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also tilt forward and rearward. To tilt the head restraint, grasp the top of the restraint while pressing the button (B), located on the right hand side of the head restraint, and move it forward or rearward until the desired locking position is reached. Try to move the head restraint after the button is released to make sure that it is locked in place. The second row seats may have head restraints that can be adjusted up and down, but they do not tilt.


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Center Seat Your vehicle may have a front center seat. The seatback doubles as an armrest and cupholder/ storage area for the driver and passenger when the center seat is not used. Do not use it as a seating position when the seatback is folded down. For information on safety belts for this position, see Center Front Passenger Position on page 52.


Rear Seats


Heated Seats


The rear seats have the heated seat feature, the buttons used to control this feature are located on the Rear Seat Audio (RSA) panel.


Driver’s Side RSA Heated Seat Button


Only shown


M (Heated Seat): To heat the seat cushion, press the button with the heated seat symbol. A heated seat symbol will be shown in the RSA display to indicate that the feature is on. Press the button to cycle through the temperature settings of high, medium, and low, and to turn it off.


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Manual Fold and Tumble Feature Folding and Tumbling the Seat(s) To fold and tumble the seat, do the following: 1. Make sure that there is nothing under, in


front of, or on the seat.


Notice: Folding a rear seat with the safety belts still fastened may cause damage to the seat or the safety belts. Always unbuckle the safety belts and return them to their normal stowed position before folding a rear seat.


Indicator bars next to the symbol will designate the level of heat selected: three for high, two for medium, and one for low. The heated seats will be canceled ten seconds after the ignition is turned off. If the vehicle is restarted, the heated seat button will need to be pressed again to restart the feature.


60/40 Split Bench Seat (Second Row) If your vehicle has a 60/40 split bench, the seat(s) can be folded for additional cargo space or folded and tumbled for easy entry and exit to the third row seats, if your vehicle has them. These seats will have either the manual fold and tumble feature or the automatic seat release fold and tumble feature.


2. Lift the lever, located on the outboard side of


the seat, to release the seatback.


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3. Lift the same lever


again to release the rear of the seat from the floor. The seat will tumble forward.


The seatback will fold forward automatically. Leaving the seatback in this position creates a flat load floor. If the seatback cannot fold flat, try moving the front seat forward and/or put the front seatback in the upright position.


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Returning the Seat(s) to the Sitting Position To return the seat to the sitting position, do the following:


1. Pull the seat down until it latches to the floor. The seatback cannot be raised if the seat is not latched to the floor.


{CAUTION:


If the seatback is not locked, it could move forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could cause injury to the person sitting there. Always push and pull on the seatback to be sure it is locked.


2. Lift the seatback and push it rearward.


Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is locked.


{CAUTION:


A safety belt that is improperly routed, not properly attached, or twisted will not provide the protection needed in a crash. The person wearing the belt could be seriously injured. After raising the rear seatback, always check to be sure that the safety belts are properly routed and attached, and are not twisted.


3. Make sure the safety belt in the center


seating position is not caught between the two seats and is not twisted.


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Folding and Tumbling the Seat(s) from the Third Row Seats


{CAUTION:


Using the third row seating position while the second row is folded, or folded and tumbled, could cause injury in a sudden stop or crash. Be sure to return the seat to the passenger seating position. Push and pull on the seat to make sure it is locked into place.


To fold and tumble the seat from the third rows, if your vehicle has them, do the following: 1. Make sure that there is nothing under,


in front of, or on the seat.


Notice: Folding a rear seat with the safety belts still fastened may cause damage to the seat or the safety belts. Always unbuckle the safety belts and return them to their normal stowed position before folding a rear seat.


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2. Lift the lever(s), located on the bottom rear


of the second row seat(s) on the inboard side, to release the seatback. The seatback will fold forward.


3. Lift the same lever again to release the rear of the seat from the floor. The seat will tumble forward automatically.


Automatic Release Fold and Tumble Feature The transmission must be in PARK (P) for this feature to work. Folding and Tumbling the Seat(s)


{CAUTION:


Automatically folding and tumbling the seat when someone is sitting in the seat, could cause injury to the person sitting there. Always make sure there is no one sitting in the seat before pressing the automatic seat release button.


To fold and tumble the seat, do the following: 1. Make sure that there is nothing under,


in front of, or on the seat.


Notice: Folding a rear seat with the safety belts still fastened may cause damage to the seat or the safety belts. Always unbuckle the safety belts and return them to their normal stowed position before folding a rear seat.


2. From the front


seats, press one of the automatic seat release buttons located on the overhead console.


Overhead Console


Buttons shown,


Panel Button similar


When accessing the third row seats, if your vehicle has them, from the outside of the vehicle, press the button on the panel behind either rear door. One press of the button automatically folds the seatback flat and tumbles the seat forward. There will be a slight delay between the folding of the seatback and the tumbling of the seat.


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{CAUTION:


A safety belt that is improperly routed, not properly attached, or twisted will not provide the protection needed in a crash. The person wearing the belt could be seriously injured. After raising the rear seatback, always check to be sure that the safety belts are properly routed and attached, and are not twisted.


3. Make sure that the safety belt in the center seating position is not caught between the two seats and is not twisted.


Returning the Seat(s) to the Sitting Position To return the seat to the sitting position, do the following:


1. Pull the seat down until it latches to the floor. The seatback cannot be raised if the seat is not latched to the floor.


{CAUTION:


If the seatback is not locked, it could move forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could cause injury to the person sitting there. Always push and pull on the seatback to be sure it is locked.


2. Lift the seatback and push it rearward.


Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is locked.


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2. Press the automatic seat release button located on the panel behind the rear doors.


Driver’s Side Rear Panel


Button shown


One press of the button automatically folds the seatback flat and tumbles the seat forward. There will be a slight delay between the folding of the seatback and the tumbling of the seat.


Folding and Tumbling the Second Row Seat(s) from the Third Row Seats or Outside


{CAUTION:


Using the third row seating position while the second row is folded, or folded and tumbled, could cause injury in a sudden stop or crash. Be sure to return the seat to the passenger seating position. Push and pull on the seat to make sure it is locked into place.


To fold and tumble the seat from the third row seats, if your vehicle has them, do the following: 1. Make sure that there is nothing under,


in front of, or on the seat.


Notice: Folding a rear seat with the safety belts still fastened may cause damage to the seat or the safety belts. Always unbuckle the safety belts and return them to their normal stowed position before folding a rear seat.


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Bucket Seats (Second Row) If your vehicle has bucket seats, the seatbacks can be reclined, the seats can be folded for additional cargo space, or folded and tumbled for easy entry and exit to the third row seats, if your vehicle has them. These seats will have either the manual fold and tumble feature or the automatic seat release fold and tumble feature.


Reclining Seatbacks To recline the seatback, do the following:


1. Lift the lever located on the outboard side


of the seat.


2. Move the seatback to the desired position, then release the lever to lock the seatback in place.


3. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure


it is locked.


