66SAFETY
Seat Belt Systems
Buckle up even though you are an excellent
driver, even on short trips. Someone on the road
may be a poor driver and could cause a collision
that includes you. This can happen far away
from home or on your own street.
Research has shown that seat belts save lives,
and they can reduce the seriousness of injuries
in a collision. Some of the worst injuries happen
when people are thrown from the vehicle. Seat
belts reduce the possibility of ejection and the
risk of injury caused by striking the inside of the
vehicle. Everyone in a motor vehicle should be
belted at all times.
Enhanced Seat Belt Use Reminder System
(BeltAlert)
Driver and Passenger BeltAlert — If Equipped
BeltAlert is a feature intended to remind
the driver and outboard front seat passenger
(if equipped with outboard front passenger
seat BeltAlert) to buckle their seat belts. The
BeltAlert feature is active whenever the igni -
tion switch is in the AVV/START or MAR/RUN
position. Initial Indication
If the driver is unbuckled when the ignition
switch is first in the AVV/START or MAR/RUN
position, a chime will signal for a few seconds. If
the driver or outboard front seat passenger (if
equipped with outboard front passenger seat
BeltAlert) is unbuckled when the ignition switch
is first in the AVV/START or MAR/RUN position
the Seat Belt Reminder Light will turn on and
remain on until both outboard front seat belts
are buckled. The outboard front passenger seat
BeltAlert is not active when an outboard front
passenger seat is unoccupied.
BeltAlert Warning Sequence
The BeltAlert warning sequence is activated
when the vehicle is moving above a specified
vehicle speed range and the driver or outboard
front seat passenger is unbuckled (if equipped
with outboard front passenger seat BeltAlert)
(the outboard front passenger seat BeltAlert is
not active when the outboard front passenger
seat is unoccupied). The BeltAlert warning
sequence starts by blinking the Seat Belt
Reminder Light and sounding an intermittent
chime. Once the BeltAlert warning sequence
has completed, the Seat Belt Reminder Light will remain on until the seat belts are buckled.
The BeltAlert warning sequence may repeat
based on vehicle speed until the driver and
occupied outboard front seat passenger seat
belts are buckled. The driver should instruct all
occupants to buckle their seat belts.
Change of Status
If the driver or outboard front seat passenger (if
equipped with outboard front passenger seat
BeltAlert) unbuckles their seat belt while the
vehicle is traveling, the BeltAlert warning
sequence will begin until the seat belts are
buckled again.
The outboard front passenger seat BeltAlert is
not active when the outboard front passenger
seat is unoccupied. BeltAlert may be triggered
when an animal or other items are placed on
the outboard front passenger seat or when the
seat is folded flat (if equipped). It is recom
-
mended that pets be restrained in the rear seat
(if equipped) in pet harnesses or pet carriers
that are secured by seat belts, and cargo is
properly stowed.
BeltAlert can be activated or deactivated by an
authorized dealer. FCA US LLC does not recom -
mend deactivating BeltAlert.
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SAFETY67
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(Continued)
(Continued)
NOTE:
If BeltAlert has been deactivated and the driver
or outboard front seat passenger (if equipped
with outboard front passenger seat BeltAlert) is
unbuckled the Seat Belt Reminder Light will
turn on and remain on until the driver and
outboard front seat passenger seat belts are
buckled.
Lap/Shoulder Belts
All seating positions in your vehicle are
equipped with lap/shoulder belts.
The seat belt webbing retractor will lock only
during very sudden stops or collisions. This
feature allows the shoulder part of the seat belt
to move freely with you under normal condi -
tions. However, in a collision the seat belt will
lock and reduce your risk of striking the inside
of the vehicle or being thrown out of the vehicle.
WARNING!
Relying on the air bags alone could lead to
more severe injuries in a collision. The air
bags work with your seat belt to restrain you
properly. In some collisions, the air bags
won’t deploy at all. Always wear your seat
belt even though you have air bags.
In a collision, you and your passengers can
suffer much greater injuries if you are not
properly buckled up. You can strike the inte -
rior 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.
It is dangerous to ride in a cargo area,
inside or outside of a vehicle. In a collision,
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. Occupants,
including the driver, should always wear
their seat belts whether or not an air bag is
also provided at their seating position to
minimize the risk of severe injury or death
in the event of a crash.
WARNING!
(Continued)
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.
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.
WARNING!
(Continued)
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68SAFETY
(Continued)
Lap/Shoulder Belt Operating Instructions
1. Enter the vehicle and close the door. Sit
back and adjust the seat.
2. The seat belt latch plate is above the back of the front seat, and next to your arm in the
rear seat (for vehicles equipped with a rear
seat). Grasp the latch plate and pull out the
seat belt. Slide the latch plate up the
webbing as far as necessary to allow the
seat belt to go around your lap.
Pulling Out The Latch PlateA 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 vehicle, take it
to an authorized dealer immediately and
have it fixed.
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, increasing the possi -
bility of injury. Wear your seat belt snugly.
WARNING!
(Continued)
A seat belt that is worn under your arm is
dangerous. Your body could strike the
inside surfaces of the vehicle in a collision,
increasing head and neck injury. A seat belt
worn under the arm can cause internal inju -
ries. 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 shoulder
belt. The lap and shoulder belt are meant to
be used together.
A frayed or torn seat belt could rip apart in
a collision and leave you with no protection.
Inspect the seat belt system periodically,
checking for cuts, frays, or loose parts.
Damaged parts must be replaced immedi-
ately. Do not disassemble or modify the
seat belt system. Seat belt assemblies
must be replaced after a collision.
WARNING!
(Continued)
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70SAFETY
(Continued)
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.
Adjustable Anchorage 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 posi
-
tion.
