WARNING!
on the vehicle roof. Do not drill into the
roof of the vehicle for any reason.
Side Impacts
The Side Air Bags are designed to activate in
certain side impacts. The Occupant Restraint
Controller (ORC) determines whether the de-
ployment of the Side Air Bags in a particular
impact event is appropriate, based on the
severity and type of collision. The side impact
sensors aid the ORC in determining the ap-
propriate response to impact events. The
system is calibrated to deploy the Side Air
Bags on the impact side of the vehicle during
impacts that require Side Air Bag occupant
protection. In side impacts, the Side Air Bags
deploy independently; a left side impact de-
ploys the left Side Air Bags only and a right-
side impact deploys the right Side Air Bags
only. Vehicle damage by itself is not a good
indicator of whether or not Side Air Bags
should have deployed.
The Side Air Bags will not deploy in all side
collisions, including some collisions at cer-
tain angles, or some side collisions that do not impact the area of the passenger com-
partment. The Side Air Bags may deploy
during angled or offset frontal collisions
where the front air bags deploy.
Side Air Bags are a supplement to the seat
belt restraint system. Side Air Bags deploy in
less time than it takes to blink your eyes.
WARNING!
• Occupants, including children, who are
up against or very close to Side Air Bags
can be seriously injured or killed. Occu-
pants, including children, should never
lean on or sleep against the door, side
windows, or area where the side air bags
inflate, even if they are in an infant or
child restraint.
• Seat belts (and child restraints where
appropriate) are necessary for your pro-
tection in all collisions. They also help
keep you in position, away from an in-
flating Side Air Bag. To get the best
protection from the Side Air Bags, occu-
pants must wear their seat belts properly
and sit upright with their backs against
WARNING!
the seats. Children must be properly
restrained in a child restraint or booster
seat that is appropriate for the size of the
child.
WARNING!
• Side Air Bags need room to inflate. Donot lean against the door or window. Sit
upright in the center of the seat.
• Being too close to the Side Air Bags
during deployment could cause you to
be severely injured or killed.
• Relying on the Side Air Bags alone could
lead to more severe injuries in a colli-
sion. The Side Air Bags work with your
seat belt to restrain you properly. In
some collisions, Side Air Bags won’t
deploy at all. Always wear your seat belt
even though you have Side Air Bags.
NOTE:
Air bag covers may not be obvious in the
interior trim, but they will open during air bag
deployment.
SAFETY
112
Rollover Events (If Equipped With Rollover
Sensing)
Side Air Bags are designed to activate in
certain rollover events. The Occupant Re-
straint Controller (ORC) determines whether
the deployment of the Side Air Bags in a
particular rollover event is appropriate, based
on the severity and type of collision. Vehicle
damage by itself is not a good indicator of
whether or not Side Air Bags should have
deployed.
The Side Air Bags will not deploy in all
rollover events. The rollover sensing-system
determines if a rollover event may be in
progress and whether deployment is appro-
priate. A slower-developing event may deploy
the seat belt pretensioners on both sides of
the vehicle. A faster-developing event may
deploy the seat belt pretensioners as well as
the Side Air Bags on both sides of the vehicle.
The rollover sensing-system may also deploy
the seat belt pretensioners, with or without
the Side Air Bags, on both sides of the vehicle
if the vehicle experiences a near rollover
event.The SABICs may help reduce the risk of
partial or complete ejection of vehicle occu-
pants through side windows in certain roll-
over or side impact events.
Air Bag System Components
NOTE:
The Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC)
monitors the internal circuits and intercon-
necting wiring associated with electrical Air
Bag System Components listed below:
• Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC)
• Air Bag Warning Light
• Steering Wheel and Column
• Instrument Panel
• Knee Impact Bolsters
• Driver and Front Passenger Air Bags
• Seat Belt Buckle Switch
• Supplemental Side Air Bags
• Front and Side Impact Sensors — If
Equipped
• Seat Belt Pretensioners
If A Deployment Occurs
The front air bags are designed to deflate
immediately after deployment.
