
WARNING
A WARNING indicates a situation in
which serious injury or death could
result if the warning is ignored.
CAUTION
A CAUTION indicates a situation in
which injury or damage to your
vehicle, or both, could result if the
caution is ignored.
NOTE
A NOTE gives information or sugges-
tions how to make better use of your
vehicle.
&Safety symbol
You will find a circle with a slash through it
in this manual. This symbol means“Do
not”,“Do not do this”,or“Do not let this
happen”, depending upon the context.
&Abbreviation list
You may find several abbreviations in this
manual. The meanings of the abbrevia-
tions are shown in the following list.
Abbreviation Meaning
A/C Air conditioner
ALR/ELRAutomatic locking retractor/
Emergency locking retractor
ABS Anti-lock brake system
AKI Anti knock index
ALR Automatic locking retractor
AWD All-wheel drive
BSD/RCTABlind Spot Detection/Rear
Cross Traffic Alert
CVTContinuously variable trans-
mission
DRL Daytime running light
EBDElectronic brake force distri-
bution
ELR Emergency locking retractor
GAW Gross axle weight
GAWR Gross axle weight rating
GPS Global positioning system
GVW Gross vehicle weight
GVWR Gross vehicle weight rating
HID High intensity discharge
–CONTINUED–
3

.The SRS airbags deploy with
considerable speed and force.
Occupants who are out of proper
position when the SRS airbag
deploys could suffer very serious
injuries. Because the SRS airbag
needs enough space for deploy-
ment, the driver should always
sit upright and well back in the
seat as far from the steering
wheel as practical while still
maintaining full vehicle control
and the front passenger should
move the seat as far back as
possible and sit upright and well
back in the seat.
For instructions and precautions, carefully
read the following sections.
.For the seatbelt system, refer to“Seat-
belts”F1-11.
.For the SRS airbag system, refer to
“*SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint
System airbag)”F1-37.&Child safety
WARNING
.Never hold a child on your lap or
in your arms while the vehicle is
moving. The passenger cannot
protect the child from injury in a
collision, because the child will
be caught between the passen-
ger and objects inside the vehi-
cle.
.While riding in the vehicle, in-
fants and small children should
always be placed in the REAR
seat in an infant or child restraint
system which is appropriate for
the child’s age, height and
weight. If a child is too big for a
child restraint system, the child
should sit in the REAR seat and
be restrained using the seatbelts.
According to accident statistics,
children are safer when properly
restrained in the rear seating
positions than in the front seat-
ing positions. Never allow a child
to stand up or kneel on the seat.
.Place children in the REAR seat
properly restrained at all times in
a child restraint device or in a
seatbelt. The SRS airbag deployswith considerable speed and
force and can injure or even kill
children, especially if they are
not restrained or improperly re-
strained. Because children are
lighter and weaker than adults,
their risk of being injured from
deployment is greater.
.NEVER INSTALL A FORWARD
OR REARWARD FACING CHILD
SEAT IN THE FRONT SEAT.
DOING SO RISKS SERIOUS IN-
JURY OR DEATH TO THE CHILD
BY PLACING THE CHILD’S HEAD
TOO CLOSE TO THE SRS AIR-
BAG.
.Always turn the child safety locks
to the“LOCK”position when
children sit in the rear seat.
Serious injury could result if a
child accidentally opens the door
and falls out. Refer to“Child
safety locks”F2-33.
.Always lock the passenger’s win-
dows using the lock switch when
children are riding in the vehicle.
Failure to follow this procedure
could result in injury to a child
operating the power window. Re-
fer to“Windows”F2-34.
.Never leave unattended children,
–CONTINUED–
5

