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50 Seats and Restraints
pulled out. If this happens, pull thesafety belt straight out firmly tounlock the webbing, and thenrelease it. If the webbing is stilllocked in the retractor, see yourdealer.
Before a door is closed, be sure thesafety belt is out of the way. If adoor is slammed against a safetybelt, damage can occur to both thesafety belt and the vehicle.
Safety Belt Height Adjuster
The vehicle has a safety belt heightadjuster for the driver and frontoutboard passenger positions.
Adjust the height so the shoulderportion of the belt is on the shoulderand not falling off of it. The beltshould be close to, but notcontacting, the neck. Impropershoulder belt height adjustmentcould reduce the effectiveness ofthe safety belt in a crash. SeeHowto Wear Safety Belts Properly047.
Squeeze both sides of the releasebutton and pull outward. Then movethe height adjuster up or down tothe desired position and release thebutton.
After the adjuster is set to thedesired position, try to move it up ordown without squeezing the releasebutton to make sure it has lockedinto position.
Safety Belt Pretensioners
If the vehicle has seat-mounted sideimpact airbags and roof-rail airbags,it also has safety belt pretensionersfor the front outboard occupants.
Although the safety beltpretensioners cannot be seen, theyare part of the safety belt assembly.They can help tighten the safetybelts during the early stages of amoderate to severe frontal, nearfrontal, or rear crash if the thresholdconditions for pretensioneractivation are met. And, if thevehicle has roof-rail airbags, safetybelt pretensioners can help tightenthe safety belts in a side crash or arollover event.
Pretensioners work only once. If thepretensioners are activated in acrash, the pretensioners andpossibly other parts of the safetybelt system will need to be replaced.SeeReplacing Safety Belt SystemParts after a Crash054.
Do not sit on the outboard safetybelt while entering or exiting thevehicle or at any time while sitting inthe seat. Sitting on the safety beltcan damage the webbing andhardware.

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New parts and repairs may benecessary even if the safety beltsystem was not being used at thetime of the crash.
Have the safety belt pretensionerschecked if the vehicle has been in acrash, or if the airbag readiness lightstays on after you start the vehicleor while you are driving. SeeAirbagReadiness Light099.
Airbag System
The vehicle has the followingairbag:
.Afrontalairbagforthedriver.
The vehicle may have the followingairbags:
.Afrontalairbagforthefrontoutboard passenger.
.Aseat-mountedsideimpactairbag for the driver.
.Aseat-mountedsideimpactairbag for the front outboardpassenger.
Seat-mounted side impactairbags are only available onvehicles equipped with roof-railairbags.
.Aroof-railairbagforthedriveron vans with single row seating.
.Aroof-railairbagforthefrontoutboard passenger on vanswith single row seating.
.Aroof-railairbagforthedriverand the passenger seateddirectly behind the driver onvans with two row seating.
.Aroof-railairbagforthefrontoutboard passenger and thepassenger seated directlybehind the front outboardpassenger on vans with two rowseating.
If the van is equipped with asliding door, the roof-rail airbagfor the front outboard passengeris separate from the roof-railairbag for the passenger seateddirectly behind the front outboardpassenger. If the van isequipped with a 60/40 swing-outdoor, a single roof-rail airbagcovers both seating positions.
.Aroof-railairbagforthedriverand the second and third rowpassengers seated directlybehind the driver on vans withthree or more seating rows.
.Aroof-railairbagforthefrontoutboard passenger and thesecond and third rowpassengers seated directlybehind the front outboardpassenger on vans with three ormore seating rows.

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56 Seats and Restraints
If the van is equipped with asliding door, the roof-rail airbagfor the front outboard passengeris separate from the roof-railairbag for the second and thirdrow passengers seated directlybehind the front outboardpassenger. If the van isequipped with a 60/40 swing-outdoor, a single roof-rail airbagcovers all three seatingpositions.
All vehicle airbags have the wordAIRBAG on the trim or on anattached label near the deploymentopening.
For frontal airbags, the wordAIRBAG is on the center of thesteering wheel for the driver and onthe instrument panel for the frontoutboard passenger.
For seat-mounted side impactairbags, the word AIRBAG is on theside of the seatback closest tothe door.
For roof-rail airbags, the wordAIRBAG is on the ceiling or trim.
Airbags are designed to supplementthe protection provided by safetybelts. Even though today’sairbagsare also designed to help reducethe risk of injury from the force of aninflating airbag, all airbags mustinflate very quickly to do their job.
Here are the most important thingsto know about the airbag system:
{Warning
Yo u c a n b e s e v e r e l y i n j u r e d o r
killed in a crash if you are not
wearing your safety belt, even
with airbags. Airbags are
designed to work with safety
belts, not replace them. Also,
airbags are not designed to inflate
in every crash. In some crashes
safety belts are the only restraint.
SeeWhen Should an Airbag
Inflate?059.
Wearing your safety belt during a
crash helps reduce your chance
of hitting things inside the vehicle
or being ejected from it. Airbags
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
are“supplemental restraints”to
the safety belts. Everyone in the
vehicle should wear a safety belt
properly, whether or not there is
an airbag for that person.
{Warning
Because airbags inflate with great
force and faster than the blink of
an eye, anyone who is up
against, or very close to any
airbag when it inflates can be
seriously injured or killed. Do not
sit unnecessarily close to any
airbag, as you would be if sitting
on the edge of the seat or leaning
forward. Safety belts help keep
you in position before and during
acrash.Alwayswearasafety
belt, even with airbags. The driver
should sit as far back as possible
while still maintaining control of
the vehicle. The safety belts and
(Continued)

