
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

General information
&California proposition 65
warning
WARNING
Engine exhaust, some of its consti-
tuents, and certain vehicle compo-
nents contain or emit chemicals
known to the State of California to
cause cancer and birth defects or
other reproductive harm. In addi-
tion, certain fluids in vehicles and
certain components of product wear
contain or emit chemicals known to
the State of California to cause
cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm.
&California Perchlorate Advi-
sory
Certain vehicle components such as air-
bag modules, seatbelt pretensioners and
keyless entry transmitter batteries may
contain perchlorate material. Special
handling may apply for service or vehicle
end of life disposal. See www.dtsc.ca.gov/
hazardouswaste/perchlorate.
&Noise from under the vehicle
NOTE
You may hear a noise from under the
vehicle approximately 5 to 10 hours
after the ignition switch is turned to the
“LOCK”/“OFF”position. However, this
does not indicate a malfunction. This
noise is caused by the operation of the
fuel evaporation leakage checking sys-
tem and the operation is normal. The
noise will stop after approximately 15
minutes.
&Event data recorder
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 passen-
ger safety belts were buckled/fastened;
.Howfar(ifatall)thedriverwasdepressing the accelerator 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 ac-
quired during a crash investigation.
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 informa-
tion if they have access to the vehicle or
the EDR.
9

Keys and doors/Rear gate
&Open/close
To open:
First unlock the rear gate lock then push
the rear gate opener button.
To close:
Lower the rear gate slowly and push downfirmly until the latch engages.
The rear gate can be lowered easily if you
pull it down holding the recessed grip.
WARNING
.To prevent dangerous exhaust
gas from entering the vehicle,
always keep the rear gate closed
while driving.
.Do not attempt to shut the rear
gate while holding the recessed
grip. Also avoid closing the rear
gate by pulling on the recessed
grip from inside the cargo space.
There is a danger of your hand
being caught and injured.
CAUTION
.Do not jam a plastic bag in or
place cellophane tape on the rear
gate stays or scratch the stays
while loading or unloading cargo.
That could cause leakage of gas
from the stays, which may result
in their inability to hold the rear
gate open.
.Be careful not to hit your head or
face on the rear gate when open-
ing or closing the rear gate andwhen loading or unloading car-
go.
NOTE
If the rear gate cannot be unlocked due
to a discharged vehicle battery, a
malfunction in the door locking/unlock-
ing system or other causes, you can
unlock it by manually operating the
rear gate lock release lever. For the
procedure, refer to“Rear gate–if the
rear gate cannot be opened”F9-18.
2-38

Fuel
CAUTION
Use of a fuel which is low in quality
or use of an inappropriate fuel
additive may cause damage to the
engine and/or fuel system.
&Fuel requirements
The engine is designed to operate using
unleaded gasolinewith an octane rating
of87 AKI (90 RON) or higher.
!Fuel octane rating
Using a gasoline with a lower octane
rating can cause persistent and heavy
knocking, which can damage the engine.
Do not be concerned if your vehicle
sometimes knocks lightly when you drive
up a hill or when you accelerate. Contact
your SUBARU dealer if you use a fuel with
the specified octane rating and your
vehicle knocks heavily or persistently.
!RON
This octane rating is the Research Octane
Number.!AKI
This octane rating is the average of the
Research Octane and Motor Octane
numbers and is commonly referred to as
the Anti Knock Index (AKI).
!Unleaded gasoline
The neck of the fuel filler pipe is designed
to accept only an unleaded gasoline filler
nozzle. Under no circumstances should
leaded gasoline be used because it will
damage the emission control system and
may impair driveability and fuel economy.
!Gasoline for California-certified
LEV
If your vehicle was certified to California’s
low emission vehicle (LEV) standards as
indicated on the underhood tune-up label,
it is designed to optimize engine and
emission performance with gasoline that
meets the clean burning low-sulfur Cali-
fornia gasoline specifications. If you live in
any other state than California, your
vehicle will operate on gasoline meeting
Federal specifications. Gasoline sold out-
side California is permitted to have higher
sulfur levels, which may affect the perfor-
mance of your vehicle’s catalytic converter
and may produce a sulfur exhaust odor or
smell. SUBARU recommends that you try
a different brand of unleaded gasoline
having lower sulfur to determine if theproblem is fuel related before returning
your vehicle to an authorized dealer for
service.
!MMT
Some gasoline contains an octane-en-
hancing additive called MMT (Methylcy-
clopentadienyl Manganese Tricarbonyl). If
you use such fuels, your emission control
system performance may deteriorate and
the CHECK ENGINE warning light/Mal-
function indicator light may turn on. If this
happens, return to your authorized
SUBARU Dealer for service. If it is
determined that the condition is caused
by the type of fuel used, repairs may not
be covered by your warranty.
!Gasoline for cleaner air
Your use of gasoline with detergent
additives will help prevent deposits from
forming in your engine and fuel system.
This helps keep your engine in tune and
your emission control system working
properly, and is a way of doing your part
for cleaner air. If you continuously use a
high quality fuel with the proper detergent
and other additives, you should never
need to add any fuel system cleaning
agents to your fuel tank.
Many gasolines are now blended with
materials called oxygenates. Use of these
fuels can also help keep the air cleaner.
Starting and operating/Fuel
–CONTINUED–7-3

Starting and stopping the
engine (models without
push-button start system)
&General precautions when
starting/stopping engine
WARNING
.Never start the engine from out-
side the vehicle (except when
using the remote engine start
system). It may result in an
accident.
.Do not leave the engine running
in locations with poor ventilation,
such as a garage and indoors.
The exhaust gas may enter the
vehicle or indoors, and it may
result in carbon monoxide poi-
soning.
.Do not start the engine near dry
foliage, paper, or other flam-
mable substances. The exhaust
pipe and exhaust emissions can
create a fire hazard at high
temperatures.
CAUTION
.If the engine is stopped during
driving, the catalyst may over-
heat and burn.
.When starting the engine, be sure
to sit in the driver’s seat (except
when using the remote engine
start system).
NOTE
.Avoid rapid racing and rapid accel-
eration immediately after the engine
has started.
.For a short time after the engine has
started, the engine speed is kept high.
When the warm-up is completed, the
engine speed lowers automatically.
.On rare occasions, it may be difficult
to start the engine depending on the
fuel and the usage condition (repeated
driving of a distance in which the
engine has not warmed up sufficiently).
In such a case, it is recommended that
you change to a different brand of fuel.
.On rare occasions, transient knock-
ing may be heard from the engine when
the accelerator is operated rapidly
such as a rapid start-up and a rapid
acceleration. This is not a malfunction.
.The engine starts more easily whenthe headlights, air conditioner and rear
window defogger are turned off.
&Starting engine
CAUTION
Do not operate the starter motor
continuously for more than 10 sec-
onds. If the engine fails to start after
operating the starter for 5 to 10
seconds, wait for 10 seconds or
more before trying again.
NOTE
It may be difficult to start the engine
when the battery has been discon-
nected and reconnected (for mainte-
nance or other purposes). This diffi-
culty is caused by the electronically
controlled throttle’s self-diagnosis
function. To overcome it, keep the
ignition switch in the“ON”position
for approximately 10 seconds before
starting the engine.
Starting and operating/Starting and stopping the engine (models without push–button start system)
–CONTINUED–7-9

Driving tips/New vehicle break–in driving–the first 1,000 miles (1,600 km)
New vehicle break-in driving
–the first 1,000 miles (1,600
km)
The performance and long life of your
vehicle are dependent on how you handle
and care for your vehicle while it is new.
Follow these instructions during the first
1,000 miles (1,600 km):
.Do not race the engine. And do not
allow engine speed to exceed 4,000 rpm
except in an emergency.
.Do not drive at one constant engine or
vehicle speed for a long time, either fast or
slow.
.Avoid starting suddenly and rapid
acceleration, except in an emergency.
.Avoid hard braking, except in an
emergency.
The same break-in procedures should be
applied to an overhauled engine, newly
mounted engine or when brake pads or
brake linings are replaced with new ones.
Fuel economy hints
The following suggestions will help to save
fuel.
.Select the proper gear position for the
speed and road conditions.
.Avoid sudden acceleration or decelera-
tion. Always accelerate gently until you
reach the desired speed. Then try to
maintain that speed for as long as
possible.
.Do not pump the accelerator and avoid
racing the engine.
.Avoid unnecessary engine idling.
.Keep the engine properly tuned.
.Keep the tires inflated to the correct
pressure shown on the tire placard, which
is located under the door latch on the
driver’s side. Low pressure will increase
tire wear and fuel consumption.
.Use the air conditioner only when
necessary.
.Keep the front and rear wheels in
proper alignment.
.Avoid carrying unnecessary luggage or
cargo.
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
8-2

