Child Restraints
Older children who have outgrown booster seats should wear the vehicle’s seat belts.
The manufacturer instructions that come with the booster seat state the weight and height limitations for that booster. Use a booster seat with a lap-shoulder belt until the child passes the fit test below:
“Rear Seat Belt Comfort Guides” under Lap-Shoulder Belt 0 39.
If a comfort guide is not available, or if the shoulder belt still does not rest on the shoulder, then return to the booster seat.
wear seat belts?
A: 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. This applies belt force to the child's pelvic bones in a crash. It should never be worn over the abdomen, which could cause severe or even fatal internal injuries in a crash.
Also see“Rear Seat Belt Comfort Guides” under Lap-Shoulder Belt 0 39.
According to accident statistics, children are safer when properly restrained in a rear seating position.
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 seat belts properly.
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.
Every time infants and young children ride in vehicles, they should have the protection provided by
appropriate child restraints. Neither the vehicle's seat belt system nor its airbag system is designed for them.
Children who are not restrained properly can strike other people,
or can be thrown out of the vehicle.
Child restraints are devices used to restrain, seat, or position children in the vehicle and are sometimes called child seats or car seats.
There are three basic types of child restraints:
The proper child restraint for your child depends on their size, weight, and age, and also on whether the child restraint is compatible with the vehicle in which it will be used.
For each type of child restraint, 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 child restraint will have a label saying that it meets federal motor vehicle safety standards.
The instruction manual that is provided with the child restraint states the weight and height limitations for that particular child restraint. In addition, there are many kinds of child restraints available for children with special needs.
Rear-Facing Infant Restraint
A rear-facing child restraint 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.
Forward-Facing Child Restraint
A forward-facing child restraint provides restraint for the child's body with the harness.
Booster Seats
A belt-positioning booster seat is used for children who have outgrown their forward-facing child restraint. Boosters are designed to improve the fit of the vehicle's seat belt system until the child is large enough for the vehicle seat belts to fit properly without a booster seat. See the seat belt fit test in Older Children 0 56.
To help reduce the chance of injury, the child restraint must be secured in the vehicle. Child restraints 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 System) 0 63 for more information. Children 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 following:
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 the vehicle — even when no child is in it.
In some areas Certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians (CPSTs) are available to inspect and demonstrate how to correctly use and install child restraints. In the U.S., refer to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website to locate the nearest child safety seat inspection station. For CPST
availability in Canada, check with Transport Canada or the Provincial Ministry of Transportation office.
Never put a rear-facing child restraint in the front. This is because the risk to the rear-facing child is so great if the airbag deploys.
According to accident statistics, children and infants are safer when properly restrained in an appropriate child restraint secured in a rear seating position.
Whenever possible, children aged 12 and under should be secured in a rear seating position.
If the vehicle does not have a rear seat that will accommodate a
rear-facing child restraint, a
rear-facing child restraint should not be secured in the vehicle, even if the airbag is off.
Never secure a rear-facing or forward-facing child restraint in the left rear seating position in an extended cab model.
When securing a child restraint with the seat belts in a rear seat position, study the instructions that came with the child restraint to make sure it is compatible with this vehicle.
Child restraints and booster seats vary considerably in size, and some may fit in certain seating positions better than others.
Depending on where you place the child restraint and the size of the child restraint, you may not be able to access adjacent seat belts or LATCH anchors for additional passengers or child restraints.
Adjacent seating positions should not be used if the child restraint prevents access to or interferes with the routing of the seat belt.
Wherever a child restraint is installed, be sure to follow the instructions that came with the child restraint and 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 the vehicle — even when no child is in it.
The LATCH system secures a child restraint during driving or in a crash. LATCH attachments on the child restraint are used to attach the child restraint to the anchors in the vehicle. The LATCH system is designed to make installation of a child restraint easier.
In order to use the LATCH system in your vehicle, you need a child restraint that has LATCH attachments. LATCH-compatible rear-facing and forward-facing child seats can be properly installed using either the LATCH anchors or the vehicle’s seat belts. Do not use both the seat belts and the LATCH
anchorage system to secure a rear-facing or forward-facing child seat.
