Energy Management Feature
The front outboard seat belt system is
equipped with an Energy Management fea-
ture that may help further reduce the risk of
injury in the event of a collision. The seat belt
system has a retractor assembly that is de-
signed to release webbing in a controlled
manner.
Switchable Automatic Locking Retractors
(ALR) — (If Equipped)
The seat belts in the passenger seating posi-
tions may be equipped with a Switchable
Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) which is
used to secure a child restraint system. For
additional information, refer to “Installing
Child Restraints Using The Vehicle Seat
Belt” under the “Child Restraints” section of
this manual. The figure below illustrates the
locking feature for each seating position.If the passenger seating position is equipped
with an ALR and is being used for normal
usage, only pull the seat belt webbing out far
enough to comfortably wrap around the occu-
pant’s mid-section so as to not activate the
ALR. If the ALR is activated, you will hear a
clicking sound as the seat belt retracts. Allow
the webbing to retract completely in this case
and then carefully pull out only the amount of
webbing necessary to comfortably wrap
around the occupant’s mid-section. Slide the
latch plate into the buckle until you hear a
"click."
In Automatic Locking Mode, the shoulder
belt is automatically pre-locked. The seat
belt will still retract to remove any slack inthe shoulder belt. Use the Automatic Locking
Mode anytime a child restraint is installed in
a seating position that has a seat belt with
this feature. Children 12 years old and under
should always be properly restrained in the
rear seat of a vehicle with a rear seat.
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.
• Never install a rear-facing child restraint
in the front seat of a vehicle. Only use a
rear-facing child restraint in the rear
seat. If the vehicle does not have a rear
seat, do not transport a rear-facing child
restraint in that vehicle.
• A deploying passenger front air bag can
cause death or serious injury to a child
12 years or younger, including a child in
a rear-facing child restraint.ALR — Switchable Automatic Locking
Retractor
SAFETY
114
How To Engage The Automatic Locking Mode
1. Buckle the combination lap and shoulder
belt.
2. Grasp the shoulder portion and pull down-
ward until the entire seat belt is extracted.
3. Allow the seat belt to retract. As the seat
belt retracts, you will hear a clicking
sound. This indicates the seat belt is now
in the Automatic Locking Mode.
How To Disengage The Automatic Locking Mode
Unbuckle the combination lap/shoulder belt
and allow it to retract completely to disen-
gage the Automatic Locking Mode and acti-
vate the vehicle sensitive (emergency) lock-
ing mode.
WARNING!
• The seat belt assembly must be replaced
if the switchable Automatic Locking Re-
tractor (ALR) feature or any other seat
belt function is not working properly
when checked according to the proce-
dures in the Service Manual.
WARNING!
• Failure to replace the seat belt assembly
could increase the risk of injury in
collisions.
• Do not use the Automatic Locking Mode
to restrain occupants who are wearing
the seat belt or children who are using
booster seats. The locked mode is only
used to install rear-facing or forward-
facing child restraints that have a har-
ness for restraining the child.
Supplemental Active Head Restraints (AHR)
These head restraints are passive, deployable
components, and vehicles with this equip-
ment cannot be readily identified by any
markings, only through visual inspection of
the head restraint. The head restraint will be
split in two halves, with the front half being
soft foam and trim, the back half being deco-
rative plastic.How The Active Head Restraints (AHR) Work
The Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC) de-
termines whether the severity or type of rear
impact will require the Active Head Re-
straints (AHR) to deploy. If a rear impact
requires deployment, both the driver and
front passenger seat AHRs will be deployed.
When AHRs deploy during a rear impact, the
front half of the head restraint extends for-
ward to minimize the gap between the back of
the occupant’s head and the AHR. This sys-
tem is designed to help prevent or reduce the
extent of injuries to the driver and front pas-
senger in certain types of rear impacts.
NOTE:
The Active Head Restraints (AHR) may or
may not deploy in the event of a front or side
impact. However, if during a front impact, a
secondary rear impact occurs, the AHR may
deploy based on the severity and type of the
impact.
115
WARNING!
• Being too close to the steering wheel or
instrument panel during front air bag
deployment could cause serious injury,
including death. Air bags need room to
inflate. Sit back, comfortably extending
WARNING!
your arms to reach the steering wheel or
instrument panel.
• 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.
• Never install a rear-facing child restraint
in the front seat of a vehicle. Only use a
rear-facing child restraint in the rear
seat. If the vehicle does not have a rear
seat, do not transport a rear-facing child
restraint in that vehicle.
• A deploying passenger front air bag can
cause death or serious injury to a child
12 years or younger, including a child in
a rear-facing child restraint.
Driver And Passenger Front Air Bag Features
The Advanced Front Air Bag system has mul-
tistage driver and front passenger air bags.
This system provides output appropriate to
the severity and type of collision as deter-
mined by the Occupant Restraint Controller(ORC), which may receive information from
the front impact sensors (if equipped) or
other system components.
The first stage inflator is triggered immedi-
ately during an impact that requires air bag
deployment. A low energy output is used in
less severe collisions. A higher energy output
is used for more severe collisions.
This vehicle may be equipped with a driver
and/or front passenger seat belt buckle
switch that detects whether the driver or front
passenger seat belt is buckled. The seat belt
buckle switch may adjust the inflation rate of
the Advanced Front Air Bags.
WARNING!
• No objects should be placed over or near
the air bag on the instrument panel or
steering wheel because any such objects
could cause harm if the vehicle is in a
collision severe enough to cause the air
bag to inflate.