Adjustable Anchorage NOTE:
The adjustable upper shoulder belt anchorage
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 anchorage
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.
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SAFETY71
Seat Belts And Pregnant Women
Seat Belts And Pregnant Women Seat belts must be worn by all occupants
including pregnant women: the risk of injury in
the event of an accident is reduced for the
mother and the unborn child if they are wearing
a seat belt.
Position the lap belt snug and low below the
abdomen and across the strong bones of the
hips. Place the shoulder belt across the chest
and away from the neck. Never place the
shoulder belt behind the back or under the arm.
Seat Belt Pretensioner
The front seat belt system is equipped with
pretensioning devices that are designed to
remove slack from the seat belt in the event of
a collision. These devices may improve the
performance of the seat belt by removing slack
from the seat belt early in a collision. Preten
-
sioners work for all size occupants, including
those in child restraints. NOTE:
These devices are not a substitute for proper
seat belt placement by the occupant. The seat
belt still must be worn snugly and positioned
properly.
The pretensioners are triggered by the Occu
-
pant Restraint Controller (ORC). Like the air
bags, the pretensioners are single use items. A
deployed pretensioner or a deployed air bag
must be replaced immediately.Energy Management Feature
The front seat belt system is equipped with an
Energy Management feature 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 designed to release webbing in
a controlled manner.
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 with -
draw any slack in the shoulder belt.
Misadjustment of the seat belt could
reduce the effectiveness of the safety belt
in a crash.
Always make all seat belt height adjust -
ments when the vehicle is stationary.
WARNING!
(Continued)
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72SAFETY
Switchable Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR)
The seat belt in the passenger seating position
is equipped with a Switchable Automatic
Locking Retractor (ALR) which is used to secure
a child restraint system. For additional informa-
tion, 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.
Front Bucket Seat: Switchable Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) Location Front Bench Seat: Switchable Automatic Locking Re-
tractor (ALR) Locations
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 occupant’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 care -fully pull out only the amount of webbing neces
-
sary 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 in the 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 prop -
erly restrained in the rear seat of a vehicle with
a rear seat.
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 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.
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SAFETY73
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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 disengage
the Automatic Locking Mode and activate the
vehicle sensitive (emergency) locking mode.
Supplemental Restraint Systems (SRS)
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.
The air bag system must be ready to protect you
in a collision. The Occupant Restraint Controller
(ORC) monitors the internal circuits and inter -
connecting wiring associated with the electrical
Air Bag System Components. Your vehicle may
be equipped with the following Air Bag System
Components:
Air Bag System Components
Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC)
Air Bag Warning Light
Steering Wheel and Column
Instrument Panel
Driver and Front Passenger Air Bags
Seat Belt Buckle Switch
Supplemental Side Air Bags
Front and Side Impact Sensors
Seat Belt Pretensioners
Air Bag Warning Light
The Occupant Restraint Controller
(ORC) monitors the readiness of the
electronic parts of the air bag system
whenever the ignition switch is in the
AVV/START or MAR/ACC/ON/RUN position. If
the ignition switch is in the STOP/OFF/LOCK
position the air bag system is not on and the air
bags will not inflate.WARNING!
The seat belt assembly must be replaced if
the switchable Automatic Locking Retractor
(ALR) feature or any other seat belt function
is not working properly when checked
according to the procedures in the Service
Manual.
Failure to replace the seat belt assembly
could increase the risk of injury in colli -
sions.
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 harness for
restraining the child.
WARNING!
(Continued)
4
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74SAFETY
The ORC contains a backup power supply
system that may deploy the air bag system even
if the battery loses power or it becomes discon -
nected prior to deployment.
The ORC turns on the Air Bag Warning Light in
the instrument panel for approximately four to
eight seconds for a self-check when the ignition
switch is in the MAR/ACC/ON/RUN position.
After the self-check, the Air Bag Warning Light
will turn off. If the ORC detects a malfunction in
any part of the system, it turns on the Air Bag
Warning Light, either momentarily or continu -
ously. A single chime will sound to alert you if
the light comes on again after initial startup.
The ORC also includes diagnostics that will illu-
minate the instrument panel Air Bag Warning
Light if a malfunction is detected that could
affect the air bag system. The diagnostics also
record the nature of the malfunction. While the
air bag system is designed to be maintenance
free, if any of the following occurs, have an
authorized dealer service the air bag system
immediately.The Air Bag Warning Light does not come on
during the four to eight seconds when the
ignition switch is first in the MAR/ACC/ON/
RUN position.
The Air Bag Warning Light remains on after
the four to eight-second interval.
The Air Bag Warning Light comes on intermit -
tently or remains on while driving.
NOTE:
If the speedometer, tachometer, or any engine
related gauges are not working, the Occupant
Restraint Controller (ORC) may also be
disabled. In this condition the air bags may not
be ready to inflate for your protection. Have an
authorized dealer service the air bag system
immediately.
Front Air Bags
This vehicle has front air bags and lap/shoulder
belts for both the driver and front passenger.
The front air bags are a supplement to the seat
belt restraint systems. The driver front air bag is
mounted in the center of the steering wheel.
The passenger front air bag is mounted in the
instrument panel, above the glove compart -
ment. The words “SRS AIRBAG” or “AIRBAG” are
embossed on the air bag covers.
Front Air Bag Locations
WARNING!
Ignoring the Air Bag Warning Light in your
instrument panel could mean you won’t have
the air bag system to protect you in a
collision. If the light does not come on as a
bulb check when the ignition is first turned
on, stays on after you start the vehicle, or if it
comes on as you drive, have an authorized
dealer service the air bag system
immediately.
1 — Driver Front Air Bag
2 — Passenger Front Air Bag
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