Honda Accord Lx 2003 Owner's Manual

Your Car at a Glance

MIRROR CONTROLS (P.101)

DOOR LOCK SWITCH (P.79)

POWER WINDOW SWITCHES

(P.96)

HAZARD WARNING LIGHTS (P.72)

AUDIO SYSTEM DIGITAL CLOCK

(P.134, 150, 169) (P.139, 156, 174)

HEATING/COOLING CONTROLS (P.112)

TRUNK RELEASE HANDLE/ FUEL FILL DOOR RELEASE (P.84/204)

HOOD RELEASE HANDLE (P.206)

Your Car at a Glance

INSTRUMENT PANEL BRIGHTNESS (P. 69)

HEADLIGHTS/ TURN SIGNALS (P. 68/70)

REMOTE AUDIO CONTROLS (P. 192)

VOICE CONTROL SWITCHES

MOONROOF SWITCH (P. 100)

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Only on cars equipped with Navigation System. Refer to the Navigation System Owner’s Manual.

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TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM (P. 232)

TILT/TELESCOPIC ADJUSTMENT (P. 73)

WINDSHIELD WIPERS/WASHERS (P. 70, 71/72)

HORN

HAZARD WARNING LIGHTS (P. 72)

CRUISE CONTROLS (P. 195)

REAR WINDOW DEFOGGER (P. 72, 112, 125, 131)

Important Safety Precautions

You’ll find many safety recommendations throughout this section, and throughout this manual. Therecommendationsonthispage are the ones we consider to be the most important.

Always Wear Your Seat Belt

A seat belt is your best protection in all types of collisions. Airbags supplement seat belts, but airbags are designed to inflate only in a moderate to severe frontal collision. So even though your car is equipped with airbags, make sure you and your passengers always wear your seat belts, and wear them properly. (See page .)

Restrain All Children

Children are safest when they are properly restrained in the back seat, notthefrontseat.Achildwhoistoo smallforaseatbeltmustbeproperly restrained in a child safety seat. (See page .)

Driver and Passenger Safety

Be Aware of Airbag Hazards Control Your Speed

While airbags can save lives, they can cause serious or fatal injuries to occupants who sit too close to them, or are not properly restrained. Infants, young children, and short adults are at the greatest risk. Be sure to f ollow all instructions and warnings in this manual. (See page

Don’t Drink and Drive

Alcohol and driving don’t mix. Even one drink can reduce your ability to respond to changing conditions, and your reaction time gets worse with every additional drink. So don’t drink and drive, and don’t let your friends drink and drive, either.

Excessive speed is a major factor in crash injuries and deaths. Generally, the higher the speed the greater the risk, but serious accidents can also occur at lower speeds. Never drive faster than is saf e for current conditions, regardless of the maximum speed posted.

Keep Your Car in Safe Condition

Having a tire blowout or a mechanical f ailure can be extremely hazardous. To reduce the possibility of such problems, check your tire pressures and condition frequently, and perform all regularly scheduled maintenance. (See page .)

248

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(2)

Your Car’s Saf ety Features

Your car is equipped with many features that work together to protect you and your passengers during a crash.

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Some safety f eatures do not require anyactiononyourpart.These include a strong steel framework that forms a safety cage around the passenger compartment; f ront and rear crush zones that are designed to crumple and absorb energy during a crash; a collapsible steering column;

(6)

(7)

(5)

(1) Safety Cage (2) Crush Zones (3) Seats and Seat-Backs (4) Head Restraints (5) Collapsible Steering Column (6) Seat Belts (7) Front Airbags (8) Side Airbags (9) Side Curtain Airbags (10) Door Locks

If equipped:

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(11) Seat Belt Tensioners

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and seat belt tensioners that automatically tighten the front seat belts in the event of a crash.

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Driver and Passenger Safety

Your Car’s Saf ety Features

These safety features are designed to reduce the severity of injuries in a crash. However, you and your passengers can’t take full advantage of these safety features unless you remain sitting in a proper position

always wear your seat belts

and

properly.

features can contribute to injuries if they are not used properly.