Booster seats use the vehicle’s seat belts to secure the child and the booster seat. If the manufacturer recommends that the booster seat be secured with the LATCH system, this can be done as long as the booster seat can be positioned properly and there is no interference with the proper positioning of the lap-shoulder belt on the child.
Make sure to follow the instructions that came with the child 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 seat belts to properly secure the child restraint. A child restraint must never be attached using only the top tether.
For a forward-facing 5-pt harness child restraint where the combined weight of the child and restraint are up to 29.5 kg (65 lb), use either the lower LATCH anchorages with the
top tether anchorage, or the seat belt with the top tether anchorage. Where the combined weight of the child and restraint are greater than
29.5 kg (65 lb), use the seat belt with the top tether anchorage only.
|
Restraint Type |
Combined Weight of the Child + Child Restraint |
Use Only Approved Attachment Methods Shown with an X |
|||
|
LATCH – Lower Anchors Only |
Seat Belt Only |
LATCH – Lower Anchors and Top Tether Anchor |
Seat Belt and Top Tether Anchor |
||
|
Rear-Facing Child Restraint |
Up to 29.5 kg (65 lb) |
X |
X |
||
|
Rear-Facing Child Restraint |
Greater than 29.5 kg (65 lb) |
X |
|||
|
Forward-Facing Child Restraint |
Up to 29.5 kg (65 lb) |
X |
X |
||
|
Forward-Facing Child Restraint |
Greater than 29.5 kg (65 lb) |
X |
See Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt in the Rear Seat) 0 79 or
Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt in the Front Seat) 0 84.
Child restraints built after March 2014 will be labeled with the specific child weight up to which the LATCH system can be used to install the restraint.
The following explains how to attach a child restraint with these attachments in the vehicle.
Not all vehicle seating positions have lower anchors. In this case, the seat belt must be used (with top tether where available) to secure
the child restraint. See Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt in the Rear Seat) 0 79 or
Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt in the Front Seat) 0 84.
Lower anchors (1) 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 (2).
A top tether (3,4) is used to secure the top of the child restraint to the vehicle. A top tether anchor is built into the vehicle. The top tether attachment hook (2) 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.
The child restraint may have a single tether (3) or a dual tether (4). Either will have a single attachment hook (2) 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. Be sure to read and follow the instructions for your child restraint.
Crew Cab
I : Seating positions with top tether anchors.
H : Seating positions with two lower anchors.
To assist in locating the lower anchors on crew cab models, each seating position with lower anchors has two labels near the crease between the seatback and the seat cushion.
A child restraint in the rear center seating position must be installed with a seat belt as it is not equipped with lower LATCH anchors. See Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt in the Rear Seat) 0 79 or Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt in the Front Seat) 0 84.
Extended Cab (Rear Seats Shown)
I : Seating positions with top tether anchors.
For extended cab models with rear seats, there are exposed metal lower anchors for each rear seating position, attached to the back wall, near the seat cushion.
Even though LATCH anchors are required for this position, a child restraint (forward-facing or
rear-facing) should not be installed in the left rear seat.
Extended Cab without Rear Seats (Front Seats Shown)
For extended cab models without rear seats, there is a top tether anchor provided for the front passenger seat.
For extended cab without rear seat and crew cab models, there are top tether anchor symbols to assist you in locating the top tether anchors.
Crew Cab
The top tether anchors in a crew cab model are on the back wall behind each rear seating position. Fold down the rear seatback to access the anchor. See instructions for crew cab under Rear Seats 0 33. Be sure to use an anchor located directly behind the seating position where the child restraint will be placed.
Extended Cab with Rear Seats
The top tether anchors in an extended cab model are loops near the top of each rear seatback. See the instructions under“Securing a Child Restraint with the LATCH System” later in this section on how to attach a top tether.
Do not attach a top tether to the loop near the top of the seatback of the seating position in which the child restraint is installed.
