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Driver and Passenger Airbags
To properly position yourself away from the airbag:
WARNING:
Keep the areas in front of the airbags free from obstruction. Do not affix anything to or over the airbag covers. Objects could become projectiles during airbag deployment. Failure to follow this instruction could result in personal injury or death.
WARNING:
Do not place your arms on the airbag cover or through the steering wheel. Failure to follow this instruction could result in personal injury.
WARNING:
Do not place a rearward facing child restraint in front of an active airbag. Failure to follow this instruction could result in personal injury or death. |
The driver and front passenger airbags will deploy during significant frontal and near frontal crashes.
The driver and passenger front airbag system consists of:- Driver and passenger airbag modules.
- Crash sensors and monitoring system with readiness indicator. See Crash Sensors and Airbag Indicator.
Passenger Airbag On and Off Switch (If Equipped)
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WARNING:
Even with advanced restraints systems, properly restrain children 12 and under in a rear seating position. Failure to follow this could seriously increase the risk of injury or death.
WARNING:
The front passenger airbag is not designed to offer protection to an occupant in the center seating position.
WARNING:
Your vehicle may have an airbag deactivation switch. Before driving, always look at the switch to make sure it is in the appropriate position. Failure to put the switch in the proper position can increase the risk of serious injury or death in a crash. |
The front passenger airbag on and off switch has indicators that will illuminate, indicating that the front passenger frontal airbag is either on or off. The indicator lamp is on the overhead panel.
Note:
The passenger airbag status indicator OFF and ON lamps illuminate for a short period of time when you switch the ignition on to confirm it is functional.
| Switch position | Passenger airbag status indicator | Passenger airbag |
|---|---|---|
| Off | OFF: Lit | Disabled |
| ON: Unlit | ||
| On | OFF: Unlit | Enabled |
| ON: Lit |
Turning the Passenger Airbag Off
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WARNING:
If the light does not illuminate when the passenger airbag switch is off and you switch the ignition on, have the passenger airbag switch serviced immediately by a qualified technician.
WARNING:
To avoid switching on the airbag, always remove the ignition key with the switch in the off position.
WARNING:
Never place front seat mounted rear-facing child or infant seats in front of an active passenger airbag.
WARNING:
You must switch the passenger airbag off when using a rearward facing child restraint on the front seat. |
- Insert the ignition key, turn the switch to OFF and hold in OFF while removing the key.
- When the ignition is turned on, the pass airbag off light illuminates briefly, momentarily shuts off and then turns back on. This indicates that the passenger airbag is deactivated.
Turning the Passenger Airbag Back On
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WARNING:
The seatbelts for the driver and right front passenger seating positions are specifically designed to operate together with the airbags in certain types of crashes. When you switch off your airbag, you not only lose the protection of the airbag, you also may reduce the effectiveness of your seatbelt system. If the passenger does not meet the requirements stated in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or Transport Canada deactivation criteria, switching off the airbag can increase the risk of serious injury or death in a crash.
WARNING:
If your vehicle has rear seats, always transport children who are 12 and younger in the rear seat. Always use seatbelts and child restraints properly. Do not place a child in a rear facing infant seat in the front seat unless your vehicle is equipped with an airbag on and off switch and the passenger airbag is turned off. This is because the back of the infant seat is too close to the inflating airbag and the risk of a fatal injury to the infant when the airbag inflates is substantial.
WARNING:
If the passenger airbag off light is illuminated when the passenger airbag switch is on and the ignition is on, have the passenger airbag switch serviced immediately by a qualified technician. |
The passenger airbag remains off until you turn it back on.
- Insert the ignition key and turn the switch to ON.
- The pass airbag off light will briefly illuminate when the ignition is turned to on. This indicates that the passenger airbag is operational.
The passenger airbag should always be on (the pass airbag off light should not be illuminated) unless the passenger meets the requirements stated either in Category 1, 2 or 3 of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or Transport Canada deactivation criteria which follows.