In fact, some safety

Driver and Passenger Safety

Seat Belts

Foryoursafety,andthesafetyof your passengers, your car is equipped with seat belts in all seating positions.

Your seat belt system also

includes a light on the instrument panel to remind you and your passengers to fasten your seat belts.

Why Wear Seat Belts

Seat belts are the single most effectivesafetydeviceforadultsand larger children. (Infants and smaller children must be properly restrained in child seats.)

Not wearing a seat belt properly increases the chance of serious injury or death in a crash, even though your car has airbags.

In addition, most states and all Canadian provinces require you to wear seat belts.

Not wearing a seat belt properly increases the chance of serious injury or death in a crash, even if you have airbags.

Be sure you and your passengers always wear seat belts and wear them properly.

When properly worn, seat belts:

Keep you connected to the car so you can take advantage of the car’s built-in safety features.

Help protect you in almost every type of crash, including frontal, side, and rear impacts and rollovers.

Your Car’s Saf ety Features

Help keep you from being thrown against the inside of the car and against other occupants.

Keep you from being thrown out of the car.

Help keep you in a good position should the airbags ever deploy. A good position reduces the risk of injury from an inf lating airbag, and allows you to get the best advantage from the airbag.

Of course, seat belts cannot completely protect you in every crash.Butinmostcases,seatbelts can reduce your risk of serious injury.

What you should do:

Always wear your seat belt, and make sure you wear it properly.

Airbags

Your car has a Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) with f ront airbags to help protect the heads and chests of the driver and a front seat passenger during a moderate to severe f rontal collision.

Standard on V-6 and EX models. Optional on the U.S. LX model

Your car also has side airbags to help protect the upper torso of the driver or a front seat passenger during a moderate to severe side impact.

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Driver and Passenger Safety

Your Car’s Saf ety Features

U.S. EX-V6 model, optional on Canadian EX-V6 model

Your car also has side curtain airbags. During a moderate to severe side impact, side curtain airbags help to protect the heads of the driver, front seat passenger, and passengers sitting in the outer rear seating positions.

The most important things you need to know about your airbags are:

Driver and Passenger Safety

Airbags do not replace seat belts.

They are designed to supplement the seat belts.

Airbags off er no protection in rear impacts, rollovers, or minor frontal or side collisions.

Airbags can pose serious hazards.

To do their job, airbags must inflate with tremendous force and speed. So while airbags help save lives, they can cause minor injuries, or more serious or even fatal injuries if occupants are not properly restrained or sitting properly.

What you should do:

Always wear your seat belt properly, and sit upright and as far back as possible from the steering wheel or dashboard.

Seats and Seat-Backs

Your car’s seats are designed to keep you in a comfortable, upright position so you can take full advantage of the protection offered by seat belts and the energy absorbing materials in the seats.

How you adjust your seats and seatbacks can also affect your safety. For example, sitting too close to the steering wheel or dashboard increases the risk of you or your passenger being injured by striking theinsideofthecar,orbyan inflating airbag.

Reclining a seat-back too far reduces the seat belt’s effectiveness and increases the chance that the seat’s occupant will slide under the seat belt in a crash and be seriously injured.

Your Car’s Saf ety Features

What you should do:

seats as far back as possible, and keep adjustable seat-backs in an upright position whenever the car is moving.

Head Restraints

Head restraints can help protect you from whiplash and other injuries. For maximum protection, the back of your head should rest against the center of the head restraint.

Door Locks

Keeping your doors locked reduces thechanceofbeingthrownoutof the car during a crash. It also helps prevent occupants from accidentally opening a door and falling out, and outsiders f rom unexpectedly opening your doors.

Move the front

Pre-Drive Saf ety Checklist

To make sure you and your passengers get the maximum protection from your car’s saf ety features, check the following each time before you drive away:

All adults, and children who have outgrown child safety seats, are wearing their seat belts and wearingthemproperly(seepage

Any infant or small child is properly restrained in a child seat inthebackseat(seepage ).

Frontseatoccupantsaresitting upright and as far back as possible from the steering wheel and dashboard (see page ).

Seat-backs are upright (see page

Head restraints are properly adjusted (see page ).

