SEATS AND RESTRAINTS 57
2. Pick up the latch plate and pullthe belt across you. Do not let it
get twisted.
The lap-shoulder belt may lock if
you pull the belt across you very
quickly. If this happens, let the
belt go back slightly to unlock it.
Then pull the belt across you
more slowly.
If the shoulder portion of a
passenger belt is pulled out all
the way, the child restraint
locking feature may be engaged.
See Child Restraint Systems 077.
If this occurs, let the belt go back
all the way and start again. If the
locking feature stays engaged after letting the belt go back to
stowed position on the seat,
move the seat rearward or recline
the seat until the shoulder belt
retractor lock releases.
Engaging the child restraint
locking feature in the front
outboard seating position may
affect the passenger sensing
system. See
Passenger Sensing
System 067.
If the webbing locks in the latch
plate before it reaches the
buckle, tilt the latch plate flat to
unlock.
3. Push the latch plate into the
buckle until it clicks.
Pull up on the latch plate to
make sure it is secure. If the belt
is not long enough, see Seat Belt
Extender 060.
Position the release button on
the buckle so that the seat belt
could be quickly unbuckled if
necessary.
4. If equipped with a shoulder belt height adjuster, move it to the
height that is right for you. See
“Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster”
60 SEATS AND RESTRAINTS
A pregnant woman should wear a
lap-shoulder belt, and the lap portion
should be worn as low as possible,
below the rounding, throughout the
pregnancy.
The best way to protect the fetus is to
protect the mother. When a seat belt
is worn properly, it is more likely that
the fetus will not be hurt in a crash.
For pregnant women, as for anyone,
the key to making seat belts effective
is wearing them properly.
Seat Belt Extender
If the vehicle's seat belt will fasten
around you, you should use it.But if a seat belt is not long enough,
your dealer will order you an extender.
When you go in to order it, take the
heaviest coat you will wear, so the
extender will be long enough for you.
To help avoid personal injury, do not
let someone else use it, and use it
only for the seat it is made to fit. The
extender has been designed for adults.
Never use it for securing child
restraints. For more information on
the proper use and fit of seat belt
extenders see the instruction sheet
that comes with the extender.
Safety System Check
Periodically check the seat belt
reminder, seat belts, buckles, latch
plates, retractors, shoulder belt height
adjusters (if equipped), and seat belt
anchorages to make sure they are all
in working order. Look for any other
loose or damaged seat belt system
parts that might keep a seat belt
system from performing properly. See
your dealer to have it repaired. Torn,
frayed, or twisted seat belts may not
protect you in a crash. Torn or frayed
seat belts can rip apart under impact
forces. If a belt is torn or frayed, haveit replaced immediately. If a belt is
twisted, it may be possible to untwist
by reversing the latch plate on the
webbing. If the twist cannot be
corrected, ask your dealer to fix it.
Make sure the seat belt reminder light
is working. See
Seat Belt Reminders
0 113.
Keep seat belts clean and dry. See Seat
Belt Care 060.
Seat Belt Care
Keep belts clean and dry.
Seat belts should be properly cared for
and maintained.
Seat belt hardware should be kept dry
and free of dust or debris. As
necessary, exterior hard surfaces and
seat belt webbing may be lightly
cleaned with mild soap and water.
Ensure there is not excessive dust or
debris in the mechanism. If dust or
debris exists in the system please see
the dealer. Parts may need to be
replaced to ensure proper
functionality of the system.
SEATS AND RESTRAINTS 63
{Warning
Children who are up against,
or very close to, any airbag when it
inflates can be seriously injured or
killed. Always secure children
properly in the vehicle. To read
how, seeOlder Children 073 or
Infants and Young Children 075.
There is an airbag readiness light on
the instrument cluster, which shows
the airbag symbol. The system checks
the airbag electrical system for
malfunctions. The light tells you if
there is an electrical problem. See
Airbag Readiness Light 0114 for more
information.
Where Are the Airbags?
The driver frontal airbag is in the
center of the steering wheel.
The front outboard passenger frontal
airbag is in the passenger side
instrument panel.
The driver knee airbag is below the
steering column.
64 SEATS AND RESTRAINTS
Driver Side Shown, Passenger SideSimilar
The seat-mounted side impact airbags
for the driver and front outboard
passenger are in the sides of the
seatbacks closest to the door.
