COMBINING THE SEATBELT ANDLOWER ANCHORS FORATTACHING CHILD RESTRAINTS
When used in combination, you may attacheither the seatbelt or the LATCH loweranchors first, provided a proper installationis achieved. Attach the tether strapafterward, if it is included with the childrestraint.
USING TETHER STRAPS
Many forward-facing child restraintsinclude a tether strap which extends fromthe back of the child restraint and hooksto an anchoring point called the top tetheranchor. Tether straps are available as anaccessory for many older child restraints.
Contact the manufacturer of your childrestraint for information about ordering atether strap, or to obtain a longer tetherstrap if the tether strap on your childrestraint does not reach the appropriatetop tether anchor in the vehicle.
Attach the tether strap only to theappropriate tether anchor. The tether strapmay not work properly if attachedsomewhere other than the correct tetheranchor.
If you install a child restraint with rigidLATCH attachments, do not tighten thetether strap enough to lift the childrestraint off the vehicle seat cushion whenthe child is seated in it. Keep the tetherstrap just snug without lifting the front ofthe child restraint. Keeping the childrestraint just touching the vehicle seatgives the best protection in a severe crash.
Once you have installed the child restraintusing either the seatbelt, the lower anchorsof the LATCH system, or both, you canattach the top tether strap.
BOOSTER SEATS
Use a belt-positioning booster seat forchildren who have outgrown or no longerproperly fit in a child restraint and meetthe following criteria.
•Generally children who are less than57 in (1.45 m) tall.
•Are greater than age four (4) and lessthan age twelve (12).
•Are between 40 lb (18 kg) and 80 lb(36 kg) and upward to 100 lb (45 kg).
Many state and provincial laws require thatchildren use approved booster seats untilthey reach age eight, a height of 57 in(1.45 m) tall, or 80 lb (36 kg).
Booster seats should be used until you cananswer yes to all of these questions whenseated without a booster seat:
•Can the child sit all the way backagainst their vehicle seat backrest withknees bent comfortably at the edge ofthe seat cushion?
•Can the child sit without slouching?
•Does the lap belt rest low across thehips?
•Is the shoulder belt centered on theshoulder and chest?
•Can the child stay seated like this forthe whole trip?
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Always use booster seats in conjunctionwith your vehicle lap and shoulder belt.
Types of Booster Seats
•Backless booster seats
If your backless booster seat has aremovable shield, remove the shield.
If a vehicle seating position has a low seatbackrest or no head restraint, a backlessbooster seat may place your child's head,as measured at the tops of the ears, abovethe top of the seat. In this case, move thebackless booster to another seatingposition with a higher seat backrest orhead restraint and lap and shoulder belts,or consider using a high-back booster seat.
•High-back booster seats
If, with a backless booster seat, you cannotfind a seating position that adequatelysupports your child's head, a high-backbooster seat would be a better choice.
Children and booster seats vary in size andshape. Choose a booster that keeps thelap belt low and snug across the hips,never up across the stomach, and lets youadjust the shoulder belt to cross the chestand rest snugly near the center of theshoulder.
The following drawings compare the idealfit to a shoulder belt uncomfortably closeto the neck and a shoulder belt that couldslip off the shoulder. The drawings alsoshow how the lap belt should be low andsnug across the child's hips.
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SEATBELT PRECAUTIONS
WARNING: Always drive and ridewith your seatback upright and the lapbelt snug and low across the hips.
WARNING: Children must alwaysbe properly restrained.
WARNING: Do not allow apassenger to hold a child on their lapwhen your vehicle is moving. Failure tofollow this instruction could result inpersonal injury or death in the event of asudden stop or crash.
WARNING: All occupants of yourvehicle, including the driver, shouldalways properly wear their seatbelts,even when an airbag supplementalrestraint system is provided. Failure toproperly wear your seatbelt couldseriously increase the risk of injury ordeath.
WARNING: It is extremelydangerous to ride in a cargo area, insideor outside of a vehicle. In a crash, peopleriding in these areas are more likely to beseriously injured or killed. Do not allowpeople to ride in any area of your vehiclethat is not equipped with seats andseatbelts. Make sure everyone in yourvehicle is in a seat and properly using aseatbelt. Failure to follow this warningcould result in serious personal injury ordeath.
WARNING: In a rollover crash, anunbelted person is significantly morelikely to die than a person wearing aseatbelt.
WARNING: Each seating positionin your vehicle has a specific seatbeltassembly made up of one buckle andone tongue designed to be used as a pair.Use the shoulder belt on the outsideshoulder only. Never wear the shoulderbelt under the arm. Never use a singleseatbelt for more than one person.
WARNING: Even with advancedrestraints systems, properly restrainchildren 12 and under in a rear seatingposition. Failure to follow this couldseriously increase the risk of injury ordeath.
WARNING: Seatbelts and seatsmay be hot in a vehicle that is in thesunshine. The hot seatbelts or seats mayburn a small child. Check seat covers andbuckles before you place a childanywhere near them.