All doors are closed and locked (see page ).

All cargo is properly stored or secured (see page ).

Driver and Passenger Safety

214

Protecting Adults

The rest of this section gives more detailed inf ormation about how you can maximize your saf ety.

Remember, however, that no safety system can prevent all injuries or deaths that can occur in severe crashes, even when seat belts are properly worn and the airbags deploy.

Driver and Passenger Safety

Introduction

The f ollowing pages provide instructions on how to properly protect the driver and other adult occupants.

These instructions also apply to children who have outgrown child seats and are large enough to wear lap/shoulder belts. (See page for important additional guidelines on how to properly protect larger children.)

Close and Lock the Doors

After everyone has entered the car, be sure the doors are closed and locked.

Your car has a door monitor light on the instrument panel to indicate when a specific door is not tightly closed.

For safety, locking the doors reduces thechancethatapassenger, especially a child, will open a door while the car is moving and accidentally fall out. It also reduces thechanceofsomeonebeingthrown out of the car during a crash.

For security, locked doors can prevent an outsider from unexpectedly opening a door when you come to a stop.

See page for how to lock the doors.

Protecting Adults

Adjust the Front Seats2.

Any driver who sits too close to the steering wheel is at risk of being seriously injured or killed by striking the steering wheel or from being struck by an inflating front airbag during a crash.

To reduce the chance of injury, wear your seat belt properly, sit upright with your back against the seat, and movetheseatawayfromthe steering wheel to the farthest distance that allows you to maintain full control of the car.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Transport Canada recommend that drivers adjust the seat so the center of the chest is at least 10 inches away from the center of the steering wheel. In addition to adjusting the seat, you can adjust the steering wheel in and out (see page ).

Also make sure your front seat passenger moves the seat as far to the rear as possible.

Sitting too close to a front airbag can result in serious injury or death if the front airbags inflate.

Always sit as far back from the front airbags as possible.

Most shorter drivers can get f ar enough away from the steering wheel and still reach the pedals. However, if you are concerned about sitting too close, we recommend that you investigate whether some type of adaptive equipment may help.

Once your seat is adjusted correctly, rock it back and forth to make sure the seat is locked in position.

See page for how to adjust the front seats.

Driver and Passenger Safety

Protecting Adults

Adjust the Seat-Backs3.

Adjust the driver’s seat-back to a comfortable, upright position, leaving ample space between your chest and the airbag cover in the center of the steering wheel. If you sit too close to the steering wheel, you could be injured if the front airbag inflates.

Driver and Passenger Safety

A front passenger should also adjust the seat-back to an upright position, but as far from the dashboard as possible. A passenger who sits too close to the dashboard could be injured if the front airbag inflates.

Reclining a seat-back so that the shoulder part of the belt no longer rests against the occupant’s chest reduces the protective capability of the belt. It also increases the chance of sliding under the belt in a crash and being seriously injured. The farther a seat-back is reclined, the greater the risk of injury.

Reclining the seat-back too far can result in serious injury or death in a crash.

Adjust the seat-back to an upright position and sit well back in the seat.

See page for how to adjust seatbacks.

Protecting Adults

Adjust the Head Restraints Fasten and Position the Seat

4. 5. Belts

Before driving, make sure everyone with an adjustable head restraint has properly positioned the head restraint. The restraint should be positioned so the back of the occupant’s head rests against the center of the restraint. A taller person should adjust the restraint as high as possible.

Improperly positioning head restraints reduces their effectiveness and you can be seriously injured in a crash.

Make sure head restraints are in place and positioned properly before driving.

Properly adjusted head restraints will help protect occupants from whiplash and other crash injuries.

See page for how to adjust the head restraints.

Insert the latch plate into the buckle, then tug on the belt to make sure the belt is securely latched. Also check that the belt is not twisted, because a twisted belt can cause serious injuries in a crash.

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Driver and Passenger Safety

Protecting Adults

Position the lap part of the belt as low as possible across your hips, then pull up on the shoulder part of the belt so the lap part fits snugly. This lets your strong pelvic bones take the force of a crash and reduces the chance of internal injuries.

