
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, damaged, deteriorated, or mispositioned
parts. Open seams or loose connections could permit
exhaust fumes to seep into the passenger compartment.
In addition, inspect the exhaust 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 webbing, 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 is
first placed in the ON/RUN position. 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 Restraints” 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 the footwell of
your vehicle. Use only floor mats that leave the pedal
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 61

area unobstructed and that are firmly secured so that
they cannot slip out of position and interfere with the
pedals or impair safe operation of your vehicle in other
ways.
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
additional floor mat on top of an existing floor
mat.
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•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 vehicle properly parked with the engine
off, fully depress the accelerator, the brake, and
the clutch pedal (if present) to check for interfer-
ence. If your floor mat interferes with the opera-
tion 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
accelerator, brake, or clutch pedals and could
cause a loss of vehicle control.
(Continued)
62 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!(Continued)
•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 interference with the accelerator, brake,
or clutch pedals then re-install the floor mats.
• It is recommended to only use mild soap and
water to clean your floor mats. After cleaning,
always check your floor mat has been properly
installed and is secured to your vehicle using the
floor mat fasteners by lightly pulling mat.
Periodic Safety Checks You Should Make
Outside The Vehicle
Tires
Examine tires for excessive tread wear and uneven wear
patterns. Check for stones, nails, glass, or other objects
lodged in the tread or sidewall. Inspect the tread for cuts and cracks. Inspect sidewalls for cuts, cracks and
bulges. Check the wheel bolts for tightness. Check the
tires (including spare) for proper cold inflation pres-
sure.
Lights
Have someone observe the operation of brake lights
and exterior lights while you work the controls. Check
turn signal and high beam indicator lights on the
instrument panel.
Door Latches
Check for proper closing, latching, and locking.
Fluid Leaks
Check area under vehicle after overnight parking for
fuel, engine coolant, oil, or other fluid leaks. Also, if
gasoline fumes are detected or if fuel, power steering
fluid (if equipped), or brake fluid leaks are suspected.
The cause should be located and corrected immediately.
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 63

▫Turn Signals ........................84
▫ Lane Change Assist ...................84
▫ Follow Me Home/Headlight Delay .........84
▫ Interior Lights .......................85
▫ Cargo Area Lights .....................86
▫ Fog Lights — If Equipped ...............86
WINDSHIELD WIPERS AND WASHERS .....87
▫ Front Windshield Wiper Operation .........87
▫ Rear Windshield Wiper .................88
TILT STEERING COLUMN — IF EQUIPPED . .89
ELECTRONIC SPEED CONTROL ...........90
▫ To Activate ..........................91
▫ To Set A Desired Speed .................91
▫ To Deactivate ........................91
▫ To Resume Speed .....................91
▫ To Vary The Speed Setting ...............91
▫ To Accelerate For Passing ...............93
REAR PARK ASSIST — IF EQUIPPED ........93
▫ Rear Park Assist Sensors ................93
▫ Rear Park Assist Warning Display ..........94
▫ Rear Park Assist Display ................94
▫ Rear Park Assist Audible Alerts ...........94
▫ Failure Indications .....................96
▫ Cleaning The Rear Park Assist System .......96
▫ Park Assist System Usage Precautions .......96
POWER SUNROOF — IF EQUIPPED ........98
▫ To Open ............................98
▫ To Close ............................99
▫ Pinch Protect Feature ...................99
▫ Wind Buffeting ......................99
▫ Emergency Operation ..................99
▫ Sun Shade — If Equipped ..............100
ELECTRICAL POWER OUTLETS ..........100
CIGAR LIGHTER — IF EQUIPPED .........102
66 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

In hot climates, the prop rod may be hot. Pick up the
prop rod at the foam on the end of the prop rod.
WARNING!
Be sure the hood is fully latched before driving
your vehicle. If the hood is not fully latched, it
could open when the vehicle is in motion and block
your vision. Failure to follow this warning could
result in serious injury or death.
CAUTION!
To prevent possible damage, do not slam the hood
to close it. Lower hood to approximately 12 in (30
cm) and drop the hood to close. Make sure hood is
fully closed for both latches. Never drive vehicle
unless hood is fully closed, with both latches en-
gaged.
LIGHTS
Multifunction Lever
The multifunction lever, located on the left side of the
steering wheel, controls the operation of the headlights,
headlight beam selection, passing light and turn sig-
nals.
NOTE:The headlights can only be turned on with the
ignition in the ON/RUN position.Hood Prop Rod
82 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

