
35
uuSeat Belts uAbout Your Seat Belts
Safe DrivingThe front seats are equi pped with automatic 
seat belt tensioners to enhance safety.
The tensioners automatically tighten the front 
seat belts during a moderate-to-severe frontal 
collision, sometimes even if the collision is not 
severe enough to inflate the front airbags.
■Automatic Seat Belt Tensioners1 Automatic Seat Belt Tensioners
The seat belt  tensioners can  only operate once.
If a tensioner is activated, the SRS indicator will come 
on. Have a dealer repl ace the tensioner and 
thoroughly inspect the seat belt system as it may not 
offer protection in a subsequent crash.
During a moderate-to-severe side impact, the 
tensioner on that side of  the vehicle also activates. 

41
uuAirbags uAirbag System Components
Continued
Safe Driving
The front, front side, and side curtain 
airbags are deployed according to the 
direction and severity of impact. Both side 
curtain airbags are deployed in a rollover. 
The airbag system includes:
aTwo SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) 
front airbags. The driver’s airbag is stored 
in the center of the steering wheel; the 
front passenger’s airbag is stored in the 
dashboard. Both are marked SRS 
AIRBAG.
bTwo side airbags, one for the driver and 
one for a front passenger. The airbags are 
stored in the outer edges of the seat-
backs. Both are marked  SIDE AIRBAG.
cTwo side curtain ai rbags, one for each 
side of the vehicle. The airbags are stored 
in the ceiling, abov e the side windows. 
The front and rear pillars are marked 
SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAG.
dAn electronic control unit that, when the 
vehicle is on, continually monitors 
information about the various impact 
sensors, seat and buc kle sensors, airbag 
activators, and seat belt tensioners. 
During a crash event the unit records 
such information.
eAutomatic front seat belt tensioners. In 
addition, the driver’s and front 
passenger’s seat belt  buckles incorporate 
sensors that detect whether or not the 
belts are fastened.
fA driver’s seat position sensor. If the seat 
is too far forward, the airbag will inflate 
with less force.
gWeight sensors in the front passenger’s 
seat. The front passenger’s airbag will be 
turned off if the weight on the seat is 
approximately 65 lbs (29 kg) or less (the 
weight of an infant or small child).
hImpact sensors that can detect a 
moderate-to-severe front or side impact.
iAn indicator on the da shboard that alerts 
you that the front passenger’s front 
airbag has been turned off.
jAn indicator on the instrument panel that 
alerts you to a possible problem with your 
airbag system or seat belt tensioners.
kSafing Sensor
lA rollover sensor that can detect if your 
vehicle is about to ro ll over and signal the 
control unit to deploy both side curtain 
airbags. 

uuAirbags uFront Airbags (SRS)
44
Safe DrivingFront airbags are designed to inflate du ring moderate-to-severe frontal collisions. 
When the vehicle decelerates suddenly, the  sensors send information to the control 
unit which signals one or both front airbags to inflate.
A frontal collision can be either head-on or  angled between two vehicles, or when a 
vehicle crashes into a stationary  object, such as a concrete wall.
While your seat belt restrains your torso, the 
front airbag provides supplemental protection 
for your head and chest.
The front airbags deflate immediately so that 
they won’t interfere with  the driver’s visibility 
or the ability to steer or operate other 
controls.
The total time for inflation and deflation  is so fast that most occupants are not 
aware that the airbags depl oyed until they see them lying in front of them.
■Operation
■How the Front Airbags Work1How the Front Airbags Work
Although the driver’s and fr ont passenger’s airbags 
normally inflate within a spli t second of each other, it 
is possible for only one airbag to deploy. This can 
happen if the severity of a  collision is at the margin, 
or threshold that determines whether or not the 
airbags will deploy. In such cases, the seat belt will 
provide sufficient protec tion, and the supplemental 
protection offered by the airbag would be minimal. 

45
uuAirbags uFront Airbags (SRS)
Continued
Safe Driving
■When front airbags should not deploy
Minor frontal crashes:  Front airbags were designed to supplement seat belts and 
help save lives, not to prev ent minor scrapes, or even br oken bones that might occur 
during a less than moderate-to-severe frontal crash.
Side impacts:  Front airbags can provide protection when a sudden deceleration 
causes a driver or front passenger to move  toward the front of the vehicle. Side 
airbags and side curtain airbags have been  specifically designed to help reduce the 
severity of injuries that can occur during  a moderate-to-severe side impact which 
can cause the driver or passenger to move toward the side of the vehicle.
Rear impacts:  Head restraints and seat belts ar e your best protection during a rear 
impact. Front airbags cannot provide any sign ificant protection and are not designed 
to deploy in such collisions.
Rollovers:  Seat belts, and in vehicles equipped  with a rollover sensor, side airbags, 
and side curtain airbags offer  the best protection in a rollover. Because front airbags 
could provide little if any protection, they are not designed to deploy during a 
rollover.
■When front airbags deploy with little or no visible damage
Because the airbag system senses sudden  deceleration, a strong impact to the 
vehicle framework or suspension might cause one or more of the airbags to deploy. 
Examples include running into  a curb, the edge of a hole, or other low fixed object 
that causes a sudden deceleration in th e vehicle chassis. Since the impact is 
underneath the vehicle, damage may not be readily apparent.
■When front airbags may not deploy , even though exterior damage 
appears severe
Since crushable body parts absorb crash energy during an impact, the amount of 
visible damage does not always indicate pr oper airbag operation. In fact, some 
collisions can result in severe damage but no airbag deployment because the airbags 
would not have been needed or would not  have provided protection even if they 
had deployed. 

