Lexus GS350 2007 Using the hands-free system / LEXUS 2007 GS430/350 (OM30A04U) Manual Online
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1-7. Safety information
1
Before driving
Your vehicle is equipped with ADVANCED AIRBAGS designed based 
on US motor vehicle sa fety standards (FMVSS208). The airbag system 
controls airbag deployment power for  the driver and front passenger. The 
driver airbag system consists of the driver seat’s position sensor etc. The 
front passenger’s airbag system consist s of the front passenger occupant 
classification sensor etc. 
In certain types of severe frontal or  side impacts, the SRS airbag s
 ystem 
triggers the airbag inflators. A chemica l reaction in the inflators quickly 
fills the airbags with non-toxic gas to  help restrain the motion of the occu -
pants.
■If the SRS airbags deploy (inflate)
●Bruising and slight abrasions may result  from contact with a deploying (inflating) 
SRS airbag.
●A loud noise and white powder will be emitted.
●Parts of the airbag module (steering wheel hub, airbag cover and inflator) as 
well as the seats, and parts of the front and rear pillars, and roof side rail, may be 
hot for several minutes. The airbag itself may also be hot.
●The windshield may crack. 
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1-7. Safety information
■Operating conditions (front airbags)
●The SRS front airbags will deploy if the severity of the frontal impact is above the 
designed threshold level, comparable to an approximate 15 mph (25 km/h) col-
lision, when the vehicle impacts straight into a fixed barrier that does not move 
or deform.
However, this threshold velocity will be considerably higher if the vehicle strikes 
an object, such as a parked vehicle or sign pole, which can move or deform on 
impact, or if the vehicle is involved in an underride collision (e.g. a collision in 
which the front of the vehicle “underrides”, or goes under, the bed of a truck, etc.).
●It is possible that in some collisions where the forward deceleration of the vehi-
cle is very close to the designed thresh old level, the SRS front airbags and the 
seat belt pretensioners ma y not activate together. 
●The SRS front passenger airbags will not activate, if there is no passenger sitting 
in the front passenger seat. However, th e front passenger airbag may deploy, if 
heavy luggage is put, even if the seat is unoccupied. ( P.  7 2 )
■Operating conditions (side and curtain shield airbags)
●The SRS side airbags and curtain shield ai rbags are designed to inflate when the 
passenger compartment is subjected to a severe impact from the side.
●The SRS front side airbag on the passenger seat will not activate, if there is no 
passenger sitting in the front passenger seat. However, the front side airbag on 
the passenger seat may deploy, if heavy luggage is put, even if the seat is unoc-
cupied. ( P.  7 2 )
■Conditions under which the SRS airbags may deploy (inflate), other than a colli-
sion
The SRS front airbags may also deploy if a  serious impact occurs to the underside of 
your vehicle. Some examples are shown in the illustration.
●Hitting a curb, edge of pavement or hard 
surface
●Falling into or jumping over a deep hole
●Landing hard or vehicle falling 
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1-7. Safety information
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Before driving
■Types of collisions that may not deploy the SRS airbag (front airbags)
The SRS front airbags are generally not designed to inflate if the vehicle is involved 
in a side or rear collision, if it rolls over, or  if it is involved in a low-speed frontal colli-
sion. But, whenever a collision of any type  causes sufficient forward deceleration of 
the vehicle, deployment of th e SRS front airbags may occur.
■Types of collisions that may not deploy the SRS airbag  
(side and curtain shield airbags)
The SRS side airbag and curtain shield airbag system may not activate if the vehicle 
is subjected to a collision from the side at certain angles, or a collision to the side of 
the vehicle body other than the passenger compartment.
The SRS side airbags and curtain shield airbags are not generally designed to 
inflate if the vehicle is involved in a frontal or  rear collision, if it rolls over, or if it is 
involved in a low-speed side collision.
●Collision from the side
●Collision from the rear
●Vehicle rollover
●Collision from the side to the vehicle body 
other than the passenger compartment
●Collision from the side at an angle
●Collision from the front
●Collision from the rear
●Vehicle rollover 
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1-7. Safety information
■When to contact your Lexus dealer
In the following cases, contact your Lexus dealer as soon as possible. Do not dis-
connect the battery cables before contacting your Lexus dealer.
●Any of the SRS airbags have been inflated.
●The front of the vehicle is damaged or 
deformed, or was involved in an accident 
that was not severe enough to cause the 
SRS airbags to inflate.
●A portion of the doors is damaged or 
deformed, or the vehicle was involved in an 
accident that was not severe enough to 
cause the SRS side airbags and curtain 
shield airbags to inflate.
●The pad section of the steering wheel, front 
passenger airbag cover or lower portion of 
the instrument panel is scratched, cracked, 
or otherwise damaged.
●The surface of the seats with the side air-
bag is scratched, cracked, or otherwise 
damaged.
●The portion of the front pillars, rear pillars 
or roof side rail garnishes (padding) con-
taining the curtain shield airbags is 
scratched, cracked, or otherwise dam-
aged. 
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1-7. Safety information
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Before driving
CAUTION
■SRS airbag precautions
Observe the following precautions regarding the airbags. Failure to do so may 
cause death or serious injury.
●The driver and all passengers in the vehicle must wear their seat belts properly.
The SRS airbags are supplemental devices to be used with the seat belts.