To Activate
Push the ON/OFF button. The Cruise Indicator Light in
the Instrument Cluster Display will illuminate. To turn
the system off, push the ON/OFF button a second time.
The Cruise Indicator Light will turn off. The system
should be turned off when not in use.
WARNING!
Leaving the Electronic Speed Control system on
when not in use is dangerous. You could acciden-
tally set the system or cause it to go faster than you
want. You could lose control and have an accident.
Always leave the system OFF when you are not
using it.
To Set A Desired Speed
Turn the Electronic Speed Control ON. When the ve-
hicle has reached the desired speed, push the SET (-)
button and release. Release the accelerator and the
vehicle will operate at the selected speed.
NOTE:The vehicle should be traveling at a steady
speed and on level ground before pushing the SET (-)
button.
To Deactivate
A soft tap on the brake pedal, pushing the CANC
button, or normal brake pressure while slowing the
vehicle will deactivate Electronic Speed Control with-
out erasing the set speed memory. Pushing the ON/
OFF button or turning the ignition switch OFF erases
the set speed in memory.
To Resume Speed
To resume a previously set speed, push the RES (+)
button and release. Resume can be used at any speed
above 25 mph (40 km/h).
To Vary The Speed Setting
To Increase Speed
When the Electronic Speed Control is set, you can
increase speed by pushing the RES (+) button.
The drivers preferred units can be selected through the
instrument panel settings if equipped. Refer to “Under-
standing Your Instrument Panel” for more information.
3
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 91

To Accelerate For Passing
Press the accelerator as you would normally. When the
pedal is released, the vehicle will return to the set speed.
Using Electronic Speed Control On Hills
The transmission may downshift on hills to maintain
the vehicle set speed.
NOTE:The Electronic Speed Control system maintains
speed up and down hills. A slight speed change on
moderate hills is normal.
On steep hills, a greater speed loss or gain may occur so
it may be preferable to drive without Electronic Speed
Control.
WARNING!
Electronic Speed Control can be dangerous where
the system cannot maintain a constant speed. Your
vehicle could go too fast for the conditions, and you
could lose control and have an accident. Do not use
Electronic Speed Control in heavy traffic or on
roads that are winding, icy, snow-covered or slip-
pery.
REAR PARK ASSIST — IF EQUIPPED
The Rear Park Assist system provides visual and au-
dible indications of the distance between the rear
fascia/bumper and a detected obstacle when backing
up, e.g. during a parking maneuver. Refer to the “Park
Assist System Usage Precautions” for the limitations of
this system and recommendations.
The Rear Park Assist is automatically activated when
the transmission is placed into REVERSE.
Rear Park Assist Sensors
The four Rear Park Assist sensors, located in the rear
fascia/bumper, monitor the area behind the vehicle that
is within the sensors’ field of view. The sensors can
detect obstacles, in the horizontal direction, from ap-
proximately 12 in (30 cm) up to 55 in (140 cm) from the
center of the rear fascia/bumper and up to 24 in (60 cm)
from the corners of the rear fascia/bumper, depending
on the location, type and orientation of the obstacle.
If several obstacles are detected, the Rear Park Assist
system indicates the nearest obstacle.
3
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 93

WARNING!
To avoid serious injury or death:
•Only devices designed for use in this type of
outlet should be inserted into any 12 Volt outlet.
• Do not touch with wet hands.
• Close the lid when not in use and while driving
the vehicle.
• If this outlet is mishandled, it may cause an
electric shock and failure.
CAUTION!
• Many accessories that can be plugged in draw
power from the vehicle’s battery, even when not
in use (i.e., cellular phones, etc.). Eventually, if
plugged in long enough, the vehicle’s battery will
discharge sufficiently to degrade battery life
and/or prevent the engine from starting.
• Accessories that draw higher power (i.e., coolers,
vacuum cleaners, lights, etc.) will degrade the
battery even more quickly. Only use these inter-
mittently and with great caution.
(Continued)
CAUTION! (Continued)
•After the use of high power draw accessories, or
long periods of the vehicle not being started (with
accessories still plugged in), the vehicle must be
driven a sufficient length of time to allow the
generator to recharge the vehicle’s battery.
CIGAR LIGHTER — IF EQUIPPED
This is located on the center console, in front of the cup
holders. To activate the cigar lighter, push and release
the knob. After a few seconds the knob automatically
returns to its initial position, and the cigar lighter is
ready for use.
WARNING!
When the cigar lighter is in use it becomes very hot.
To avoid serious injury, handle the cigar lighter
with care. Always check that the cigar lighter has
turned off.
102 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE