Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
This system enhances directional control and stability of
the vehicle under various driving conditions. ESC corrects
for oversteering or understeering of the vehicle by apply-
ing the brake of the appropriate wheel(s) to assist in
counteracting the oversteer or understeer condition. En-
gine power may also be reduced to help the vehicle
maintain the desired path.
ESC uses sensors in the vehicle to determine the vehicle
path intended by the driver and compares it to the actual
path of the vehicle. When the actual path does not match
the intended path, ESC applies the brake of the appropriate
wheel to assist in counteracting the oversteer or understeer
condition.
•Oversteer — when the vehicle is turning more than
appropriate for the steering wheel position.
• Understeer — when the vehicle is turning less than
appropriate for the steering wheel position.
The “ESC Activation/Malfunction Indicator Light” located
in the instrument cluster will start to flash as soon as the
ESC system becomes active. The “ESC Activation/
Malfunction Indicator Light” also flashes when the TCS is
active. If the “ESC Activation/Malfunction Indicator Light” begins to flash during acceleration, ease up on the
accelerator and apply as little throttle as possible. Be sure to
adapt your speed and driving to the prevailing road
conditions.
WARNING!
•
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) cannot prevent the
natural laws of physics from acting on the vehicle,
nor can it increase the traction afforded by prevailing
road conditions. ESC cannot prevent accidents, in-
cluding those resulting from excessive speed in
turns, driving on very slippery surfaces, or hydro-
planing. ESC also cannot prevent accidents resulting
from loss of vehicle control due to inappropriate
driver input for the conditions. Only a safe, attentive,
and skillful driver can prevent accidents. The capa-
bilities of an ESC equipped vehicle must never be
exploited in a reckless or dangerous manner which
could jeopardize the user ’s safety or the safety of
others.
• Vehicle modifications, or failure to properly main-
tain your vehicle, may change the handling charac-
teristics of your vehicle, and may negatively affect
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198 SAFETY
The “ESC OFF Indicator Light” indicates the
customer has elected to have the Electronic Sta-
bility Control (ESC) in a reduced mode.
Hill Start Assist (HSA)
The HSA system is designed to mitigate roll back from a
complete stop while on an incline. If the driver releases the
brake while stopped on an incline, HSA will continue to
hold the brake pressure for a short period. If the driver
does not apply the throttle before this time expires, the
system will release brake pressure and the vehicle will roll
down the hill as normal.
The following conditions must be met in order for HSA to
activate:
•The feature must be enabled.
• The vehicle must be stopped.
• Park brake must be off.
• Driver door must be closed.
• The vehicle must be on a sufficient grade.
• The gear selection must match vehicle uphill direction
(i.e., vehicle facing uphill is in forward gear; vehicle
backing uphill is in REVERSE gear). •
HSA will work in REVERSE gear and all forward gears.
The system will not activate if the transmission is in
PARK or NEUTRAL.
The HSA system works alongside Autonomous Hill Hold
(AHH) to maintain vehicle position on an incline. In a
situation where the accelerator pedal is being used to keep
the vehicle stationary on an incline, the AHH system will
compensate and hold the vehicle in place until the accel-
erator pedal is pressed enough to push the vehicle forward.
WARNING!
There may be situations where the Hill Start Assist
(HSA) will not activate and slight rolling may occur,
such as on minor hills or with a loaded vehicle, or
while pulling a trailer. HSA is not a substitute for
active driving involvement. It is always the driver ’s
responsibility to be attentive to distance to other ve-
hicles, people, and objects, and most importantly brake
operation to ensure safe operation of the vehicle under
all road conditions. Your complete attention is always
required while driving to maintain safe control of your
vehicle. Failure to follow these warnings can result in
a collision or serious personal injury.
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SAFETY 201
Disabling And Enabling HSA
This feature can be turned on or turned off. To change the
current setting, proceed as follows:
•If disabling HSA using Uconnect Settings, refer to
“Uconnect Settings” in “Multimedia” for further infor-
mation.
Rain Brake Support (RBS)
Rain Brake Support may improve braking performance in
wet conditions. It will periodically apply a small amount of
brake pressure to remove any water buildup on the front
brake rotors. It functions when the windshield wipers are
in LO or HI speed. When Rain Brake Support is active,
there is no notification to the driver and no driver interac-
tion is required.
Ready Alert Braking (RAB)
Ready Alert Braking may reduce the time required to reach
full braking during emergency braking situations. It antici-
pates when an emergency braking situation may occur by
monitoring how fast the throttle is released by the driver.
The EBC will prepare the brake system for a panic stop.
Regenerative Braking System (RBS) — Hybrid
Your vehicle has a Regenerative Braking System (RBS). The
RBS reduces the high voltage battery consumption of the
vehicle, particularly in stop-and-go city traffic. The electric
motors which propel the vehicle forward can operate as
generators when braking. The RBS recharges the high
voltage battery under certain braking conditions by recap-
turing energy that would otherwise be lost while braking.