Extended Cab without Rear Seats
The top tether anchor in an extended cab without rear seats is a metal wire on the lower inboard side of the cab wall directly behind the front passenger seat.
Do not place heavy objects on the top tether anchor or use it as a tie down for cargo as this may cause damage to the anchor.
Do not secure a child restraint in a position without a top tether anchor 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.
According to accident statistics, children and infants are safer when properly restrained in a child restraint system or infant restraint system secured in a rear seating position. See Where to Put the Restraint 0 62 for additional information.
If you need to secure more than one child restraint in the rear seat, see Where to Put the Restraint 0 62.
restraint, the head restraint may be removed. See“Head Restraint/Headrest Removal and Reinstallation” at the end of this section.
If the position you are using does not have a head restraint and you are using a single tether, route the tether over the seatback.
If the position you are using has a fixed head restraint and you are using a single tether, route the tether around the inboard or outboard side of the head restraint.
If the position you are using does not have a head restraint and you are using a dual tether, route the tether over the seatback.
If the position you are using has a fixed head restraint and you are using a dual tether, route the tether around the sides of the head restraint.
child restraint manufacturer instructions and Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt
Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt in the Front Seat) 0 84.
check, grasp the child restraint at the LATCH path and attempt to move it side to side and back and forth. There should be no more than 2.5 cm (1 in) of movement for proper installation.
booster seats that extend past the front edge of the seat cushion.
Extended Cab Rear Seat Cushion Extension
The vehicle is equipped with a headrest that is used as a seat cushion extension for installation of child restraints in the right rear seat.
When installing a rear-facing child restraint in the right rear seating position, move the front seat all the way forward and tilt the seatback forward to properly install the child restraint. See Power Seat Adjustment 0 30, Seat Adjustment
0 29, and Reclining Seatbacks 0 31. When a rear-facing child restraint is installed properly, the front passenger seat cannot be used.
Press the button for the passenger side headrest at the top of the seatback and pull up.
Route the top tether (1) through the loop (2) at the top of the seatback directly behind the child restraint and attach the top tether hook to the top tether loop at the top of the seatback for the opposite rear seating position (3).
See Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt in the Rear Seat) 0 79 or
Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt in the Front Seat) 0 84.
The vehicle has a front outboard passenger frontal airbag and a passenger sensing system. The passenger sensing system is designed to turn off the front passenger 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 Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt in the Rear Seat) 0 79 or
Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt in the Front Seat) 0 84 and
Passenger Sensing System 0 50 for important seat information and
additional information on installing a child restraint in the front passenger position.
If you are using a single tether, raise the headrest or head restraint and route the tether under the
headrest or head restraint and in between the headrest or head restraint posts.
If you are using a dual tether, route the tether around the headrest or head restraint.
Crew Cab
The rear outboard head restraints can be removed if they interfere with the proper installation of the child restraint.
To remove the head restraint:
To reinstall the head restraint:
Extended Cab
To remove the headrest:
Never install a forward-facing or rearward-facing child restraint in the left rear seating position.
instructions in“Securing a Child Restraint with the LATCH System” earlier in this section.
To reinstall the headrest:
If the vehicle has the LATCH system and it was being used during a crash, new LATCH system parts may be needed.
New parts and repairs may be necessary even if the LATCH system was not being used at the time of the crash.
When securing a child restraint with the seat belts in a rear seat position, study the instructions that came with the child restraint to make sure it is compatible with this vehicle.
If the child restraint has the LATCH system, see Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH System) 0 63 for how and where to install the child restraint using LATCH. If a child restraint is secured in the vehicle using a seat belt and it uses a top tether, see Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH System) 0 63 for top tether anchor locations.
Do not secure a child seat in a position without a top tether anchor 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.
In Canada, the law requires that forward-facing child restraints have a top tether, and that the tether be attached.
If the child restraint or vehicle seat position does not have the LATCH system, you will be using the seat belt to secure the child restraint. Be sure to follow the instructions that came with the child restraint.
If more than one child restraint needs to be installed in the rear seat, be sure to read Where to Put the Restraint 0 62.