NOTE:
Front and/or side air bags will not deploy in all
collisions. This does not mean something is
wrong with the air bag system.
If you do have a collision which deploys the
air bags, any or all of the following may occur:
• The air bag material may sometimes cause abrasions and/or skin reddening to the oc-
cupants as the air bags deploy and unfold.
The abrasions are similar to friction rope
burns or those you might get sliding along a
carpet or gymnasium floor. They are not
caused by contact with chemicals. They are
not permanent and normally heal quickly.
However, if you haven’t healed significantly
within a few days, or if you have any blis-
tering, see your doctor immediately.
• As the air bags deflate, you may see some smoke-like particles. The particles are a
normal by-product of the process that gen-
erates the non-toxic gas used for air bag
inflation. These airborne particles may irri-
tate the skin, eyes, nose, or throat. If you
113
have skin or eye irritation, rinse the area
with cool water. For nose or throat irritation,
move to fresh air. If the irritation continues,
see your doctor. If these particles settle on
your clothing, follow the garment manufac-
turer’s instructions for cleaning.
Do not drive your vehicle after the air bags
have deployed. If you are involved in another
collision, the air bags will not be in place to
protect you.
WARNING!
Deployed air bags and seat belt preten-
sioners cannot protect you in another col-
lision. Have the air bags, seat belt preten-
sioners, and the seat belt retractor
assemblies replaced by an authorized
dealer immediately. Also, have the Occu-
pant Restraint Controller System serviced
as well.
NOTE:
• Air bag covers may not be obvious in the interior trim, but they will open during air
bag deployment. • After any collision, the vehicle should be
taken to an authorized dealer immediately.
Enhanced Accident Response System
In the event of an impact, if the communica-
tion network remains intact, and the power
remains intact, depending on the nature of
the event, the ORC will determine whether to
have the Enhanced Accident Response Sys-
tem perform the following functions:
• Cut off fuel to the engine.
• Flash hazard lights as long as the batteryhas power or until the hazard light button is
pressed. The hazard lights can be deacti-
vated by pressing the hazard light button.
• Turn on the interior lights, which remain on as long as the battery has power.
• Unlock the power door locks.
Enhanced Accident Response System Reset
Procedure
In order to reset the Enhanced Accident Re-
sponse System functions after an event, the
ignition switch must be changed from igni-
tion START or ON/RUN to ignition OFF. Care-
fully check the vehicle for fuel leaks in the engine compartment and on the ground near
the engine compartment and fuel tank before
resetting the system and starting the engine.
Maintaining Your Air Bag System
WARNING!
• Modifications to any part of the air bag
system could cause it to fail when you
need it. You could be injured if the air
bag system is not there to protect you.
Do not modify the components or wiring,
including adding any kind of badges or
stickers to the steering wheel hub trim
cover or the upper right side of the
instrument panel. Do not modify the
front bumper, vehicle body structure, or
add aftermarket side steps or running
boards.
• It is dangerous to try to repair any part of
the air bag system yourself. Be sure to
tell anyone who works on your vehicle
that it has an air bag system.
• Do not attempt to modify any part of your
air bag system. The air bag may inflate
accidentally or may not function prop-
SAFETY
114
WARNING!
erly if modifications are made. Take your
vehicle to an authorized dealer for any
air bag system service. If your seat, in-
cluding your trim cover and cushion,
needs to be serviced in any way (includ-
ing removal or loosening/tightening of
seat attachment bolts), take the vehicle
to your authorized dealer. Only manufac-
turer approved seat accessories may be
used. If it is necessary to modify the air
bag system for persons with disabilities,
contact your authorized dealer.
