
165
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 interconnecting 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
Knee Impact Bolsters
Driver and Front Passenger Air Bags
Seat Belt Buckle Switch
Supplemental Side Air Bags
Supplemental Knee Air Bags
Front and Side Impact Sensors
Seat Belt Pretensioners
Seat Track Position Sensors
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
START or ON/RUN position. If the ignition
switch is in the OFF position or in the ACC posi -
tion, the air bag system is not on and the air
bags will not inflate.
The ORC contains a backup power supply
system that may deploy the air bag system
even if the battery loses power or it becomes
disconnected 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 first in the 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 continuously. 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 mainte - 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.
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167
(Continued)
Front Air Bag/Knee Bolster LocationsDriver And Passenger Front Air Bag
Features
The Advanced Front Air Bag system has multi-
stage driver and front passenger air bags. This
system provides output appropriate to the
severity and type of collision as determined 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 immediately
during an impact that requires air bag deploy -
ment. 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. This vehicle may be equipped with driver and/
or front passenger seat track position sensors
that may adjust the inflation rate of the
Advanced Front Air Bags based upon seat
position.
1 — Driver And Passenger Front Air Bags
2 — Driver And Passenger Knee Impact Bol -
sters/Supplemental Knee Air Bags
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
your arms to reach the steering wheel or
instrument panel.
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.
WARNING! (Continued)
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 colli -
sion 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
and you could be injured because the air
bags may no longer be functional. The
protective covers for the air bag cushions
are designed to open only when the air
bags are inflating.
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, air bags
won’t deploy at all. Always wear your seat
belts even though you have air bags.
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SAFETY
170
Side Impacts
The Side Air Bags are designed to activate in
certain side impacts. The Occupant Restraint
Controller (ORC) determines whether the
deployment 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 appro-
priate 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 inde -
pendently; a left side impact deploys 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 certain
angles, or some side collisions that do not
impact the area of the passenger compart
-
ment. 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.
NOTE:
Air bag covers may not be obvious in the inte-
rior trim, but they will open during air bag
deployment.
Rollover Events
Side Air Bags and seat belt pretensioners are
designed to activate in certain rollover events.
The Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC)
determines whether deployment in a partic -
ular 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 and seat belt pretensioners
should have deployed.
In order for the SABICs to work as
intended, 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 attachments (bolts or
screws) for installation on the vehicle roof.
Do not drill into the roof of the vehicle for
any reason.
WARNING! (Continued)
WARNING!
Occupants, including children, who are up
against or very close to Side Air Bags can
be seriously injured or killed. Occupants,
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 appro -
priate) are necessary for your protection in
all collisions. They also help keep you in
position, away from an inflating Side Air Bag.
To get the best protection from the Side Air
Bags, occupants must wear their seat belts
properly and sit upright with their backs
against 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 collision.
The Side Air Bags work with your seat belt
to restrain you properly. In some colli -
sions, Side Air Bags won’t deploy at all.
Always wear your seat belt even though
you have Side Air Bags.
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SAFETY
174
Maintaining Your Air Bag System 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
performed. The EDR is designed to record data
related to vehicle dynamics and safety
systems for a short period of time, typically 30
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 recorded. However, other parties, such as law enforce
-
ment, could combine the EDR data with the
type of personally identifying data routinely
acquired during a crash investigation.
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 equip -
ment, 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 children.
Every state in the United States, and every
Canadian province, requires that small chil -
dren ride in proper restraint systems. This is
the law, and you can be prosecuted for
ignoring it.
Children 12 years or younger should ride prop -
erly buckled up in a rear seat, if available.
According to crash statistics, children are
safer when properly restrained in the rear
seats rather than in the front.
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 passenger
side of the instrument panel. Do not modify
the front fascia/bumper, vehicle body struc -
ture, 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 properly if
modifications are made. Take your vehicle
to an authorized dealer for any air bag
system service. If your seat, including your
trim cover and cushion, needs to be
serviced in any way (including removal or
loosening/tightening of seat attachment
bolts), take the vehicle to an authorized
dealer. Only manufacturer approved seat
accessories may be used. If it is necessary
to modify the air bag system for persons
with disabilities, contact an authorized
dealer.
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175
There are different sizes and types of
restraints 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
labels 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 alsomake sure that you can install it in the vehicle
where you will use it.
NOTE:
For additional information, refer to
http://
www.nhtsa.gov/parents-and-caregivers
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/en/services/
road/child-car-seat-safety.html
Summary Of Recommendations For Restraining Children In Vehicles
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
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.
Child Size, Height, Weight Or AgeRecommended Type Of Child Restraint
Infants and Toddlers Children who are two years old or younger
and who have not reached the height or
weight limits of their child restraint Either an Infant Carrier or a Convertible Child
Restraint, facing rearward in a 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 a rear
seat of the vehicle
Larger Children Children who have outgrown their
forward-facing child restraint, but are too
small to properly fit the vehicle’s seat belt Belt Positioning Booster Seat and the vehicle
seat belt, seated in a 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 a rear seat of the
vehicle
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SAFETY
176
(Continued)
Infant And Child Restraints
Safety experts recommend that children ride
rear-facing in the vehicle until they are two
years old or until they reach either the height
or weight limit of their rear-facing child
restraint. Two types of child restraints can be
used rear-facing: infant carriers and convert-
ible child seats.
The infant carrier is only used rear-facing in
the vehicle. It is recommended for children
from birth until they reach the weight or height
limit of the infant carrier. Convertible child
seats can be used either rear-facing or
forward-facing in the vehicle. Convertible child
seats often have a higher weight limit in the
rear-facing direction than infant carriers do, so
they can be used rear-facing by children who
have outgrown their infant carrier but are still
less than at least two years old. Children
should remain rear-facing until they reach the
highest weight or height allowed by their
convertible child seat.
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 remain 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!
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.
WARNING! (Continued) 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 directions
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 adjusting the
vehicle seat position. When the vehicle
seat has been adjusted, reinstall 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.
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SAFETY
178
Recommendations For Attaching Child Restraints
Restraint Type
Combined Weight
of the Child + Child RestraintUse Any Attachment Method Shown With An “X” Below
LATCH – Lower Anchors OnlySeat Belt Only
LATCH – Lower Anchors + Top Tether AnchorSeat Belt + Top Tether Anchor
Rear-Facing
Child Restraint Up to 65 lbs
(29.5 kg) X
X
Rear-Facing
Child Restraint More than 65 lbs
(29.5 kg) X
Forward-Facing Child Restraint Up to 65 lbs
(29.5 kg) X
X
Forward-Facing Child Restraint More than 65 lbs
(29.5 kg) X
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179
Lower Anchors And Tethers For CHildren
(LATCH) Restraint System
LATCH LabelYour vehicle is equipped with the child
restraint 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
seating 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 posi
-
tions, the seat belt must be used with the top
tether anchorage to install the child restraint.
Please see the following table for more infor -
mation.
LATCH Positions For Installing Child
Restraints In This Vehicle
LATCH Positions
Lower Anchorage Symbol (2 Anchorages
Per Seating Position)
Top Tether Anchorage Symbol
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