●The SRS driver airbag deploys with considerable force, and can cause death or 
serious injury especially if the driver is very close to the airbag. The National 
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA”) advises:
Since the risk zone for driver airbag is th e first 2 - 3 in. (50 - 75 mm) of inflation, 
placing yourself 10 in. (250 mm) from your driver airbag provides you with a 
clear margin of safety. This distance is measured from the center of the steering 
wheel to your breastbone. If you sit less than 10 in. (250 mm) away now, you can 
change your driving position in several ways:
• Move your seat to the rear as far as you can while still reaching the pedals 
comfortably.
• Slightly recline the back of the seat. Al though vehicle designs vary, many driv-
ers can achieve the 10 in. (250 mm) distan ce, even with the driver seat all the 
way forward, simply by reclining the back of the seat somewhat. If reclining 
the back of your seat makes it hard to  see the road, raise yourself by using a 
firm, non-slippery cushion, or raise the seat if your vehicle has that feature.
• If your steering wheel is adjustable, ti lt it downward. This points the airbag 
toward your chest instead of your head and neck.
The seat should be adjusted as recommended by NHTSA above, while still main-
taining control of the foot pedals, steering  wheel, and your view of the instrument 
panel controls. 
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1-7. Safety information
CAUTION
■SRS airbag precautions
●The SRS front passenger airbag also deploys with considerable force, and can 
cause death or serious injury especially if the front passenger is very close to the 
airbag. The front passenger seat should be as far from the airbag as possible with 
the seatback adjusted, so the front passenger sits upright.
●Improperly seated and/or restrained infants and children can be killed or seri-
ously injured by a deploying airbag. An infant or child who is too small to use a 
seat belt should be properly secured usin g a child restraint system. Lexus strongly 
recommends that all infants and children be  placed in the rear seats of the vehicle 
and properly restrained. The rear seats are the safest for infants and children. 
(  P.  7 8 )
●If the seat belt extender has been con-
nected to the driver's seat belt buckle but 
the seat belt extender has not also been 
fastened to the latch plate of the driver's 
seat belt, the SRS driver's airbag system 
will judge that the driver is wearing the seat 
belt even though the seat belt has not been 
connected. In this case, the driver's airbag 
may not activate correctly in a collision, 
resulting in death or  serious injury in the 
event of collision. Be sure to wear the seat 
belt with the seat belt extender. 
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1-7. Safety information
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Before driving
CAUTION
■SRS airbag precautions
●Do not sit on the edge of the seat or lean 
against the dashboard.
●Do not allow a child to stand in front of the 
SRS front passenger airbag unit or sit on 
the knees of a front passenger while the 
vehicle is moving.
●Do not drive the vehicle while the driver or 
passenger have items resting on their 
knees.
●Do not lean against the door, the roof side 
rail or the front, side and rear pillars.
●Do not allow anyone to kneel on the front 
passenger seat toward the door or put their 
head or hands outside the vehicle. 
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1-7. Safety information
CAUTION
■SRS airbag precautions
●If the vinyl cover is put on the area where the SRS knee airbag will deploy, be sure 
to remove it.
●Do not use seat accessories which cover the parts where the SRS side airbags 
inflate as they may interfere with inflation of the airbags.
●Do not strike or apply significant levels of force to the area of the SRS airbag 
components shown on P. 60. Doing so ca n cause the SRS airbags to malfunction.
●Do not touch any of the component parts immediately after the SRS airbags have 
deployed (inflated) as they may be hot.
●If breathing becomes difficult after the SRS airbag has deployed, open a door or 
window to allow fresh air in, or leave the vehicle if it is safe to do so. Wash off any 
residue as soon as possible  to prevent skin irritation. 
●If the areas where the SRS airbags are stored, such as the steering wheel pad and 
front pillar garnish, are damaged or cracked, have them replaced by your Lexus 
dealer.
●Do not attach anything to or lean anything 
against areas such as the dashboard, steer-
ing wheel pad or lower portion of the 
instrument panel. These items can become 
projectiles when SRS driver, front passen-
ger and knee airbags deploy.
●Do not attach anything to areas such as the 
door, windshield glass, side door glass, 
front and rear pillars, roof side rail or assist 
grip.
●Do not hang coat hangers or other hard 
objects on the coat hooks. All of these 
items could become projectiles and seri-
ously injure or kill you, should the SRS cur-
tain shield airbag deploy. 
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1-7. Safety information
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Before driving
CAUTION
■Modification and disposal of SRS airbag system components
Do not dispose of your vehicle or perform any of the following modifications with-
out consulting your Lexus dealer. The  SRS airbag may malfunction or deploy 
(inflate) accidentally, causing death or serious injury.
●Installation, removal, disassembly and repair of the SRS airbags
●Repairs, modifications, removal or replace ment of the steering wheel, instrument 
panel, dashboard, seats or seat upholstery, front, side and rear pillars or roof side 
rail
●Repairs or modifications of the front fender , front bumper, or side of the occupant 
compartment
●Installation of snow plows, winches, etc.  to the front grille (bull bars, kangaroo bar 
etc.)
●Modifications to the vehi cle's suspension system
●Installation of electronic devices such as mobile two-way radios or CD players
●Modifications to your vehicle for a person with a physical disability. 
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1-7. Safety information
Front passenger occupant classification system
Your vehicle is equipped with a front passenger occupant classification sys-
tem. This system detects the conditions of the front passenger seat and 
activ
 ates or deactivates the devices for front passenger.
SRS warning light
AIRBAG OFF indicator light
AIRBAG ON indicator light
Front passenger’s seat belt reminder light