Event Data Recorder (EDR)
This vehicle is equipped with an event data
recorder (EDR). The main purpose of an EDR
is to record, in certain crash or near crash-like
situations, such as an air bag deployment or
hitting a road obstacle, data that will assist in
understanding how a vehicle’s systems per-
formed. The EDR is designed to record data
related to vehicle dynamics and safety sys-
tems for a short period of time, typically30 seconds or less. The EDR in this vehicle is
designed to record such data as:
• How various systems in your vehicle were
operating;
• Whether or not the driver and passenger safety belts were buckled/fastened;
• How far (if at all) the driver was depressing the accelerator and/or brake pedal; and,
• How fast the vehicle was traveling.
These data can help provide a better under-
standing of the circumstances in which
crashes and injuries occur.
NOTE:
EDR data are recorded by your vehicle only if
a non-trivial crash situation occurs; no data
are recorded by the EDR under normal driving
conditions and no personal data (e.g., name,
gender, age, and crash location) are re-
corded. However, other parties, such as law
enforcement, could combine the EDR data
with the type of personally identifying data
routinely acquired during a crash investiga-
tion.
To read data recorded by an EDR, special
equipment is required, and access to the vehicle or the EDR is needed. In addition to
the vehicle manufacturer, other parties, such
as law enforcement, that have the special
equipment, can read the information if they
have access to the vehicle or the EDR.
Child Restraints
Everyone in your vehicle needs to be buckled
up at all times, including babies and chil-
dren. Every state in the United States, and
every Canadian province, requires that small
children ride in proper restraint systems. This
is the law, and you can be prosecuted for
ignoring it.
Children 12 years or younger should ride
properly buckled up in a rear seat, if avail-
able. According to crash statistics, children
are safer when properly restrained in the rear
seats rather than in the front.
WARNING!
In a collision, an unrestrained child can
become a projectile inside the vehicle. The
force required to hold even an infant on
your lap could become so great that you
115
WARNING!
could not hold the child, no matter how
strong you are. The child and others could
be badly injured or killed. Any child riding
in your vehicle should be in a proper re-
straint for the child’s size.
There are different sizes and types of re-
straints for children from newborn size to the
child almost large enough for an adult safety
belt. Always check the child seat Owner’s Manual to make sure you have the correct
seat for your child. Carefully read and follow
all the instructions and warnings in the child
restraint Owner’s Manual and on all the la-
bels attached to the child restraint.
Before buying any restraint system, make
sure that it has a label certifying that it meets
all applicable Safety Standards. You should
also make sure that you can install it in the
vehicle where you will use it.
NOTE:
• For additional information, refer to
www.safercar.gov/parents/index.htm or
call: 1–888–327–4236
• Canadian residents should refer to Trans- port Canada’s website for additional infor-
mation: http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/
motorvehiclesafety/safedrivers-
childsafety-index-53.htm
Summary Of Recommendations For Restraining Children In Vehicles
Child Size, Height, Weight Or Age Recommended Type Of Child Restraint
Infants and Toddlers Children who are two years old or younger and
who have not reached the height or weight lim- its of their child restraint Either an Infant Carrier or a Convertible Child
Restraint, facing rearward in the rear seat of the vehicle
Small Children Children who are at least two years old or who
have outgrown the height or weight limit of their rear-facing child restraint Forward-Facing Child Restraint with a five-
point Harness, facing forward in the rear seat of the vehicle
Larger Children Children who have outgrown their forward-
facing child restraint, but are too small to prop- erly fit the vehicle’s seat belt Belt Positioning Booster Seat and the vehicle
seat belt, seated in the rear seat of the vehicle
Children Too Large for Child Restraints Children 12 years old or younger, who have
outgrown the height or weight limit of their booster seat Vehicle Seat Belt, seated in the rear seat of the
vehicle
SAFETY
116
Older Children And Child Restraints
Children who are two years old or who have
outgrown their rear-facing convertible child
seat can ride forward-facing in the vehicle.
Forward-facing child seats and convertible
child seats used in the forward-facing direc-
tion are for children who are over two years
old or who have outgrown the rear-facing
weight or height limit of their rear-facing
convertible child seat. Children should re-
main in a forward-facing child seat with a
harness for as long as possible, up to the
highest weight or height allowed by the child
seat.
