2017 SUBARU FORESTER etc

&On-road and off-road driving
This vehicle is classified as a utility
vehicle. Utility vehicles have a significantly
higher rollover rate than other types of
vehicles. Your vehicle has a higher ground
clearance and higher center of gravity,
making it more likely to roll over than
ordinary passenger cars. It also handles
and maneuvers differently from other
passenger cars. For this reason, please
read carefully the following section and
follow the instructions and precautions in
order to prevent serious injury or death
due to loss of control, rollover and other
accidents. Refer to “On-road and off-road
driving ”F 8-6.
& Attaching accessories
WARNING
. Do not attach any accessories,
labels or stickers (other than
properly placed inspection stick-
ers) to the windshield. Such
items may obstruct your view.
. If it is necessary to attach an
accessory (such as an electronic
toll collection (ETC) device or
security pass) to the windshield,
consult your SUBARU dealer for
details on the proper location.
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.
8

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Rear seats
1) Securing hook
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
accident because the operation effi-
ciency of the seatbelt is inhibited.
.
Be careful to prevent the seatbelt
from running off the belt guide.
. The seatbelt should not be
caught in the seatback and it
should be fully visible.
. The seatbelt should not pass
behind the securing hook for
the seatback.
CAUTION
. Do not hang luggage etc. on the
securing hook. The possibility
exists that the seatback may not
be able to be fixed firmly in place.
This could lead to unexpected
accidents.
. While driving, if something hits
the release latch, it is possible
that the seatback will fold down.
Be careful that no luggage etc.
hits the latch.
1. Lower the head restraint of the rear
center seating position.
Release knob
Release latch on both sides of the cargo
area (if equipped)
2. Unlock the seatback by pulling the lock
release knob or release latch (if equipped)
and then fold the seatback down.
1-14

der the center 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 not
operate, 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) ”F 1-37).
Children could be endangered in an
accident if their child restraints are not
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Child restraint systems
–CONTINUED –1-29

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/*SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint System airbag)
back and seat cushion.
. Do not spill liquid on the front
passenger ’s seat. If liquid is
spilled, wipe it off immediately.
. Do not remove or disassemble
the front passenger ’s seat.
. Do not install any accessory
(such as an audio amplifier) other
than a genuine SUBARU acces-
sory under the front passenger ’s
seat.
. Do not place anything (shoes,
umbrella, etc.) under the front
passenger ’s seat.
. Do not use the front passenger ’s
seat with the head restraint re-
moved.
. Do not leave any articles on the
front passenger ’s seat or the
seatbelt tongue and buckle en-
gaged when you leave your ve-
hicle.
. Do not put sharp object(s) on the
seat or pierce the seat uphols-
tery.
. Do not place a magnet near the
seatbelt buckle and the seatbelt
retractor.
. Do not use front seats with their
backward-forward position and seatback not being locked into
place securely. If any of them are
not locked securely, adjust them
again. For adjusting procedure,
refer to
“Manual seat ”F1-4
(models equipped with manual
seats only).
If the seatbelt buckle switch and/or front
passenger ’s occupant detection system
have failed, the SRS airbag system
warning light will illuminate. Have the
system inspected by your SUBARU deal-
er immediately if the SRS airbag system
warning light illuminates.
If your vehicle has sustained impact, this
may affect the proper function of the
SUBARU advanced frontal airbag system.
Have your vehicle inspected at your
SUBARU dealer. Do not use the front
passenger ’s seat while driving the vehicle
to your SUBARU dealer.
! Passenger ’s frontal airbag ON and
OFF indicators
Refer to “Front passenger ’s frontal airbag
ON and OFF indicators ”F 3-16.
! Occupant detection system
The occupant detection system sensor is
installed under the seat upholstery and
monitors the physique and posture of the
front passenger. Using this information, the occupant detection system determines
whether the front passenger
’s SRS frontal
airbag should be deployed or not.
If the front passenger ’s seat cushion is
wet, this may adversely affect the ability of
the system to determine deployment. If
the seat cushion is wet, the front passen-
ger should stop sitting on the front
passenger ’s seat. Wipe off liquid from
the seat immediately, let the seat dry
naturally and then check that the front
passenger ’s frontal airbag ON and OFF
indicators

work properly.
ON /: Front passenger ’s frontal airbag ON
indicator
/: Front passenger ’s frontal airbag OFF
indicator
If the front passenger ’s frontal airbag ON
1-52

are placed on the seat.!If the passenger ’s frontal airbag
OFF indicator illuminates and
the ON indicator turns off even
when the front passenger ’s seat
is occupied by an adult
This can be caused by the adult incor-
rectly sitting in the front passenger ’s seat.
1. Turn the ignition switch to the “LOCK”/
“OFF ”position.
2. Ask the front passenger to set the
seatback to the upright position, sit up
straight in the center of the seat cushion,
correctly fasten the seatbelt, position his/
her legs out forward, and adjust the seat to
the rearmost position.
3. Turn the ignition switch to the “ON”
position.
If the OFF indicator remains illuminated
while the ON indicator remains off, take
the following actions.
1. Turn the ignition switch to the “LOCK”/
“OFF ”position.
2. Make sure that the front passenger
does not use a blanket, seat cushion, seat
cover, seat heater or massager, etc.
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. of Columbia>
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
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/*SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint System airbag)
–CONTINUED –1-55

