SUBARU FORESTER 2003 SG / 2.G Owner's Guide

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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags

Reclining the seatback
Pull the reclining lever up and adjust the seatback to
the desired position. Then release the lever and make
sure the seatback is securely locked into place.
The seatback placed in a reclined position can spring
back upward with force when released. When operat-
ing the reclining lever to return the seatback, hold it
lightly so that it may be raised back gradually.
To prevent the passenger from sliding under
the seatbelt in the event of a collision, always
put the seatback in the upright position while
the vehicle is in motion. Also, do not place ob-
jects such as cushions between the passenger
and the seatback. If you do so, the risk of slid-
ing under the lap belt and of the lap belt sliding
up over the abdomen will increase, and both
can result in serious internal injury or death.
HS1036BA
HS1037BA

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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
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Seat height adjustment (driver

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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags

Head restraint adjustment
To raise the head restraint, pull it up.
To lower it, push the head restraint down while press-
ing the release button on the top of the seatback.
The head restraint should be adjusted so that the cen-
ter of the head restraint is closest to the top of the oc-
cupant’s ears.
Never drive the vehicle with the head restraints
removed because they are designed to reduce
the risk of serious neck injury in the event that
the vehicle is struck from the rear.
NOTE
If the seatback is reclined rearward to the same
level as the rear seat cushion with the head re-
straint removed, a wide flat bed is made available.
1. Slide the front seat forward as far as possible.
2. Pull off the head restraint while pressing the re-
lease button.
3. Recline the seatback rearward up to the lowest po-
sition. Remember to reinstall the head restraint when-
ever the seatback is raised back.
HS1039BA
HS1040BA

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Never drive your car with the seats converted
in a flat bed position. If you do so, occupants
will have a greater chance of being injured even
during simple deceleration, acceleration and
cornering since no firm restraint will be avail-
able for them. Before you lie on the flat bed to take a rest,
read the description “Parking your vehicle” in
Chapter 7 carefully and follow the instructions.
Active head restraint The front seats of your vehicle are equipped with ac-
tive head restraints. They automatically tilt forward
slightly in the event the vehicle is struck from the rear,
decreasing the amount of rearward head movement
and thus reducing the risk of whiplash. For maximum
effectiveness the head restraint should be adjust so
that the center of the head restraint is closest to the top
of the occupant’s ears.
Each active head restraint is effective only
when its height is properly adjusted and the
user sits in the correct position on the seat. Each active head restraint is designed to
work only once. If your vehicle is involved in a
rear-end collision, have an authorized SUBARU
dealer inspect the active head restraints. The active head restraints may not operate in
the event the vehicle experiences only a slight
impact in the rear. The active head restraints may be damaged if
they are pushed hard from behind or subjected
to shock. As a result, they may not function if
the vehicle suffers a rear impact
HS1105BA

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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
Seat heater (if equipped)
The seat heater operates when the ignition switch is
either in the “ACC” or “ON” position.
To turn on the seat heater, push the “LO” or “HI” posi-
tion on the switch, as desired, depending on the tem-
perature. Selecting the “HI” position will cause the seat
to heat up quicker.
1)
HI— Rapid heating
2) LO – Normal heating
The indicator located on the switch comes on when
the seat heater is in operation. When the vehicle’s in-
terior is warmed enough or before you leave the vehi-
cle, be sure to turn the switch off.
There is a possibility that people with delicate
skin may suffer slight burns even at low tem-
peratures if he/she uses the seat heater for a
long period of time. When using the heater, al-
ways be sure to warn the persons concerned.
HS1041BA
1
2
HS1042BB

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Do not put anything on the seat which insu-
lates against heat, such as a blanket, cushion,
or similar items. This may cause the seat heater
to overheat.
NOTE Use of the seat heater for a long period of time
while the engine is not running can cause battery discharge. When cleaning the seat, do not use benzine,
paint thinner, or any similar materials.
Rear seats
Seatbelts provide maximum restraint when the
occupant sits well back and upright in the seat.
Do not put cushions or any other materials be-
tween occupants and seatbacks or seat cush-
ions. If you do so, the risk of sliding under the
lap belt and of the lap belt sliding up over the
abdomen will increase, and both can result in
serious internal injury or death.
HS1043BA

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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
Never stack luggage or other cargo higher than
the top of the seatback because it could tumble
forward and injure passengers in the event of a
sudden stop or accident.

Headrest adjustment
Rear windows side seating position
To raise the headrest, pull it up.
To lower it, push the headrest down while depressing
the release button on the top of the seatback.
When the seats are not occupied, lower the headrest
to improve rearward visibility.
HS8005BA
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Rear center seating position
To raise the headrest, pull it up.
To lower it, push the headrest down while pressing the
release button on the top of the seatback.
When the rear-center seating position is occupied,
place the headrest in its highest position. When the
rear center seating position is not occupied, lower the
headrest to improve rearward visibility.
Folding down the rear seatback
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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1. Lower the headrests.
2. Unlock the seatback by pulling the release knob
and then fold the seatback down.
To return the seatback to its original position, raise the
seatback until it locks into place and make sure that it
is securely locked.

After returning the rear seatback to its origi-
nal position, make certain that the shoulder
belts are fully visible. Never allow passengers to ride on the folded
rear seatback or in the cargo area. Doing so
may result in serious injury or death. Secure lengthy items properly to prevent
them from shooting forward and causing seri-
ous injury during a sudden stop.
Seatbelts Seatbelt safety tips
All persons in the vehicle should fasten their
seatbelts BEFORE the vehicle starts to move.
Otherwise, the possibility of serious injury be-
comes greater in the event of a sudden stop or
accident. All belts should fit snugly in order to provide
full restraint. Loose fitting belts are not as ef-
fective in preventing or reducing injury. Each seatbelt is designed to support only
one person. Never use a single belt for two or
more persons — even children. Otherwise, in
an accident, serious injury or death could re-
sult. Replace all seatbelt assemblies including re-
tractors and attaching hardware worn by occu-
pants of a vehicle that has been in a serious
accident. The entire assembly should be re-
placed even if damage is not obvious. Put children aged 12 and under in the rear
seat properly restrained at all times. The SRS
airbag deploys with considerable speed and

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force and can injure or even kill children, espe-
cially if they are 12 years of age and under and
are not restrained or improperly restrained. Be-
cause children are lighter and weaker than
adults, their risk of being injured from deploy-
ment is greater. For that reason, we strongly
recommend that ALL children (including those
in child seats and those that have outgrown
child restraint devices) sit in the REAR seat
properly restrained at all times in a child re-
straint device or in a seatbelt, whichever is ap-
propriate for the child