adults or animals in the vehicle.
They could accidentally injure
themselves or others through
inadvertent operation of the ve-
hicle. Also, on hot or sunny days,
temperature in a closed vehicle
could quickly become high en-
ough to cause severe or possibly
fatal injuries to them.
.When leaving the vehicle, close
all windows and lock all doors.
For instructions and precautions, carefully
read the following sections.
.For the seatbelt system, refer to“Seat-
belts”F1-11.
.For the child restraint system, refer to
“Child restraint systems”F1-24.
.For the SRS airbag system, refer to
“*SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint
System airbag)”F1-37.
&Engine exhaust gas (carbon
monoxide)
WARNING
.Never inhale engine exhaust gas.
Engine exhaust gas contains
carbon monoxide, a colorless
and odorless gas which is dan-
gerous, or even lethal, if inhaled..Always properly maintain the en-
gine exhaust system to prevent
engine exhaust gas from enter-
ing the vehicle.
.Never run the engine in a closed
space, such as a garage, except
for the brief time needed to drive
the vehicle in or out of it.
.Avoid remaining in a parked
vehicle for a lengthy time while
the engine is running. If that is
unavoidable, then use the venti-
lation fan to force fresh air into
the vehicle.
.Always keep the front ventilator
inlet grille free from snow, leaves
or other obstructions to ensure
that the ventilation system al-
ways works properly.
.If at any time you suspect that
exhaust fumes are entering the
vehicle, have the problem
checked and corrected as soon
as possible. If you must drive
under these conditions, drive
only with all windows fully open.
.Keep the rear gate closed while
driving to prevent exhaust gas
from entering the vehicle.
&Drinking and driving
WARNING
Drinking and then driving is very
dangerous. Alcohol in the blood-
stream delays your reaction time
and impairs your perception, judg-
ment and attentiveness. If you drive
after drinking–even if you drink just
a little–it will increase the risk of
being involved in a serious or fatal
accident, injuring or killing yourself,
your passengers and others. In
addition, if you are injured in the
accident, alcohol may increase the
severity of that injury.
Please don’t drink and drive.
Drunken driving is one of the most
frequent causes of accidents. Since alco-
hol affects all people differently, you may
have consumed too much alcohol to drive
safely even if the level of alcohol in your
blood is below the legal limit. The safest
thing you can do is never drink and drive.
However if you have no choice but to
drive, stop drinking and sober up comple-
tely before getting behind the wheel.
6

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Front seats
Front seats
WARNING
.Never adjust the seat while driv-
ing to avoid loss of vehicle con-
trol and personal injury.
.Before adjusting the seat, make
sure the hands and feet of rear
seat passengers and cargo are
clear of the adjusting mechan-
ism.
.After adjusting the seat, push it
slightly to make sure it is se-
curely locked. If the seat is not
securely locked, it may move or
the seatbelt may not operate
properly.
.Do not put objects under the front
seats. They may interfere with
front seat locking and cause an
accident.
.Seatbelts provide maximum re-
straint when the occupant sits
well back and upright in the seat.
To reduce the risk of sliding
under the seatbelt in a collision,
the front seatbacks should be
always used in the upright posi-
tion while the vehicle is running.
If the front seatbacks are notused in the upright position in a
collision, the risk of sliding under
the lap belt and of the lap belt
sliding up over the abdomen will
increase, and both can result in
serious internal injury or death.
.The SRS airbags deploy with
considerable speed and force.
Occupants who are out of proper
position when the SRS airbag
deploys could suffer very serious
injuries. Because the SRS airbag
needs enough space for deploy-
ment, the driver should always
sit upright and well back in the
seat as far from the steering
wheel as practical while still
maintaining full vehicle control
and the front passenger should
move the seat as far back as
possible and sit upright and well
back in the seat.
WARNING
Place children in the rear seat
properly restrained at all times. The
SRS airbag deploys with consider-
able speed and force and can injure
or even kill children, especially if
they are not restrained or impro-
perly restrained. Because children
are lighter and weaker than adults,
their risk of being injured from
deployment is greater. For that rea-
son, we strongly recommend that
ALL children (including those in
child seats and those that have
outgrown child restraint devices)
sit in the REAR seat properly re-
strained at all times in a child
restraint device or in a seatbelt,
1-2

