatbelt
pretensioner, refer to “ Front seatbelt pre-
tensioners ” F 1-17.
WARNING. To obtain maximum protection in
the event of an accident, the
driver and all passengers in the
vehicle should always wear seat-
belts when the ignition switch is
in the “ ON ” position. The SRS
airbag is designed only to be a
supplement to the primary pro-
tection provided by the seatbelt.
It does not eliminate the need to
fasten seatbelts. In combination
with the seatbelts, it offers the
best combined protection in case
of a serious accident.
Not wearing a seatbelt increases
the chance of severe injury or
death in a crash even when the
vehicle has the SRS airbag.
For instructions and precautions
concerning the seatbelt system,
refer to “ Seatbelts ” F 1-11.
. 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.
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.
. 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 the
seat 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.
. Do not place any objects over or
near the SRS airbag cover or
between you and the SRS airbag.
If the SRS airbag deploys, those
objects could interfere with its
proper operation and could be
propelled inside the vehicle and
cause injury.
WARNING
. Put children in the rear seat
properly restrained at all times.
The SRS airbag deploys with1-34
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/*SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint System airbag)
& Components
1) SRS frontal airbag
2) SRS side airbag
3) SRS curtain airbag
4) SRS knee airbag The SRS airbags are stowed in the
following locations.
Driver ’ s SRS frontal airbag : in the center
portion of the steering wheel
Front passenger ’ s SRS frontal airbag :
near the top of the dashboard under an
“ SRS AIRBAG ” mark
SRS side airbag : in the door side of each
front seat seatback which bears an “ SRS
AIRBAG ” label
SRS curtain airbag : in the roof side
(between the front pillar and a point
behind the rear quarter glass)
An “ SRS AIRBAG ” mark is located at the
top of each center pillar and rear pillar.
SRS knee airbag : under the steering
column1-36
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/*SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint System airbag)
& SUBARU advanced frontal
airbag systemYour vehicle is equipped with a SUBARU
advanced frontal airbag system that com-
plies with the new advanced frontal airbag
requirements in the amended Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS)
No. 208.
The SUBARU advanced frontal airbag
system automatically determines the de-
ployment force of the driver ’ s SRS frontal
airbag at the time of deployment as well as
whether or not to activate the front
passenger ’ s SRS frontal airbag and, if
activated, the deployment force of the
SRS frontal airbag at the time of deploy-
ment.
Your vehicle has warning labels on the
driver ’ s and front passenger ’ s sun visors
beginning with the phrase “ EVEN WITH
ADVANCED AIR BAGS ” and a tag
attached to the glove box lid beginning
with the phrase “ Even with Advanced Air
Bags ” . Make sure that you carefully read
the instructions on the warning labels and
tag.
Always wear your seatbelt. The SUBARU
advanced frontal airbag system is a
supplemental restraint system and must
be used in combination with a seatbelt. All
occupants should wear a seatbelt or be
seated in an appropriate child restraint system.
The driver ’ s SRS frontal airbag is stowed
in the center portion of the steering wheel.
The front passenger ’ s SRS frontal airbag
is stowed near the top of the dashboard
under an “ SRS AIRBAG ” mark. Also, the
driver ’ s knee airbag is stowed in the
bottom of the steering column.
In a moderate to severe frontal collision,
the following components deploy.
. SRS frontal airbag for driver
. SRS frontal airbag for front passenger
. Knee airbag for driver
. SRS curtain airbag *1
*1: When an offset frontal collision that is severe
enough to deploy the front airbag occurs.
These components supplement the seat-
belts by reducing the impact to the
occupant ’ s head, chest and knees. WARNINGNEVER INSTALL A FORWARD OR
REARWARD FACING CHILD SEAT
IN THE FRONT SEAT. DOING SO
RISKS SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH
TO THE CHILD BY PLACING THE
CHILD ’ S HEAD TOO CLOSE TO THE
SRS AIRBAG.1-38
WARNINGNever allow a child to stand up, or to
kneel on the front passenger ’ s seat.
The SRS airbag deploys with con-
siderable force and can injure or
even kill the child. WARNINGNever 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. WARNINGThe SRS airbag deploys with con-
siderable speed and force. Occu-
pants who are out of proper position
when the SRS airbag deploys could
suffer very serious injuries. Be-
cause the SRS airbag needs enough
space for deployment, the driver
should always sit upright and well
back in the seat 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.
It is also important to wear yourSeat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/*SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint System airbag)
– CONTINUED –1-39
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/*SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint System airbag)
seatbelt to help avoid injuries that
can result when the SRS airbag
contacts an occupant not in proper
position such as one thrown toward
the front of the vehicle during pre-
accident braking.
WARNING
. Do not put any objects over the
steering wheel pad and dash-
board. If the SRS frontal airbag
deploys, these objects could in-
terfere with its proper operation
and could be propelled inside the
vehicle, causing injury.
. Do not put any objects under the
driver ’ s side of the instrument panel. If the knee airbag deploys,
those objects could interfere with
its proper operation and could be
propelled inside the vehicle,
causing injury.
. The key must not be attached to
heavy, sharp or hard acces-
sories, or another key. If the knee
airbag deploys, those objects
could interfere with its proper
operation and could be propelled
inside the vehicle and cause
injury.
