Child-restraint Systems

Always move the front passenger seat as far back as possible if installing a front-facing child-restraint system on it is unavoidable.

As your vehicle has front air bags and doubly so because your vehicle has side air bags, a front-facing child-restraint system should be put on the front passenger seat only when it is unavoidable.

Even if the front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light illuminates, always move the seat as far back as possible, because the force of a deploying air bag could cause serious injury or death to the child.

Never use a rear-facing child-restraint system in the front seat with an air bag that could deploy.

Rear-facing child-restraint systems on the front seat are particularly dangerous.

Even in a moderate collision, the child-restraint system can be hit by a deploying air bag and moved violently backward resulting in serious injury or death to the child. Even though you may feel assured that the front passenger air bag will not deploy based on the fact that the front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light illuminates, you should not use a rear-facing child-restraint system in the front seat.

Always remove the head restraint and install child-restraint system (except when installing a backless booster seat).

Installing a child-restraint system without removing the head restraint is dangerous. The child-restraint system cannot be installed correctly which may result in death or injury to the child in a collision.

Always install the head restraint and adjust it to the appropriate position after removing the child-restraint system.

Driving with the head restraint removed is dangerous as impact to the occupant's head cannot be prevented during emergency braking or in a collision, which could result in a serious accident, injury or death.

Refer to How to Use the Head Restraints (Search).

Do not allow a child or anyone to lean over to or against the side window of a vehicle with side and curtain air bags.

It is dangerous to allow anyone to lean over to or against the side window, the area of the front passenger seat, the front and rear window pillars and the roof edge along both sides from which the side and curtain air bags deploy, even if a child-restraint system is used. The impact of inflation from a side or curtain air bag could cause serious injury or death to an out of position child. Furthermore, leaning over to or against the door could block the side and curtain air bags and eliminate the advantages of supplemental protection. Because the front seats are equipped with front air bags, the rear seat is always a better location for children. Take special care not to allow a child to lean over to or against the side window, even if the child is seated in a child-restraint system.