Abbreviation Meaning
INT Intermittent
LATCHLower anchors and tethers for
children
LED Light emitting diode
MIL Malfunction indicator light
MMTMethylcyclopentadienyl man-
ganese tricarbonyl
MT Manual transmission
OBD On-board diagnostics
RON Research octane number
SRFSteering responsive fog lights
system
SRSSupplemental restraint sys-
tem
TIN Tire identification number
TPMSTire pressure monitoring sys-
temVehicle symbols
There are some of the symbols you may
see on your vehicle.
For warning and indicator lights, refer to
“Warning and indicator lights”F23.
Mark Name
WARNING
CAUTION
Read these instructions care-
fully
Wear eye protection
Battery fluid contains sulfuric
acid
Keep children away
Keep flames away
Prevent explosions
Safety precautions when
driving
&Seatbelt and SRS airbag
WARNING
.All persons in the vehicle should
fasten their seatbelts BEFORE
the vehicle starts to move. Other-
wise, the possibility of serious
injury becomes greater in the
event of a sudden stop or acci-
dent.
.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 (Supple-
mental Restraint System) airbag
does not do away with the need
to fasten seatbelts. In combina-
tion 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.
4
.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
&Warning and indicator lights
Mark Name Page
Seatbelt warning light 3-14
Front passenger’s
seatbelt warning light3-14
SRS airbag system
warning light3-15
/Front passenger’s
frontal airbag ON indi-
cator3-16
/Front passenger’s
frontal airbag OFF in-
dicator3-16
CHECK ENGINE
warning light/Malfunc-
tion indicator light3-16
Coolant temperature
low indicator light/
Coolant temperature
high warning light3-17
Charge warning light 3-18
Oil pressure warning
light3-18
Engine oil level warn-
ing light3-18Mark Name Page
AT OIL TEMP warning
light (CVT models)3-19
ABS warning light 3-21
Brake system warning
light3-21
Door open warning
light3-23
AWD warning light
(CVT models)3-23
Power steering warn-
ing light3-23
Hill start assist warn-
ing light/Hill start assist
OFF indicator light3-22
Vehicle Dynamics
Control warning light/
Vehicle Dynamics
Control operation indi-
cator light3-24
Vehicle Dynamics
Control OFF indicator
light3-25
Turn signal indicator
lights3-31Mark Name Page
High beam indicator
light3-31
Automatic headlight
beam leveler warning
light (if equipped)3-31
Front fog light indicator
light3-31
Access key warning
indicator (if equipped)3-25
Security indicator light 3-30
Headlight indicator
light3-32
Cruise control indica-
tor light (if equipped)3-31
Cruise control set in-
dicator light (if
equipped)3-31
Low fuel warning light 3-22
Low tire pressure
warning light
(U.S.-spec. models)3-19
Windshield washer
fluid warning light3-19
–CONTINUED–
23
Front seats........................................................... 1-2
Forward and backward adjustment...................... 1-3
Reclining the seatback........................................ 1-4
Seat height adjustment (driver’s seat).................. 1-4
Head restraint adjustment.................................... 1-5
Seat heater (if equipped).................................... 1-6Safety precautions.............................................. 1-6
Operation............................................................ 1-7
Rear seats............................................................ 1-7
Armrest (if equipped)........................................... 1-8
Head restraint adjustment.................................... 1-8
Folding down the rear seatback.......................... 1-10
Seatbelts............................................................. 1-11Seatbelt safety tips............................................. 1-11
Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR)................... 1-12
Automatic Locking Retractor/Emergency Locking
Retractor (ALR/ELR)......................................... 1-12
Seatbelt warning light and chime........................ 1-13
Fastening the seatbelt........................................ 1-13
Seatbelt maintenance......................................... 1-20
Front seatbelt pretensioners............................. 1-20Driver’s seatbelt................................................. 1-20
Front passenger’s seatbelt................................. 1-22System monitors............................................... 1-23
System servicing............................................... 1-23
Precautions against vehicle modification............ 1-24
Child restraint systems..................................... 1-24Where to place a child restraint system.............. 1-25
Choosing a child restraint system...................... 1-27
Installing child restraint systems with ALR/ELR
seatbelt........................................................... 1-27
Installing a booster seat..................................... 1-31
Installation of child restraint systems by use of
lower and tether anchorages (LATCH).............. 1-33
Top tether anchorages....................................... 1-36
*SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint
System airbag)................................................ 1-37
General precautions regarding SRS airbag
system............................................................ 1-38
Components...................................................... 1-44
SUBARU advanced frontal airbag system........... 1-46
SRS side airbag and SRS curtain airbag............. 1-56
SRS airbag system monitors.............................. 1-63
SRS airbag system servicing ............................. 1-65
Precautions against vehicle modification............ 1-66
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1
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/Front seats
&Reclining the seatback
Pull the reclining lever up and adjust the
seatback to the desired position. Then
release the lever and make sure the
seatback is securely locked into place.