WARNING
Do not attach accessories to the
windshield, or fit an extra-wide mir- ror over the inside rear view mirror.
If the SRS airbag deploys, those
objects could become projectiles
that could seriously injure vehicle
occupants.
! Driver ’ s SRS frontal airbag
The driver ’ s SRS frontal airbag uses a
dual stage inflator. The inflator operates in
different ways depending on the severity
of impact.
Have the system inspected by your
SUBARU dealer immediately if the SRS
airbag system warning light illuminates.
NOTE The driver ’ s SRS side airbag and SRS
curtain airbag are not controlled by the
SUBARU advanced frontal airbag sys-
tem.
! Front passenger ’ s SRS frontal air-
bag
The front passenger ’ s SRS frontal airbag
uses a dual stage inflator. The inflator
operates in different ways depending on
the severity of impact.
The occupant detection system sensor is
installed under the seat upholstery and
monitors the physique and posture of the
front passenger. Using this information,1-40
nated while the ON indicator remains off,
ask the occupant to move to the rear seat
and immediately contact your SUBARU
dealer for an inspection.
! How to contact the vehicle manu-
facturer concerning modifications
for persons with disabilities that
may affect the advanced airbag
system
Changing or moving any parts of the front
seats, rear seat, seatbelts, front bumper,
front side frame, radiator panel, instrument
panel, combination meter, steering wheel,
steering column, tire, suspension or floor
panel can affect the operation of the
SUBARU advanced airbag system. If
you have any questions, you may contact
the following SUBARU distributors.
Subaru of America, Inc.
Customer Dealer Services Department
P.O. Box 6000
Cherry Hill, NJ 08034-6000
1-800-SUBARU3 (1-800-782-2783)
Subaru Hawaii
2850 Pukoloa Street, Suite 202,
Honolulu, HI 96819-4467
808-839-2273
Shen ’ s Corporation dba Prestige Automo-
bile
491, East Marine Corps Drive, Route 1
Dededo, Guam 96921-6225
671-633-2698
Trebol Motors
P.O. Box 11204, San Juan, Puerto Rico
00910
787-793-2828
Subaru Canada, Inc.
Consumer Support Department
560 Suffork Court, Mississauga, Ontario
L5R 4J7
1-800-894-4212
There are currently no SUBARU distribu-
tors in any other U.S. territories. If you are
in such an area, please contact the
SUBARU distributor or dealer from which
you bought your vehicle. Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/*SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint System airbag)
– CONTINUED –1-45
The driver ’ s and front passenger ’ s SRS
frontal airbags use dual stage inflators.
The two inflators of each airbag are
triggered either sequentially or simulta-
neously, depending on the severity of
impact, in the case of the driver ’ s SRS
frontal airbag and depending on the
severity of impact and the characteristic
of item(s) or person on the seat in the case
of the front passenger ’ s SRS frontal
airbag.
After deployment, the SRS airbag imme-
diately starts to deflate so that the driver ’ s
vision is not obstructed. The time required
from detecting impact to the deflation of
the SRS airbag after deployment is short-
er than the blink of an eye.
Both when only the driver ’ s SRS frontal
airbag deploys and the driver ’ s and front
passenger ’ s SRS frontal airbags deploy,
the driver ’ s and front passenger ’ s seatbelt
pretensioners operate at the same time.
Although it is highly unlikely that the SRS
airbag would activate in a non-accident
situation, should it occur, the SRS airbag
will deflate quickly, not obscuring vision
and will not interfere with the driver ’ s
ability to maintain control of the vehicle.
When the SRS airbag deploys, a sudden,
fairly loud inflation noise will be heard and some smoke will be released. These
occurrences are a normal result of the
deployment. This smoke does not indicate
a fire in the vehicle.
CAUTIONDo not touch the SRS airbag system
components around the steering
wheel and dashboard with bare
hands right after deployment. Doing
so can cause burns because the
components can be very hot as a
result of deployment.
The driver ’ s SRS frontal airbag and front
passenger ’ s SRS frontal airbag are de-
signed to deploy in the event of an
accident involving a moderate to severe
frontal collision. They are not designed to
deploy in most lesser frontal impacts
because the necessary protection can be
achieved by the seatbelt alone. Also, they
are not designed to deploy in most side or
rear impacts or in most roll-over accidents
because deployment of only the driver ’ s
SRS frontal airbag or both driver ’ s and
front passenger ’ s SRS frontal airbags
would not help the occupant in those
situations. The driver ’ s and front passen-
ger ’ s SRS frontal airbags are designed to
function on a one-time-only basis. SRS airbag deployment depends on the
level of force experienced in the passen-
ger compartment during a collision. That
level differs from one type of collision to
another, and it may have no bearing on
the visible damage done to the vehicle
itself.
! Example of accident in which the
driver ’ s/driver ’ s and front pas-
senger ’ s SRS frontal airbag(s)
will most likely deploy
A head-on collision against a thick con-
crete wall at a vehicle speed of 12 to 19
mph (20 to 30 km/h) or higher activates
only the driver ’ s SRS frontal airbag or both
driver ’ s and front passenger ’ s SRS frontal
airbags. The airbag(s) will also be acti-
vated when the vehicle is exposed to a
frontal impact similar in fashion andSeat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/*SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint System airbag)
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