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/*SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint System airbag)
&General precautions regard-
ing SRS airbag system
WARNING
.To obtain maximum protection in
the event of an accident, the
driver and all passengers must
always wear seatbelts when in
the vehicle. The SRS airbag is
designed only to be a supple-
ment to the primary protection
provided by the seatbelt. It does
not eliminate the need to fasten
seatbelts. In combination with
the seatbelts, it offers the best
combined protection in case of a
serious accident.
Not wearing a seatbelt increases
the chance of severe injury or
death in a crash even when the
vehicle has the SRS airbag.
For instructions and precautions
concerning the seatbelt system,
refer to“Seatbelts”F1-11.
.The SRS side airbag and SRS
curtain airbag are designed only
to be a supplement to the primary
protection provided by the seat-
belt. They do not eliminate the
need to fasten seatbelts. It is also
important to wear your seatbeltto help avoid injuries that can
result when an occupant is not
seated in a proper upright posi-
tion.
WARNING
.The SRS airbags deploy with
considerable speed and force.
Occupants who are out of proper
position when the SRS airbag
deploys could suffer very serious
injuries. Because the SRS airbag
needs enough space for deploy-
ment, the driver should always
sit upright and well back in the
seat as far from the steering
wheel as practical while still
maintaining full vehicle controland the front passenger should
move the seat as far back as
possible and sit upright and well
back in the seat.
WARNING
.Do not sit or lean unnecessarily
close to either front door. The
SRS side airbags are stored in
both front seat seatbacks next to
the door, and they provide pro-
tection by deploying rapidly (fas-
ter than the blink of an eye) in the
event of a side impact or frontal
collision. However, the force of
SRS side airbag deployment may
cause injuries if your head or
other parts of the body are too
1-38

3. If wearing excessive layers of clothing,
the front passenger should remove any
unnecessary items before sitting in the
front passenger’s seat, or should sit in a
rear seat.
4. Turn the ignition switch to the“ON”
position and wait 6 seconds to allow the
system to complete self-checking. Follow-
ing the system check, both indicators turn
off for 2 seconds. Now, the ON indicator
should illuminate while the OFF indicator
remains off.
If the OFF indicator still remains illumi-
nated while the ON indicator remains off,
ask the occupant to move to the rear seat
and immediately contact your SUBARU
dealer for an inspection.
!How to contact the vehicle manu-
facturer concerning modifications
for persons with disabilities that
may affect the advanced airbag
system
Changing or moving any parts of the front
seats, rear seat, seatbelts, front bumper,
front side frame, radiator panel, instrument
panel, combination meter, steering wheel,
steering column, tire, suspension or floor
panel can affect the operation of the
SUBARU advanced airbag system. If
you have any questions, you may contact
the following SUBARU distributors.
Subaru of America, Inc.
Customer Dealer Services Department
P.O. Box 6000
Cherry Hill, NJ 08034-6000
1-800-SUBARU3 (1-800-782-2783)
Subaru Hawaii
2850 Pukoloa Street, Suite 202,
Honolulu, HI 96819-4467
808-839-2273
Shen’s Corporation dba Prestige Automo-
bile
491, East Marine Corps Drive, Route 1
Dededo, Guam 96921-6225
671-633-2698
Trebol Motors
P.O. Box 11204, San Juan, Puerto Rico
00910
787-793-2828
Subaru Canada, Inc.
Consumer Support Department
560 Suffolk Court, Mississauga, Ontario
L5R 4J7
1-800-894-4212
There are currently no SUBARU distribu-
tors in any other U.S. territories. If you are
in such an area, please contact the
SUBARU distributor or dealer from which
you bought your vehicle.
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/*SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint System airbag)
–CONTINUED–1-51

