LEXUS RX350 2011 Owners Manual

118
1-7. Safety information
CAUTION
nSRS airbag precautions
lThe 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.
lImproperly 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 using 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 safer for infants and children than the
front passenger seat. (→P. 1 2 7 )
lIf 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
1

Before driving
CAUTION
nSRS airbag precautions
lDo not sit on the edge of the seat or lean
against the dashboard.
lDo not allow a child to stand in front of the
SRS front passenger airbag unit or sit on
the knees of a front passenger.
lDo not allow the front seat occupants to
hold items on their knees.
lDo not lean against the door, the roof side
rail or the front, side and rear pillars.
lDo not allow anyone to kneel on the pas-
senger seats toward the door or put their
head or hands outside the vehicle.

120
1-7. Safety information
CAUTION
nSRS airbag precautions
lIf a vinyl cover is put on the area where the SRS knee airbags will deploy, be sure
to remove it.
lDo not use seat accessories which cover the parts where the SRS side airbags
inflate as they may interfere with inflation of the airbags. Such accessories may
prevent the side airbags from activating correctly, disable the system or cause the
side airbags to inflate accidentally, resulting in death or serious injury.
lDo not strike or apply significant levels of force to the area of the SRS airbag
components.
Doing so can cause the SRS airbags to malfunction.
lDo not touch any of the component parts immediately after the SRS airbags have
deployed (inflated) as they may be hot.
lIf breathing becomes difficult after the SRS airbags have 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.
lIf the areas where the SRS airbags are stored, such as the steering wheel pad and
front and rear pillar garnishes, are damaged or cracked, have them replaced by
your Lexus dealer.
lDo 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 passenger and knee air-
bags deploy.
lDo not attach anything to areas such as the
door, windshield glass, side door glass,
front and rear pillars, roof side rail or assist
grip.
lDo not hang coat hangers or other hard
objects on the coat hooks. All of these
items could become projectiles and may
cause death or serious injury, should the
SRS curtain shield airbags deploy.

121
1-7. Safety information
1

Before driving
CAUTION
nSRS airbag precautions
lDo not place anything, such as a cushion, on the front passenger's seat. Doing so
will disperse the passenger's weight, which prevents the sensor from detecting
the passenger's weight properly. As a result, the SRS front passenger airbag may
not deploy in the event of a collision.
nModification 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 airbags may malfunction or deploy (inflate) accidentally, causing death or
serious injury.
lInstallation, removal, disassembly and repair of the SRS airbags
lRepairs, modifications, removal or replacement of the steering wheel, instrument
panel, dashboard, seats or seat upholstery, front, side and rear pillars or roof side
rails
lRepairs or modifications of the front fender, front bumper, or side of the occupant
compartment
lInstallation of snow plows, winches, etc. to the front grille (bull bars or kangaroo
bar etc.)
lModifications to the vehicle's suspension system
lInstallation of electronic devices such as mobile two-way radios or CD players
lModifications to your vehicle for a person with a physical disability

122
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
activates or deactivates the devices for the front passenger.
SRS warning light
“AIR BAG OFF” indicator light
“AIR BAG ON” indicator light
Front passenger’s seat belt reminder light
Without
navigation system
With navigation system

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1-7. Safety information
1

Before driving Condition and operation in the front passenger occupant classification system
nAdult*1
nChild *3 or child restraint system*4
Indicator/
warning light
“AIR BAG ON” and “AIR BAG OFF”
indicator lights
“A I R B A G
ON”
SRS warning lightOff
Front passenger’s seat belt reminder lightFlashing*2
Devices
Front passenger airbag
Activated
Side airbag on the front passenger seats

Curtain shield airbag in the front passenger side
Front passenger knee airbag
Front passenger’s seat belt pretensioner
Indicator/
warning light
“AIR BAG ON” and “AIR BAG OFF”
indicator lights
“A I R B A G
OFF”*5
SRS warning light Off
Front passenger’s seat belt reminder lightFlashing*2
Devices
Front passenger airbag Deactivated
Side airbag on the front passenger seatsActivated

Curtain shield airbag in the front passenger side
Front passenger knee airbag Deactivated
Front passenger’s seat belt pretensioner Activated

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1-7. Safety information
nUnoccupied
nThere is a malfunction in the system
*1:The system judges a person of adult size as an adult. When a smaller
adult sits in the front passenger seat, the system may recognize him/
her as a child depending on his/her physique and posture.
*2: In the event the front passenger does not wear a seat belt.
*3: When a larger child who has outgrown a child restraint system sits in
the front passenger seat, the system may recognize him/her as an
adult depending on his/her physique or posture.
Indicator/
warning light
“AIR BAG ON” and “AIR BAG OFF”
indicator lights
Not illuminated
SRS warning lightOffFront passenger’s seat belt reminder light
Devices
Front passenger airbag Deactivated
Side airbag on the front passenger seatsActivated

