
OCCUPANT RESTRAINT
SYSTEMS
Some of the most important safety features in
your vehicle are the restraint systems:
Occupant Restraint Systems Features
• Seat Belt Systems
• Supplemental Restraint Systems (SRS) Air
Bags
• Child Restraints
Some of the safety features described in this
section may be standard equipment on some
models, or may be optional equipment on
others. If you are not sure, ask an authorized
dealer.
Important Safety Precautions
Please pay close attention to the information
in this section. It tells you how to use your
restraint system properly, to keep you and
your passengers as safe as possible.Here are some simple steps you can take to
minimize the risk of harm from a deploying
air bag:
1. Children 12 years old and under should
always ride buckled up in the rear seat of
a vehicle with a rear seat.2. A child who is not big enough to wear the
vehicle seat belt properly (Refer to “Child
Restraints” in this section for further in-
formation) must be secured in the appro-
priate child restraint or belt-positioning
booster seat in a rear seating position.
3. If a child from 2 to 12 years old (not in a
rear-facing child restraint) must ride in
the front passenger seat, move the seat as
far back as possible and use the proper
child restraint (Refer to “Child Re-
straints” in this section for further
information).
4. Never allow children to slide the shoulder
belt behind them or under their arm.
5. You should read the instructions provided
with your child restraint to make sure that
you are using it properly.
6. All occupants should always wear their lap
and shoulder belts properly.
7. The driver and front passenger seats
should be moved back as far as practical
to allow the front air bags room to inflate.
Warning Label On Front Passenger
Sun Visor
SAFETY
98

WARNING!
the vehicle. Always be sure you and
others in your vehicle are buckled up
properly.
• It is dangerous to ride in a cargo area,
inside or outside of a vehicle. In a colli-
sion, people riding in these areas are
more likely to be seriously injured or
killed.
• Do not allow people to ride in any area of
your 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. Oc-
cupants, including the driver, should al-
ways wear their seat belts whether or not
an air bag is also provided at their seat-
ing position to minimize the risk of se-
vere injury or death in the event of a
crash.
• Wearing your seat belt incorrectly could
make your injuries in a collision much
worse. You might suffer internal injuries,
or you could even slide out of the seat
belt. Follow these instructions to wear
WARNING!
your seat belt safely and to keep your
passengers safe, too.
• Two people should never be belted into a
single seat belt. People belted together
can crash into one another in a collision,
hurting one another badly. Never use a
lap/shoulder belt or a lap belt for more
than one person, no matter what their
size.
WARNING!
• A lap belt worn too high can increase the
risk of injury in a collision. The seat belt
forces won’t be at the strong hip and
pelvic bones, but across your abdomen.
Always wear the lap part of your seat belt
as low as possible and keep it snug.
• A twisted seat belt may not protect you
properly. In a collision, it could even cut
into you. Be sure the seat belt is flat
against your body, without twists. If you
can’t straighten a seat belt in your ve-
hicle, take it to an authorized dealer
immediately and have it fixed.
WARNING!
• A seat belt that is buckled into the wrong
buckle will not protect you properly. The
lap portion could ride too high on your
body, possibly causing internal injuries.
Always buckle your seat belt into the
buckle nearest you.
• A seat belt that is too loose will not
protect you properly. In a sudden stop,
you could move too far forward, increas-
ing the possibility of injury. Wear your
seat belt snugly.
• A seat belt that is worn under your arm is
dangerous. Your body could strike the
inside surfaces of the vehicle in a colli-
sion, increasing head and neck injury. A
seat belt worn under the arm can cause
internal injuries. Ribs aren’t as strong as
shoulder bones. Wear the seat belt over
your shoulder so that your strongest
bones will take the force in a collision.
• A shoulder belt placed behind you will
not protect you from injury during a
collision. You are more likely to hit your
head in a collision if you do not wear your
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3. Slide the latch plate upward over the
folded webbing. The folded webbing must
enter the slot at the top of the latch plate.
4. Continue to slide the latch plate up until it
clears the folded webbing and the seat
belt is no longer twisted.
Adjustable Upper Shoulder Belt Anchorage
In the driver and outboard front passenger
seats, the top of the shoulder belt can be
adjusted upward or downward to position the
seat belt away from your neck. Push or
squeeze the anchorage button to release the
anchorage, and move it up or down to the
position that serves you best.
As a guide, if you are shorter than average,
you will prefer the shoulder belt anchorage in
a lower position, and if you are taller than
average, you will prefer the shoulder belt
anchorage in a higher position. After you
release the anchorage button, try to move it
up or down to make sure that it is locked in
position.NOTE:
The adjustable upper shoulder belt anchor-
age is equipped with an Easy Up feature. This
feature allows the shoulder belt anchorage to
be adjusted in the upward position without
pushing or squeezing the release button. To
verify the shoulder belt anchorage is latched,
pull downward on the shoulder belt anchor-
age until it is locked into position.
WARNING!
• Wearing your seat belt incorrectly could
make your injuries in a collision much
worse. You might suffer internal injuries,
or you could even slide out of the seat
belt. Follow these instructions to wear
your seat belt safely and to keep your
passengers safe, too.
• Position the shoulder belt across the
shoulder and chest with minimal, if any
slack so that it is comfortable and not
resting on your neck. The retractor will
withdraw any slack in the shoulder belt.
• Misadjustment of the seat belt could
reduce the effectiveness of the safety
belt in a crash.
Adjustable Anchorage
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Because air bag sensors measure vehicle
deceleration over time, vehicle speed and
damage by themselves are not good indica-
tors of whether or not an air bag should have
deployed.
Seat belts are necessary for your protection in
all collisions, and also are needed to help
keep you in position, away from an inflating
air bag.
When the ORC detects a collision requiring
the front air bags, it signals the inflator units.
A large quantity of non-toxic gas is generated
to inflate the front air bags.
The steering wheel hub trim cover and the
upper passenger side of the instrument panel
separate and fold out of the way as the air
bags inflate to their full size. The front air
bags fully inflate in less time than it takes to
blink your eyes. The front air bags then
quickly deflate while helping to restrain the
driver and front passenger.Passenger Air Bag Disable Feature —
If Equipped
This system allows the driver to DISABLE
(OFF) the Passenger Advanced Front Air Bag
if a child restraintmustbe installed in the
front seat. Only DISABLE (OFF) the Passen-
ger Advanced Front Air Bag if it is absolutely
necessary to install a child restraint in the
front seat. Children 12 years or younger
should ride properly buckled up in a rear
seat, if available. According to crash statis-
tics, children are safer when properly re-
strained in the rear seats rather than in the
front. (Refer to “Child Restraints” in this
section for further information.)
WARNING!
• A DISABLED (OFF) Passenger Advanced
Front Air Bag is deactivated and will not
deploy in a collision.
• A DISABLED (OFF) Passenger Advanced
Front Air Bag will not provide a front
passenger additional protection by
supplementing the seat belts.
WARNING!
• Do not install a child restraint in the
front seat unless the Passenger Air Bag
DISABLE (OFF) Indicator light
on
the center stack is illuminated to show
that the Passenger Advanced Front Air
Bag is DISABLED (OFF).
• In a collision, you and your passengers
can suffer much greater injuries if you
are not properly buckled up. You can
strike the interior of your vehicle or other
passengers, or you can be thrown out of
the vehicle. Always be sure you and
others in your vehicle are buckled up
properly.
The Passenger Advanced Front Air Bag can
be ENABLED (ON) or DISABLED (OFF) by
selecting the desired setting in the instru-
ment cluster display menu. For more infor-
mation on how to access the instrument clus-
ter display, refer to “Instrument Cluster
Display” in “Getting To Know Your Instru-
ment Panel” for further information.SAFETY
110