The roof-rail airbags for the driver,
front outboard passenger, and second
row outboard passengers are in the
ceiling above the side windows.
{Warning
If something is between an
occupant and an airbag, the airbag
might not inflate properly or it
might force the object into that
person causing severe injury or
even death. The path of an inflating
airbag must be kept clear. Do not
put anything between an occupant
and an airbag, and do not attach or
put anything on the steering wheel
hub or on or near any other airbag
covering.
Do not use seat accessories that
block the inflation path of a
seat-mounted side impact airbag.
Never secure anything to the roof of
a vehicle with roof-rail airbags by
routing a rope or tie‐down through
any door or window opening. If you
do, the path of an inflating roof-rail
airbag will be blocked.
When Should an Airbag
Inflate?
This vehicle is equipped with airbags.
See Airbag System 061. Airbags are
designed to inflate if the impact
exceeds the specific airbag system's
deployment threshold. Deployment
thresholds are used to predict how
severe a crash is likely to be in time
for the airbags to inflate and help
restrain the occupants. The vehicle
has electronic sensors that help the
airbag system determine the severity
of the impact. Deployment thresholds
can vary with specific vehicle design.
Frontal airbags are designed to inflate
in moderate to severe frontal or near
frontal crashes to help reduce the
potential for severe injuries, mainly to
the driver's or front outboard
passenger's head and chest.
Whether the frontal airbags will or
should inflate is not based primarily
on how fast the vehicle is traveling.
It depends on what is hit, the
direction of the impact, and how
quickly the vehicle slows down.
68 SEATS AND RESTRAINTS
According to accident statistics,
children are safer when properly
secured in a rear seat in the correct
child restraint for their weight
and size.
Whenever possible, children aged
12 and under should be secured in a
rear seating position.
Never put a rear-facing child seat in
the front. This is because the risk to
the rear-facing child is so great, if the
airbag inflates.
{Warning
A child in a rear-facing child
restraint can be seriously injured or
killed if the passenger frontal airbag
inflates. This is because the back of
the rear-facing child restraint would
be very close to the inflating airbag.
A child in a forward-facing child
restraint can be seriously injured or
killed if the passenger frontal airbag
inflates and the passenger seat is in
a forward position.(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
Even if the passenger sensing
system has turned off the passenger
frontal airbag, no system is fail-safe.
No one can guarantee that an
airbag will not deploy under some
unusual circumstance, even though
the airbag is turned off.
Never put a rear-facing child
restraint in the front seat, even if
the airbag is off. If securing a
forward-facing child restraint in the
front outboard passenger seat,
always move the seat as far back as
it will go. It is better to secure child
restraints in the rear seat. Consider
using another vehicle to transport
the child when a rear seat is not
available.
The passenger sensing system is
designed to turn off the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag if:
. The front outboard passenger seat
is unoccupied. .
The system determines an infant
is present in a child restraint.
. A front outboard passenger takes
his/her weight off of the seat for a
period of time.
. There is a critical problem with
the airbag system or the passenger
sensing system.
When the passenger sensing system
has turned off the front outboard
passenger frontal airbag, the OFF
indicator will light and stay lit as a
reminder that the airbag is off. See
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator
0 114.
The passenger sensing system is
designed to turn on the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag
anytime the system senses that a
person of adult size is sitting properly
in the front outboard passenger seat.
When the passenger sensing system
has allowed the airbag to be enabled,
the ON indicator will light and stay lit
as a reminder that the airbag is active.
For some children, including children
in child restraints, and for very small
adults, the passenger sensing system
SEATS AND RESTRAINTS 69
may or may not turn off the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag,
depending upon the person's seating
posture and body build. Everyone in
the vehicle who has outgrown child
restraints should wear a seat belt
properly—whether or not there is an
airbag for that person.
{Warning
If the airbag readiness light ever
comes on and stays on, it means
that something may be wrong with
the airbag system. To help avoid
injury to yourself or others, have
the vehicle serviced right away. See
Airbag Readiness Light 0114 for
more information, including
important safety information.
If the On Indicator Is Lit for a
Child Restraint
The passenger sensing system is
designed to turn off the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag if
the system determines that an infant is present in a child restraint. If a
child restraint has been installed and
the ON indicator is lit:
1. Turn the vehicle off.
2. Remove the child restraint from the vehicle.
3. Remove any additional items from the seat such as blankets,
cushions, seat covers, seat
heaters, or seat massagers.
