
3
3. Seats & Safety System
Important Safety Precautions ........................................................................\
...3-2Always Wear Your Seat Belt ........................................................................\
................. 3-2
Restrain All Children ........................................................................\
............................. 3-2
Air Bag Hazards ........................................................................\
.................................... 3-2
Driver Distraction ........................................................................\
................................. 3-2
Control Your Speed ........................................................................\
.............................. 3-2
Keep Your Vehicle in Safe Condition ........................................................................\
... 3-2
Seats .....................................................................\
............................................. 3-3Safety Precautions ........................................................................\
...............................3-4
Front Seats ........................................................................\
............................................ 3-5
Rear Seats ........................................................................\
.............................................3-8
Head Restraints ........................................................................\
................................... 3-11
Seat Warmers  ........................................................................\
.................................... 3-16
Seat Belts ........................................................................\
.................................. 3-18Seat Belt Safety Precautions ........................................................................\
............. 3-18
Seat Belt Warning Light ........................................................................\
..................... 3-19
Seat Belt Restraint System .....................................................................\
...................3-20
Additional Seat Belt Safety Precautions ................................................................... 3-25
Care of Seat Belts ........................................................................\
............................... 3-27
Child Restraint System (CRS) ........................................................................\
. 3-28Children Always in the Rear ........................................................................\
............... 3-28
Selecting a Child Restraint System (CRS) ................................................................. 3-29
Installing a Child Restraint System (CRS) .................................................................3-30
Air Bag - Supplemental Restraint System ..................................................... 3-39Where Are the Air Bags? ........................................................................\
.................... 3-41
How Does the Air Bags System Operate? ................................................................ 3-44
What to Expect After an Air Bag Inflates .................................................................. 3-47
Occupant Classification System (OCS) .................................................................... 3-48
Why Didn’t My Air Bag Go Off in a Collision? ...........................................................3-54
SRS Care ........................................................................\
.............................................3-59
Additional Safety Precautions ........................................................................\
.......... 3-60
Air Bag Warning Labels ........................................................................\
..................... 3-60
This chapter provides you with important information about how to protect yourself and your 
passengers. It explains how to properly use your seats and seat belts, and how your air bags work. 
Additionally, this chapter explains how to properly restrain infants and children in your vehicle. 

Seats & Safety System3-2
You will find many safety precautions 
and recommendations throughout this 
section, and throughout this manual. 
The safety precautions in this section are 
among the most important.
Always Wear Your Seat Belt
A seat belt is your best protection in all 
types of accidents. Air bags are designed 
to supplement seat belts, not to replace 
them. So even though your vehicle is 
equipped with air bags, ALWAYS make 
sure you and your passengers wear your 
seat belts, and wear them properly.
Restrain All Children
All children under age 13 should ride 
in your vehicle properly restrained in a 
rear seat, not the front seat. Infants and 
small children should be restrained in 
an appropriate Child Restraint System. 
Larger children should use a booster 
seat with the lap/shoulder belt until they 
can use the seat belt properly without a 
booster seat.
Air Bag Hazards
While air bags can save lives, they can 
also cause serious or fatal injuries to 
occupants who sit too close to them, or 
who are not properly restrained. Infants, 
young children, and short adults are at 
the greatest risk of being injured by an 
inflating air bag. Follow all instructions 
and warnings in this manual.
Driver Distraction
Driver distraction presents a serious and 
potentially deadly danger, especially for 
inexperienced drivers. Safety should be 
the first concern when behind the wheel 
and drivers need to be aware of the wide 
array of potential distractions, such as 
drowsiness, reaching for objects, eating, 
personal grooming, other passengers, 
and using mobile phones. Drivers can become distracted when 
they take their eyes and attention off 
the road or their hands off the wheel to 
focus on activities other than driving. 
To reduce your risk of distraction and an 
accident:
[ 
Set up your mobile devices (for 
example, MP3 players, phones, 
navigation units, etc.) ONLY when 
your vehicle is parked or safely 
stopped.
[  ONLY use your mobile device when 
allowed by laws and conditions permit 
safe use. NEVER text or email while 
driving. Most countries have laws 
prohibiting drivers from texting. Some 
countries and cities also prohibit 
drivers from using handheld phones.
[  NEVER let the use of a mobile device 
distract you from driving. You have a 
responsibility to your passengers and 
others on the road to always drive 
safely, with your hands on the wheel 
as well as your eyes and attention on 
the road.
Control Your Speed
Excessive speed is a major factor in crash 
injuries and deaths. Generally, the higher 
the speed, the greater the risk, but 
serious injuries can also occur at lower 
speeds. Never drive faster than is safe 
for current conditions, regardless of the 
maximum speed posted.
Keep Your Vehicle in Safe 
Condition
Having a tire blowout or a mechanical 
failure can be extremely hazardous. To 
reduce the possibility of such problems, 
check your tire pressures and condition 
frequently, and perform all regularly 
scheduled maintenance.
IMPORTANT SAFETY PRECAUTIONS 

