Page 49 of 572

WARNING
.Be sure to fasten both tongue
plates to the respective buckles.
If the seatbelt is used only as a
shoulder belt (with the connec-
tor’s tongue plate not fastened to
the connector’s buckle on the
right-hand side), it cannot prop-
erly restrain the wearer in posi-
tion in an accident, possibly
resulting in serious injury or
death.
.The head restraint is not intended
to be used at the lowest position.
Before sitting on the seat, raise
the head restraint to the ex-
tended position. Otherwise, in
an accident, serious injury or
death could result.
1. Raise the head restraint to the ex-
tended position. Do not remove the head
restraint.
2. Remove the tongue plate from the belt
holder on the right side of the cargo area
and pull out the seatbelt slowly.
3. After drawing out the seatbelt, pass it
through the belt guide as follows: First
insert one edge of the belt into the open
gap in the belt guide; then slide the rest of
the belt in, so that the whole belt fits
inside.
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Seatbelts
–CONTINUED–1-17
Page 50 of 572
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Seatbelts
4. After confirming that the webbing is not
twisted, insert the connector (tongue)
attached at the webbing end into the
buckle on the right-hand side until a click
is heard.
.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.5. Insert the center seatbelt tongue plate
into the center seatbelt buckle marked
“CENTER”on the left-hand side until it
clicks.
6. To make the lap part tight, pull up on
the shoulder belt.7. Place the lap belt as low as possible
on your hips, not on your waist.
!Unfastening the seatbelt
1. Push the release button of the center
seatbelt buckle (on the left-hand side) to
unfasten the seatbelt.
NOTE
When the seatback is folded down for
greater cargo area, it is necessary to
disconnect the connector.
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Page 51 of 572
2. Insert a tongue plate or other hard
pointed object into the slot in the con-
nector (buckle) on the right-hand side and
push it in. The connector (tongue) plate
will then disconnect from the buckle.
3. Allow the retractor to roll up the belt.
You should hold the webbing end and
guide it back into the retractor while it is
rolling up. Insert the connector (tongue)
into the belt holder.
CAUTION
.Do not allow the retractor to roll
up the seatbelt too quickly.
Otherwise, the metal tongue
plates may hit against the trim,
resulting in damaged trim.
.Have the seatbelt fully rolled up
so that the tongue plates are
neatly stored. A hanging tongue
plate can swing and hit against
the trim during driving, causing
damage to the trim.
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Seatbelts
–CONTINUED–1-19
Page 52 of 572

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Front seatbelt pretensioners
&Seatbelt maintenance
To clean the seatbelts, use a mild soap
and lukewarm water. Never bleach or dye
the belts because this could seriously
affect their strength.
Inspect the seatbelts and attachments
including the webbing and all hardware
periodically for cracks, cuts, gashes,
tears, damage, loose bolts or worn areas.
Replace the seatbelts even if only minor
damage is found.
CAUTION
.Keep the belts free of polishes,
oils, chemicals and particularly
battery acid.
.Never attempt to make modifica-
tions or changes that will prevent
the seatbelt from operating prop-
erly.
Front seatbelt pretensioners
The driver’s and front passenger’s seat-
belts have a seatbelt pretensioner. The
seatbelt pretensioners are designed to be
activated in the event of an accident
involving a moderate to severe frontal
and side collision and rollover accident.
&Driver’s seatbelt
The driver’s seatbelt has a shoulder belt
pretensioner.
The pretensioner sensor also serves as
follows.
.SRS frontal airbag sensor
.Side impact sensor
.Front door impact sensor
.Rollover sensorIf the sensor detects a certain predeter-
mined amount of force during frontal or
side collisions or rollover accidents, the
front seatbelt is quickly drawn back in by
the retractor to take up the slack so that
the belt more effectively restrains the
driver.
When a seatbelt pretensioner is activated,
an operating noise will be heard and a
small amount of smoke will be released.
These occurrences are normal and not
harmful. This smoke does not indicate a
fire in the vehicle.
Once the seatbelt pretensioner has been
activated, the seatbelt retractor remains
locked. Consequently, the seatbelt can not
be pulled out and retracted and therefore
must be replaced.
NOTE
.Seatbelt pretensioners are not de-
signed to activate in minor impacts or
in rear impacts.
.In the case of rollover accidents:
As the curtain airbags deploy, the
driver’s side seatbelt pretensioner
and front passenger’sside
shoulder belt pretensioner are acti-
vated simultaneously.
.In cases of frontal collisions, the
following components will operate si-
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Page 53 of 572