The electric power that is generated goes back into the high
voltage battery for later use, for example when acceleration
is desired.
The RBS uses conventional hydraulic friction brakes, re-
generative braking, or a combination to slow the vehicle. If
the system detects slippery conditions while braking,
ONLY friction is used to slow the vehicle. The RBS can
result in extended life of the hydraulic service brakes;
however, all inspection, scheduled maintenance, and ser-
vice intervals for the vehicle service brakes must be fol-
lowed.
202 SAFETY
General Information
This vehicle has systems that operate on radio frequency
that comply with Part 15 of the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) rules and with Industry Canada Stan-
dards RSS- GEN/210/220/310.
Operation is subject to the following two conditions:
1. The device may not cause harmful interference.
2. The device must accept any interference received, in-cluding interference that may cause undesired operation
of the device.
Changes or modifications to any of these systems by other
than an authorized service facility could void authorization
to use this equipment.
Forward Collision Warning (FCW) With Mitigation
— If Equipped
The Forward Collision Warning (FCW) system with miti-
gation provides the driver with audible warnings, visual
warnings (within the instrument cluster display), and may
apply a brake jerk to warn the driver when it detects a
potential frontal collision. The warnings and limited brak-
ing are intended to provide the driver with enough time to
react, avoid or mitigate the potential collision. NOTE:
FCW monitors the information from the forward
looking sensors as well as the Electronic Brake Controller
(EBC), to calculate the probability of a forward collision.
When the system determines that a forward collision is
probable, the driver will be provided with audible and
visual warnings and may provide a brake jerk warning.
If the driver does not take action based upon these pro-
gressive warnings, then the system will provide a limited
level of active braking to help slow the vehicle and mitigate
the potential forward collision. If the driver reacts to the
warnings by braking and the system determines that the
driver intends to avoid the collision by braking but has not
applied sufficient brake force, the system will compensate
and provide additional brake force as required.
If a FCW with Mitigation event begins at a speed below
26 mph (42 km/h), the system may provide the maximum
braking possible to mitigate the potential forward collision.
If the Forward Collision Warning with Mitigation event
stops the vehicle completely, the system will hold the
vehicle at standstill for two seconds and then release the
brakes.
210 SAFETY
Changing the FCW status to “off” deactivates the system,
so no warning or active braking will be available in case of
a possible collision
NOTE:
•The FCW system state is kept in memory from one key
cycle to the next. If the system is turned off, it will
remain off when the vehicle is restarted.
• FCW can work in conjunction with the KeySense func-
tion of the vehicle if equipped. Refer to “KeySense
Features in “Getting To Know Your Vehicle” for further
information.
Changing FCW And Active Braking Status
The FCW Sensitivity And Active Braking Settings are
programmable through the Uconnect System. Refer to
“Uconnect Settings” in “Multimedia” for further informa-
tion.
The default status of FCW is the “Medium” setting and the
Active Braking is in the “On” setting. This allows the
system to warn the driver of a possible collision with the
vehicle in front using audible/visual warnings and it
applies autonomous braking. Changing the FCW status to “Far” setting allows the
system to warn the driver of a possible collision with the
vehicle in front using audible/visual warning when the
latter is at a farther distance than
Mediumsetting. This
provides the most reaction time to avoid a possible colli-
sion.
Changing the FCW status to the “Near” setting, allows the
system to warn the driver of a possible collision with the
vehicle in front when the distance between the vehicle in
the front is much closer. This setting provides less reaction
time than the “Far” and “Medium” settings, which allows
for a more dynamic driving experience.
Changing the Active Braking status to “Off” prevents the
system from providing autonomous braking, or additional
brake support if the driver is not braking adequately in the
event of a potential frontal collision.
212 SAFETY
Event Data Recorder (EDR)
This vehicle is equipped with an event data recorder
(EDR). The main purpose of an EDR is to record, in certain
crash or near crash-like situations, such as an air bag
deployment or hitting a road obstacle, data that will assist
in understanding how a vehicle’s systems performed. The
EDR is designed to record data related to vehicle dynamics
and safety systems for a short period of time, typically 30
seconds or less. The EDR in this vehicle is designed to
record such data as:
•How various systems in your vehicle were operating;
• Whether or not the driver and passenger safety belts
were buckled/fastened;
• How far (if at all) the driver was depressing the accel-
erator and/or brake pedal; and,
• How fast the vehicle was traveling.
• These data can help provide a better understanding of
the circumstances in which crashes and injuries occur. NOTE:
EDR data are recorded by your vehicle only if a
non-trivial crash situation occurs; no data are recorded by
the EDR under normal driving conditions and no personal
data (e.g., name, gender, age, and crash location) are
recorded. However, other parties, such as law enforcement,
could combine the EDR data with the type of personally
identifying data routinely acquired during a crash investi-
gation.