WARNING: If your vehicle isinvolved in a crash, have the seatbeltsand associated components inspectedas soon as possible. Failure to follow thisinstruction could result in personal injuryor death.
All seating positions in this vehicle haveseatbelts. All occupants of the vehicleshould properly wear their seatbelts, evenwhen an airbag supplemental restraintsystem is provided.
The seatbelt system consists of:
•Lap and shoulder seatbelts.
•A shoulder seatbelt with automaticlocking mode, except driver seatbelt.
•Height adjusters at the front outermostseating positions.
•Seatbelt pretensioners at the frontoutermost and rear outermost seatingpositions.
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The retractor for the third row centerseatbelt is in the roof.
To fasten the seatbelt:
1.Pull the belt out steadily. It may lock ifyou pull it sharply or if the vehicle is ona slope.
2.Insert the smaller tongue into thesmaller buckle to the left of the centerseat.
3.Pull the larger tongue across the lapand insert it into the buckle to the rightof the center seat.
Note:If in constant use, you can leave thebelt buckled in the smaller buckle. When itis not in use, or when you fold or move therear seats, you should release the belt fromthe smaller buckle. Using the tongue of theadjacent seatbelt, press the red button onthe smaller buckle.
SENSITIVE LOCKING MODE
WHAT IS SENSITIVE LOCKINGMODE
Sensitive locking mode is a seatbeltretractor feature that allows shoulder beltlength adjustment according to yourmovements and locking in response tovehicle movement.
HOW DOES SENSITIVE LOCKINGMODE WORK
If the driver suddenly brakes, turns a cornersharply, or the vehicle receives an impactof about 5 mph (8 km/h) or more, theseatbelts lock to help reduce forwardmovement of the driver and passengers.
In addition, the seatbelt retractor locks ifyou pull the seatbelt webbing out tooquickly. If the retractor locks, slowly lowerthe height adjuster to allow the seatbeltto retract.
If the retractor does not unlock, pull theseatbelt out slowly then feed a smalllength of webbing back toward the stowedposition.
For rear seatbelts, recline the rear seatbackrest or push the seat backrest cushionaway from the seatbelt. Feed a smalllength of webbing back toward the stowedposition.
AUTOMATIC LOCKING MODE
WHAT IS AUTOMATIC LOCKINGMODE
This feature keeps the seatbeltspre-locked. The belt still retracts to removeany slack in the shoulder belt.
WHEN TO USE AUTOMATICLOCKING MODE
Use this mode any time you install a childrestraint in the front passenger seatingposition or any rear seating position.Properly restrain children 12 years old andunder in a rear seat whenever possible.
Note:Automatic locking mode is notavailable on the driver seatbelt.
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WARNING: Do not lean your headon the door. The side airbag could injureyou as it deploys from the side of theseatback.
The side airbags are on the outermost sideof the seat backrests of the front seats. Incertain sideways crashes or rollovers, theairbags will be inflated. The airbag wasdesigned to inflate between the door paneland occupant to further enhance theprotection provided to occupants in sideimpact crashes.
The system consists of the following:
•A label or embossed side panelindicating that side airbags are fittedto your vehicle.
•Side airbags inside the driver and frontpassenger seat backrests.
•Crash sensors and monitoring systemwith readiness indicator. See CrashSensors and Airbag Indicator (page63).
HOW DO THE KNEE AIRBAGS
WORK
WARNING: Close the glove boxdoor when your vehicle is moving. Failureto follow this instruction could reducethe effectiveness of the passenger kneeairbag and increase the risk of injury in acrash.
A driver knee airbag is under or within theinstrument panel. A passenger knee airbagis within or under the glove compartment.
During a crash, the restraints controlmodule may activate the driver andpassenger knee airbags based on crashseverity and occupant conditions.
Under certain crash and occupantconditions, the front airbags and the kneeairbags may not activate together. As withfront and side airbags, it is important to beproperly seated and restrained to reducethe risk of death or serious injury.
Make sure the knee airbags areoperating properly. See CrashSensors and Airbag Indicator(page 63).
HOW DOES THE SAFETY
CANOPY™ WORK
WARNING: Do not place objectsor mount equipment on or near theheadliner at the siderail that may comeinto contact with a deploying curtainairbag. Failure to follow theseinstructions may increase the risk ofpersonal injury in the event of a crash.
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WARNING: Do not lean your headon the door. The curtain airbag couldinjure you as it deploys from theheadliner.
WARNING: To reduce risk of injury,do not obstruct or place objects in thedeployment path of the airbag.
The Safety Canopy deploys duringsignificant side crashes or when a certainlikelihood of a rollover event is detectedby the rollover sensor. The Safety Canopyis mounted to the roof side-rail sheetmetal, behind the headliner, above eachrow of seats. In certain sideways crashesor rollover events, the Safety Canopy willbe activated, regardless of which seats areoccupied. The Safety Canopy inflatesbetween the side window area andoccupants to further enhance protectionprovided in side impact crashes androllover events.