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Manual Fold and Tumble Feature Folding and Tumbling the Seat(s) To fold and tumble the seat, do the following: 1. Make sure that there is nothing under, in


front of, or on the seat.


Notice: Folding a rear seat with the safety belts still fastened may cause damage to the seat or the safety belts. Always unbuckle the safety belts and return them to their normal stowed position before folding a rear seat.


To return the seatback to an upright position, do the following: 1. Lift the lever fully without applying pressure to the seatback and the seatback will return to the upright position.


{CAUTION:


If the seatback is not locked, it could move forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could cause injury to the person sitting there. Always push and pull on the seatback to be sure it is locked.


2. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure


it is locked.


2. Lift the lever, located on the outboard side of


the seat, to release the seatback.


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3. Lift the lever again to release the rear of the seat from the floor. The seat will tumble forward.


The seatback will fold forward. Leaving the seatback in this position creates a flat load floor. If the seatback cannot fold flat, try moving the front seat forward and/or put the front seatback in the upright position.


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Returning the Seat(s) to the Sitting Position To return the seat to the sitting position, do the following:


1. Pull the seat down until it latches to the floor. The seatback cannot be raised if the seat is not latched to the floor.


{CAUTION:


If the seatback is not locked, it could move forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could cause injury to the person sitting there. Always push and pull on the seatback to be sure it is locked.


2. Lift the seatback and push it rearward.


Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is locked.


Folding and Tumbling the Seat(s) from the Third Row Seats


{CAUTION:


Using the third row seating position while the second row is folded, or folded and tumbled, could cause injury in a sudden stop or crash. Be sure to return the seat to the passenger seating position. Push and pull on the seat to make sure it is locked into place.


To fold and tumble the seat from the third row seats, if your vehicle has them, do the following: 1. Make sure that there is nothing under, in


front of, or on the seat.


Notice: Folding a rear seat with the safety belts still fastened may cause damage to the seat or the safety belts. Always unbuckle the safety belts and return them to their normal stowed position before folding a rear seat.


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2. Lift the lever, located


on the bottom rear of the second row seat on the inboard side, to release the seatback. The seatback will fold forward.


3. Lift the lever again to release the rear of


the seat from the floor. The seat will tumble forward.


Automatic Release Fold and Tumble Feature The transmission must be in PARK (P) for this feature to work. Folding and Tumbling the Seat(s)


{CAUTION:


Automatically folding and tumbling the seat when someone is sitting in the seat, could cause injury to the person sitting there. Always make sure there is no one sitting in the seat before pressing the automatic seat release button.


To fold and tumble the seat, do the following: 1. Make sure that there is nothing under, in


front of, or on the seat.


Notice: Folding a rear seat with the safety belts still fastened may cause damage to the seat or the safety belts. Always unbuckle the safety belts and return them to their normal stowed position before folding a rear seat.


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2. From the front


seats, press one of the automatic seat release buttons located on the overhead console.


Returning the Seat(s) to the Sitting Position To return the seat to the sitting position, do the following:


1. Pull the seat down until it latches to the floor. The seatback cannot be raised if the seat is not latched to the floor.


Overhead Console


Buttons shown


{CAUTION:


When accessing the third row seats, if your vehicle has them, from the outside of the vehicle, press the button on the panel behind either rear door. One press of the button automatically folds the seatback flat and tumbles the seat forward. There will be a slight delay between the folding of the seatback and the tumbling of the seat.


If the seatback is not locked, it could move forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could cause injury to the person sitting there. Always push and pull on the seatback to be sure it is locked.


2. Lift the seatback and push it rearward.


Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is locked.


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2. Press the automatic seat release button located on the panel behind the rear doors.


Driver’s Side Rear Panel


Button shown


One press of the button automatically folds the seatback flat and tumbles the seat forward. There will be a slight delay between the folding of the seatback and the tumbling of the seat.


Folding and Tumbling the Second Row Seat(s) from the Third Row Seats or Outside


{CAUTION:


Using the third row seating position while the second row is folded, or folded and tumbled, could cause injury in a sudden stop or crash. Be sure to return the seat to the passenger seating position. Push and pull on the seat to make sure it is locked into place.


To fold and tumble the seat from the third row seats, if your vehicle has them, do the following: 1. Make sure that there is nothing under, in


front of, or on the seat.


Notice: Folding a rear seat with the safety belts still fastened may cause damage to the seat or the safety belts. Always unbuckle the safety belts and return them to their normal stowed position before folding a rear seat.


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Third Row Seat If the vehicle has a third row seat, the seatback(s) can be folded and the entire seat can be tumbled, or removed from the vehicle. Folding the Seatback(s) To fold the seatback, do the following: 1. Open the liftgate to access the controls


for the seat.


2. Remove all items on the seat cushion. Notice: Folding a rear seat with the safety belts still fastened may cause damage to the seat or the safety belts. Always unbuckle the safety belts and return them to their normal stowed position before folding a rear seat.


3. Lift the release lever, located on the bottom rear of the seatback on the outboard side of the seat, and the seatback will fold forward.


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Unfolding the Seatback(s) To return the seatback to the upright position, do the following: 1. Open the liftgate to access the controls


for the seat.


2. Pull up on the seatback until it locks into


the upright position.


{CAUTION:


If the seatback is not locked, it could move forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could cause injury to the person sitting there. Always push and pull on the seatback to be sure it is locked.


3. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure


it is locked.


Tumbling the Third Row Seat The seat can be tumbled forward for additional cargo space. To tumble the seat, do the following: 1. Open the liftgate to access the controls


for the seat.


2. Make sure the head rests are completely


lowered, there is nothing under, in front of, or on the seat, and all items are removed from the cupholder and storage bin, if the seat is a two-passenger seat.


3. Fold the seatbacks forward using the instructions listed under “Folding the Seatbacks” previously. You will not be able to unlatch the seat from the floor unless the seatback is folded down.


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4. Unlatch the seat from the floor by lifting the lever located next to the carrying handle on the rear of the seat near the bottom.


5. Lift the rear of the seat up from the floor. 6. Tilt the seat fully forward to lock it into place. 7. Push and pull on the seat to make sure


it is locked.


Put the seat in this position only when necessary for additional cargo space. Returning the Third Row Seat from a Tumbled Position To return the seat to the normal seating position, do the following: 1. Open the liftgate to access the controls


for the seat.


2. Make sure there is nothing that could become


trapped under the seat.


3. Release the seat from the tumbled position by


lifting the lever located next to the carrying handle at the bottom rear of the seat.


4. Pull the seat down until it latches to the floor. The seatback cannot be raised if the seat is not latched to the floor.


5. Pull up on the seatback until it locks into the


upright position.


{CAUTION:


If the seatback is not locked, it could move forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could cause injury to the person sitting there. Always push and pull on the seatback to be sure it is locked.


6. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure


it is locked.


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Removing the Third Row Seat To remove the seat, do the following: 1. Open the liftgate to access the controls


for the seat.


2. Fold the seatback forward using the instructions listed under “Folding the Seatbacks” previously. The seat cannot be removed unless the seatback is folded.


3. Unlatch the seat from the floor by pulling the carrying handle, located at the rear of the seat, rearward.


4. Roll the seat out of the vehicle. There is a track in the floor to guide the seat wheels out of the vehicle.


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Installing the Third Row Seat To install the seat, do the following: 1. Open the liftgate to access the rear of


the vehicle.


2. Slide the front outboard seat wheels into the


track on the floor and roll the seat forward. The front latches should lock into place. If the latches do not lock, try tilting the rear of the seat upward slightly.


3. Lower the rear of the seat and push down on


the seat to engage the rear floor latches.


{CAUTION:


A seat that is not locked into place properly can move around in a collision or sudden stop. People in the vehicle could be injured. Be sure to lock the seat into place properly when installing it.


4. Push and pull on the seat to make sure it is


locked into place. The seatback cannot be raised to the upright position unless the seat is secured to the floor.


5. Pull up on the seatback until it locks into the


upright position.


{CAUTION:


If the seatback is not locked, it could move forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could cause injury to the person sitting there. Always push and pull on the seatback to be sure it is locked.


6. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure


it is locked.


{CAUTION:


A safety belt that is improperly routed, not properly attached, or twisted will not provide the protection needed in a crash. The person wearing the belt could be seriously injured. After raising the rear seatback, always check to be sure that the safety belts are properly routed and attached, and are not twisted.


7. Make sure the safety belts are returned to


the original position over the seatbacks.


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Safety Belts


Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone This part of the manual tells you how to use safety belts properly. It also tells you some things you should not do with safety belts.


{CAUTION:


Do not let anyone ride where he or she cannot wear a safety belt properly. If you are in a crash and you are not wearing a safety belt, your injuries can be much worse. You can hit things inside the vehicle or be ejected from it. You can be seriously injured or killed. In the same crash, you might not be, if you are buckled up. Always fasten your safety belt, and check that your passengers’ belts are fastened properly too.


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{CAUTION:


It is extremely 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 safety belts. Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and using a safety belt properly.


Your vehicle has a light that comes on as a reminder to buckle up. See Safety Belt Reminder Light on page 223.


Why Safety Belts Work When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as it goes.


In most states and in all Canadian provinces, the law says to wear safety belts. Here is why: They work. You never know if you will be in a crash. If you do have a crash, you do not know if it will be a bad one. A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so serious that even buckled up, a person would not survive. But most crashes are in between. In many of them, people who buckle up can survive and sometimes walk away. Without belts they could have been badly hurt or killed. After more than 30 years of safety belts in vehicles, the facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does matter... a lot!


Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it is just a seat on wheels.


39


Put someone on it.


Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider does not stop.


40


The person keeps going until stopped by something. In a real vehicle, it could be the windshield...


or the instrument panel...


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Questions and Answers About Safety Belts


Q: Will I be trapped in the vehicle after an accident if I am wearing a safety belt?


A: You could be — whether you are wearing a


safety belt or not. But you can unbuckle a safety belt, even if you are upside down. And your chance of being conscious during and after an accident, so you can unbuckle and get out, is much greater if you are belted. Q: If my vehicle has airbags, why should I


have to wear safety belts?


or the safety belts! With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does. You get more time to stop. You stop over more distance, and your strongest bones take the forces. That is why safety belts make such good sense.


A: Airbags are in many vehicles today and will be in most of them in the future. But they are supplemental systems only; so they work with safety belts — not instead of them. Every airbag system ever offered for sale has required the use of safety belts. Even if you are in a vehicle that has airbags, you still have to buckle up to get the most protection. That is true not only in frontal collisions, but especially in side and other collisions.


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Q: If I am a good driver, and I never drive


far from home, why should I wear safety belts?


A: You may be an excellent driver, but if you are


in an accident — even one that is not your fault — you and your passengers can be hurt. Being a good driver does not protect you from things beyond your control, such as bad drivers. Most accidents occur within 25 miles (40 km) of home. And the greatest number of serious injuries and deaths occur at speeds of less than 40 mph (65 km/h). Safety belts are for everyone.


How to Wear Safety Belts Properly This part is only for people of adult size. Be aware that there are special things to know about safety belts and children. And there are different rules for smaller children and babies. If a child will be riding in your vehicle, see Older Children on page 60 or Infants and Young Children on page 63. Follow those rules for everyone’s protection. First, you will want to know which restraint systems your vehicle has. We will start with the driver position.


Driver Position Lap-Shoulder Belt The driver has a lap-shoulder belt. Here is how to wear it properly. 1. Close and lock the door. 2. Adjust the seat so you can sit up straight.


To see how, see “Seats” in the Index.


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Make sure the release button on the buckle is positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the safety belt quickly if you ever had to.


5. Move the shoulder belt height adjuster to the height that is right for you. Improper shoulder belt height adjustment could reduce the effectiveness of the safety belt in a crash. See Shoulder Belt Height Adjustment on page 50.


3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across


you. Do not let it get twisted. The shoulder belt may lock if you pull the belt across you very quickly. If this happens, let the belt go back slightly to unlock it. Then pull the belt across you more slowly.


4. Push the latch plate into the buckle until


it clicks. Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure. If the belt is not long enough, see Safety Belt Extender on page 59.


44


6. To make the lap part tight, pull up on the


shoulder belt.


The shoulder belt should go over the shoulder and across the chest. These parts of the body are best able to take belt restraining forces. The safety belt locks if there is a sudden stop or crash, or if you pull the belt very quickly out of the retractor.


The lap part of the belt should be worn low and snug on the hips, just touching the thighs. In a crash, this applies force to the strong pelvic bones. And you would be less likely to slide under the lap belt. If you slid under it, the belt would apply force at your abdomen. This could cause serious or even fatal injuries.


45


Q: What is wrong with this?


{CAUTION:


You can be seriously hurt if your shoulder belt is too loose. In a crash, you would move forward too much, which could increase injury. The shoulder belt should fit against your body.


A: The shoulder belt is too loose. It will not give


nearly as much protection this way.


46


Q: What is wrong with this?


{CAUTION:


You can be seriously injured if your belt is buckled in the wrong place like this. In a crash, the belt would go up over your abdomen. The belt forces would be there, not at the pelvic bones. This could cause serious internal injuries. Always buckle your belt into the buckle nearest you.


A: The belt is buckled in the wrong place.


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{CAUTION:


You can be seriously injured if you wear the shoulder belt under your arm. In a crash, your body would move too far forward, which would increase the chance of head and neck injury. Also, the belt would apply too much force to the ribs, which are not as strong as shoulder bones. You could also severely injure internal organs like your liver or spleen.


Q: What is wrong with this?


A: The shoulder belt is worn under the arm.


It should be worn over the shoulder at all times.


48


Q: What is wrong with this?


{CAUTION:


You can be seriously injured by a twisted belt. In a crash, you would not have the full width of the belt to spread impact forces. If a belt is twisted, make it straight so it can work properly, or ask your dealer to fix it.


A: The belt is twisted across the body.


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Shoulder Belt Height Adjustment Before you begin to drive, move the shoulder belt adjuster to the height that is right for you. Adjust the height so that the shoulder portion of the belt is centered on your shoulder. The belt should be away from your face and neck, but not falling off your shoulder. Improper shoulder belt height adjustment could reduce the effectiveness of the safety belt in a crash.


To move it down, squeeze the buttons (A) on the sides of the height adjuster and move the height adjuster to the desired position.


You can move the adjuster up just by pushing up on the shoulder belt guide. After you move the adjuster to where you want it, try to move it down without squeezing the buttons to make sure it has locked into position.


To unlatch the belt, just push the button on the buckle. The belt should go back out of the way. Before you close the door, be sure the belt is out of the way. If you slam the door on it, you can damage both the belt and your vehicle.


50


Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy Safety belts work for everyone, including pregnant women. Like all occupants, they are more likely to be seriously injured if they do not wear safety belts.


A pregnant woman should wear a lap-shoulder belt, and the lap portion should be worn as low as possible, below the rounding, throughout the pregnancy.


The best way to protect the fetus is to protect the mother. When a safety belt is worn properly, it is more likely that the fetus will not be hurt in a crash. For pregnant women, as for anyone, the key to making safety belts effective is wearing them properly.


Right Front Passenger Position To learn how to wear the right front passenger’s safety belt properly, see Driver Position on page 43. The right front passenger’s safety belt works the same way as the driver’s safety belt — except for one thing. If you ever pull the shoulder portion of the belt out all the way, you will engage the child restraint locking feature which may turn off the passenger’s frontal airbag. If this happens, just let the belt go back all the way and start again.


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Center Front Passenger Position Lap Belt If your vehicle has a front bench seat, someone can sit in the center position.


To make the belt shorter, pull its free end as shown until the belt is snug. Buckle, position and release it the same way as the lap part of a lap-shoulder belt. If the belt is not long enough, see Safety Belt Extender on page 59. Make sure the release button on the buckle is positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the safety belt quickly if you ever had to.


When you sit in the center front seating position, you have a lap safety belt, which has no retractor. To make the belt longer, tilt the latch plate and pull it along the belt.


52


Rear Seat Passengers It is very important for rear seat passengers to buckle up! Accident statistics show that unbelted people in the rear seat are hurt more often in crashes than those who are wearing safety belts. Rear passengers who are not safety belted can be thrown out of the vehicle in a crash. And they can strike others in the vehicle who are wearing safety belts.


Lap-Shoulder Belt All rear seat positions have lap-shoulder belts. Here is how to wear one properly.


1. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt


across you. Do not let it get twisted. The shoulder belt may lock if you pull the belt across you very quickly. If this happens, let the belt go back slightly to unlock it. Then pull the belt across you more slowly.


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2. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.


Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure. When the shoulder belt is pulled out all the way, it will lock. If it does, let it go back all the way and start again. If the belt is not long enough, see Safety Belt Extender on page 59. Make sure the release button on the buckle is positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the safety belt quickly if you ever had to.


3. To make the lap part tight, pull up on the


shoulder part.


54


The lap part of the belt should be worn low and snug on the hips, just touching the thighs. In a crash, this applies force to the strong pelvic bones. And you would be less likely to slide under the lap belt. If you slid under it, the belt would apply force at your abdomen. This could cause serious or even fatal injuries.


The shoulder belt should go over the shoulder and across the chest. These parts of the body are best able to take belt restraining forces. The safety belt locks if there is a sudden stop or a crash, or if you pull the belt very quickly out of the retractor.


{CAUTION:


You can be seriously hurt if your shoulder belt is too loose. In a crash, you would move forward too much, which could increase injury. The shoulder belt should fit against your body.


To unlatch the belt, push the button on the buckle.


55


Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides Rear shoulder belt comfort guides may provide added safety belt comfort for older children who have outgrown booster seats and for some adults. When installed on a shoulder belt, the comfort guide positions the belt away from the neck and head.


There is one guide for each outside passenger position in the second row seat and the third row, if your vehicle has one. Here is how to install a comfort guide and use the safety belt:


Second Row


1. For the second row, remove the guide from


its storage clip on the interior body.


56


Third Row


If your vehicle has a third row, remove the guide from its storage pocket on the side of the seat.


2. Slide the guide under and past the belt. The elastic cord must be under the belt. Then, place the guide over the belt, and insert the two edges of the belt into the slots of the guide.


57


3. Be sure that the belt is not twisted and it lies flat. The elastic cord must be under the belt and the guide on top.


{CAUTION:


A safety belt that is not properly worn may not provide the protection needed in a crash. The person wearing the belt could be seriously injured. The shoulder belt should go over the shoulder and across the chest. These parts of the body are best able to take belt restraining forces.


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Safety Belt Extender If the vehicle’s safety belt will fasten around you, you should use it. But if a safety belt is not long enough, your dealer will order you an extender. It is free. When you go in to order it, take the heaviest coat you will wear, so the extender will be long enough for you. To help avoid personal injury, do not let someone else use it, and use it only for the seat it is made to fit. The extender has been designed for adults. Never use it for securing child seats. To wear it, just attach it to the regular safety belt. For more information, see the instruction sheet that comes with the extender.


4. Buckle, position, and release the safety


belt as described in Rear Seat Passengers on page 53. Make sure that the shoulder belt crosses the shoulder.


To remove and store the comfort guides, squeeze the belt edges together so that you can take them out of the guides. Slide the guide into its storage pocket.


Safety Belt Pretensioners Your vehicle has safety belt pretensioners for the driver and right front passenger. Although you cannot see them, they are located on the retractor part of the safety belts. They help the safety belts reduce a person’s forward movement in a moderate to severe frontal, near frontal, rear or side crash, or a rollover. Pretensioners work only once. If they activate in a crash, you will need to get new ones, and probably other new parts for your safety belt system. See Replacing Restraint System Parts After a Crash on page 107.


59


Q: What is the proper way to wear safety


belts?


A: If possible, an older child should wear a lap-shoulder belt and get the additional restraint a shoulder belt can provide. The shoulder belt should not cross the face or neck. The lap belt should fit snugly below the hips, just touching the top of the thighs. It should never be worn over the abdomen, which could cause severe or even fatal internal injuries in a crash.


Accident statistics show that children are safer if they are restrained in the rear seat. In a crash, children who are not buckled up can strike other people who are buckled up, or can be thrown out of the vehicle. Older children need to use safety belts properly.


Child Restraints


Older Children


Older children who have outgrown booster seats should wear the vehicle’s safety belts. If you have the choice, a child should sit in a seat that has a lap-shoulder belt and get the additional restraint a shoulder belt can provide.


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{CAUTION:


Never do this. Here two children are wearing the same belt. The belt can not properly spread the impact forces. In a crash, the two children can be crushed together and seriously injured. A belt must be used by only one person at a time.


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Q: What if a child is wearing a lap-shoulder


belt, but the child is so small that the shoulder belt is very close to the child’s face or neck?


A: If the child is sitting in a rear seat outside position, move the child toward the center of the vehicle. If the child is sitting in the second row center position, move the child toward the safety belt buckle. In either case, be sure that the shoulder belt still is on the child’s shoulder, so that in a crash the child’s upper body would have the restraint that belts provide. See Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides on page 56. If the child is so small that the shoulder belt is still very close to the child’s face or neck, you might want to place the child in a rear seat that has a lap belt, if your vehicle has one.


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{CAUTION:


Never do this. Here a child is sitting in a seat that has a lap-shoulder belt, but the shoulder part is behind the child. If the child wears the belt in this way, in a crash the child might slide under the belt. The belt’s force would then be applied right on the child’s abdomen. That could cause serious or fatal injuries.


Wherever the child sits, the lap portion of the belt should be worn low and snug on the hips, just touching the child’s thighs. This applies belt force to the child’s pelvic bones in a crash.


Infants and Young Children Everyone in a vehicle needs protection! This includes infants and all other children. Neither the distance traveled nor the age and size of the traveler changes the need, for everyone, to use safety restraints. In fact, the law in every state in the United States and in every Canadian province says children up to some age must be restrained while in a vehicle.


{CAUTION:


Children can be seriously injured or strangled if a shoulder belt is wrapped around their neck and the safety belt continues to tighten. Never leave children unattended in a vehicle and never allow children to play with the safety belts.


Every time infants and young children ride in vehicles, they should have the protection provided by appropriate restraints. Young children should not use the vehicle’s adult safety belts alone, unless there is no other choice. Instead, they need to use a child restraint.


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{CAUTION:


People should never hold a baby in their arms while riding in a vehicle. A baby does not weigh much — until a crash. During a crash a baby will become so heavy it is not possible to hold it. For example, in a crash at only 25 mph (40 km/h), a 12 lb (5.5 kg) baby will suddenly become a 240lb (110 kg) force on a person’s arms. A baby should be secured in an appropriate restraint.


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{CAUTION:


Children who are up against, or very close to, any airbag when it inflates can be seriously injured or killed. Airbags plus lap-shoulder belts offer protection for adults and older children, but not for young children and infants. Neither the vehicle’s safety belt system nor its airbag system is designed for them. Young children and infants need the protection that a child restraint system can provide.


Q: What are the different types of add-on


child restraints?


A: Add-on child restraints, which are purchased by the vehicle’s owner, are available in four basic types. Selection of a particular restraint should take into consideration not only the child’s weight, height and age but also whether or not the restraint will be compatible with the motor vehicle in which it will be used.


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For most basic types of child restraints, there are many different models available. When purchasing a child restraint, be sure it is designed to be used in a motor vehicle. If it is, the restraint will have a label saying that it meets federal motor vehicle safety standards. The restraint manufacturer’s instructions that come with the restraint, state the weight and height limitations for a particular child restraint. In addition, there are many kinds of restraints available for children with special needs.


{CAUTION:


Newborn infants need complete support, including support for the head and neck. This is necessary because a newborn infant’s neck is weak and its head weighs so much compared with the rest of its body. In a crash, an infant in a rear-facing seat settles into the restraint, so the crash forces can be distributed across the strongest part of an infant’s body, the back and shoulders. Infants always should be secured in appropriate infant restraints.


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{CAUTION:


The body structure of a young child is quite unlike that of an adult or older child, for whom the safety belts are designed. A young child’s hip bones are still so small that the vehicle’s regular safety belt may not remain low on the hip bones, as it should. Instead, it may settle up around the child’s abdomen. In a crash, the belt would apply force on a body area that is unprotected by any bony structure. This alone could cause serious or fatal injuries. Young children always should be secured in appropriate child restraints.


Child Restraint Systems


An infant car bed (A), a special bed made for use in a motor vehicle, is an infant restraint system designed to restrain or position a child on a continuous flat surface. Make sure that the infant’s head rests toward the center of the vehicle.


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A rear-facing infant seat (B) provides restraint with the seating surface against the back of the infant. The harness system holds the infant in place and, in a crash, acts to keep the infant positioned in the restraint.


A forward-facing child seat (C-E) provides restraint for the child’s body with the harness and also sometimes with surfaces such as T-shaped or shelf-like shields.


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A booster seat (F-G) is a child restraint designed to improve the fit of the vehicle’s safety belt system. Some booster seats have a shoulder belt positioner, and some high-back booster seats have a five-point harness. A booster seat can also help a child to see out the window.


Q: How Should I Use a Child Restraint? A: A child restraint system is any device designed


for use in a motor vehicle to restrain, seat, or position children. A built-in child restraint system is a permanent part of the motor vehicle. An add-on child restraint system is a portable one, which is purchased by the vehicle’s owner. To help reduce injuries, an add-on child restraint must be secured in the vehicle. With built-in or add-on child restraints, the child has to be secured within the child restraint. When choosing an add-on child restraint, be sure the child restraint is designed to be used in a vehicle. If it is, it will have a label saying that it meets federal motor vehicle safety standards. Then follow the instructions for the restraint. You may find these instructions on the restraint itself or in a booklet, or both.


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Securing an Add-on Child Restraint in the Vehicle


{CAUTION:


A child can be seriously injured or killed in a crash if the child restraint is not properly secured in the vehicle. Make sure the child restraint is properly installed in the vehicle using the vehicle’s safety belt or LATCH system, following the instructions that came with that restraint, and also the instructions in this manual.


To help reduce the chance of injury, the child restraint must be secured in the vehicle. Child restraint systems must be secured in vehicle seats by lap belts or the lap belt portion of a lap-shoulder belt, or by the LATCH system. See Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) on page 73 for more information. A child can be endangered in a crash if the child restraint is not properly secured in the vehicle. When securing an add-on child restraint, refer to the instructions that come with the restraint which may be on the restraint itself or in a booklet, or both, and to this manual. The child restraint instructions are important, so if they are not available, obtain a replacement copy from the manufacturer. Keep in mind that an unsecured child restraint can move around in a collision or sudden stop and injure people in the vehicle. Be sure to properly secure any child restraint in your vehicle — even when no child is in it.


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Securing the Child Within the Child Restraint There are several systems for securing the child within the child restraint. One system, the three-point harness, has straps that come down over each of the infant’s shoulders and buckle together at the crotch. The five-point harness system has two shoulder straps, two hip straps, and a crotch strap. A shield may take the place of hip straps. A T-shaped shield has shoulder straps that are attached to a flat pad which rests low against the child’s body. A shelf- or armrest-type shield has straps that are attached to a wide, shelf-like shield that swings up or to the side.


{CAUTION:


A child can be seriously injured or killed in a crash if the child is not properly secured in the child restraint. Make sure the child is properly secured, following the instructions that came with that restraint.


Because there are different systems, it is important to refer to the instructions that come with the restraint. A child can be endangered in a crash if the child is not properly secured in the child restraint.


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Where to Put the Restraint Accident statistics show that children are safer if they are restrained in the rear rather than the front seat. General Motors recommends that child restraints be secured in a rear seat, including an infant riding in a rear-facing infant seat, a child riding in a forward-facing child seat and an older child riding in a booster seat. Your vehicle has a rear seat that will accommodate a rear-facing child restraint. A label on your sun visor says, “Never put a rear-facing child seat in the front.” This is because the risk to the rear-facing child is so great, if the airbag deploys.


{CAUTION:


A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be seriously injured or killed if the right front passenger’s airbag inflates. This is because the back of the rear-facing child restraint would be very close to the inflating airbag.


CAUTION:


(Continued)


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CAUTION:


(Continued)


Even though the passenger sensing system is designed to turn off the passenger’s frontal airbag if the system detects a rear-facing child restraint, no system is fail-safe, and no one can guarantee that an airbag will not deploy under some unusual circumstance, even though it is turned off. We recommend that rear-facing child restraints be secured in the rear seat, even if the airbag is off. If you need to secure a forward-facing child restraint in the right front seat, always move the front passenger seat as far back as it will go. It is better to secure the child restraint in a rear seat.


Do not use child restraints in the center front seat position. The restraints will not work properly. Wherever you install it, be sure to secure the child restraint properly.


Keep in mind that an unsecured child restraint can move around in a collision or sudden stop and injure people in the vehicle. Be sure to properly secure any child restraint in your vehicle — even when no child is in it.


Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) Your vehicle has the LATCH system. The LATCH system holds a child restraint during driving or in a crash. This system is designed to make installation of a child restraint easier. The LATCH system uses anchors in the vehicle and attachments on the child restraint that are made for use with the LATCH system. Make sure that a LATCH-compatible child restraint is properly installed using the anchors, or use the vehicle’s safety belts to secure the restraint, following the instructions that came with that restraint, and also the instructions in this manual.


When installing a child restraint with a top tether, you must also use either the lower anchors or the safety belts to properly secure the child restraint. A child restraint must never be attached using only the top tether and anchor. In order to use the LATCH system in your vehicle, you need a child restraint that has LATCH attachments. The child restraint manufacturer will provide you with instructions on how to use the child restraint and its attachments. The following explains how to attach a child restraint with these attachments in your vehicle. Your vehicle has lower anchors and top tether anchors. Your child restraint may have lower attachments and a top tether. Not all vehicle seating positions or child restraints have lower anchors and attachments or top tether anchors and attachments.


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Lower Anchors


Top Tether Anchor


Lower anchors (A) are metal bars built into the vehicle. There are two lower anchors for each LATCH seating position that will accommodate a child restraint with lower attachments (B).


A top tether (A, C) anchors the top of the child restraint to the vehicle. A top tether anchor is built into the vehicle. The top tether attachment (B) on the child restraint connects to the top tether anchor in the vehicle in order to reduce the forward movement and rotation of the child restraint during driving or in a crash.


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Your child restraint may have a single tether (A) or a dual tether (C). Either will have a single attachment (B) to secure the top tether to the anchor. Some child restraints with top tethers are designed for use with or without the top tether being attached. Others require the top tether always to be attached. In Canada, the law requires that forward-facing child restraints have a top tether, and that the tether be attached. In the United States, some child restraints also have a top tether. Be sure to read and follow the instructions for your child restraint. If the child restraint does not have a top tether, one can be obtained, in kit form, for many child restraints. Ask the child restraint manufacturer whether or not a kit is available.


Lower Anchor and Top Tether Anchor Locations


Second Row — 60/40


j (Lower Anchor): Seating positions with two lower anchors.


i (Top Tether Anchor): Seating positions with top tether anchors.


j (Lower Anchor): Seating positions with two lower anchors.


i (Top Tether Anchor): Seating positions with top tether anchors.


Second Row — Bucket


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i (Top Tether Anchor): Seating positions with top tether anchors.


Third Row — Two


Passenger


i (Top Tether Anchor): Seating positions with top tether anchors.


For models with a three passenger third row seat, see the information following for installing a child restraint with a top tether in the third row, if your vehicle has one. Never install two top tethers using the same top tether anchor. For models with 60/40 second row seating, the rear right side passenger and center seating positions have exposed metal anchors located in the crease between the seatback and the seat cushion. For models with second row bucket seats, both rear seating positions have exposed metal anchors located in the crease between the seatback and the seat cushion.


Third Row — Three


Passenger


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Second Row Seat — Bucket


Second Row Seat — 60/40


For models with bucket second row seating, the top tether anchors are located at the bottom rear of the seat cushion for each seating position in the second row. Be sure to use an anchor located on the same side of the vehicle as the seating position where the child restraint will be placed.


For models with 60/40 second row seating, the top tether anchors are located at the bottom rear of the seat cushion for each seating position in the second row. Be sure to use an anchor located on the same side of the vehicle as the seating position where the child restraint will be placed.


77


For vehicles with a three passenger third row seat, there is one top tether anchor located at the bottom rear of the seat cushion that can be used for either the third row center or driver side seating position. Never install two top tethers using the same top tether anchor. Do not secure a child restraint in the right front passenger position or the third row passenger side seating position if your vehicle has a third row seat, if a national or local law requires that the top tether be attached, or if the instructions that come with the child restraint say that the top tether must be attached. There is no place to attach the top tether in these positions. Accident statistics show that children are safer if they are restrained in the rear rather than the front seat. See Where to Put the Restraint on page 72
for additional information.


Third Row Seat — Two or Three Passenger


For vehicles with a two passenger third row seat, there is one top tether anchor located at the bottom rear of the seat cushion that can be used for the rear driver side seating position in the third row. Never install two top tethers using the same top tether anchor.


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Securing a Child Restraint Designed for the LATCH System


{CAUTION:


{CAUTION:


If a LATCH-type child restraint is not attached to anchors, the restraint will not be able to protect the child correctly. In a crash, the child could be seriously injured or killed. Make sure that a LATCH-type child restraint is properly installed using the anchors, or use the vehicle’s safety belts to secure the restraint, following the instructions that came with that restraint, and also the instructions in this manual.


Each top tether anchor and lower anchor in the vehicle is designed to hold only one child restraint. Attaching more than one child restraint to a single anchor could cause the anchor or attachment to come loose or even break during a crash. A child or others could be injured if this happens. To help prevent injury to people and damage to your vehicle, attach only one child restraint per anchor.


79


Folding an empty rear seat with the safety belts secured, may cause damage to the safety belt or the seat. When removing the child restraint, always remember to return the safety belts to their normal, stowed position before folding the rear seat. 1. Attach and tighten the lower attachments to the lower anchors. If the child restraint does not have lower attachments or the desired seating position does not have lower anchors, secure the child restraint with the top tether and the safety belts. Refer to your child restraint manufacturer instructions and the instructions in this manual.


1.1. Find the lower anchors for the desired


seating position.


1.2. Put the child restraint on the seat. 1.3. Attach and tighten the lower attachments


on the child restraint to the lower anchors.


{CAUTION:


Children can be seriously injured or strangled if a shoulder belt is wrapped around their neck and the safety belt continues to tighten. Secure any unused safety belts behind the child restraint so children cannot reach them. Pull the shoulder belt all the way out of the retractor to set the lock, if your vehicle has one, after the child restraint has been installed. Be sure to follow the instructions of the child restraint manufacturer.


Notice: Contact between the child restraint or the LATCH attachment parts and the vehicle’s safety belt assembly may cause damage to these parts. Make sure when securing unused safety belts behind the child restraint that there is no contact between the child restraint or the LATCH attachment parts and the vehicle’s safety belt assembly.


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2. If the child restraint manufacturer recommends


that the top tether be attached, attach and tighten the top tether to the top tether anchor, if the vehicle has one. Refer to the child restraint instructions and the following steps:


2.1. Find the top tether anchor. 2.2. Route, attach and tighten the top tether


according to your child restraint instructions and the following instructions:


If the position you are using does not have a head rest/restraint and you are using a single tether, route the tether over the seatback.


If the position you are using does not have a head rest/restraint and you are using a dual tether, route the tether over the seatback.


If the position you are using has an adjustable head rest/restraint and you are using a dual tether, route the tether around the head rest/restraint.


If the position you are using has an adjustable head rest/restraint and you are using a single tether, raise the head rest/restraint and route the tether under the head rest/restraint and in between the head rest/restraint posts.


3. Push and pull the child restraint in different


directions to be sure it is secure.


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Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear Seat Position If your child restraint has the LATCH system, see Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) on page 73. If your vehicle has a third row, there is no top tether anchor in the passenger-side seating position. Do not secure a child restraint in this position if a national or local law requires that the top tether be anchored or if the instructions that come with the child restraint say that the top tether must be anchored. If your child restraint does not have the LATCH system, you will be using the lap-shoulder belt to secure the child restraint in this position. Be sure to follow the instructions that came with the child restraint. Secure the child in the child restraint when and as the instructions say. 1. Put the child restraint on the seat. 2. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and shoulder portions of the vehicle’s safety belt through or around the restraint. The child restraint instructions will show you how.


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3. Buckle the belt. Make sure the release button is positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the safety belt quickly if you ever had to.


4. Pull the rest of the shoulder belt all the way


out of the retractor to set the lock.


5. To tighten the belt, push down on the child


restraint, pull the shoulder portion of the belt to tighten the lap portion of the belt and feed the shoulder belt back into the retractor. If you are using a forward-facing child restraint, you may find it helpful to use your knee to push down on the child restraint as you tighten the belt.


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6. If your child restraint manufacturer


recommends using a top tether, and the position that you are using has a top tether anchor, attach and tighten the top tether to the top tether anchor. Refer to the instructions that came with the child restraint and to Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) on page 73.


7. Push and pull the child restraint in different


directions to be sure it is secure.


To remove the child restraint, if the top tether is attached to the top tether anchor, disconnect it. Unbuckle the vehicle’s safety belt and let it go back all the way. The safety belt will move freely again and be ready to work for an adult or larger child passenger.


Securing a Child Restraint in the Center Front Seat Position


{CAUTION:


A child in a child restraint in the center front seat can be badly injured or killed by the right front passenger’s airbag if it inflates. Never secure a child restraint in the center front seat. It is always better to secure a child restraint in the rear seat.


Do not use child restraints in this position. The restraints will not work properly.


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Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front Seat Position Your vehicle has a right front passenger’s airbag. A rear seat is a safer place to secure a forward-facing child restraint. See Where to Put the Restraint on page 72. In addition, your vehicle has a passenger sensing system. The passenger sensing system is designed to turn off the right front passenger’s frontal airbag when an infant in a rear-facing infant seat or a small child in a forward-facing child restraint or booster seat is detected. See Passenger Sensing System on page 100 and Passenger Airbag Status Indicator on page 225 for more information on this including important safety information. A label on your sun visor says, “Never put a rear-facing child seat in the front.” This is because the risk to the rear-facing child is so great, if the airbag deploys.


{CAUTION:


A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be seriously injured or killed if the right front passenger’s airbag inflates. This is because the back of the rear-facing child restraint would be very close to the inflating airbag. Even though the passenger sensing system is designed to turn off the passenger’s frontal airbag if the system detects a rear-facing child restraint, no system is fail-safe, and no one can guarantee that an airbag will not deploy under some unusual circumstance, even though it is turned off. We recommend that rear-facing child restraints be secured in the rear seat, even if the airbag is off.


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If you need to secure a forward-facing child restraint in the right front seat position, move the seat as far back as it will go before securing the forward-facing child restraint. See Power Seats on page 9. If your child restraint has the LATCH system, see Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) on page 73. There is no top tether anchor at the right front seating position. Do not secure a child seat in this position if a national or local law requires that the top tether be anchored or if the instructions that come with the child restraint say that the top tether must be anchored. See Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) on page 73
if the child restraint has a top tether.


You will be using the lap-shoulder belt to secure the child restraint in this position. Be sure to follow the instructions that came with the child restraint. Secure the child in the child restraint when and as the instructions say. 1. Your vehicle has a right front passenger’s


frontal airbag. See Passenger Sensing System on page 100. We recommend that rear-facing child restraints be secured in a rear seat, even if the airbag is off. If your child restraint is forward-facing, move the seat as far back as it will go before securing the child restraint in this seat. See Power Seats on page 9. When the passenger sensing system has turned off the right front passenger’s frontal airbag, the off indicator on the passenger airbag status indicator should light and stay lit when you turn the ignition to RUN or START. See Passenger Airbag Status Indicator on page 225.


2. Put the child restraint on the seat. 3. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and shoulder portions of the vehicle’s safety belt through or around the restraint. The child restraint instructions will show you how.


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4. Buckle the belt. Make sure the release button is positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the safety belt quickly if you ever had to.


5. Pull the rest of the shoulder belt all the way


out of the retractor to set the lock.


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If you are using a forward-facing child restraint, you may find it helpful to use your knee to push down on the child restraint as you tighten the belt. You should not be able to pull more of the belt from the retractor once the lock has been set.


7. Push and pull the child restraint in different


directions to be sure it is secure.


8. If the airbag is off, the off indicator will be lit and stay lit when the key is turned to RUN or START.


If a child restraint has been installed and the on indicator is lit, turn the vehicle off. Remove the child restraint from the vehicle and reinstall the child restraint.


6. To tighten the belt, push down on the child


restraint, pull the shoulder portion of the belt to tighten the lap portion of the belt and feed the shoulder belt back into the retractor.


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If after reinstalling the child restraint and restarting the vehicle, the on indicator is still lit, check to make sure that the vehicle’s seatback is not pressing the child restraint into the seat cushion. If this happens, slightly recline the vehicle’s seatback and adjust the seat cushion if possible. Also make sure the child restraint is not trapped under the vehicle head restraint. If this happens, adjust the head restraint. If the on indicator is still lit, secure the child in the child restraint in a rear seat position in the vehicle and check with your dealer. To remove the child restraint, just unbuckle the vehicle’s safety belt and let it go back all the way. The safety belt will move freely again and be ready to work for an adult or larger child passenger.


Airbag System Your vehicle has a frontal airbag for the driver and a frontal airbag for the right front passenger. Your vehicle also has roof-mounted rollover airbags designed for either side impact or rollover deployment. Roof-mounted rollover airbags are available for the driver and the passenger seated directly behind the driver and for the right front passenger and the passenger seated directly behind that passenger. For roof-mounted rollover airbags, the word AIRBAG will appear on the airbag covering on the ceiling above the sidewall trim near the driver’s and right front passenger’s window and the second row outside seating positions. Also, if your vehicle has a third row passenger seat, you may have third row roof-mounted rollover airbags. Frontal airbags are designed to help reduce the risk of injury from the force of an inflating frontal airbag. But these airbags must inflate very quickly to do their job and comply with federal regulations.


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Here are the most important things to know about the airbag system:


CAUTION:


(Continued)


And, for some unrestrained occupants, frontal airbags may provide less protection in frontal crashes than more forceful airbags have provided in the past. Roof-mounted rollover airbags are designed to inflate in moderate to severe crashes where something hits the side of your vehicle, during a vehicle rollover, or in a severe frontal impact. They are not designed to inflate in rear crashes. If your vehicle has roof rail airbags, they are designed to provide both side impact protection and rollover protection. Everyone in your vehicle should wear a safety belt properly — whether or not there is an airbag for that person.


{CAUTION:


You can be severely injured or killed in a crash if you are not wearing your safety belt — even if you have airbags. Wearing your safety belt during a crash helps reduce your chance of hitting things inside the vehicle or being ejected from it. Airbags are “supplemental restraints” to the safety belts. All airbags are designed to work with safety belts but do not replace them. Frontal airbags for the driver and right front passenger are designed to deploy in moderate to severe frontal and near frontal crashes. They are not designed to inflate in rollover, rear crashes, or in many side crashes.


CAUTION:


(Continued)


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{CAUTION:


{CAUTION:


Both frontal and roof-mounted rollover airbags inflate with great force, faster than the blink of an eye. If you are too close to an inflating airbag, as you would be if you were leaning forward, it could seriously injure you. Safety belts help keep you in position for airbag inflation before and during a crash. Always wear your safety belt even with frontal airbags. The driver should sit as far back as possible while still maintaining control of the vehicle. Occupants should not lean on or sleep against the door in the first or second row seats, or the rear windows in the third row seat, if your vehicle has roof- mounted rollover airbags.


Anyone who is up against, or very close to, any airbag when it inflates can be seriously injured or killed. Airbags plus lap-shoulder belts offer the best protection for adults, but not for young children and infants. Neither the vehicle’s safety belt system nor its airbag system is designed for them. Young children and infants need the protection that a child restraint system can provide. Always secure children properly in your vehicle. To read how, see Older Children on page 60 or Infants and Young Children on page 63. Occupants should not lean on or sleep against the door in the first or second row seats, or the rear windows in the third row seat, if your vehicle has roof-mounted rollover airbags.


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There is an airbag readiness light on the instrument panel cluster, which shows the airbag symbol.


Where Are the Airbags?


The system checks the airbag electrical system for malfunctions. The light tells you if there is an electrical problem. See Airbag Readiness Light on page 224 for more information.


The driver’s airbag is in the middle of the steering wheel.


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The right front passenger’s airbag is in the instrument panel on the passenger’s side.


The roof-mounted rollover airbag for the driver and the person seated directly behind the driver is located in the ceiling above the side windows.


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The roof-mounted rollover airbag for the right front passenger and the person directly behind that passenger is located in the ceiling above the side windows.


If your vehicle has a third row seat, the roof-mounted rollover airbag is located in the ceiling above the rear windows for the outside passenger positions.


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{CAUTION:


If something is between an occupant and an airbag, the bag might not inflate properly or it might force the object into that person causing severe injury or even death. The path of an inflating airbag must be kept clear. Do not put anything between an occupant and an airbag, and do not attach or put anything on the steering wheel hub or on or near any other airbag covering. And, if your vehicle has roof-mounted rollover airbags, never secure anything to the roof of your vehicle by routing the rope or tiedown through any door or window opening. If you do, the path of an inflating side impact airbag will be blocked. The path of an inflating airbag must be kept clear.


When Should an Airbag Inflate? The driver’s and right front passenger’s frontal airbags are designed to inflate in moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal crashes. But they are designed to inflate only if the impact exceeds a predetermined deployment threshold. Deployment thresholds take into account a variety of desired deployment and non-deployment events and are used to predict how severe a crash is likely to be in time for the airbags to inflate and help restrain the occupants. Whether your frontal airbags will or should deploy is not based on how fast your vehicle is traveling. It depends largely on what you hit, the direction of the impact and how quickly your vehicle slows down. In addition, your vehicle has “dual stage” frontal airbags, which adjust the restraint according to crash severity. Your vehicle is equipped with electronic frontal sensors, which help the sensing system distinguish between a moderate frontal impact and a more severe frontal impact. For moderate frontal impacts, these airbags inflate at a level less than full deployment. For more severe frontal impacts, full deployment occurs.


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If the front of your vehicle goes straight into a wall that does not move or deform, the threshold level for the reduced deployment is about 9 to 16 mph (14 to 26 km/h), and the threshold level for a full deployment is about 18 to 25 mph (29 to 40 km/h). (The threshold level can vary, however, with specific vehicle design, so that it can be somewhat above or below this range.) Frontal airbags may inflate at different crash speeds. For example: (cid:127)


If the vehicle hits a stationary object, the airbags could inflate at a different crash speed than if the vehicle hits a moving object. If the vehicle hits an object that deforms, the airbags could inflate at a different crash speed than if the vehicle hits an object that does not deform. If the vehicle hits a narrow object (like a pole) the airbags could inflate at a different crash speed than if the vehicle hits a wide object (like a wall). If the vehicle goes into an object at an angle the airbags could inflate at a different crash speed than if the vehicle goes straight into the object.


(cid:127)


(cid:127)


(cid:127)


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The frontal airbags (driver and right front passenger) are not intended to inflate during vehicle rollovers, rear impacts, or in many side impacts. Your vehicle has a seat position sensor which enables the sensing system to monitor the fore and aft position of the driver’s seat. Seat position sensors provide information that is used to determine if the airbags should deploy at a reduced level or at full deployment. Your vehicle has roof-mounted rollover airbags and a rollover sensor. See Airbag System on page 89. These “rollover capable” airbags are intended to inflate in moderate to severe side crashes, during a rollover or in a severe frontal impact. A roof-mounted rollover airbag will inflate if the crash severity is above the system’s designed “threshold level.” The threshold level can vary with specific vehicle design. Roof-mounted rollover airbags are not intended to inflate in rear impacts. Both roof-mounted rollover airbags will deploy when either side of the vehicle is struck or during a rollover, or in a severe frontal impact.


In any particular crash, no one can say whether an airbag should have inflated simply because

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