• Do not put anything on or around the air
bag covers or attempt to open them
manually. You may damage the air bags
Front Air Bag/Knee Bolster Locations
1 — Driver And Passenger Front Air
Bags
2 — Driver Knee Impact Bolster/
Supplemental Knee Air Bag
3 — Passenger Knee Impact Bolster
119
SABICs (if equipped with SABICs) may help
reduce the risk of head and other injuries to
front and rear seat outboard occupants in
certain side impacts, in addition to the injury
reduction potential provided by the seat belts
and body structure.
The SABIC deploys downward, covering the
side windows. An inflating SABIC pushes the
outside edge of the headliner out of the way
and covers the window. The SABICs inflatewith enough force to injure occupants if they
are not belted and seated properly, or if items
are positioned in the area where the SABICs
inflate. Children are at an even greater risk of
injury from a deploying air bag.
The SABICs (if equipped with SABICs) may
help reduce the risk of partial or complete
ejection of vehicle occupants through side
windows in certain side impact events.
WARNING!
• Do not mount equipment, or stack lug-
gage or other cargo up high enough to
block the deployment of the SABICs.
The trim covering above the side win-
dows where the SABIC and its deploy-
ment path are located should remain
free from any obstructions.
• In order for the SABICs to work as in-
tended, do not install any accessory
items in your vehicle which could alter
the roof. Do not add an aftermarket
sunroof to your vehicle. Do not add roof
racks that require permanent attach-
ments (bolts or screws) for installation
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
Supplemental Side Air Bag Inflatable
Curtain (SABIC) Label Location
SAFETY
122
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. 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.Rollover Events (If Equipped With Rollover
Sensing)
Side Air Bags are designed to activate in
certain rollover events (if equipped with roll-
over sensing). The 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. In the event the vehicle experiences a
rollover or near rollover event, and deploy-
ment of the Side Air Bags is appropriate, the
rollover sensing system will also deploy the
seat belt pretensioners on both sides of the
vehicle.
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.
123
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. Accord-
ing 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.
• Never install a rear-facing child restraint
in the front seat of a vehicle. Only use a
rear-facing child restraint in the rear
seat. If the vehicle does not have a rear
seat, do not transport a rear-facing child
restraint in that vehicle.
• A deploying passenger front airbag can
cause death or serious injury to a child
12 years or younger, including a child in
a rear-facing child restraint.
• 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
WARNING!
you 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 restraint 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. Children should ride rearward facing as
long as possible; this is the most protected
position for a child in the event of a crash.
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 re-
straint Owner’s Manual and on all the labels
attached to the child restraint.
Warning Label On Front Passenger Sun
Visor
127
In Europe, children restraint systems are de-
fined by regulation ECE-R44, which divides
them into five weight groups:
Restraint Group Weight Group
Group 0 up to 10 kg
Group 0+ up to 13 kg
Group 1 9-18 kg
Group 2 15-25 kg
Group 3 22-36 kg
Check the label of your child restraint. All
approved child restraints must include type-
approval data and the control mark on its
label. The label must be permanently se-
cured to the child restraint system. You
should not remove this label from the child
restraint.
WARNING!
Extreme Hazard! Do not place a rear-
facing child restraint in front of an active
air bag. Refer to visor mounted labels for
information. Deployment of the air bag in
an accident could cause fatal injuries to
the baby regardless of the severity of the
WARNING!
collision. 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.
“Universal” Child Restraint Systems
• The figures in the following sections are
examples of each type of universal child
restraint system. Typical installations are
shown. Always install your child restraint
system according to the child restraint
manufacturer’s instructions, which must
be included with this type of restraint sys-
tem.
• See the section “Installing Child Restraints
Using the Vehicle Seat Belt” for the steps
to properly lock the seat belt over the child
restraint.
• Child restraint systems with ISOFIX anchor-
ages are available for installing the child
restraint system to the vehicle without us-
ing the vehicle’s seat belts.
Group 0 And 0+
Safety experts recommend that children ride
rearward facing in the vehicle as long as
possible. Infants up to 13 kg must be re-
strained in a rear-facing seat like the child
seat shown in fig. A. This type of child re-
straint supports the child’s head and does not
induce stress on the neck in the event of
sudden decelerations or a crash.
The rear-facing child restraint is restrained by
the vehicle’s seat belts, as shown in fig. A.
The child seat restrains the child with its own
harness.
Fig. A
SAFETY
128
WARNING!
• Never place a rear-facing child restraint
in front of an air bag. A deploying
passenger Front Air Bag can cause
death or serious injury to a child
12 years or younger, including a child
in a rear-facing child restraint.
• Never install a rear-facing child re-
straint in the front seat of a vehicle.
Only use a rear-facing child restraint in
the rear seat. If the vehicle does not
have a rear seat, do not transport a
rear-facing child restraint in that
vehicle.
Group 1
Children who weigh between 9 kg and 18 kg
may be carried in a Group 1, forward facing
seat like the one in fig. B. This type of child
restraint is for older children who are too big
for a Group 0 or 0+ child restraint.
Group 2
Children who weigh between 15 kg and 25 kg
and who are too big for the Group 1 child
restraint may use a Group 2 child restraint
system.
As shown in fig. C, the Group 2 child restraint
system positions the child correctly with re-
spect to the seat belt so that the shoulder belt
crosses the child’s chest and not the neck,
and the lap belt is snug on the pelvis and not
the abdomen.
Fig. BFig. C
129