child seat NISSAN MAXIMA 2013 A35 / 7.G Consumer Safety Air Bag Information Guide

Table of Contents
Air Bag Protection ________________________________________________1
Child Safety
_____________________________________________________10
Seat Belt Safety
_________________________________________________13
NISSAN’s Customer Care Program
________________________________15
NISSAN’s Commitment to Customer Satisfaction __________________17


2013
NISSAN CONSUMER
SAFETY & AIR BAG
INFORMATION GUIDE
The 2013 NISSAN Consumer Safety & Air Bag Information Guide provides
information for 2013 NISSAN vehicles available at time of publication.
This publication will be amended as new vehicles are introduced.

2013 NISSAN Consumer Safety & Air Bag Information Guide 1
AIR BAG PROTECTION



WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT AIR BAGS
Air bags are a supplemental restraint system designed to enhance the protection provided
by the seat belt system during certain types of collisions. Supplemental driver and front
passenger air bags are standard on every NISSAN vehicle. Supplemental side-impact,
curtain side-impact, and curtain side-impact/rollover air bags are available on many 2013
NISSAN vehicles. See your vehicle owner’s manual for information about these air bag
systems, if so equipped.

Please remember, always wear your seat belt, and that a rear-facing child restraint must
never be used in the front passenger seat if the vehicle is equipped with a front passenger
air bag. See page 10 of this guide for important information about child restraint use.

FASTER THAN THE EYE CAN BLINK
In a collision, a lot can happen in just one second. Generally, at 0.01 seconds an air bag
begins to inflate. At 0.04 seconds, it is fully inflated. By 0.1 seconds, it has done its job
and is deflating. Considering the speed of these events, it is not surprising that many
people involved in a frontal
collision do not realize that their air bags did inflate.
0.01 SECONDS INFLATING BEGINS 0.04 SECONDS AIR BAG IS INFLATED 0.1 SECONDS DEFLATING BEGINS

2013 NISSAN Consumer Safety & Air Bag Information Guide 2
THE NISSAN ADVANCED AIR BAG SYSTEM
All 2013 NISSAN vehicles (except for the 2013 NV *) are equipped with the NISSAN
Advanced Air Bag System (AABS) for the driver and front passenger seats. Typically, this
system, which has dual-stage inflators,** monitors information from various crash sensors,
the front seat belt buckle sensors, and the occupant classification sensor.

The front passenger air bag may be automatically turned off under some conditions,
depending on the pressure or weight detected by sensors in the passenger seat. See the
vehicle owner’s manual for more information. If the front passenger air bag is off, the front
passenger air bag status light will be illuminated.***

The front passenger air bag status light does not indicate a malfunction of the front
passenger air bag. If the front passenger air bag status light is illuminated while the seat is
occupied by an adult, the occupant may need to shift his or her seating position so the
system can turn on the front passenger air bag and turn off the status light.

Remember, all air bags are supplemental restraint systems. You must always use seat belts
and child restraints properly, as explained in the vehicle owner’s manual and your child
restraint manufacturer’s instructions.

THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF AN AIR BAG: YOUR SEAT BELT
Your chances of surviving a collision will improve greatly if one simple piece of advice is
followed: always wear your seat belt. Do not count on just the air bags for occupant
protection; they are merely a supplemental restraint system.

Seat belts help to protect the occupants of your vehicle during collisions in which the air
bags are not designed to activate. Moreover, in situations where the air bags are activated,
seat belts enhance their effectiveness and can help reduce the risk of injury from an
inflating air bag. Seat belts will also help protect the occupants of your vehicle during
multiple-impact collisions, while the air bags work only one time if a collision is severe
enough to activate them. Please see the SEAT BELT SAFETY and CHILD SAFETY
sections of this guide and the vehicle owner’s manual for more information.

* The NV Full Size vehicle lineup is equipped with dual-stage front air bags and seat belt buckle
sensors, but they do not have an occupant classification sensor (and the associated front
passenger air bag status light).