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/*SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint System airbag)
&Precautions against vehicle
modification
WARNING
To avoid accidental activation of the
system or rendering the system
inoperative, which may result in
serious injury, no modifications
should be made to any components
or wiring of the SRS airbag system.
This includes following modifica-
tions.
. Installation of custom steering
wheels
. Attachment of additional trim
materials to the dashboard
. Installation of custom seats
. Replacement of seat fabric or
leather
. Installation of additional fabric or
leather on the front seat
. Attachment of a hands-free mi-
crophone or any other accessory
to a front pillar, a center pillar, a
rear pillar, the windshield, a side
window, an assist grip, or any
other cabin surface that would be
near a deploying SRS curtain
airbag. .
Installation of additional electri-
cal/electronic equipment such as
a mobile two-way radio on or
near the SRS airbag system
components and/or wiring is not
advisable. This could interfere
with proper operation of the
SRS airbag system.
CAUTION
Do not perform any of the following
modifications. Such modifications
can interfere with proper operation
of the SRS airbag system.
. 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.
. Attachment of any equipment
(side steps or side sill protectors, etc.) other than genuine SUBARU
accessory parts to the side body.
Always consult your SUBARU dealer if
you want to install any accessory parts on
your vehicle.
1-72

Keys and doors/Rear gate
from approximately 12 in (30 cm) or
more from the completely closed posi-
tion.
.Before closing the rear gate in step
4, it is possible to register the height
many times through step 3. Therefore,
the registered height can easily be fine-
tuned.
Retrieval of the rear gate height:
To open the rear gate and stop it at the
registered height, perform the following
procedure.
1. Press the memory switch to select the
ON status.
2. Press and hold any of the power rear
gate switches.
Even if any of the power rear gate
switches are pressed and held while the
memory switch is in the OFF status, you
can stop it at the registered height by
pressing the memory switch to select the
ON status before the rear gate reaches
the registered height.
NOTE
. The rear gate will open to the
position that is stored in the memory
function even if the rear gate is opened
by the reverse function.
. If the rear gate is opened manually
while the memory function is activated, you cannot close it by pressing the
power rear gate button on the rear gate.
To close it, press the other power rear
gate button or close it manually.
!
Reverse function
WARNING
.Do not let parts of your body be
caught intentionally to operate
the reverse function. If the re-
verse function does not operate
for some reason, this may lead to
serious injury or accidents.
. The reverse function may not
operate if foreign objects are
caught in the rear gate just
before it closes completely. Be
careful not to catch your fingers
and other body parts.
. The reverse function may not
operate depending on the object
shape and the manner in which it
was caught. Be careful not to
catch your fingers and other
body parts.
CAUTION
. If the reverse function is operated
3 times consecutively, automatic
opening and closing of the power
rear gate function will be can-
celed and the rear gate can be
opened and closed normally.
Whether the rear gate opens or
closes depends on the rear gate
height when automatic operation
is ceased. Be careful that the rear
gate does not hit anyone ’s head
or face, etc. and that fingers and
baggage, etc. are not caught in it.
. Take care not to damage the
touch sensors. Otherwise, the
reverse function may cease to
operate.
If, while opening or closing using power
rear gate, the rear gate catches persons
or baggage or hits an obstacle, an
electronic chirp will sound 3 times and
the rear gate will operate as follows.
When opening the rear gate: The rear
gate will automatically close.
When closing the rear gate: The rear
gate will automatically open.
2-44

1) Touch sensor
Touch sensors are attached on the left
and right edges of the rear gate. If the
touch sensors detect fingers, baggage,
etc. while closing by the power rear gate
function, an electronic chirp will sounds 3
times and the rear gate will open auto-
matically.
NOTE
When the rear gate is opened using the
reverse function, it will be opened fully
or to the height registered in the
memory function.!
Rear gate drop prevention function
If, while fully opened via the power rear
gate function, the rear gate is lowered by
the weight of snow and such, an electronic
chirp will sound and the rear gate will
close automatically.
NOTE
. If there is snow on the rear gate,
only use the power rear gate function
after removing the snow.
. If you close the rear gate manually
just after the rear gate is fully opened
using the power rear gate function, the
rear gate drop prevention function will
operate to close the rear gate automa-
tically. In this case, this is not a
malfunction.
Moonroof (if equipped)
WARNING
Never let anyone ’shands,arms,
head or any objects protrude from
the moonroof. A person could be
seriously injured if any of the follow-
ing conditions occur.
. The vehicle stops suddenly.
. The vehicle turns sharply.
. The vehicle is involved in an
accident.
. Body parts protruding from the
vehicle are struck by outside
objects.
To avoid serious personal injury
caused by entrapment, always con-
form to the following instructions
without exception.
. Before closing the moonroof,
make sure that no one ’s hands,
arms, head or other objects will
be accidentally caught in the
moonroof.
. Always carry the key when you
leave the vehicle for safety rea-
sons and never allow an unat-
tended child to remain in the
Keys and doors/Moonroof
–CONTINUED –2-45