multaneously.
–Seatbelt pretensioner for driver
–Seatbelt pretensioner for front
passenger
–SRS frontal airbag for driver
–SRS frontal airbag for front pas-
senger*
–SRS curtain airbags (both sides)
(if an offset frontal collision occurs)
*: This does not operate if the occupant
detection system deactivates airbag op-
eration. For details, refer to“Front
passenger’s SRS frontal airbag”F1-46.
.In cases of side collisions, the
following components will operate si-
multaneously.
–SRS curtain airbag (impacted
side)
–SRS side airbag (impacted side)
(when both the satellite safing sen-
sor and any of the center pillar
impact sensors/front door impact
sensors sense an impact force)
–Seatbelt pretensioner for driver
(when both the satellite safing sen-
sor and the driver’s side front door
impact sensor sense an impact
force)
However, when a center pillar im-
pact sensor detects a signal faster
than the front door impact sensor,or both sensors detect signals
simultaneously, the seatbelt preten-
sioner does not activate.
–Seatbelt pretensioner for front
passenger (shoulder belt preten-
sioner only) (when both the satellite
safing sensor and the front passen-
ger’s side front door impact sensor
sense an impact force)
However, when a center pillar im-
pact sensor detects a signal faster
than the front door impact sensor,
or both sensors detect signals
simultaneously, the seatbelt preten-
sioner does not activate.
.Pretensioners are designed to func-
tion on a one-time-only basis. In the
event that a pretensioner is activated,
both the driver’s and front passenger’s
seatbelt retractor assemblies should
be replaced only by an authorized
SUBARU dealer. When replacing seat-
belt retractor assemblies, use only
genuine SUBARU parts.
.If either front seatbelt does not
retract or cannot be pulled out due to
a malfunction or activation of the
pretensioner, contact your SUBARU
dealer as soon as possible.
.If the front seatbelt retractor assem-
bly or surrounding area has been
damaged, contact your SUBARU dealeras soon as possible.
.When you sell your vehicle, we urge
you to explain to the buyer that it has
seatbelt pretensioners by alerting the
buyer to the contents of this section.
WARNING
.To obtain maximum protection,
the occupants should sit in an
upright position with their seat-
belts properly fastened. Refer to
“Seatbelts”F1-11.
.Do not modify, remove or strike
the front seatbelt retractor as-
semblies or surrounding area.
This could result in accidental
activation of the seatbelt preten-
sioners or could make the sys-
tem inoperative, possibly result-
ing in serious injury. Seatbelt
pretensioners have no user-ser-
viceable parts. For required ser-
vicing of front seatbelt retractors
equipped with seatbelt preten-
sioners, consult your SUBARU
dealer.
.When discarding front seatbelt
retractor assemblies or scrap-
ping the entire vehicle due to
collision damage or for other
reasons, consult your SUBARU
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Front seatbelt pretensioners
–CONTINUED–1-21
Page 54 of 572

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Front seatbelt pretensioners
dealer.
&Front passenger’s seatbelt
The front passenger’s seatbelt has
shoulder belt and lap belt pretensioner.
1) Seatbelt retractor assembly (shoulder
belt pretensioner)
2) Lap belt pretensioner
On the front passenger’s side, the
shoulder belt pretensioner is supplemen-
ted by a lap belt pretensioner, which is
located at the base of the center pillar.
Like the shoulder belt pretensioner, the lap
belt pretensioner instantaneously pulls in
the belt to eliminate slack if a certain level
of frontal collision force is detected. As a
result, the seatbelt restrains the front seat
occupant more effectively.When a seatbelt pretensioner is activated,
an operating noise will be heard and a
small amount of smoke will be released.
These occurrences are normal and not
harmful. This smoke does not indicate a
fire in the vehicle.
Once the seatbelt pretensioner has been
activated, the seatbelt pretensioner re-
mains locked. Consequently, the seatbelt
cannot be pulled out and retracted and
therefore must be replaced.
NOTE
.Seatbelt pretensioners are not de-
signed to activate in minor impacts or
in rear impacts.
.When a rollover accident occurs, the
lap belt pretensioner does not activate;
however, as the curtain airbags deploy,
the shoulder belt pretensioner is acti-
vated. At this time, the driver’s side
seatbelt pretensioner and passenger’s
side shoulder belt pretensioner acti-
vate simultaneously.
.In cases of frontal collisions, the
following components will operate si-
multaneously.
–Seatbelt pretensioner for driver
–Seatbelt pretensioner for front
passenger
–SRS frontal airbag for driver
–SRS frontal airbag for front pas-senger*
–SRS curtain airbags (both sides)
(if an offset frontal collision occurs)
*: This does not operate if the occupant
detection system deactivates airbag op-
eration. For details, refer to“Front
passenger’s SRS frontal airbag”F1-46.
.In cases of side collisions, the
following components will operate si-
multaneously.
–SRS curtain airbag (impacted
side)
–SRS side airbag (impacted side)
(when both the satellite safing sen-
sor and any of the center pillar
impact sensors/front door impact
sensors sense an impact force)
–Seatbelt pretensioner for driver
(when both the satellite safing sen-
sor and the driver’s side front door
impact sensor sense an impact
force)
However, when a center pillar im-
pact sensor detects a signal faster
than the front door impact sensor,
or both sensors detect signals
simultaneously, the seatbelt preten-
sioner does not activate.
–Seatbelt pretensioner for front
passenger (shoulder belt preten-
sioner only) (when both the satellite
safing sensor and the front passen-
1-22
Page 55 of 572