WARNING!
• Children 12 years or younger should
always ride buckled up in the rear seat of
a vehicle with a rear seat.
Knee Impact Bolsters
The Knee Impact Bolsters help protect the
knees of the driver and front passenger, and
position the front occupants for improved
interaction with the front air bags.
WARNING!
• Do not drill, cut, or tamper with the knee
impact bolsters in any way.
• Do not mount any accessories to the
knee impact bolsters such as alarm
lights, stereos, citizen band radios, etc.
Supplemental Seat-Mounted Side Air Bags
(SABs) (If Equipped)
Your vehicle may be equipped with Supple-
mental Seat-Mounted Side Air Bags (SABs).If your vehicle is equipped with Supplemen-
tal Seat-Mounted Side Air Bags (SABs),
please refer to the information below.
Supplemental Seat-Mounted Side Air Bags
(SABs) are located in the outboard side of the
front seats. The SABs are marked with “SRS
AIRBAG” or “AIRBAG” on a label or on the
seat trim on the outboard side of the seats.The SABs (if equipped with SABs) may help
to reduce the risk of occupant injury during
certain side impacts, in addition to the injury
reduction potential provided by the seat belts
and body structure.
When the SAB deploys, it opens the seam on
the outboard side of the seatback’s trim
cover. The inflating SAB deploys through the
seat seam into the space between the occu-
pant and the door. The SAB moves at a very
high speed and with such a high force that it
could injure occupants if they are not seated
properly, or if items are positioned in the area
where the SAB inflates. Children are at an
even greater risk of injury from a deploying air
bag.
WARNING!
Do not use accessory seat covers or place
objects between you and the Side Air
Bags; the performance could be adversely
affected and/or objects could be pushed
into you, causing serious injury.
Front Supplemental Seat-Mounted
Side Air Bag
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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 sys-
tem 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 donot 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. Do
not 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.
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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 — Carrying Children Safely
Everyone in your vehicle needs to be buckled
up at all times, including babies and chil-
dren. EC directive 2003/20/EC requires
proper use of restraints in all EC countries.
Children less than 1.5 meters tall and
12 years or younger should ride properly
buckled up in a rear seat, if available. Ac-
cording to crash statistics, children are safer
when properly restrained in the rear seats
rather than in the front.
WARNING!
• NEVER use a rearward facing child re-
straint on a seat protected by an ACTIVE
AIRBAG in front of it, DEATH or SERI-
OUS INJURY to the CHILD can occur.
• It is advisable to always carry children in
a child restraint system on the rear seat,
which is the most protected position in
the event of a collision.
• Should it be necessary to carry a child on
the passenger side front seat in a rear-
facing child restraint system, the pas-
senger side front air bag must be deac-
tivated. Always make sure the airbag
Warning Label On Front Passenger
Sun Visor
SAFETY
122

WARNING!
• Improper installation can lead to failure
of 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.
WARNING!
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 ISOFIX 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.
Suitability Of Passenger Seats For Universal
Child Restraint System Use
According to the European Directive 2000/3/
EC, the suitability of each passenger seat
position for the installation of Universal Child
Restraint Systems is shown in the following
table:
Universal Child Seat Position Table
Mass Group Front Passenger
Rear Outboard Rear Center
Passenger Airbag ON Passenger Airbag OFF
Group 0 up to 10 kg X U U U
Group 0+ up to 13 kg X U U U
GroupI9to18kg X U U U
Group II 15 to 25 kg X U U U
Group III 22 to 36 kg X U U U
Key of letters used in the table above:
•
U = Suitable for “universal” category re-
straints approved for use in this mass group.
• X = Seat position not suitable for children
in this mass group.If the head restraint interferes with the instal-
lation of the child restraint system, adjust the
head restraint (if adjustable)
SAFETY
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