GENERAL INFORMATION
See the following sections for directions
on how to properly use safety restraints
for children.
WARNING: Always make sure your
child is secured properly in a device that is
appropriate for their height, age and
weight. Child safety restraints must be
bought separately from your vehicle.
Failure to follow these instructions and
guidelines may result in an increased risk
of serious injury or death to your child. WARNING:
All children are shaped
differently. The National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration and other safety
organizations, base their recommendations
for child restraints on probable child height,
age and weight thresholds, or on the
minimum requirements of the law. We
recommend that you check with a NHTSA
Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST) to make sure that you
properly install the child restraint in your
vehicle and that you consult your
pediatrician to make sure you have a child
restraint appropriate for your child. To
locate a child restraint fitting station and
CPST, contact NHTSA toll free at
1-888-327-4236 or go to
www.nhtsa.dot.gov. In Canada, contact
Transport Canada toll free at
1-800-333-0371 or go to www.tc.gc.ca to
find a Child Car Seat Clinic in your area.
Failure to properly restrain children in child
restraints made especially for their height,
age and weight, may result in an increased
risk of serious injury or death to your child.
WARNING: On hot days, the
temperature inside the vehicle can rise very
quickly. Exposure of people or animals to
these high temperatures for even a short
time can cause death or serious heat
related injuries, including brain damage.
Small children are particularly at risk.
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Use a child safety restraint (sometimes
called an infant carrier, convertible seat,
or toddler seat) for infants, toddlers, or
children weighing 40 lb (18 kg) or less
(generally age four or younger).
Using Lap and Shoulder Belts WARNING:
Do not place a rearward
facing child restraint in front of an active
airbag. Failure to follow this instruction
could result in personal injury or death. WARNING:
Properly secure children
12 years old and under in a rear seating
position whenever possible. If you are
unable to properly secure all children in a
rear seating position, properly secure the
largest child on the front seat. If you must
use a forward facing child restraint on the
front seat, move the seat as far back as
possible. Failure to follow these
instructions could result in personal injury
or death. WARNING: Depending on where you
secure a child restraint, and depending on
the child restraint design, you may block
access to certain seatbelt buckle
assemblies and LATCH lower anchors,
rendering those features potentially
unusable. To avoid risk of injury, make sure
occupants only use seating positions
where they are able to be properly
restrained.
When installing a child safety restraint with
combination lap and shoulder belts:
• Use the correct seatbelt buckle for that
seating position.
• Insert the belt tongue into the correct
buckle until you hear a distinct click
and feel it latch. Make sure the tongue
is securely fastened in the buckle. •
Keep the buckle release button
pointing up and away from the safety
restraint, with the tongue between the
child restraint and the release button,
to prevent accidental unbuckling.
• Place the vehicle seat upon which the
child restraint will be installed in the
upright position.
• Put the seatbelt in the automatic
locking mode. See Step 5. Your vehicle
does not require the use of a locking
clip.
Perform the following steps when
installing the child restraint with
combination lap and shoulder belts:
Note: Although the child restraint
illustrated is a forward facing child restraint,
the steps are the same for installing a
rearward facing child restraint. 1. Position the child safety restraint in a
seat with a combination lap and
shoulder belt.
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7. Try to pull the belt out of the retractor
to make sure the retractor is in the
automatic locking mode (you should
not be able to pull more belt out). If the
retractor is not locked, unbuckle the
belt and repeat Steps 5 and 6. 8.
Remove remaining slack from the belt.
Force the seat down with extra weight,
for example, by pressing down or
kneeling on the child restraint while
pulling up on the shoulder belt. This is
necessary to remove the remaining
slack that exists once the extra weight
of the child is added to the child
restraint. It also helps to achieve the
correct snugness of the child restraint
to your vehicle. Sometimes, a slight
lean toward the buckle helps to remove
remaining slack from the belt.
9. Attach the tether strap (if the child restraint is equipped). 10. Before placing the child in the seat,
forcibly move the seat forward and
back to make sure the seat is securely
held in place. To check this, grab the
seat at the belt path and attempt to
move it side to side and forward and
back. There should be no more than
1 in (2.5 cm) of movement for correct
installation.
We recommend checking with a NHTSA
Certified Child Passenger Safety
Technician to make certain the child
restraint is correctly installed. In Canada,
check with Transport Canada for referral
to a Child Car Seat Clinic.
Using Lower Anchors and Tethers
for Children (LATCH) WARNING: Do not attach two child
safety restraints to the same anchor. In a
crash, one anchor may not be strong
enough to hold two child safety restraint
attachments and may break, causing
serious injury or death. WARNING: Depending on where you
secure a child restraint, and depending on
the child restraint design, you may block
access to certain seatbelt buckle
assemblies and LATCH lower anchors,
rendering those features potentially
unusable. To avoid risk of injury, make sure
occupants only use seating positions
where they are able to be properly
restrained.
The LATCH system is composed of three
vehicle anchor points: two lower anchors
where the seat backrest and seat cushion
meet (called the seat bight) and one top
tether anchor behind that seating position.
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Your vehicle has LATCH lower anchors for
child restraint installation at the seating
positions marked with the child restraint
symbol.
Note:
In addition to those shown, other
seating positions may also have LATCH
lower anchor points. You can identify these
with the child restraint symbol shown on
those seating positions. The LATCH anchors are at the rear section
of the rear seat between the cushion and
seat backrest above the symbols as
shown. Follow the child restraint
manufacturer's instructions to correctly
install a child restraint with LATCH
attachments. Follow the instructions on
attaching child safety restraints with tether
straps.