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.
NOTE
Due to the expansion and contraction
of the metals used in the manufacture
of the exhaust system, you may hear a
crackling sound coming from the ex-
haust system for a short time after the
engine has been shut off. This sound is
normal.
Catalytic converter
The catalytic converter is installed in the
exhaust system. It serves as a catalyst to
reduce HC, CO and NOx in exhaust
gases, thus providing cleaner exhaust.
To avoid damage to the catalytic conver-
ter:
.Use only unleaded fuel. Even a small
amount of leaded fuel will damage the
catalytic converter.
.Never start the engine by pushing or
pulling the vehicle.
.Avoid racing the engine.
.Never turn the ignition switch to the
“OFF”position while the vehicle is moving.
.Keep your engine tuned-up. If you feel
the engine running rough (misfiring, back-firing or incomplete combustion), have
your vehicle checked and repaired by an
authorized SUBARU dealer.
.Do not apply undercoating or rust
prevention treatment to the heat shield of
catalytic converter and the exhaust sys-
tem.
.Do not drive with an extremely low fuel
level.
WARNING
.Avoid fire hazards. Do not drive
or park the vehicle anywhere
near flammable materials (e.g.,
grass, paper, rags or leaves),
because the catalytic converter
operates at very high tempera-
tures.
.Keep everyone and flammable
materials away from the exhaust
pipe while the engine is running.
The exhaust gas is very hot.
Driving tips/Catalytic converter8-3

wheel and injure your hands. Instead,
drive with your fingers and thumbs on
the outside of the rim.
.Do not drive or park over or near
flammable materials such as dry grass or
fallen leaves, as they may burn easily. The
exhaust system is very hot while the
engine is running and right after the
engine stops. This could create a fire
hazard.
Precautions when driving under espe-
cially dangerous situations:
.If driving through water, such as when
crossing shallow streams:
–First, check the depth of the water
and the bottom of the stream bed for
firmness.
–Next, ensure that the bed of the
stream is flat.
–Then, drive slowly and completely
through the stream. The water should
be shallow enough that it does not
reach the vehicle’s undercarriage.
.Water entering the engine air intake or
the exhaust pipe or water splashing onto
electrical parts may damage your vehicle
and may cause it to stall. Never drive
through rushing water. Regardless of its
depth, it can wash away the ground from
under your tires, resulting in possible loss
of traction and even vehicle rollover..If you must rock the vehicle to free it
from sand or mud, depress the accelerator
pedal slightly and move the shift lever/
select lever back and forth between“1”/
“D”and“R”repeatedly. Do not race the
engine. For the best possible traction,
avoid spinning the wheels when trying to
free the vehicle.
.When the road surface is extremely
slippery, you can obtain better traction by
starting the vehicle with the transmission
in 2nd than 1st (both for MT and CVT). For
CVT models, refer to“Selection of manual
mode”F7-26.
&After driving
.Always check your brakes for effec-
tiveness immediately after driving in sand,
mud or water. Do this by driving slowly
and stepping on the brake pedal. Repeat
that process several times to dry out the
brake discs and brake pads.
.After driving through tall grass, mud,
rocks, sand, rivers, etc., check that there
is no grass, bush, paper, rags, stones,
sand, etc. adhering to or trapped on the
underbody. Clear off any such matter from
the underbody. If the vehicle is used with
these materials trapped or adhering to the
underbody, a mechanical breakdown or
fire could occur.
.Wash the vehicle’s underbody after off-road driving. Suspension components are
particularly prone to dirt buildup, so they
need to be washed thoroughly.
Driving tips/Off road driving8-7