If necessary, pull up on the belt again to remove any slack from the shoulder part, then check that the belt rests across the center of your chest and over your shoulder. This

Driver and Passenger Safety

spreads the forces of a crash over the strongest bones in your upper body.

Improperly positioning the seat belts can cause serious injury or death in a crash.

Make sure all seat belts are properly positioned before driving.

If the seat belt touches or crosses your neck, or if it crosses your arm instead of your shoulder, you need to adjust the seat belt anchor height.

Protecting Adults

RELEASE BUTTONS

To adjust the height of a front seat belt anchor, squeeze the two release buttons and slide the anchor up or down as needed (it has four positions).

Never place the shoulder portion of a lap/shoulder belt under your arm or behind your back.

This could cause

very serious injuries in a crash.

If a seat belt does not seem to work as it should, it may not protect the occupant in a crash.

sit in a seat with an inoperative seat belt.

Anyone using a seat belt that is

No one should

not working properly can be seriously injured or killed. Have your Honda dealer check the belt as soon as possible.

See page for additional

42 information about your seat belt system and how to take care of your belts.

Driver and Passenger Safety

Protecting Adults

Adjust the Steering Wheel Maintain a Proper Sitting

6. 7. Position

After all occupants have adjusted their seats and put on seat belts, it is very important that they continue to sit upright, well back in their seats, with their feet on the floor, until the car is parked and the engine is off.

Sitting improperly can increase the chance of injury during a crash. For example, if an occupant slouches, lies down, turns sideways, sits

forward, leans forward or sideways, Adjust the steering wheel, if needed, so that the wheel points toward your chest, not toward your f ace.

Pointing the steering wheel toward your chest provides optimal protection from the airbag.

or puts one or both f eet up, the

chance of injury during a crash is

greatly increased.

In addition, an occupant who is out of position in the front seat can be seriously or f atally injured by striking interior parts of the car, or by being struck by an inflating front airbag. Being struck by an inflating side airbag can result in possibly serious injuries.

Sitting improperly or out of position can result in serious injury or death in a crash.

Always sit upright, well back in the seat, with your feet on the floor.

See page for how to adjust the steering wheel.

Driver and Passenger Safety

Protecting Adults

Remember, to get the best protection from your car’s airbags and other safety features, you must sit properly and wear your seat belt properly.

Advice for Pregnant Women

Because protecting the mother is the

best way to protect her unborn child,

a pregnant woman should always

wear a seat belt whenever she drives

or rides in a car.

Remember to keep the lap portion of

the belt as low as possible across

your hips.

Pregnant women should also sit upright and as far back as possible from the steering wheel or dashboard. This will reduce the risk of injuries to both the mother and her unborn child that can be caused by a crash or an inflating airbag.

Each time you have a check-up, ask your doctor if it’s okay for you to drive.

Driver and Passenger Safety

Protecting Adults

Additional Safety Precautions

Two people should never use the same seat belt.

If they do, they could be very seriously injured in a crash.

Do not put any accessories on seat belts.

Devices intended to improve occupant comf ort or reposition the shoulder part of a seat belt can severely compromise the protective capability of the seat belt and increase the chance of serious injury in a crash.

Driver and Passenger Safety

Do not place hard or sharp objects between yourself and a front airbag.

Carrying hard or sharp objects on your lap, or driving with a pipe or other sharp objects in your mouth, can result in injuries if your front airbag inflates.

Do not attach or place objects on the front airbag covers.

Any object attached to or placed on the covers marked ‘‘SRS AIRBAG’’ in the center of the steering wheel and on top of the dashboard could interfere with the proper operation of the airbags. Or, if the airbags inflate, the objects could be propelled inside the car and hurt someone.

On models with side airbags or side curtain airbags, do not attach hard objects on or near a front door.

If a side airbag or a side curtain airbag inflates, a cup holder or other hard object attached on or near the door could be propelled inside the car and hurt someone.

Keep your hands and arms away from the airbag covers.

If your hands or arms are close to the airbag cover in the center of the steering wheel or on top of the dashboard, they could be injured if the front airbag inflates.

