Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Child restraint systems
WARNING
Never let a passenger hold a child
on his or her lap while the vehicle is
moving. The passenger cannot pro-
tect the child from injury in a colli-
sion, because the child will be
caught between the passenger and
objects inside the vehicle. Addition-
ally, holding a child in your lap or
arms in the front seat exposes that
child to another serious danger.
Since the SRS airbag deploys with
considerable speed and force, the
child could be injured or even killed.
WARNING
Children should be properly re-
strained at all times. Never allow a
child to stand up, or to kneel on any
seat. Unrestrained children will be
thrown forward during sudden stop
or in an accident and can be injured
seriously.
Additionally, children standing up or
kneeling on or in front of the front
seat are exposed another serious
danger. Since the SRS airbag de-
ploys with considerable speed and
force, the child could be injured or
even killed.
&Where to place a child re-
straint system
The following descriptions are SUBARU ’s
recommendations on where to place a
child restraint system in your vehicle.
A: Front passenger ’s seat
You should not install a child restraint
system (including a booster seat) due to
the hazard to children posed by the
passenger ’s airbag.
B: Rear seat, window-side seating
positions
Recommended positions for all types of
child restraint systems.
In these positions, the following equip-
ment is provided for installing a child
restraint system.
1-28
.Automatic Locking Retractor/Emer-
gency Locking Retractor (ALR/ELR) seat-
belts
. Lower anchorages (bars)
. Upper anchorages (tether anchorages)
Some types of child restraints might not be
able to be secured firmly due to projection
of the seat cushion.
In this seating position, you should use
only a child restraint system that has a
bottom base that fits snugly against the
contours of the seat cushion and can be
securely retained using the seatbelt.
C: Rear seat, center seating position
The ALR/ELR seatbelt and an upper
anchorage (tether anchorage, if equipped)
are provided in this position.
Some types of child restraints might not be
able to be secured firmly due to projection
of the seat cushion.
In this seating position, you should use
only a child restraint system that has a
bottom base that fits snugly against the
contours of the seat cushion and can be
securely retained using the seatbelt.
When you install a child restraint system in
the rear seat ’s center seating position,
raise the center head restraint.
Lower anchorages (bars) for window-side
seating positions may be used for a seat in the center seating position if a child
restraint system manufacturer
’s instruc-
tions permit and specify using anchors as
far apart as those in this vehicle.
If a child restraint system is not correctly
fixed in place (for example, if a child
restraint system can be moved more than
1 inch (2.5 cm) from side to side), you
should install the child restraint system in
a rear seat, window-side seating position.
WARNING
. Even with advanced airbags, chil-
dren can be seriously injured by
the airbag. Put children in the
rear seat properly restrained at
all times. The SRS airbag de-
ploys with 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.
For that reason, be sure to se-
cure ALL types of child restraint
devices (including forward facing
child seats) in the REAR seats at
all times. You should choose a
restraint device which is appro- priate for the child
’s age, height
and weight. According to acci-
dent statistics, children are safer
when properly restrained in the
rear seating positions than in the
front seating positions.
. Do not use lower anchorages
(bars) for a seat in the center
seating position unless a child
restraint system manufacturer ’s
instructions permit and specify
using anchors spaced as far
apart as those in this vehicle.
. Do not connect two or more
lower hooks onto the same an-
chorage (bar).
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Child restraint systems
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CAUTION
Store the head restraint that has
been removed in the trunk or cargo
area. Avoid placing the head re-
straint in the passenger compart-
ment to prevent it from being thrown
around in the passenger compart-
ment in a sudden stop or a sharp
turn.
3. For the Outback, adjust the seatback
to the upright position.
4. Place the child restraint system in the
rear seating position.
WARNING
When you intend to install a child
restraint system on the rear center
seating position, if the child restraint
system does not fit snugly against
the contours of the rear center seat
cushion, install the child restraint
system on the window-side seating
position to be safe. For details, refer
to “Where to place a child restraint
system ”F 1-28.
5. Run the lap and shoulder belt through
or around the child restraint system
following the instructions provided by its
manufacturer.
6. Insert the tongue plate into the buckle
until you hear a click.
7. Take up the slack in the lap belt.
8. Pull out the seatbelt fully from the
retractor to change the retractor over from
the Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR)
to the Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR)
function. Then, allow the belt to rewind
into the retractor. As the belt is rewinding,
clicks will be heard which indicate the
retractor functions as ALR.
9. Before seating a child in the child
restraint system, try to move it back and
forth and left and right to verify that it is
firmly secured in the center of the seat.
Sometimes a child restraint can be more
firmly secured by pushing it down into the
seat cushion and then tightening the
seatbelt.
10. Pull at the shoulder portion of the belt
to confirm that it cannot be pulled out (ALR
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Child restraint systems
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the rear seat window-side seating posi-
tions. For each window-side seating posi-
tion, two lower anchorages are provided.
Each lower anchorage is located behind
the cover of seatback bottom.
Legacy
Outback
1) For left seat
2) For center seat
3) For right seat
The tether anchorages (upper an-
chorages) are provided for all the seating
positions (center and both window-sideones) of the rear seat.
You will find marks
“”at the rear seat
cushion. These marks indicate the posi-
tions of the lower anchorages (bars).
Each lower anchorage is located behind
the cover of seatback bottom.
