2021 INFINITI QX80 steering

2021 INFINITI Consumer Safety & Air Bag Information Guide 3



EFFECTIVE USE OF SEAT BELTS AND AIR BAGS



Seat belts and supplemental air bags are most effective when vehicle occupants
are sitting upright and well back in the seat with both feet on the floor. Keep in mind
that air bags inflate with great force. Being unrestrained, leaning forward, sitting
sideways, or being out of position in any way puts you at a greater risk of injury or
death in a crash. You may also receive serious or fatal injuries from the air bag
system if you are up against it when it inflates. Always sit back against the seatback
with both feet on the floor and as far away as practical from the steering wheel or
instrument panel and always wear your seat belt. Please see the SEAT BELT SAFETY
section of this guide and the vehicle owner’s manual for more information.

HOW THE OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM WORKS

The front passenger seat is equipped with an occupant classification sensor that
turns the front passenger air bag OFF under some conditions. The occupant
classification sensor detects an occupant and objects on the seat by weight. For
example, if a child is in the front passenger seat, the Advanced Air Bag System may
turn the passenger air bag OFF in accordance with U.S. regulations. In addition, if a
child restraint of the type specified in the regulations is on the seat, the occupant
classification sensor can detect it and cause the air bag to turn OFF. See the vehicle

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HOW AND WHEN FRONT AIR BAGS WORK
While the inner workings of a supplemental front air bag system are complicated,
understanding what makes the front air bags deploy is rather easy: the vehicle’s
front air bag sensor system is designed to detect rapid deceleration usually
associated with moderate to severe frontal collisions within a limited range of angles.
Air bags are not designed to deploy in low-severity collisions. The vehicle’s
deceleration rate is related to various factors, such as speed of the vehicles
involved, the weight and stiffness of the vehicles/objects involved, contact
locations, and the angle of impact, to name a few. Once the sensor system is
activated, the front air bags inflate with a harmless gas almost instantly.
The front air bags will not usually activate in side-impact collisions, rear-end collisions,
rollovers, while driving on rough roads, or during hard braking. However,
deceleration rates in some situations can be similar to those found in frontal impacts
and may result in front air bag activation.

WHEN THE FRONT AIR BAGS INFLATE
Please remember, for the supplemental front air bags to be most effective, you must
always buckle up and sit at a suitable distance back to allow room for the air bags
to inflate. For the front air bags to do their job, they must inflate with great force. As
mentioned earlier in this guide, this may cause serious or even fatal injury if, for
example, you are unrestrained, out of position in any way, sitting or leaning too close
to the steering wheel or dashboard during inflation. Even when seated properly,
there is a possibility of injury from an inflating front air bag. This usually consists of
minor skin abrasions or burns, but may be more serious. Overall, these injuries are
minimal compared to the injuries the front air bags are designed to prevent. When a
front air bag inflates, a fairly load noise may be heard, followed by the release of
smoke. This smoke is not toxic and does not indicate a fire. Care should be taken
not to inhale it, as it may cause temporary irritation and choking. Those with a history
of a breathing condition should get fresh air promptly.

REPLACING THE AIR BAGS
Air bags are not reusable. After a collision in which your air bags have activated,
have the respective air bag system inspected and replaced by your INFINITI retailer
as soon as possible.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has expressed concern
regarding reports of counterfeit replacement air bags installed in vehicles. Visit
www.nhtsa.gov for more information. INFINITI recommends the replacement of air
bags by your INFINITI retailer to ensure that you receive new original equipment
replacement parts. Counterfeit replacement air bags may not be made to the
standards of quality, reliability and durability of Genuine INFINITI parts. The use of

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counterfeit replacement air bags or used or salvaged air bags is a potential serious
safety problem and may not provide the same level of protection in a crash.

OTHER SPECIFICS ABOUT AIR BAGS

Do not position the front passenger seat so it contacts the rear seat. If the front
passenger seat does contact the rear seat, the air bag system may determine a
sensor malfunction has occurred and the front passenger air bag status light may
illuminate and the supplemental air bag warning light may flash.
 If the supplemental air bag warning light in the instrument panel continues to
remain ON or flashes after you start the vehicle, see your INFINITI retailer or other
authorized repair facility as soon as possible.
 After inflation, air bag components are hot, so avoid contact.
 Do not place objects on or near the steering wheel or instrument panel where the
air bags inflate.
 Never install a rear-facing child restraint in the front passenger seat of a vehicle.
 Do not place objects with sharp edges on the seat. Also, do not place heavy
objects on the seat that will leave permanent impressions in the seat. Such
objects can damage the seat or the occupant classification sensor. This can
affect the operation of the air bag system and result in serious personal injury.
 Do not use water or acidic cleaners (hot steam cleaners) on the seat. This can
damage the seat or occupant classification sensor. This can also affect the
operation of the air bag system and result in serious personal injury.
 Modifying or tampering with the front passenger seat may result in serious
personal injury. For example, do not change the front seats by placing material
on the seat cushion or by installing additional trim material, such as seat covers,
on the seat that are not specifically designed to assure proper air bag operation.
Additionally, do not stow any objects under the front passenger seat, or on the
seat cushion, or store luggage behind the seat that may contact the seatback,
or hang heavy objects from the seatback, or the seatback pocket. Such objects
may interfere with the proper operation of the occupant classification sensor.
 See the vehicle owner’s manual for other important information on safety, seats,
seat belts, and the supplemental restraint system. WELL BACK AND UPRIGHT