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WARNING
.It is extremely dangerous to
ride in a cargo area inside
the vehicle. In a collision,
people riding in these areas
are more likely to be ser-
iously injured or killed.
.Do not allow people to ride
in any area of vehicle that is
not equipped with seats and
seat belts.
.Be sure everyone in your
vehicle is in a seat and using
a seat belt properly.
TERMS
It is important to familiarize your-
self with the following terms before
loading your vehicle:
. Curb Weight (actual weight of
your vehicle) - vehicle weight
including: standard equipment,
fluids, emergency tools, and
spare tire assembly. This weight
does not include passengers and cargo.
. GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight) -
curb weight plus the combined
weight of optional equipment,
passengers and cargo.
. GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rat-
ing) - maximum total combined
weight of the unloaded vehicle,
passengers, luggage, hitch, trai-
ler tongue load and any other
optional equipment. This infor-
mation is located on the F.M.V.S.
S./C.M.V.S.S. label.
. GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating)
- maximum weight (load) limit
specified for the front or rear
axle. This information is located
on the F.M.V.S.S./C.M.V.S.S. label.
. GCWR (Gross Combined Weight
Rating) - The maximum total
weight rating of the vehicle,
passengers, cargo, and trailer.
. Vehicle Capacity Weight, Load
limit, Total load capacity - max-
imum total weight limit specified
of the load (passengers and
cargo) for the vehicle. This is the maximum combined weight
of occupants and cargo that can
be loaded into the vehicle. If the
vehicle is used to tow a trailer,
the trailer tongue weight must
be included as part of the cargo
load. This information is located
on the Tire and Loading Infor-
mation label.
. Cargo capacity - permissible
weight of cargo, the weight of
total occupants weight sub-
tracted from the load limit.
Technical and consumer information10-19
VEHICLE LOADING INFORMATION
Page 438 of 453
10-20Technical and consumer information
STI0365
VEHICLE LOAD CAPACITY
Do not exceed the load limit of your
vehicle shown as “The combined
weight of occupants and cargo” on
the Tire and Loading Information
label. Do not exceed the number of
occupants shown as “Seating Ca-
pacity” on the Tire and Loading
Information label.
To get “the combined weight of
occupants and cargo”, add the
weight of all occupants, then add
the total luggage weight. Examples
are shown in the illustration.Steps for determining correct load
limit
1. Locate the statement “The com-
bined weight of occupants and
cargo should never exceed XXX
kg or XXX lbs” on your vehicle’s
placard.
2. Determine the combined weight of the driver and passengers
that will be riding in your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver and passengers
from XXX kg or XXX lbs. 4. The resulting figure equals the
available amount of cargo and
luggage load capacity. For ex-
ample, if the XXX amount equals
1400 lbs. and there will be five
150 lb. passengers in your vehi-
cle, the amount of available
cargo and luggage load capacity
is 650 lbs. (1400 − 750 (5 x 150) =
650 lbs or 640 − 340 (5 x 70) =
300 kg.)
5. Determine the combined weight of luggage and cargo being
loaded on the vehicle. That
weight may not safely exceed
the available cargo and luggage
load capacity calculated in Step
4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, load from your trailer will
be transferred to your vehicle.
Consult this manual to deter-
mine how this reduces the avail-
able cargo and luggage load
capacity of your vehicle.
Before driving a loaded vehicle,
confirm that you do not exceed
Page 439 of 453
the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR) or the Gross Axle Weight
Rating (GAWR) for your vehicle. (See
“Measurement of weights” (P.10-21).)
Also check tires for proper inflation
pressures. See the Tire and Loading
Information label.
LOADING TIPS
.The GVW must not exceed GVWR
or GAWR as specified on the F.M.
V.S.S./C.M.V.S.S. certification la-
bel.
. Do not load the front and rear
axle to the GAWR. Doing so will
exceed the GVWR.
WARNING
.Properly secure all cargo to
help prevent it from sliding
or shifting. Do not place
cargo higher than the seat-
backs. In a sudden stop or
collision, unsecured cargo
could cause personal injury. .
Do not load your vehicle any
heavier than the GVWR or
the maximum front and rear
GAWRs. If you do, parts of
your vehicle can break, tire
damage could occur, or it
can change the way your
vehicle handles. This could
result in loss of control and
cause personal injury.
. Overloading could not only
shorten the life of your ve-
hicle and the tires, but also
could lead to hazardous ve-
hicle handling and long
braking distance. This may
cause a premature tire mal-
function, which could result
in a serious accident and
personal injury. Failures
caused by overloading are
not covered by the vehicle’s
warranty. MEASUREMENT OF WEIGHTS
Secure loose items to prevent
weight shifts that could affect the
balance of your vehicle. When the
vehicle is loaded, drive to a scale
and weigh the front and the rear
wheels separately to determine
axle loads. Individual axle loads
should not exceed either of the
gross axle weight ratings (GAWR).
The total of the axle loads should
not exceed the gross vehicle
weight rating (GVWR). These ratings
are given on the vehicle certifica-
tion label. If weight ratings are
exceeded, move or remove items
to bring all weights below the
ratings.
Technical and consumer information10-21