The system consists of the following:
•Safety Canopy curtain airbags abovethe trim panels over the front and rearside windows identified by a label orwording on the headliner or roof-pillartrim.
•A flexible headliner which opens abovethe side doors to allow air curtaindeployment
· Crash sensors and monitoringsystem with a readinessindicator. See Crash Sensorsand Airbag Indicator (page 63).
Properly restrain children 12 years old andunder in the rear seats. The Safety Canopywill not interfere with children restrainedusing a properly installed child or boosterseat because it is designed to inflatedownward from the headliner above thedoors along the side window opening.
AIRBAG PRECAUTIONS
WARNING: Airbags do not inflateslowly or gently, and the risk of injuryfrom a deploying airbag is the greatestclose to the trim covering the airbagmodule.
WARNING: All occupants of yourvehicle, including the driver, shouldalways properly wear their seatbelts,even when an airbag supplementalrestraint system is provided. Failure toproperly wear your seatbelt couldseriously increase the risk of injury ordeath.
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WARNING: Properly securechildren 12 years old and under in a rearseating position whenever possible. Ifyou are unable to properly secure allchildren in a rear seating position,properly secure the largest child on thefront seat. If you must use a forwardfacing child restraint on the front seat,move the seat as far back as possible.Failure to follow these instructions couldresult in personal injury or death.
WARNING: Do not place your armson the airbag cover or through thesteering wheel. Failure to follow thisinstruction could result in personal injury.
WARNING: Keep the areas in frontof the airbags free from obstruction. Donot affix anything to or over the airbagcovers. Objects could become projectilesduring airbag deployment. Failure tofollow this instruction could result inpersonal injury or death.
WARNING: To reduce risk of injury,do not obstruct or place objects in thedeployment path of the airbag.
WARNING: Do not place arearward facing child restraint in front ofan active airbag. Failure to follow thisinstruction could result in personal injuryor death.
WARNING: Do not attempt toservice, repair, or modify thesupplementary restraint system orassociated components. Failure tofollow this instruction could result inpersonal injury or death.
WARNING: Several airbag systemcomponents get hot after inflation. Toreduce the risk of injury, do not touchthem after inflation.
WARNING: If a supplementaryrestraint system component hasdeployed, it will not function again. Havethe system and associated componentsinspected as soon as possible. Failure tofollow this instruction could result inpersonal injury or death.
PROPERLY ADJUSTING THE
DRIVER AND FRONT
PASSENGER SEATS
WARNING: National HighwayTraffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)recommends a minimum distance of atleast 10 in (25 cm) between anoccupant's chest and the driver airbagmodule.
To properly position yourself away fromthe airbag:
•Move your seat to the rear as far as youcan while still reaching the pedalscomfortably.
•Recline the seat slightly one or twodegrees from the upright position.
After all occupants have adjusted theirseats and put on seatbelts, it is veryimportant that they continue to sitproperly. Properly seated occupants situpright, lean against the seat backrest, andcenter themselves on the seat cushion,with their feet comfortably extended onthe floor. Sitting improperly can increasethe chance of injury in a crash event. Forexample, if an occupant slouches, liesdown, turns sideways, sits forward, leansforward or sideways, or puts one or bothfeet up, the chance of injury during a crashgreatly increases.
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CHILDREN AND AIRBAGS
WARNING: Do not place arearward facing child restraint in front ofan active airbag. Failure to follow thisinstruction could result in personal injuryor death.
Children must always be properlyrestrained. Accident statistics suggest thatchildren are safer when properly restrainedin the rear seating positions than in thefront seating position. Failure to followthese instructions may increase the risk ofinjury in a crash.
If two adults and a child occupy a vehiclewithout rear seats, properly restrain thechild in the center front seat unless doingso would interfere with driving your vehicle.This provides lap and shoulder beltprotection for all occupants, and airbagprotection for the adults. A child or infantproperly restrained in the center front seatshould have a reduced risk to serious injuryfrom the airbags.
FRONT PASSENGER SENSING
SYSTEM
WHAT IS THE FRONT PASSENGERSENSING SYSTEM
This system detects a properly seatedoccupant and determines if the frontpassenger airbag should be enabled.
HOW DOES THE FRONTPASSENGER SENSING SYSTEMWORK
The system uses a passenger airbag statusindicator which illuminates indicating thatthe front passenger frontal airbag is eitherenabled or disabled.
Note:When you first switch the ignition on,the passenger airbag status indicator offand on lamps illuminate for a short periodto confirm they are functional.
The indicator lamps are in the overheadconsole.
The front passenger sensing system isdesigned to disable the front passengerfrontal airbag under these conditions:
•The front passenger seat isunoccupied.
•The system determines an infant ispresent in a child restraint.
•A passenger takes their weight off ofthe seat for a period of time.
•If there is a problem with the airbagsystem or the passenger sensingsystem.
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