Seats & Safety System3-4
Safety Precautions
Adjusting the seats so that you are sitting 
in a safe and comfortable position plays 
an important role for the safety of the 
driver and passengers, as much as seat 
belts and air bags when in an accident. 
 WARNING
Do not use a cushion that reduces 
friction between the seat and the 
passenger. The passenger’s hips may 
slide under the lap portion of the seat 
belt during an accident or a sudden 
stop.
Serious or fatal internal injuries could 
result because the seat belt cannot 
operate properly.
Air bags
You can take steps to reduce the risk 
of being injured by an inflating air bag. 
Sitting too close to an air bag greatly 
increases the risk of injury in the event 
the air bag inflates.
The National Highway Traffic Safety 
Administration (NHTSA) recommends 
that drivers allow at least 10 inches 
(25cm) between the center of the 
steering wheel and their chest.
 WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious injury or 
death from an inflating air bag, take the 
following precautions:
[  Adjust the driver’s seat as far to the 
rear as possible maintaining the 
ability to control the vehicle.
[  Adjust the front passenger seat as far 
to the rear as possible.
[  Hold the steering wheel by the rim 
with hands at the 9 o’clock and 3 
o’clock positions to minimize the risk 
of injuries to your hands and arms.
[  NEVER place anything or anyone 
between you and the air bag.
[  Do not allow the front passenger to 
place feet or legs on the dashboard 
to minimize the risk of leg injuries. 

03
3-5
Seat belts
Always fasten your seat belt before 
starting any trip. At all times, passengers 
should sit upright and be properly 
restrained. Infants and small children 
must be restrained in appropriate Child 
Restraint Systems. Children who have 
outgrown a booster seat and adults must 
be restrained using the seat belts.
 WARNING
Take the following precautions when 
adjusting your seat belt:
[ NEVER use one seat belt for more 
than one occupant.
[  Always position the seatback upright 
with the lap portion of the seat belt 
snug and low across the hips.
[  NEVER allow children or small infants 
to ride on a passenger’s lap.
[  Do not route the seat belt across your 
neck, across sharp edges, or reroute 
the shoulder strap away from your 
body.
[  Do not allow the seat belt to become 
caught or jammed.
Front Seats
 WARNING
Take the following precautions when 
adjusting your seat:
[ NEVER attempt to adjust the seat 
while the vehicle is moving. The seat 
could respond with unexpected 
movement and may cause loss 
of vehicle control resulting in an 
accident.
[  Do not place anything under the 
front seats. Loose objects in the 
driver’s foot area could interfere 
with the operation of the foot pedals, 
causing an accident.
[  Do not allow anything to interfere 
with the normal position and proper 
locking of the seatback.
[  Do not place a cigarette lighter on 
the floor or seat. When you operate 
the seat, gas may exit out of the 
lighter causing a fire.
[  Use extreme caution when picking 
up small objects trapped under the 
seats or between the seat and the 
center console. Your hands might be 
cut or injured by the sharp edges of 
the seat mechanism.
[  If there are occupants in the rear 
seats, be careful while adjusting the 
front seat position.
[  Make sure that the seat is locked in 
place after the adjustment. If not, 
the seat might move unexpectedly 
resulting in an accident.
 CAUTION
To prevent injury:
[ Do not adjust your seat while 
wearing your seat belt. Moving the 
seat cushion forward may cause 
strong pressure on your abdomen.
[  Do not allow your hands or fingers to 
get caught in the seat mechanisms 
while the seat is moving. 