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Seats and Restraints 57
Warning (Continued)
the front outboard passenger
airbags are most effective when
you are sitting well back and
upright in the seat with both feet
on the floor.
Occupants should not lean on or
sleep against the door or side
windows in seating positions with
seat-mounted side impact airbags
and/or roof-rail airbags.
{Warning
Children who are up against,
or very close to, any airbag when
it inflates can be seriously injured
or killed. Always secure children
properly in the vehicle. To read
how, seeOlder Children066or
Infants and Young Children068.
There is an airbag readiness lighton the instrument panel, whichshows the airbag symbol.
The system checks the airbagelectrical system for malfunctions.The light tells you if there is anelectrical problem. SeeAirbagReadiness Light099.
Where Are the Airbags?
The driver frontal airbag is in thecenter of the steering wheel.
If the vehicle has a front outboardpassenger frontal airbag, it is in thepassenger side instrument panel.

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58 Seats and Restraints
Driver Side Shown, Passenger
Side Similar
If the vehicle has seat-mounted sideimpact airbags for the driver andfront outboard passenger, they arein the sides of the seatbacks closestto the door.
Driver Side Shown, Passenger
Side Similar
If the vehicle has a single seatingrow and it has roof-rail airbags forthe driver and front outboardpassenger, the roof-rail airbags arein the ceiling above the sidewindows.
Driver Side Shown, Passenger
Side Similar
If the vehicle has two seating rows,roof-rail airbags for the driver, frontoutboard passenger, and secondrow outboard passengers are in theceiling above the side windows.If the vehicle has three or moreseating rows, roof-rail airbags forthe driver, front outboard passenger,and second and third row outboardpassengers are in the ceiling abovethe side windows.

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{Warning
If something is between an
occupant and an airbag, the
airbag might not inflate properly
or it might force the object into
that person causing severe injury
or even death. The path of an
inflating airbag must be kept
clear. Do not put anything
between an occupant and an
airbag, and do not attach or put
anything on the steering wheel
hub or on or near any other
airbag covering.
Do not use seat accessories that
block the inflation path of a
seat-mounted side impact airbag.
Never secure anything to the roof
of a vehicle with roof-rail airbags
by routing a rope or tie⇣down
through any door or window
opening. If you do, the path of an
inflating roof-rail airbag will be
blocked.
When Should an Airbag
Inflate?
This vehicle is equipped with one ormore airbags. SeeAirbag System055.Airbagsaredesignedtoinflateif the impact exceeds the specificairbag system's deploymentthreshold. Deployment thresholdsare used to predict how severe acrash is likely to be in time for theairbags to inflate and help restrainthe occupants. The vehicle haselectronic sensors which help theairbag system determine theseverity of the impact. Deploymentthresholds can vary with specificvehicle design.
Frontal airbags are designed toinflate in moderate to severe frontalor near-frontal crashes to helpreduce the potential for severeinjuries mainly to the driver or frontoutboard passenger head andchest.
Whether the frontal airbags will orshould deploy is not based primarilyon how fast the vehicle is traveling.
It depends largely on what you hit,the direction of the impact, and howquickly the vehicle slows down.
Frontal airbags may inflate atdifferent crash speeds depending onwhether the vehicle hits an objectstraight on or at an angle, andwhether the object is fixed ormoving, rigid or deformable, narrowor wide.
Frontal airbags are not intended toinflate during vehicle rollovers, rearimpacts, or in many side impacts.
Seat-mounted side impact airbags,if equipped, are designed to inflatein moderate to severe side crashesdepending on the location of theimpact. Seat-mounted side impactairbags are not designed to inflate infrontal impacts, near-frontal impacts,rollovers, or rear impacts.Aseat-mountedsideimpactairbagis intended to inflate on the side ofthe vehicle that is struck.
The vehicle may or may not beequipped with roof-rail airbags.Roof-rail airbags are designed toinflate in moderate to severe sidecrashes depending on the location