All children whose weight or height is above
the forward-facing limit for the child seat
should use a belt-positioning booster seat
until the vehicle’s seat belts fit properly. If
the child cannot sit with knees bent over the
vehicle’s seat cushion while the child’s back
is against the seatback, they should use a
belt-positioning booster seat. The child and
belt-positioning booster seat are held in the
vehicle by the seat belt.WARNING!
• Improper installation can lead to failureof an infant or child restraint. It could
come loose in a collision. The child
could be badly injured or killed. Follow
the child restraint manufacturer’s direc-
tions exactly when installing an infant or
child restraint.
• After a child restraint is installed in the
vehicle, do not move the vehicle seat
forward or rearward because it can
loosen the child restraint attachments.
Remove the child restraint before ad-
justing the vehicle seat position. When
the vehicle seat has been adjusted, re-
install the child restraint.
• When your child restraint is not in use,
secure it in the vehicle with the seat belt
or LATCH anchorages, or remove it from
the vehicle. Do not leave it loose in the
vehicle. In a sudden stop or accident, it
could strike the occupants or seatbacks
and cause serious personal injury.
Children Too Large For Booster Seats
Children who are large enough to wear the
shoulder belt comfortably, and whose legs are
long enough to bend over the front of the seat
when their back is against the seatback,
should use the seat belt in a rear seat. Use
this simple 5-step test to decide whether the
child can use the vehicle’s seat belt alone:
1. Can the child sit all the way back against the back of the vehicle seat?
2. Do the child’s knees bend comfortably over the front of the vehicle seat – while
the child is still sitting all the way back?
3. Does the shoulder belt cross the child’s shoulder between their neck and arm?
4. Is the lap part of the belt as low as possible, touching the child’s thighs and
not the stomach?
5. Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?
If the answer to any of these questions was
“no,” then the child still needs to use a
booster seat in this vehicle. If the child is
using the lap/shoulder belt, check seat belt
fit periodically and make sure the seat belt
SAFETY
118
buckle is latched. A child’s squirming or
slouching can move the belt out of position. If
the shoulder belt contacts the face or neck,
move the child closer to the center of the
vehicle, or use a booster seat to position the
seat belt on the child correctly.WARNING!
Never allow a child to put the shoulder belt
under an arm or behind their back. In a
crash, the shoulder belt will not protect a
child properly, which may result in serious
WARNING!
injury or death. A child must always wear
both the lap and shoulder portions of the
seat belt correctly.
Recommendations For Attaching Child Restraints
Restraint Type Combined Weight of theChild + Child Restraint Use Any Attachment Method Shown With An “X” Below
LATCH – Lower Anchors Only Seat Belt Only LATCH – Lower Anchors
+ Top Tether Anchor Seat Belt + Top Tether
Anchor
Rear-Facing Child Re- straint Up to 65 lbs (29.5 kg)
XX
Rear-Facing Child Re- straint More than 65 lbs
(29.5 kg) X
Forward-Facing Child Restraint Up to 65 lbs (29.5 kg)
XX
Forward-Facing Child Restraint More than 65 lbs
(29.5 kg) X
119
Lower Anchors And Tethers For CHildren
(LATCH) Restraint SystemYour vehicle is equipped with the child re-
straint anchorage system called LATCH,
which stands for Lower Anchors and Tethers
for CHildren. The LATCH system has three
vehicle anchor points for installing LATCH-
equipped child seats. There are two lower
anchorages located at the back of the seat
cushion where it meets the seatback and one
top tether anchorage located behind the seat-
ing position. These anchorages are used to
install LATCH-equipped child seats without
using the vehicle’s seat belts. Some seating
positions may have a top tether anchorage
but no lower anchorages. In these seating
positions, the seat belt must be used with the
top tether anchorage to install the child re-
straint. Please see the following table for
more information.LATCH Positions For Installing Child Re-
straints In This Vehicle
LATCH Label
Regular Cab LATCH Positions
Top Tether Anchorage Symbol
SAFETY
120