Children depend on adults to protect them. However, despite their best intentions, many parents and other adults may not know how to

properly

protect young passengers.

So if you have children, or if you ever need to drive with a grandchild or otherchildreninyourcar,besureto read this section.

Children who are unrestrained or improperly restrained can be seriously injured or killed in a crash.

Any child too small for a seat belt should be properly restrained in a child seat. A larger child should be properly restrained with a seat belt.

Protecting Children

All Children Must Be Restrained

Each year, many children are injured or killed in car crashes because they are either unrestrained or not properly restrained. In fact, car accidents are the number one cause of death of children ages 12 and under.

To reduce the number of child deaths and injuries, every state and Canadian province requires that infants and children be restrained whenever they ride in a car.

Anychildwhoistoosmalltoweara seat belt should be properly restrained in a child seat.

A larger child should always be restrained with a seat belt, and use a booster, if needed.

(See page

(See page .)2636

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Driver and Passenger Safety

Protecting Children

Additional Precautions to Parents

Neverholdaninfantorchildon your lap.

If you are not wearing a seat belt in a crash, you could be thrown forward into the dashboard and crush the child.

child can be torn from your arms during a crash. For example, if your car crashes into a parked car at 30 mph (48 km/h), a 20-lb (9 kg) infant will become a 600-lb (275 kg) force, and you will not be able to hold on.

Never put a seat belt over yourself and an infant or child.

During a crash, the belt could press deep into the child and cause very serious injuries.

Driver and Passenger Safety

Children Should Sit in the Back Seat

According to accident statistics, children of all ages and sizes are safer when they are restrained in the back seat, not the f ront seat. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Transport Canada recommend that all children ages 12 and under be properly restrained in the back seat.

In the back seat, children are less likely to be injured by striking hard interior parts during a collision or hard braking. Also, children cannot be injured by an inflating airbag when they ride in the back.

The Passenger’s Front Airbag Poses Serious Risks to Children

Front airbags have been designed to help protect adults in a moderate to severe f rontal collision. To do this, the passenger’s front airbag is quite large, and it inflates with tremendous speed.Ifyouarewearingaseatbelt,the

Infants Never put a rear-f acing child seat in the front seat of a car equipped with a passenger’s airbag.

If the airbag inflates, it can hit the back of the child seat with enough force to kill or very seriously injure an infant.

Protecting Children

Small Children Placing a forward-f acing child seat in the front seat of a car equipped with a passenger’s f ront airbag can be hazardous.

If the car seat is too far forward, or the child’s head is thrown f orward during a collision, an inflating front airbag can strike the child with enough force to kill or very seriously injure a small child.

Larger Children Children who have outgrown child seats are also at risk of being injured or killed by an inflating passenger’s front airbag.

Whenever possible, larger children should sit in the back seat, in a booster seat if needed, and be properly restrained with a seat belt. (See page for important

36 information about protecting larger children.)

U.S. Models

To remind you of the passenger’s front airbag hazards, and that children must be properly restrained in the back seat, your car has warninglabelsonthedashboardand on the driver’s and front passenger’s visors. Please read and follow the instructions on these labels.

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Driver and Passenger Safety

Protecting Children

Canadian Models

To remind you of the f ront airbag hazards, your car has warning labels on the driver’s and front passenger’s visors. Please read and follow the instructions on these labels.

Driver and Passenger Safety

If You Must Drive with Several Children

Your car has three seating positions in the back seat where children can be properly restrained.

If you ever have to carry more than three children in your car:

Place the largest child in the front seat, provided the child is large enough to wear a seat belt properly (see page ).

Move the car seat as far to the rear as possible (see page ).3613

Have the child sit upright and well backintheseat(seepage ).

Make sure the seat belt is properly positioned and secured (see page

Protecting Children

If a Child Requires Close Attention

Many parents say they prefer to put an infant or small child in the front passenger seat so they can watch the child, or because the child requires attention.

Placing a child in the front seat exposes the child to hazards from the passenger’s front airbag, and paying close attention to a child distracts the driver from the important tasks of driving, placing both of you at risk.