The seatback placed in a reclined position
can spring back upward with force when
the lever is pulled. While operating the
lever to return the seatback, hold the
seatback lightly so that it may be raised
back gradually.WARNING
To prevent the passenger from slid-
ing under the seatbelt in the event of
a collision, always put the seatback
in the upright position while the
vehicle is in motion. Also, do not
place objects such as cushions
between the passenger and the
seatback. If you do so, 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.
&Seat height adjustment (dri-
ver’s seat)
1) When the lever is pushed down, the seat
is lowered.
2) When the lever is pulled up, the seat
rises.
The height of the seat can be adjusted by
moving the seat adjustment lever up and
down.
1-4
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Rear seats
When the rear-center seating position is
occupied, raise the head restraint to the
extended position. When the rear center
seating position is not occupied, lower the
head restraint to improve rearward visibi-
lity.
&Folding down the rear seat-
back
WARNING
.When you fold down the seat-
back, check that there are no
passengers or objects on the
rear seat. Not doing so creates
a risk of injury or property da-
mage if the seatback suddenly
folds down.
.Never allow passengers to ride
on the folded rear seatback or in
the cargo area. Doing so may
result in serious injury or death.
.Secure all objects and especially
long items properly to prevent
them from being thrown around
inside the vehicle and causing
serious injury during a sudden
stop, a sudden steering maneu-
ver or a rapid acceleration.Lock release knob
1) Unlocked
2) Locked
A) Unlocking marker in red
WARNING
When you return the seatback to its
original position, check that the
unlocking marker on the lock re-
lease knob is not visible. Also,
shake the seatback slightly to con-
firm that it is securely fixed in place.
If the seatback is not securely fixed
in place, the seatback may suddenly
fold down in the event of sudden
braking, or objects may move out
from the cargo area, which could
cause serious injury or death.
WARNING
When the seatback is returned to its
original position, observe the follow-
ing precautions. Failure to do so
may lead to serious injury or an
1-10
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Seatbelts
According to accident statistics,
children are safer when properly
restrained in the rear seating
positions than in the front seat-
ing positions. For instructions
and precautions concerning the
child restraint system, refer to
“Child restraint systems”F1-24.
Your vehicle is equipped with a crash
sensing and diagnostic module, which will
record the use of the seatbelt by the front
passenger when any of the SRS frontal,
side and curtain airbags deploy.
!Infants or small children
Use a child restraint system that is
suitable for your vehicle. Refer to“Child
restraint systems”F1-24.
!Children
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
seating positions. Never allow a child to
stand up or kneel on the seat.
If the shoulder portion of the belt crosses
the face or neck, move the child closer to
the belt buckle to help provide a goodshoulder belt fit. Care must be taken to
securely place the lap belt as low as
possible on the hips and not on the child’s
waist. If the shoulder portion of the belt
cannot be properly positioned, a child
restraint system should be used. Never
place the shoulder belt under the child’s
arm or behind the child’s back.
!Expectant mothers
Expectant mothers also need to use the
seatbelts. They should consult their doctor
for specific recommendations. The lap belt
should be worn securely and as low as
possible over the hips, not over the waist.
&Emergency Locking Retrac-
tor (ELR)
The driver’s seatbelt has an Emergency
Locking Retractor (ELR).
The emergency locking retractor allows
normal body movement but the retractor
locks automatically during a sudden stop,
impact or if you pull the belt very quickly
out of the retractor.
&Automatic Locking Retractor/
Emergency Locking Retrac-
tor (ALR/ELR)
Each passenger’s seatbelt has an Auto-
matic Locking Retractor/Emergency Lock-
ing Retractor (ALR/ELR). The Automatic
Locking Retractor/Emergency Locking
Retractor normally functions as an Emer-
gency Locking Retractor (ELR). The ALR/
ELR has an additional locking mode
“Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR)
mode”intended to secure a child restraint
system. When the seatbelt is once drawn
out completely and is then retracted even
slightly, the retractor locks the seatbelt in
that position and the seatbelt cannot be
extended. As the belt is rewinding, clicks
will be heard which indicate the retractor
functions as an ALR. When the seatbelt is
retracted fully, the ALR mode is released.
When securing a child restraint system on
1-12