The driver’s and front passenger’s SRS
frontal airbags use dual stage inflators.
The two inflators of each airbag are
triggered either sequentially or simulta-
neously, depending on the severity of
impact, in the case of the driver’s SRS
frontal airbag and depending on the
severity of impact and the characteristic
of item(s) or person on the seat in the case
of the front passenger’s SRS frontal
airbag.
After deployment, the SRS airbag imme-
diately starts to deflate so that the driver’s
vision is not obstructed and the driver’s
ability to maintain control of the vehicle is
not impaired. The time required from
detecting impact to the deflation of the
SRS airbag after deployment is shorter
than the blink of an eye.
Both when only the driver’s SRS frontal
airbag deploys and the driver’s and front
passenger’s SRS frontal airbags deploy,
the driver’s and front passenger’s seatbelt
pretensioners operate at the same time.
When the SRS airbag deploys, a sudden,
fairly loud inflation noise will be heard and
some smoke will be released. These
occurrences are a normal result of the
deployment. This smoke does not indicate
a fire in the vehicle.CAUTION
Do not touch the SRS airbag system
components around the steering
wheel and dashboard with bare
hands right after deployment. Doing
so can cause burns because the
components can be very hot as a
result of deployment.
The driver’s SRS frontal airbag and front
passenger’s SRS frontal airbag are de-
signed as follows.
.to deploy in the event of an accident
involving a moderate to severe frontal
collision
.to function on a one-time-only basis
The driver’s SRS frontal airbag and front
passenger’s SRS frontal airbag are not
designed as follows.
.to deploy in most lesser frontal im-
pacts
*1
.to deploy in most side or rear impacts
or in most roll-over accidents*2
*1: Because the necessary protection can be
achieved by the seatbelt alone.
*2: Because deployment of only the driver’s
SRS frontal airbag or both the driver’s and front
passenger’s SRS frontal airbags would not
protect the occupant in those situations.
SRS airbag deployment depends on the
level of force experienced in the passen-
ger compartment during a collision. That
level differs from one type of collision to
another, and it may have no bearing on
the visible damage done to the vehicle
itself.
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/*SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint System airbag)
–CONTINUED–1-53

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/*SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint System airbag)
SRS airbag system warning light (type B)
A diagnostic system continually monitors
the readiness of the SRS airbag system
(including front seatbelt pretensioners)
while the vehicle is being driven. The
SRS airbag system warning light will show
normal system operation by illuminating
for approximately 6 seconds when the
ignition switch is turned to the“ON”
position.
The following components are monitored
by the indicator:
.Front sub sensor
–Right-hand side
–Left-hand side
.Airbag control module (including im-
pact sensor and rollover sensor)
.Frontal airbag module–Driver’s side
–Front passenger’s side
.Knee airbag module (driver’s side)
.Side airbag sensor
–Center pillar right-hand side
–Center pillar left-hand side
.Front door impact sensor
–Right-hand side
–Left-hand side
.Side airbag module
–Driver’s side
–Front passenger’s side
.Curtain airbag sensor
–Rear wheel house right-hand side
–Rear wheel house left-hand side
.Curtain airbag module
–Right-hand side
–Left-hand side
.Satellite safing sensor (under the rear
center seat)
.Seatbelt pretensioner
–Driver’s side
–Front passenger’s side
.Lap belt pretensioner (front passen-
ger’s side)
.Seatbelt buckle switch (front passen-
ger’s side)
.Front passenger’s occupant detection
system sensor
.Front passenger’s occupant detectioncontrol module
.
Front passenger’s frontal airbag ON
and OFF indicator
.All related wiring
WARNING
If the warning light exhibits any of
the following conditions, there may
be a malfunction in the seatbelt
pretensioners and/or SRS airbag
system.
.Flashing or flickering of the warn-
ing light
.No illumination of the warning
light when the ignition switch is
first turned to the“ON”position
.Continuous illumination of the
warning light
.Illumination of the warning light
while driving
Immediately take your vehicle to
your nearest SUBARU dealer to
have the system checked. Unless
checked and properly repaired, the
seatbelt pretensioners and/or SRS
airbag will not operate properly in
the event of a collision, which may
increase the risk of injury.
1-64