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60 Seats and Restraints
of the impact. In addition, theseroof-rail airbags are designed toinflate during a rollover. Roof-railairbags are not designed to inflate infrontal, near-frontal, or rear impacts.All roof-rail airbags will inflate wheneither side of the vehicle is struck orif the sensing system predicts thatthe vehicle is about to roll over onits side.
In any particular crash, no one cansay whether an airbag should haveinflated simply because of thevehicle damage or repair costs.
What Makes an Airbag
Inflate?
In a deployment event, the sensingsystem sends an electrical signaltriggering a release of gas from theinflator. Gas from the inflator fills theairbag causing the bag to break outof the cover. The inflator, the airbag,and related hardware are all part ofthe airbag module.
For airbag locations, seeWhere Arethe Airbags?057.
How Does an Airbag
Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal ornear frontal collisions, even beltedoccupants can contact the steeringwheel or the instrument panel. Inmoderate to severe side collisions,even belted occupants can contactthe inside of the vehicle.
Airbags supplement the protectionprovided by safety belts bydistributing the force of the impactmore evenly over theoccupant's body.
Rollover capable roof-rail airbagsare designed to help contain thehead and chest of occupants in theoutboard seating positions in thefirst, second, and third rows,if equipped. The rollover capableroof-rail airbags are designed tohelp reduce the risk of full or partialejection in rollover events, althoughno system can prevent all suchejections.
But airbags would not help in manytypes of collisions, primarilybecause the occupant's motion is
not toward those airbags. SeeWhen Should an AirbagInflate?059.
Airbags should never be regardedas anything more than a supplementto safety belts.
What Will You See after
an Airbag Inflates?
After the frontal airbags andseat-mounted side impact airbags (ifequipped) inflate, they quicklydeflate, so quickly that some peoplemay not even realize an airbaginflated. Roof-rail airbags (ifequipped) may still be at leastpartially inflated for some time afterthey deploy. Some components ofthe airbag module may be hot forseveral minutes. For location of theairbag modules, seeWhere Are theAirbags?057.
The parts of the airbag that comeinto contact with you may be warm,but not too hot to touch. There maybe some smoke and dust comingfrom the vents in the deflatedairbags. Airbag inflation does notprevent the driver from seeing out of

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Servicing the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Airbags affect how the vehicleshould be serviced. There are partsof the airbag system in severalplaces around the vehicle. Yourdealer and the service manual haveinformation about servicing thevehicle and the airbag system. Topurchase a service manual, seeService Publications OrderingInformation0321.
{Warning
For up to 10 seconds after the
vehicle is turned off and the
battery is disconnected, an airbag
can still inflate during improper
service. You can be injured if you
are close to an airbag when it
inflates. Avoid yellow connectors.
They are probably part of the
airbag system. Be sure to follow
proper service procedures, and
make sure the person performing
work for you is qualified to do so.
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Adding accessories that change thevehicle's frame, bumper system,height, front end, or side sheetmetal, may keep the airbag systemfrom working properly. Theoperation of the airbag system canalso be affected by changing anyparts of the front seats, safety belts,the airbag sensing and diagnosticmodule, steering wheel, instrumentpanel, any of the airbag modules,ceiling or pillar garnish trim, frontsensors, or airbag wiring.
Yo u r d e a l e r a n d t h e s e r v i c e m a n u a lhave information about the locationof the airbag sensors, sensing anddiagnostic module, and airbagwiring.
If the vehicle has rollover roof-railairbags, seeDifferent Size Tiresand Wheels0269for additionalimportant information.
If you have to modify your vehiclebecause you have a disability andyou have questions about whetherthe modifications will affect the
vehicle's airbag system, or if youhave questions about whether theairbag system will be affected if thevehicle is modified for any otherreason, call Customer Assistance.SeeCustomer AssistanceOffices0314.
Airbag System Check
The airbag system does not needregularly scheduled maintenance orreplacement. Make sure the airbagreadiness light is working. SeeAirbag Readiness Light099.
Caution
If an airbag covering is damaged,
opened, or broken, the airbag
may not work properly. Do not
open or break the airbag
coverings. If there are any
opened or broken airbag
coverings, have the airbag
covering and/or airbag module
replaced. For the location of the
airbags, seeWhere Are the
Airbags?057.Seeyourdealer
for service.