CAUTION
When you install a child restraint
system, follow the manufacturer ’s
instructions supplied with it. After
installing the child restraint system,
check to ensure that it is held
securely in position. If it is not held
tight and secure, the danger of your
child suffering personal injury in the
event of an accident may be in-
creased.
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Child restraint systems
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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Child restraint systems
installed on the back side of the rear
seatback.
!To hook the top tether
CAUTION
Always raise the head restraint
when mounting a child restraint
system with a top tether. Failure to
do so may prevent the top tether
from being fastened tightly. !
Legacy
1) When installing on the window-side
seating position
2) When installing on the rear center seat- ing position
1. Raise the head restraint at the seating
position where the child restraint system is
to be installed with the seatbelt or lower
anchorages.
2. Open the cover flaps to use the
anchorages.
3. Pass the top tether between the head
restraint and seatback.
4. Fasten the top tether hook of the child
restraint system to the appropriate upper
1-40
anchorage.
5. Tighten the top tether securely.!Outback
1) When installing on the window-side
seating position
2) When installing on the rear center seat- ing position
1. Raise the head restraint at the seating
position where the child restraint system is
to be installed with the seatbelt or lower
anchorages.
2. Adjust the seatback to the upright
position.
3. Pass the top tether between the head
restraint and seatback.
4. Attach the top tether hook to the
appropriate upper anchorage.
5. Tighten the top tether securely.
*SRS airbag (Supplemental
Restraint System airbag)
*SRS: This stands for Supplemental Re-
straint System. This name is used be-
cause the airbag system supplements the
vehicle ’s seatbelts.
Your vehicle is equipped with a supple-
mental restraint system in addition to a
lap/shoulder belt at each front seating
position and each rear window-side seat-
ing position. The supplemental restraint
system (SRS) consists of the following
airbags.
. Driver ’s and front passenger ’s frontal
airbags
. Driver ’s and front passenger ’s side
airbags
. Driver ’s and front passenger ’s seat
cushion airbags
. Curtain airbags (for driver, front pas-
senger, and window-side rear passen-
gers)
These SRS airbags are designed only
to be a supplement to the primary
protection provided by the seatbelt.
The system also controls front seatbelt
pretensioners. For operation instructions
and precautions concerning the seatbelt
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/*SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint System airbag)
–CONTINUED –1-41
airbag deployment may cause
injuries if your head or other
parts of the body are too close
to the SRS side airbag.
. Since your vehicle is equipped
with SRS curtain airbags, do not
sit or lean unnecessarily close to
the front or rear door on either
side. Also, do not put your head,
arms or hands out of the window.
The SRS curtain airbags on both
sides of the cabin are stored in
the roof side (between the front
pillar and a point over the rear
seat), and they provide protec-
tion by deploying rapidly (faster
than the blink of an eye) in the
event of a side impact, a rollover
or also a frontal collision depend-
ing on circumstances. However,
the force of its deployment may
cause injuries if your head is too
close to it.
. Do not sit or lean unnecessarily
close to the SRS airbag. Because
the SRS airbag deploys with
considerable speed (faster than
the blink of an eye) and force to
protect in high speed collisions,
the force of an airbag can injure
an occupant whose body is too
close to SRS airbag. It is also important to wear your
seatbelt to help avoid injuries
that can result when the SRS
airbag contacts an occupant not
in proper position such as one
thrown forward during pre-acci-
dent braking.
Even when properly positioned,
there remains a possibility that
an occupant may suffer minor
injury such as abrasions and
bruises to the face or arms
because of the SRS airbag de-
ployment force.
WARNING
.
Do not rest your arm on either front door or its internal trim. You
could be injured in the event of
SRS side airbag deployment.
. Do not place any objects over or
near the SRS airbag cover or
between you and the SRS airbag.
If the SRS airbag deploys, these
objects could interfere with its
proper operation and could be
propelled inside the vehicle,
causing injury.
WARNING
Do not put any objects over the
steering wheel pad and dashboard.
If the SRS frontal airbag deploys,
these objects could interfere with its
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/*SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint System airbag)
–CONTINUED –1-43
seat facing the side window
– Wrap his/her arms around the
front seat seatback
– Put his/her head, arms or
other parts of the body out of
the window
In the event of an accident, the force of SRS side airbag and/or
SRS curtain airbag deployment
could injure the child seriously
because his/her head, arms or
other parts of the body are too
close to the SRS side airbag and/
or SRS curtain airbag.
. Since your vehicle is also
equipped with a front passen-
ger ’s SRS frontal airbag, children
should be placed in the rear seat
anyway and should be properly
restrained at all times.
CAUTION
. When the SRS airbag deploys,
some smoke will be released.
This smoke could cause breath-
ing problems for people with a
history of asthma or other
breathing trouble. If you or your
passengers have breathing pro-
blems after SRS airbag deploys, get fresh air promptly.
. A deploying SRS airbag releases
hot gas. Occupants could get
burned if they come into direct
contact with the hot gas.
NOTE
. When you sell your vehicle, we urge
you to explain to the buyer that it is
equipped with SRS airbags by alerting
the buyer to the applicable section in
this Owner ’s Manual.
. If the SRS airbag deploys, fuel
supply will be cut off to reduce the risk
of fire caused by leaking fuel. For
details about restarting of the engine,
refer to “If your vehicle is involved in
an accident ”F 9-22.
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/*SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint System airbag)
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