03
3-7
Reclining seatback
Sitting in a reclined position when the 
vehicle is in motion can be dangerous. 
Even when buckled up, the protections 
of your restraint system (seat belts and 
air bags) is greatly reduced by reclining 
your seatback.
 WARNING
NEVER ride with a reclined seatback 
when the vehicle is moving.
Riding with a reclined seatback 
increases your chance of serious or fatal 
injuries in the event of a collision or 
sudden stop.
Driver and passengers should ALWAYS 
sit well back in their seats, properly 
belted, and with the seatbacks upright.
Seat belts must be snug against your 
hips and chest to work properly. When 
the seatback is reclined, the shoulder 
belt cannot do its job because it will not 
be snug against your chest. Instead, 
it will be in front of you. During an 
accident, you could be thrown into the 
seat belt, causing neck or other injuries.
The more the seatback is reclined, 
the greater chance the passenger’s 
hips will slide under the lap belt or the 
passenger’s neck will strike the shoulder 
belt.OOSN031001L
Seat cushion tilt (1, if equipped)
To change the angle of the front part of 
the sea
t cushion:
Push the front portion of the control 
switch up to raise or down to lower the 
front part of the seat cushion.
Release the switch once the seat reaches 
the desired position.
Seat cushion height (2, if equipped)
To change the height of the seat cushion:
Push the r
 ear portion of the control 
switch up to raise or down to lower the 
height of the seat cushion.
Release the switch once the seat reaches 
the desired position. 

Seats & Safety System3-8
OOSN031004L
Lumbar support (for driver’s seat)
To adjust the lumbar support:
1. 
 Press the front portion of the switch 
(1) to increase support or the rear 
portion of the switch (2) to decrease 
support.
2.  Release the switch once it reaches the  desired position.
Seatback pocket
OOS037075
The seatback pocket is provided on the 
back of the front passenger’s seatback.
 CAUTION
Do not put heavy or sharp objects in the 
seatback pockets. In an accident they 
could come loose from the pocket and 
injure occupants.
Rear Seats
Folding the rear seat
The rear seatbacks can be folded to 
facilitate carrying long items or to 
increase the luggage capacity of the 
vehicle.
 WARNING
[ Never allow passengers to sit on top 
of the folded down seatback while 
the vehicle is moving. This is not a 
proper seating position and no seat 
belts are available for use. This could 
result in serious injury or death in 
case of an accident or sudden stop.
[  Objects carried on the folded down 
seatback should not extend higher 
than the top of the front seatbacks.
This could allow cargo to slide 
forward and cause injury or damage 
during sudden stops. 

03
3-9
OOS037019N
To fold down the rear seatback:
1.  Set the front seatback to the upright position and if necessary, slide the 
front seat forward.
2.  Lower the rear head restraints to  the lowest position by pushing and 
holding the release button (1) and 
pushing down on the head restraint 
(2).
OOSN031020L
3.  Locate the seatbelt toward the outboard position before folding 
down the seatback. If not, the seatbelt 
system may be interfered by the 
seatback.
OOSN031021L
OOS037023N
4.  Put out the belt from guide (1) and pull up the seatback folding lever (2), then 
fold the seat toward the front of the 
vehicle. 

Seats & Safety System3-10
OOS037022N
5.  To use the rear seat, lift and unfold  the seatback to the upright position. 
Push the seatback firmly until it clicks 
into place. Make sure the seatback is 
locked in place.
Be careful when returning the rear 
seatback to prevent damage to the 
seatbelt. Return the belt in the guide.
 WARNING
When returning the rear seatback from 
a folded to an upright position, hold the 
seatback and return it slowly. Ensure 
that the seatback is completely locked 
into its upright position by pushing on 
the top of the seatback. In an accident 
or sudden stop, the unlocked seatback 
could allow cargo to move forward with 
great force and enter the passenger 
compartment, which could result in 
serious injury or death.
 WARNING
Do not place objects in the rear seats, 
since they cannot be properly secured 
and may hit vehicle occupants in a 
collision causing serious injury or death.
 WARNING
Make sure the engine is off, the shift 
lever is in P (Park), and the parking 
brake is securely applied whenever 
loading or unloading cargo. Failure to 
take these steps may allow the vehicle 
to move if the shift lever is inadvertently 
moved to another position.
 CAUTION
[ Be careful when loading cargo 
through the rear passenger seats 
to prevent damage to the vehicle 
interior.
[  When cargo is loaded through the 
rear passenger seats, ensure the 
cargo is properly secured to prevent 
it from moving while driving.
[  Unsecured cargo in the passenger 
compartment can cause damage to 
the vehicle or injury to it's occupants.
 WARNING
Cargo should always be secured to 
prevent it from being thrown about the 
vehicle in a collision and causing injury 
to the vehicle occupants. Do not place 
objects in the rear seats, since they 
cannot be properly secured and may hit 
the front seat occupants in a collision.