**Dual-stage inflators vary the inflation rate based on the severity of the collision (for example, less
forceful inflation for moderate impacts and a high force of inflation for more severe impacts). In
addition, based on information from the seat belt buckle sensors that detect whether the seat belts
are fastened, the deployment of the front air bags is adjusted. Only one front air bag may inflate in a
crash, depending on the crash severity, and whether the front occupants are belted or unbelted.

***When the system detects that the seat is unoccupied, the passenger air bag status light will not
illuminate even though the front passenger air bag is OFF.

2013 NISSAN Consumer Safety & Air Bag Information Guide 4
The front air bags will not usually activate in side-impact collisions, rear-end collisions,
rollovers, while driving on rough roads, or during hard braking. However, deceleration rates
in some situations can be similar to those found in frontal impacts and may result in front
air bag activation.

WHEN THE FRONT AIR BAGS INFLATE
Please remember, for the supplemental front air bags to be most effective, you must always
buckle up and sit at a suitable distance back to allow room for the air bags to inflate. For
the front air bags to do their job, they must inflate with great force. As mentioned earlier in
this guide, this may cause serious or even fatal injury if, for example, you are unrestrained
out of position in any way, sitting or leaning too close to the steering wheel or dashboard
during inflation. Even when seated properly, there is a possibility of injury from an inflating
front air bag. This usually consists of minor skin abrasions or burns, but may be more
serious. Overall, these injuries are minimal compared to the injuries the front air bags are
designed to prevent. After the front air bags have inflated, you may notice a light smoke
within the cabin. This is a normal by-product of the rapid chemical reaction necessary to
inflate the front air bags and, although harmless, it may cause minor irritations.

REPLACING THE AIR BAGS
Air bags are not reusable. After a collision in which your air bags have activated, have the
respective air bag system inspected and replaced by your NISSAN dealer as soon as
possible.

OTHER SPECIFICS ABOUT AIR BAGS
ƒ If the air bag warning light continues to remain on or flashes after you start the vehicle,
see your NISSAN dealer as soon as possible.
ƒ After inflation, air bag components are hot, so avoid contact.
ƒ Do not place objects on or near the steering wheel or dashboard where the air bags
inflate.
ƒ Child restraints for infants must be used in a rear-facing direction and therefore
must not be used in the front seat. Never install a rear-facing child restraint in the
front passenger seat of a vehicle equipped with a front passenger air bag.
ƒ See the vehicle owner’s manual for other important information.
WELL BACK AND UPRIGHT

2013 NISSAN Consumer Safety & Air Bag Information Guide 10
OTHER SPECIFICS ABOUT SIDE-IMPACT, CURTAIN SIDE-IMPACT,
AND CURTAIN SIDE-IMPACT/ROLLOVER AIR BAG SYSTEMS
ƒ Do not allow anyone sitting in the front seat to extend his or her hand out the window or
lean against the door.
ƒ When sitting in the rear, do not hold onto the seatbacks of the front seats. Be especially
careful with children, who should always be properly seated and restrained.
ƒ Do not allow anyone to place their hand, leg or face near the side-impact air bag
modules on the seatbacks of the front seats or near the curtain side-impact air bag
modules in the roof rails
or in the front door panels.
ƒ Curtain side-impact/rollover air bags are designed to inflate not only in rollovers, but
also in near rollover situations. As a result, certain vehicle movements (for example,
during severe off-road driving) may cause these air bags to inflate.
ƒ See the vehicle owner's manual for other important information about side-impact,
curtain side-impact, and curtain side-impact/rollover air bag systems (if the vehicle is
equipped with these systems).





CHILD SAFETY

WHENEVER A CHILD IS IN YOUR VEHICLE
The risk of serious or fatal injury to children in automobile collisions can be reduced with a
properly installed child restraint. Before you install a child restraint in your vehicle, please
consult the vehicle owner’s manual and the child restraint manufacturer’s instructions for
proper installation.

Never install a rear-facing child restraint in the
front passenger seat. An inflating front passenger
air bag could seriously injure or kill your child.
According to statistics, children are safer when
properly restrained in the rear seat than in the front
seat. NISSAN and the federal government
recommend that children 12 and under should ride
in the rear seat, properly secured in child restraints,
booster seats, or seat belts, according to their size.