ger’s side front door impact sensor
sense an impact force)
However, when a center pillar im-
pact sensor detects a signal faster
than the front door impact sensor,
or both sensors detect signals
simultaneously, the seatbelt preten-
sioner does not activate.
.Pretensioners are designed to func-
tion on a one-time-only basis. In the
event that a pretensioner is activated,
both the driver’s and front passenger’s
seatbelt retractor assemblies should
be replaced only by an authorized
SUBARU dealer. When replacing seat-
belt retractor assemblies, use only
genuine SUBARU parts.
.If either front seatbelt does not
retract or cannot be pulled out due to
a malfunction or activation of the
pretensioner, contact your SUBARU
dealer as soon as possible.
.If the front seatbelt retractor assem-
bly or surrounding area has been
damaged, contact your SUBARU dealer
as soon as possible.
.When you sell your vehicle, we urge
you to explain to the buyer that it has
seatbelt pretensioners by alerting the
buyer to the contents of this section.WARNING
.To obtain maximum protection,
the occupants should sit in an
upright position with their seat-
belts properly fastened. Refer to
“Seatbelts”F1-11.
.Do not modify, remove or strike
the front seatbelt retractor as-
semblies or surrounding area.
This could result in accidental
activation of the seatbelt preten-
sioners or could make the sys-
tem inoperative, possibly result-
ing in serious injury. Seatbelt
pretensioners have no user-ser-
viceable parts. For required ser-
vicing of front seatbelt retractors
equipped with seatbelt preten-
sioners, consult your SUBARU
dealer.
.When discarding front seatbelt
retractor assemblies or scrap-
ping the entire vehicle due to
collision damage or for other
reasons, consult your SUBARU
dealer.
&System monitors
A diagnostic system continually monitors
the readiness of the seatbelt pretensioner
while the vehicle is being driven. The
seatbelt pretensioners share the control
module with the SRS airbag system.
Therefore, if any malfunction occurs in a
seatbelt pretensioner, the SRS airbag
system warning light will illuminate. For
details, refer to“SRS airbag system
monitors”F1-63.
&System servicing
WARNING
.When discarding a seatbelt re-
tractor assembly or scrapping
the entire vehicle damaged by a
collision, consult your SUBARU
dealer.
.Tampering with or disconnecting
the system’s wiring could result
in accidental activation of the
seatbelt pretensioner and/or
SRS airbag or could make the
system inoperative, which may
result in serious injury. Do not
use electrical test equipment on
any circuit related to the seatbelt
pretensioner and SRS airbag
systems. For required servicing
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Front seatbelt pretensioners
–CONTINUED–1-23
Page 56 of 572

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Child restraint systems
of the seatbelt pretensioner, con-
sult your nearest SUBARU deal-
er.
CAUTION
The sensors and SRS airbag control
module are located in the following
locations.
.Front sub sensors: on both the
right and left side at the front of
the vehicle
.Front door impact sensors: on
both front doors
.Satellite safing sensor: under the
rear center seat
.SRS airbag control module (in-
cluding the impact sensors and
rollover sensor): under the cen-
ter of the instrument panel
If you need service or repair in those
areas or near the front seatbelt
retractors, have the work performed
by your authorized SUBARU dealer.
NOTE
If the front or side part of the vehicle is
damaged in an accident to the extent
that the seatbelt pretensioner does notoperate, contact your SUBARU dealer
as soon as possible.
&Precautions against vehicle
modification
Always consult your SUBARU dealer if
you want to install any accessory parts to
your vehicle.
CAUTION
Do not perform any of the following
modifications. Such modifications
can interfere with proper operation
of the seatbelt pretensioners.
.Attachment of any equipment
(bush bar, winches, snow plow,
skid plate, etc.) other than genu-
ine SUBARU accessory parts to
the front end.
.Modification of the suspension
system or front end structure.
.Installation of a tire of different
size and construction from the
tires specified on the vehicle
placard attached to the driver’s
door pillar or specified for indivi-
dual vehicle models in this Own-
er’s Manual.
Child restraint systems
Infants and small children should always
be placed in an infant or child restraint
system in the rear seat while riding in the
vehicle. You should use an infant or child
restraint system that meets Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standards or Canada
Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, is com-
patible with your vehicle and is appro-
priate for the child’s age and size. All child
restraint systems are designed to be
secured in vehicle seats by lap belts or
the lap belt portion of a lap/shoulder belt
(except those described in“Installation of
child restraint systems by use of lower and
tether anchorages (LATCH)”F1-33).
Children could be endangered in an
accident if their child restraints are not
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