If a child requires physical attention or frequent visual contact, we strongly recommend that another adult ride with the child in the back seat. The back seat is far safer for a child than the front.

Additional Safety Precautions

Use childproof door locks to prevent children from opening the doors.

Using this feature will prevent children from opening the doors and accidentally f alling out (see page ).

Use the main power window switch to prevent children from opening the rear windows.

Using this feature will prevent children from playing with the windows, which could expose them to hazards or distract the driver (see page ).

Do not leave children alone in your car.

Leaving children without adult supervision is illegal in most states and Canadian provinces, and can be very hazardous. For example, infants and small childrenleftinacaronahotday can die from heatstroke. And children left alone with the key in the ignition can accidentally set the car in motion, possibly injuring themselves or others.

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Driver and Passenger Safety

Protecting Children

Lock all doors and the trunk when your car is not in use.

Children who play in cars can accidentally get trapped inside the trunk and be seriously injured or could die. Teach your children not to play in or around cars. Know how to operate the emergency trunk opener and decide if your children should be shown how to use this feature(seepage ).

Keep car keys/remote transmitters out of the reach of children.

Even very young

children learn how to unlock car doors, turn on the ignition, and openthetrunk,whichcanleadto accidental injury or death.

Driver and Passenger Safety

General Guidelines for Using Child Seats

The f ollowing pages give general guidelines for selecting and installing child seats for infants and small children.

Selecting a Child Seat

To provide proper protection, a child seat should meet three requirements:

The child seat should meet safety

1. standards.

The child seat should meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213 (FMVSS 213) or Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213 (CMVSS 213). Look for the manufacturer’s statement of compliance on the box and seat.

The child seat should be of the proper type and size to fit the child.

Infants:

Childrenuptoaboutone year old should be restrained in a rear-f acing, reclining child seat. Only a rear-facing seat provides the proper support to protect an infant’s head, neck, and back. See page

for additional information on

protecting infants.

Small Children:

A child who is too large for a rear-facing child seat, and who can sit up without support, should be restrained in a forwardfacing child seat. See page for

33 additional inf ormation on protecting small children.

The child seat should fit the car seating position (or positions) whereitwillbeused.

Due to variations in the design of child seats, car seats, and seat belts, all child seats will not fit all car seating positions.

However, Honda is confident that one or more child seat models can fit andbeproperlyinstalledinall recommended seating positions in your car.

Protecting Children

Before purchasing a child seat, we recommend that parents test the child seat in the specific car seating position (or positions) where they intend to use the seat. If a previously purchased child seat does not fit, you may need to buy a different one that will fit.

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Driver and Passenger Safety

Protecting Children

Placing a Child Seat Front Passenger’s Seat

This page briefly summarizes Honda’s recommendations on where to place rear-facing and forwardfacing child seats in your car.

Airbags Pose Serious

Risks to Children

The passenger’s front airbag inflates with enough force to kill or seriously injure an infant in a rear-facing child seat.

A small child in a forward-facing child seat is also at risk. If the carseatistoofarforward,or the child’s head is thrown forward during a collision, an inflating front airbag can kill or seriously injure the child.

If a small child must ride in the front, follow the instructions provided in this section.

Infants:

Never in the front seat, due

to the front airbag hazard.

Small children:

Not recommended, due to the front airbag hazard. If a small child must ride in front, move the car seat to the rear-most position and secure a front-facing child seat with the seat belt. (see page ).33

Back Seats Infants:

Recommended positions. Properlysecurearear-facing child seat (see pages and ).

Small children:

Recommended positions. Properly secure a frontfacing child seat (see pages and

30 40

Driver and Passenger Safety

Installing a Child Seat

After selecting a proper child seat, and a good position to install the seat, there are three main steps in installing the seat:

Make sure the child seat is firmly

2. secured.

After installing a child seat, push and pull the seat forward and f rom side to side to verify that it is secure.

Protecting Children

If the child seat is not secure, try installing it in a different seating position, or use a different style of child seat that can be firmly secured in the desired seating position.

Properly secure the child seat to

1. the car.