A booster seat may be used in the left rear seating position if the base of the booster seat fits on the seat cushion and does not extend past the front edge of the seat cushion.
If the booster seat extends past the front of the seat cushion, it should be used in the right rear seating position with the seat cushion extension.
When using the lap-shoulder belt to secure the child restraint in this position, follow the instructions that came with the child restraint and the following instructions:
When installing a rear-facing child restraint, move the front seat all the way forward and tilt the seatback forward to properly install the child restraint per the child restraint manufacturer instructions. See Seat Adjustment 0 29 and
Reclining Seatbacks 0 31. When a rear-facing child restraint is installed properly, the front passenger seat cannot be used.
anchor. Refer to the instructions that came with the child restraint and see Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH System) 0 63.
Tilt the latch plate to adjust the belt if needed.
Position the release button on the buckle, away from the child restraint, so that the seat belt could be quickly unbuckled if necessary.
Try to pull the belt out of the retractor to make sure the retractor is locked. If the retractor is not locked, repeat Steps 6 and 7.
To remove the child restraint, unbuckle the vehicle’s seat belt and let it return to the stowed position.
If the top tether is attached to a top tether anchor, disconnect it.
Reinstall the headrest in the seatback before the seating position is used. See“Head Restraint/ Headrest Removal and Reinstallation” under Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH System) 0 63 for additional information on installing the headrest properly.
When using the lap-shoulder belt to secure the child restraint in this position, follow the instructions that came with the child restraint and the following instructions:
Position the release button on the buckle, away from the child restraint, so that the seat belt could be quickly unbuckled if necessary.
Try to pull the belt out of the retractor to make sure the retractor is locked. If the retractor is not locked, repeat Steps 6 and 7.
To remove the child restraint, unbuckle the vehicle’s seat belt and let it return to the stowed position.
If the top tether is attached to a top tether anchor, disconnect it. If the head restraint was removed, reinstall it before the seating position is used. See“Head Restraint/Headrest Removal and Reinstallation” under Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH System) 0 63 for additional information on installing the head restraint properly.
This vehicle has airbags. A rear seat is a safer place to secure a forward-facing child restraint. See Where to Put the Restraint 0 62.
In addition, the vehicle has a passenger sensing system which is designed to turn off the front outboard passenger's frontal airbag under certain conditions. See Passenger Sensing System 0 50 and
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator 0 104 for more information, including important safety information.
Never put a rear-facing child restraint in the front. This is because the risk to the rear-facing child is so great, if the airbag deploys.
If the vehicle does not have a rear seat that will accommodate a
rear-facing child restraint, a
rear-facing child restraint should not be installed in the vehicle, even if the airbag is off.
If a child restraint uses a top tether, see Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH System) 0 63 for top tether anchor locations.
Do not secure a child seat in a position without a top tether anchor 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.
In Canada, the law requires that forward-facing child restraints have a top tether, and that the tether be attached.
When using the lap-shoulder belt to secure the child restraint in this position, follow the instructions that came with the child restraint and the following instructions:
When the passenger sensing system has turned off the front outboard passenger frontal airbag, the OFF indicator on the passenger airbag status indicator should light and stay lit when you start the vehicle. See Passenger Airbag Status Indicator 0 104.
Tilt the latch plate to adjust the belt if needed.
Position the release button on the buckle, away from the child restraint, so that the seat belt could be quickly unbuckled if necessary.
Try to pull the belt out of the retractor to make sure the retractor is locked. If the retractor is not locked, repeat Steps 5 and 7.
If the airbag is off, the OFF indicator on the passenger airbag status indicator will come on and stay on when the vehicle is started. If a child restraint has been installed and on indicator is lit, see“If the On Indicator Is Lit for a Child Restraint” under Passenger Sensing System
0 50.
To remove the child restraint, unbuckle the vehicle seat belt and let it return to the stowed position. If the top tether is attached to a top tether anchor, disconnect it.
Storage
Storage Compartments 88
Glove Box 88
Cupholders 88
Sunglasses Storage 89
Underseat Storage 89
Center Console Storage 89
Download Manual