To read data recorded by an EDR, special equipment is
required, and access to the vehicle or the EDR is needed. In
addition to the vehicle manufacturer, other parties, such as
law enforcement, that have the special equipment, can read
the information if they have access to the vehicle or the
EDR.
Child Restraints
Everyone in your vehicle needs to be buckled up at all
times, including babies and children. Every state in the
United States, and every Canadian province, requires that
small children ride in proper restraint systems. This is the
law, and you can be prosecuted for ignoring it.
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SAFETY 253
Whenever a change is noticed in the sound of the exhaust
system, when exhaust fumes can be detected inside the
vehicle, or when the underside or rear of the vehicle is
damaged, have a competent mechanic inspect the complete
exhaust system and adjacent body areas for broken, dam-
aged, deteriorated, or mispositioned parts. Open seams or
loose connections could permit exhaust fumes to seep into
the passenger compartment. In addition, inspect the ex-
haust system each time the vehicle is raised for lubrication
or oil change. Replace as required.
Safety Checks You Should Make Inside The Vehicle
Seat Belts
Inspect the seat belt system periodically, checking for cuts,
frays, and loose parts. Damaged parts must be replaced
immediately. Do not disassemble or modify the system.
Front seat belt assemblies must be replaced after a collision.
Rear seat belt assemblies must be replaced after a collision
if they have been damaged (i.e., bent retractor, torn web-
bing, etc.). If there is any question regarding seat belt or
retractor condition, replace the seat belt.
Air Bag Warning Light
The Air Bag warning lightwill turn on for four to
eight seconds as a bulb check when the ignition switch is first turned to ON/RUN. If the light is either not on
during starting, stays on, or turns on while driving,
have the system inspected at an authorized dealer as
soon as possible. This light will illuminate with a single
chime when a fault with the Air Bag Warning Light has
been detected, it will stay on until the fault is cleared. If
the light comes on intermittently or remains on while
driving, have an authorized dealer service the vehicle
immediately. Refer to “Occupant Restraint Systems” in
“Safety” for further information.
Defroster
Check operation by selecting the defrost mode and place the
blower control on high speed. You should be able to feel the
air directed against the windshield. See your authorized
dealer for service if your defroster is inoperable.
Floor Mat Safety Information
Always use floor mats designed to fit your vehicle. Only
use a floor mat that does not interfere with the operation of
the accelerator, brake or clutch pedals. Only use a floor mat
that is securely attached using the floor mat fasteners so it
cannot slip out of position and interfere with the accelera-
tor, brake or clutch pedals or impair safe operation of your
vehicle in other ways.
276 SAFETY
WARNING!
An improperly attached, damaged, folded, or stacked
floor mat, or damaged floor mat fasteners may cause
your floor mat to interfere with the accelerator, brake,
or clutch pedals and cause a loss of vehicle control. To
prevent SERIOUS INJURY or DEATH:
•ALWAYS securely attach
your floor mat using
the floor mat fasteners. DO NOT install your floor
mat upside down or turn your floor mat over.
Lightly pull to confirm mat is secured using the
floor mat fasteners on a regular basis.
• ALWAYS REMOVE THE EXISTING FLOOR MAT
FROM THE VEHICLE
before installing any
other floor mat. NEVER install or stack an addi-
tional floor mat on top of an existing floor mat.
• ONLY install floor mats designed to fit your vehicle.
NEVER install a floor mat that cannot be properly
attached and secured to your vehicle. If a floor mat
needs to be replaced, only use a FCA approved floor
mat for the specific make, model, and year of your
vehicle.
• ONLY use the driver ’s side floor mat on the driver ’s
side floor area. To check for interference, with the
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
vehicle properly parked with the engine off, fully
depress the accelerator, the brake, and the clutch
pedal (if present) to check for interference. If your
floor mat interferes with the operation of any pedal,
or is not secure to the floor, remove the floor mat
from the vehicle and place the floor mat in your
trunk.
• ONLY use the passenger ’s side floor mat on the
passenger ’s side floor area.
• ALWAYS make sure objects cannot fall or slide into
the driver ’s side floor area when the vehicle is
moving. Objects can become trapped under accelera-
tor, brake, or clutch pedals and could cause a loss of
vehicle control.
• NEVER place any objects under the floor mat (e.g.,
towels, keys, etc.). These objects could change the
position of the floor mat and may cause interference
with the accelerator, brake, or clutch pedals.
• If the vehicle carpet has been removed and re-
installed, always properly attach carpet to the floor
and check the floor mat fasteners are secure to the
vehicle carpet. Fully depress each pedal to check for
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SAFETY 277