4. Reinstall the child restraint following the directions provided
by the child restraint
manufacturer and refer to
Securing Child Restraints (With the
Seat Belt in the Rear Seat) 086 or
Securing Child Restraints (With the
Seat Belt in the Front Seat) 088.
Make sure the seat belt retractor
is locked by pulling the shoulder
belt all the way out of the
retractor when installing the
child restraint, even if the child
restraint is equipped with a seat
belt lock off. When the retractor
lock is set, the belt can be
tightened but not pulled out of
the retractor. 5. If, after reinstalling the child
restraint and restarting the
vehicle, the ON indicator is still
lit, turn the vehicle off. Then
slightly recline the vehicle
seatback and adjust the seat
cushion, if adjustable, to make
sure that the vehicle seatback is
not pushing the child restraint
into the seat cushion.
Also make sure the child
restraint is not trapped under the
vehicle head restraint. If this
happens, adjust the head
restraint. See Head Restraints
0 43.
6. Restart the vehicle.
The passenger sensing system may or
may not turn off the airbag for a child
in a child restraint depending upon
the child’s size. It is better to secure
the child restraint in a rear seat. Never
put a rear-facing child restraint in the
front seat, even if the ON indicator is
not lit.
SEATS AND RESTRAINTS 75
Infants and Young Children
Everyone in a vehicle needs
protection! This includes infants and
all other children. Neither the distance
traveled nor the age and size of the
traveler changes the need, for
everyone, to use safety restraints. In
fact, the law in every state in the
United States and in every Canadian
province says children up to some age
must be restrained while in a vehicle.
{Warning
Children can be seriously injured or
strangled if a shoulder belt is
wrapped around their neck. The
shoulder belt can tighten but
cannot be loosened if it is locked.
The shoulder belt locks when it is
pulled all the way out of the
retractor. It unlocks when the
shoulder belt is allowed to go all
the way back into the retractor, but
it cannot do this if it is wrapped
around a child’s neck. If the
shoulder belt is locked and(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
tightened around a child’s neck, the
only way to loosen the belt is to
cut it.
Never leave children unattended in
a vehicle and never allow children
to play with the seat belts.
Every time infants and young children
ride in vehicles, they should have the
protection provided by appropriate
child restraints. Neither the vehicle's
seat belt system nor its airbag system
is designed for them.
Children who are not restrained
properly can strike other people,
or can be thrown out of the vehicle.
{Warning
Never hold an infant or a child
while riding in a vehicle. Due to
crash forces, an infant or a child
will become so heavy it is not
possible to hold it during a crash. (Continued)
Warning (Continued)
For example, in a crash at only
40 km/h (25 mph), a 5.5 kg (12 lb)
infant will suddenly become a
110 kg (240 lb) force on a person's
arms. An infant or child should be
secured in an appropriate child
restraint.
76 SEATS AND RESTRAINTS
{Warning
Children who are up against,
or very close to, any airbag when it
inflates can be seriously injured or
killed. Never put a rear-facing child
restraint in the front outboard seat.
Secure a rear-facing child restraint
in a rear seat. It is also better to
secure a forward-facing child
restraint in a rear seat. If you must
secure a forward-facing child
restraint in the front outboard seat,
always move the front passenger
seat as far back as it will go.
Child restraints are devices used to
restrain, seat, or position children in
the vehicle and are sometimes called
child seats or car seats.
There are three basic types of child
restraints:
.Forward-facing child restraints
. Rear-facing child restraints
. Belt-positioning booster seats
The proper child restraint for your
child depends on their size, weight,
and age, and also on whether the
child restraint is compatible with the
vehicle in which it will be used. For each type of child restraint, there
are many different models available.
When purchasing a child restraint, be
sure it is designed to be used in a
motor vehicle. If it is, the child
restraint will have a label saying that
it meets federal motor vehicle safety
standards.
The instruction manual that is
provided with the child restraint
states the weight and height
limitations for that particular child
restraint. In addition, there are many
kinds of child restraints available for
children with special needs.
{Warning
To reduce the risk of neck and head
injury in a crash, infants and
toddlers should be secured in a
rear-facing child restraint until age
two, or until they reach the
maximum height and weight limits
of their child restraint.