Attach LATCH lower attachments of the
child restraint only to the anchors shown. Use of Inboard Lower Anchors from the
Outermost Seating Positions (Center
Seating Use) WARNING: The standardized
spacing for LATCH lower anchors is 11 in
(280 mm) center to center. Do not use
LATCH lower anchors for the center
seating position unless the child restraint
manufacturer's instructions permit and
specify using anchors spaced at least as
far apart as those in this vehicle.
Do not attach a child restraint to any lower
anchor if an adjacent child restraint is
attached to that anchor.
Each time you use the safety restraint,
check that the seat is correctly attached
to the lower anchors and tether anchor, if
applicable. Tug the child restraint from side
to side and forward and back where it is
secured to your vehicle. The seat should
move less than
1 in (2.5 cm) when you do
this for a correct installation.
If the safety restraint is not anchored
correctly, the risk of a child being injured in
a crash greatly increases.
Combining Seatbelt and LATCH Lower
Anchors for Attaching Child Safety
Restraints
When used in combination, either the
seatbelt or the LATCH lower anchors may
be attached first, provided a correct
installation is achieved. Attach the tether
strap afterward, if included with the child
restraint.
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2. Locate the correct anchor on the back
panel of the rear seat for the selected
seating position. The anchors are
labeled with the tether strap symbol
and are partially covered by the gap
panel. Pull the panel back to fully
expose the anchors.
3. Clip the tether strap to the anchor as shown.
4. Tighten the child safety restraint tether
strap according to the manufacturer's
instructions. If your child restraint
system has a tether strap, and the child
restraint manufacturer recommends
its use, we also recommend its use. BOOSTER SEATS WARNING: Do not put the shoulder
section of the seatbelt or allow the child
to put the shoulder section of the seatbelt
under their arm or behind their back. Failure
to follow this instruction could reduce the
effectiveness of the seatbelt and increase
the risk of injury or death in a crash.
Use a belt-positioning booster seat for
children who have outgrown or no longer
properly fit in a child safety restraint
(generally children who are less than
57 in
(1.45 m) tall, are greater than age 4 and
less than age 12, and between 40 lb (18 kg)
and
80 lb (36 kg) and upward to 100 lb
(45 kg) if recommended by your child
restraint manufacturer). Many state and
provincial laws require that children use
approved booster seats until they reach
age eight, a height of
57 in (1.45 m) tall, or
80 lb (36 kg).
Booster seats should be used until you can
answer YES to ALL of these questions
when seated without a booster seat: •
Can the child sit all the way back
against their vehicle seat backrest with
knees bent comfortably at the edge of
the seat cushion?
• Can the child sit without slouching?
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If the booster seat slides on the vehicle
seat upon which it is being used, placing a
rubberized mesh sold as shelf or carpet
liner under the booster seat may improve
this condition. Do not introduce any item
thicker than this under the booster seat.
Check with the booster seat
manufacturer's instructions.
CHILD RESTRAINT
POSITIONING
WARNING: Do not place a rearward
facing child restraint in front of an active
airbag. Failure to follow this instruction
could result in personal injury or death. WARNING:
Properly secure children
12 years old and under in a rear seating
position whenever possible. If you are
unable to properly secure all children in a
rear seating position, properly secure the
largest child on the front seat. If you must
use a forward facing child restraint on the
front seat, move the seat as far back as
possible. Failure to follow these
instructions could result in personal injury
or death. WARNING:
Always carefully follow
the instructions and warnings provided by
the manufacturer of any child restraint to
determine if the restraint device is
appropriate for your child's size, height,
weight, or age. Follow the child restraint
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manufacturer's instructions and warnings
provided for installation and use in
conjunction with the instructions and
warnings provided by your vehicle
manufacturer. A safety seat that is
improperly installed or utilized, is
inappropriate for your child's height, age,
or weight or does not properly fit the child
may increase the risk of serious injury or
death.
WARNING: Do not allow a
passenger to hold a child on their lap when
your vehicle is moving. Failure to follow this
instruction could result in personal injury
or death in the event of a sudden stop or
crash. WARNING:
Do not use pillows,
books or towels to boost your child's
height. Failure to follow this instruction
could result in personal injury or death. WARNING:
Properly secure child
restraints or booster seats when they are
not in use. They could become projectiles
in a sudden stop or crash. Failure to follow
this instruction could result in personal
injury or death. WARNING:
Do not put the shoulder
section of the seatbelt or allow the child
to put the shoulder section of the seatbelt
under their arm or behind their back. Failure
to follow this instruction could reduce the
effectiveness of the seatbelt and increase
the risk of injury or death in a crash. WARNING: Do not leave children or
pets unattended in your vehicle. Failure to
follow this instruction could result in
personal injury or death.
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Recommendations for Attaching Child Safety Restraints for Children
Use Any Attachment Method as Indicated Below by X
Combined Weight ofChild and Child
Restraint
Restraint
Type Seatbelt
Only
Seatbelt
and LATCH (Lower
Anchors and Top Tether
Anchor)
Seatbelt
and Top Tether
Anchor
LATCH
(Lower
Anchors Only)
LATCH
(Lower
Anchors and Top Tether
Anchor)
X
X
Up to 65 lb
(29.5 kg)
Rear facing
child
restraint
X
Over
65 lb
(29.5 kg)
Rear facing
child
restraint
X
X
X
Up to
65 lb
(29.5 kg)
Forward
facingchild
restraint
X
X
Over
65 lb
(29.5 kg)
Forward
facingchild
restraint
Note: The child restraint must rest tightly
against the vehicle seat upon which it is
installed. It may be necessary to lift or
remove the head restraint. See Seats (page
113
).
CHILD SAFETY LOCKS (If Equipped) WARNING:
You cannot open the
rear doors from inside if you have put the
child safety locks on. 37
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