All child seats are designed to be secured to the car with the lap part of a lap/shoulder belt. Some child seats can be secured to the car’s LATCH anchorage system instead. A child whose seat is not properly secured to the car can be endangered in a crash. See pages , and for

31 34 40 instructions on how to properly secure child seats in this car.

To provide security during normal driving maneuvers as well as during a collision, we recommend that parents secure a child seat as f irmly as possible.

However, a child seat does not need to be ‘‘rock solid.’’ In some cars or seating positions, it may be difficult to install a child seat so that it does not move at all. Some side-to-side or back-and-f orth movement can be expected and should not reduce the child seat’s effectiveness.

Secure the child in the child seat.

Make sure the child is properly strappedinthechildseat according to the child seat maker’s instructions. A child who is not properly secured in a child seat canbethrownoutoftheseatina crash and be seriously injured.

Storing a Child Seat

When you are not using a child seat, either remove it and store it in a safe place, or make sure it is properly secured. An unsecured child seat can be thrown around the car during a crash or sudden stop and injure someone.

Driver and Passenger Safety

Protecting Children

Protecting Infants

Child Seat Type

Only a rear-facing child seat provides proper support for a baby’s head, neck, and back. Infants up to about one year of age must be restrained in a rear-facing child seat.

Two types of seats may be used: a seat designed exclusively for infants, or a convertible seat used in the rearfacing, reclining mode.

Driver and Passenger Safety

Placing a rear-facing child seat in the front seat can result in serious injury or death if the passenger’s front airbag inflates.

Always place a rear-facing child seat in the back seat, not the front.

We recommend that an infant be restrained in a rear-facing child seat until the infant reaches the seat maker’s weight or height limit and is able to sit up without support.

Rear-Facing Child Seat Placement

In this car, a rear-facing child seat can be placed in any seating position in the back seat, but not in the front seat.

Never put a rear-f acing child seat in the front seat.

If the passenger’s front airbag inflates, it can hit the back of the child seat with enough force to kill or seriously injure an infant. If an inf ant must be closely watched, we recommend that another adult sit in the back seat with the baby.

Do not put a rear-f acing child seat in a forward-facing position.

If placed facing forward, an infant could be very seriously injured during a frontal collision.

Protecting Children

When properly installed, a rearfacing child seat may prevent the driver or a front-seat passenger from moving the seat as far back as recommended (see page ). Or it may prevent them f rom locking the seat-back in the desired upright position (see page ).

In either case, we recommend that you place the child seat directly behind the front passenger seat, move the front seat as far forward as needed, and leave it unoccupied. Or you may wish to get a smaller child seat that allows you to safely carry a front passenger.

Rear-Facing Child Seat Installation

The lap/shoulder belts in the back seats have a locking mechanism that must be activated to secure a child seat.

The f ollowing pages provide instructions and tips on how to secure a rear-facing child seat with this type of seat belt.

If you have a child seat designed to attach to the car’s LATCH anchorage system, follow the instructions on page .

With the child seat in the desired

back seating position, route the belt through the child seat according to the seat maker’s instructions, then insert the latch plate into the buckle.

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Driver and Passenger Safety

Protecting Children

To activate the lockable retractor,

2. slowly pull the shoulder part of the belt all the way out until it stops, then let the belt feed back into the retractor (you might hear a clicking noise as the belt retracts).

After the belt has retracted, tug on

3. it. If the belt is locked, you will not be able to pull it out. If you can pull the belt out, it is not locked and you will need to repeat these steps.

Driver and Passenger Safety

After confirming that the belt is

4. 5. locked, grab the shoulder part of the belt near the buckle and pull up to remove any slack from the lap part of the belt. Remember, if the lap part of the belt is not tight, the child seat will not be secure. To remove slack, it may help to putweightonthechildseat,or push on the back of the seat, while pulling up on the belt.

Push and pull the child seat forward and f rom side to side to verify that it is secure enough to stay upright during normal driving maneuvers. If the child seat is not secure, unlatch the belt, allow it to retract fully, then repeat these steps.

To deactivate the locking mechanism and remove a child seat, unlatch the buckle, unroute the seat belt, and let the belt fully retract.

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