uuAirbags uFront Airbags (SRS)
46
Safe DrivingYour front airbags have advanced features to help reduce the likelihood of airbag 
related injuries to smaller occupants.
The driver’s advanced front airbag system 
includes a seat position sensor.
If the seat is too far forward, the airbag 
inflates with less forc e, regardless of the 
severity of the impact.
The passenger’s advanced front airbag system 
has weight sensors.
Although we recommend against letting 
children under the age of 12 sit in passenger 
seat, if the sensors detect the weight of a child 
(up to about 65 lbs or 29 kg), the system will 
automatically turn off the passenger’s front 
airbag.
■Advanced Airbags1 Advanced Airbags
If there is a problem with the driver’s seat position 
sensor, the SRS indicator wi ll come on and the airbag 
will inflate with full (normal) force, regardless of the 
driver’s seating position.
For both advanced front airbags to work properly:
•Do not spill any liquid on or under the seats.•Do not put any object under the passenger’s seat.
•Make sure any objects  are positioned properly on 
the floor. Improperly pos itioned objects can 
interfere with the advanced airbag sensors.
•All occupants should sit upri ght and wear their seat 
belts properly.
•Do not place any cover over the passenger side 
dashboard. 2Passenger Airbag Off Indicator  P. 51
Make sure the floor mat  behind the front passenger’s 
seat is hooked to the floor  mat anchor. An improperly 
placed mat can interfere with the advanced airbag 
sensors. 2 Floor Mats  P. 544
Driver’s 
Seat 
Position 
Sensor
Passenger’s 
Seat 
Weight 
Sensors 

uuAirbags uAirbag System Indicators
50
Safe Driving
■When side curtain airbags deploy in a frontal collision
One or both side curtain airbags may also  inflate in a moderate-to-severe angled 
frontal collision.
Airbag System Indicators
If a problem occurs in the airbag syst em, the SRS indicator will come on and a 
message appears on the multi-information display.
■When the power mode is set to ON
The indicator comes on  for a few seconds, 
then goes off. This tells you the system is 
working properly.
If the indicator comes on at any other time, or 
does not come on at all, have the system 
checked by a dealer as so on as possible. If you 
don’t, your airbags and seat belt tensioners 
may not work properly  when they are needed.
■Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) Indicator1Supplemental Restraint Sy stem (SRS) Indicator
3WARNING
Ignoring the SRS indicator can result in 
serious injury or death if the airbag systems 
or tensioners do not work properly.
Have your vehicle checked by a dealer as 
soon as possible if th e SRS indicator alerts 
you to a possible problem. 

51
uuAirbags uAirbag System Indicators
Safe Driving■When the passenger airbag off 
indicator comes on
The indicator comes on to alert you that the 
passenger’s front airbag  has been turned off.
This occurs when the weight sensors detect 
65 lbs (29 kg) or less, the weight of an infant 
or small child, on the seat.
Children under the age of 12 should always ride properly restrained in a back seat.
2 Child Safety P. 53
Objects placed on the seat can also  cause the indicator to come on.
If the front passenger seat is empty, the passenger’s front airbag  will not deploy and 
the indicator will not come on.
■Passenger Airbag Off Indicator1 Passenger Airbag Off Indicator
If the indicator comes on with no front passenger and 
no objects on the passenger’s  seat, or with an adult 
riding there, something may be interfering with the 
weight sensors, such as:
•An object hanging on the seat  or in the seat-back 
pocket.
•A child seat or other obj ect pressing against the 
rear of the seat-back.
•A rear passenger pushing or  pulling on the back of 
the front passe nger’s seat.
•The front seat or seat-back is forced back against 
an object on the seat or floor behind it.
•An object placed under th e front passenger’s seat.
If none of these conditions exist, have your vehicle 
checked by a dealer as soon as possible.
The passenger airbag off  indicator may come on and 
goes off repeatedly if the to tal weight on the seat is 
near the airbag cutoff threshold.
U.S. Canada 

uuChild Safety uSafety of Infants and Small Children
56
Safe DrivingIf a child is at least one year old and has exceeded the weight an d height limitations 
of a rearward facing child s eat, the child should be prope rly restrained in a firmly 
secured forward facing child seat until they  exceed the weight and height limitations 
for the forward facing child seat.
■Forward-facing child seat placement
We strongly recommend placing a forward-
facing child seat in a rear seating position.
Placing a forward-facing child seat in the  front seat can be hazardous, even with 
advanced front airbags that automatically  turn the passenger’s front airbag off. A 
rear seat is the safest place for a child.
■Protecting Smaller Children1 Protecting Smaller Children
Educate yourself about th e laws and regulations 
regarding child seat use wh ere you are driving, and 
follow the child seat manufacturer’s instructions.
Many experts recommend us e of a rear-facing seat 
for a child up to two years old if the child’s height and 
weight are appropriate  for a rear-facing seat.
3WARNING
Placing a forward-facing child seat in the 
front seat can result in serious injury or 
death if the front airbag inflates.
If you must place a forward-facing child 
seat in front, move the vehicle seat as far 
back as possible, and properly restrain the 
child.