Curtain shield airbag in the front passenger side
Front passenger knee airbagDeactivatedFront passenger’s seat belt pretensioner
Indicator/
warning light
“AIR BAG ON” and “AIR BAG OFF”
indicator lights
“A I R B A G
OFF”
SRS warning lightOn
Front passenger’s seat belt reminder light Off
Devices
Front passenger airbag Deactivated
Side airbag on the front passenger seatsActivated

Curtain shield airbag in the front passenger side
Front passenger knee airbag Deactivated
Front passenger’s seat belt pretensioner Activated

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1-7. Safety information
1

Before driving
*4: Never install a rear-facing child restraint system on the front passen-
ger seat. A forward-facing child restraint system should only be
installed on the front passenger seat when it is unavoidable.
(→P. 127)
*5: In case indicator light is not illuminated, consult this manual on how to
install the child restraint system properly. (→P. 131)
CAUTION
nFront passenger occupant classification system precautions
Observe the following precautions regarding the front passenger occupant classifi-
cation system.
Failure to do so may cause death or serious injury.
lWear the seat belt properly.
lMake sure the front passenger’s seat belt tab has not been left inserted into the
buckle before someone sits in the front passenger seat.
lMake sure the “AIR BAG OFF” indicator light is not illuminated when using the
seat belt extender for the front passenger seat. If the “AIR BAG OFF” indicator
light is illuminated, disconnect the extender tongue from the seat belt buckle,
then reconnect the seat belt. Reconnect the seat belt extender after making sure
the “AIR BAG ON” indicator light is illuminated. If you use the seat belt extender
while the “AIR BAG OFF” indicator light is illuminated, the front passenger air-
bag, side airbag on the front passenger side and front passenger knee airbag may
not activate correctly, which could cause death or serious injury in the event of
collision.
lDo not apply a heavy load to the front passenger seat or equipment.
lDo not put weight on the front passenger seat by putting your hands or feet on
the front passenger seat seatback from the rear passenger seat.
lDo not let a rear passenger lift the front passenger seat with their feet or press on
the seatback with their legs.
lDo not put objects under the front passenger seat.

126
1-7. Safety information
CAUTION
nFront passenger occupant classification system precautions
lDo not recline the front passenger seatback so far that it touches a rear seat. This
may cause the “AIR BAG OFF” indicator light to be illuminated, which indicates
that the passenger’s airbags will not deploy in the event of a severe accident. If the
seatback touches the rear seat, return the seatback to a position where it does
not touch the rear seat. Keep the front passenger seatback as upright as possible
when the vehicle is moving. Reclining the seatback excessively may lessen the
effectiveness of the seat belt system.
lIf an adult sits in the front passenger seat, the “AIR BAG ON” indicator light is illu-
minated. If the “AIR BAG OFF” indicator is illuminated, ask the passenger to sit
up straight, well back in the seat, feet on the floor, and with the seat belt worn cor-
rectly. If the “AIR BAG OFF” indicator still remains illuminated, either ask the pas-
senger to move to the rear seat, or if that is not possible, move the front passenger
seat fully rearward.
lWhen it is unavoidable to install the forward-facing child restraint system on the
front passenger seat, install the child restraint system on the front passenger seat
in the proper order. (→P. 1 3 1 )
lDo not modify or remove the front seats.
lDo not kick the front passenger seat or subject it to severe impact. Otherwise,
the SRS warning light may come on to indicate a malfunction of the detection sys-
tem. In this case, contact your Lexus dealer immediately.
lChild restraint systems installed on the rear seat should not contact the front seat-
backs.
lDo not use a seat accessory, such as a cushion or seat cover, that covers the seat
cushion surface.
lDo not modify or replace the upholstery of the front seat.

127
1
1-7. Safety information

Before driving
Child restraint systems
Points to remember
Studies have shown that installing a child restraint on a rear seat is much
safer than installing one to the front passenger seat.
lChoose a child restraint system that suits your vehicle and is appropri-
ate to the age and size of the child.
lFor installation details, follow the instructions provided with the child
restraint system.
General installation instructions are provided in this manual. (→P. 1 3 1 )
Types of child restraints
Child restraint systems are classified into the following 3 types according
to the age and size of the child.
Rear facing ⎯ Infant seat/convertible seat
A child restraint system for a small child or baby must itself be properly
restrained on the seat with the lap portion of the lap/shoulder belt.
The laws of all 50 states of the U.S.A. and Canada now require the use of
child restraint systems.