The vast majority of drivers and passengers are much safer with an airbag than without. To do their job and reduce the risk of life threatening injuries, airbags must open with great force, and this force can pose a potentially deadly risk in some situations, particularly when a front seat passenger is not using the seatbelt correctly. The most effective way to reduce the risk of unnecessary airbag injuries without reducing the overall safety of your vehicle is to make sure all passengers are correctly restrained in the vehicle, especially in the front seat. This provides the protection of seatbelts and permits the airbags to provide the additional protection they were designed to provide. If you choose to deactivate your airbag, you are losing the very significant risk reducing benefits of the airbag and you are also reducing the effectiveness of the seatbelts, because seatbelts in modern vehicles are designed to work as a safety system with the airbags.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Deactivation Criteria (Excluding Canada)
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WARNING:
This vehicle has special energy management seatbelts for the driver and right front passenger. These particular seatbelts are specifically designed to work with airbags to help reduce the risk of injury in a crash. The energy management seatbelt gives or releases additional seatbelt webbing in some accidents to reduce the concentration of force on an occupant's chest and to reduce the risk of certain bone fractures and injuries to underlying organs. In a crash, if the airbag is off, this energy management seatbelt might permit the passenger wearing the seatbelt to move forward enough to have a serious or fatal injury. The more severe the crash, and the heavier the occupant, the greater the risk. Make sure the airbag is on for any passenger who does not qualify under the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration deactivation criteria. |
1. Infant. An infant (less than 1 year old) must ride in the front seat because:
- The vehicle has no rear seat;
- The vehicle has a rear seat too small to accommodate a rear-facing infant seat; or
- The infant has a medical condition which, according to the infant's physician, makes it necessary for the infant to ride in the front so that the driver can constantly monitor the child's condition.
2. Child age 1 to 12. A child age 1 to 12 must ride in the front seat because:
- The vehicle has no rear seat;
- Although children ages 1 to 12 ride in the rear seat(s) whenever possible, children ages 1 to 12 sometimes must ride in the front because no space is available in the rear seat(s) of the vehicle; or
- The child has a medical condition which, according to the child's physician, makes it necessary for the child to ride in the front seat so that the driver can constantly monitor the child's condition.
3. Medical condition. A passenger has a medical condition which, according to his or her physician:
- Causes the passenger airbag to pose a special risk for the passenger;
- Makes the potential harm from the passenger airbag in a crash greater than the potential harm from turning off the airbag and allowing the passenger, even if belted, to hit the dashboard or windshield in a crash.
Transport Canada Deactivation Criteria (Canada Only)
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WARNING:
This vehicle has special energy management seatbelts for the driver and right front passenger. These particular seatbelts are specifically designed to work with airbags to help reduce the risk of injury in a crash. The energy management seatbelt gives or releases additional seatbelt webbing in some accidents to reduce the concentration of force on an occupant's chest and to reduce the risk of certain bone fractures and injuries to underlying organs. In a crash, if the airbag is off, this energy management seatbelt might permit the passenger wearing the seatbelt to move forward enough to have a serious or fatal injury. The more severe the crash, and the heavier the occupant, the greater the risk. Make sure the airbag is on for any passenger who does not qualify under the Transport Canada deactivation criteria. |
1. Infant: An infant (less than 1 year old) must ride in the front seat because:
- My vehicle has no rear seat;
- The rear seat in my vehicle cannot accommodate a rear-facing infant seat;
- The infant has a medical condition which, according to the infant's physician, makes it necessary for the infant to ride in the front seat so that the driver can monitor the infant's condition.
2. Child age 12 or under: A child age 12 or under must ride in the front seat because:
- My vehicle has no rear seat;
- Athough children age 12 and under ride in the rear seat whenever possible, children age 12 and under have no option but to sometimes ride in the front seat because rear seat space is insufficient;
- The child has a medical condition that, according to the child's physician, makes it necessary for the child to ride in the front seat so that the driver can monitor the child's condition.
3. Medical condition: A passenger has a medical condition that, according to his or her physician:
- Poses a special risk for the passenger if the airbag deploys; and
- Makes the potential harm from the passenger airbag deployment greater than the potential harm from turning off the airbag and experiencing a crash without the protection offered by the airbag
Proper Driver and Front Passenger Seating Adjustment
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WARNING:
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommends a minimum distance of at least
10 in (25 cm) between an occupant's chest and the driver airbag module. |
To properly position yourself away from the airbag:
- Move your seat to the rear as far as you can while still reaching the pedals comfortably.
- Recline the seat slightly (one or two degrees) from the upright position.
After all occupants have adjusted their seats and put on seatbelts, it is very important that they continue to sit properly. Properly seated occupants sit upright, lean against the seat back, and center themselves on the seat cushion, with their feet comfortably extended on the floor. Sitting improperly can increase the chance of injury in a crash event. For example, if an occupant slouches, lies down, turns sideways, sits forward, leans forward or sideways, or puts one or both feet up, the chance of injury during a crash is greatly increased.
Children and Airbags
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WARNING:
Do not place a rearward facing child restraint in front of an active airbag. Failure to follow this instruction could result in personal injury or death.
WARNING:
Properly secure children 12 years old and under in a rear seating position whenever possible. If you are unable to properly secure all children in a rear seating position, properly secure the largest child on the front seat. If you must use a forward facing child restraint on the front seat, move the seat as far back as possible. Failure to follow these instructions could result in personal injury or death. |
Children must always be properly restrained. Accident statistics suggest that children are safer when properly restrained in the rear seating positions than in the front seating position. Failure to follow these instructions may increase the risk of injury in a crash.
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