2013 NISSAN Consumer Safety & Air Bag Information Guide 11
If you must install a forward-facing child restraint in the front passenger seat, move the
passenger seat to the rearmost position. See the vehicle owner’s manual for details and
additional important information.

CHILD RESTRAINTS FOR INFANTS AND SMALL CHILDREN
Infants and small children should always be placed in an appropriate child restraint while
riding in the vehicle. Failure to use a child restraint can result in serious injury or death.

Children and infants should never be carried on
your lap. It is not possible for even the strongest
adult to resist the forces of a severe collision. The
child could be crushed between the adult and parts
of the vehicle. Also, do not put the same seat belt
around both your child and yourself, or another child.

Always install a child restraint properly, and check
that it is securely held in place by the vehicle’s seat
belt or LATCH system (if so equipped). An improperly installed child restraint could lead to
serious injury or death in a collision. See the vehicle owner’s manual and your child
restraint manufacturer’s instructions for complete details.

Child restraints specially designed for infants and small children are offered by several
manufacturers. When selecting any child restraint, keep the following points in mind:

1. The LATCH system (Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren) is a universal child
restraint system. This system – which also may be referred to as the ISOFIX or ISOFIX
compatible system – allows the child restraint to be installed into the vehicle without
the use of seat belts. Both the vehicle and child restraint must have LATCH system
capabilities.

2. Choose only a restraint with a label certifying that it complies with Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard 213.

3. Always make sure the child restraint is appropriate for the age and size of your infant or
small child.

2013 NISSAN Consumer Safety & Air Bag Information Guide 12
4. Check the child restraint in your vehicle to be sure it is compatible with the vehicle’s
seat and seat belt system.

5. If the child restraint is compatible with your vehicle, place your child in the child
restraint and check the various adjustments to be sure the child restraint is compatible
with your child. Always follow all recommended procedures.

All U.S. states require that infants and small children be restrained in a certified child
restraint at all times while the vehicle is being operated.

THE LATCH SYSTEM (LOWER ANCHORS AND TETHERS FOR
CH
ILDREN)
Most 2013 NISSAN vehicles are equipped with universal child restraint lower anchors and
top tether anchors for the installation of child restraints equipped with LATCH attachments.
With this system, you do not have to use a vehicle seat belt to secure the child restraint.
Instead, special anchor points are utilized to install the child restraint, provided it is
compatible with the LATCH system. See the vehicle owner’s manual for details and
additional important information.

SNUG KIDS™
The first of its kind, Snug Kids™ is our online guide to selecting a child restraint seat for
your NISSAN vehicle. Our Certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians
have evaluated
numerous child restraint seats and have compiled their findings to create the Snug Kids™
Child Safety Seat Fit Guides. These guides include important tips on correct installation
procedures. Visit www.NISSANUSA.com/snugkids to view or download the latest guide

information for finding a child restraint system that is right for your Nissan vehicle.

2013 NISSAN Consumer Safety & Air Bag Information Guide 14



For the seat belt to be most effective when the vehicle is in motion, the seatback should be
upright. Do not ride in a moving vehicle when the seatback is reclined. This can be
dangerous, as the shoulder belt will not be against your body. In a collision, you could be
thrown into it and receive neck or other serious injuries. You could also slide under the lap
belt and receive serious internal injuries. Always sit well back in the seat with both feet on
the floor and adjust the seat belt properly.

OTHER SPECIFICS ABOUT SEAT BELTS
ƒ Do not wear the seat belt inside out or twisted.
ƒ Do not allow more than one person to use the same seat belt.
ƒ Never carry more people in the vehicle than there are seat belts.
ƒ If the seat belt warning light illuminates continuously while the ignition is turned ON with
all doors closed and all seat belts fastened, it may indicate a malfunction in the system;
have the system checked by a NISSAN dealer.
ƒ See the vehicle owner’s manual for more detailed information to help you better
understand the important safety warnings, system features, operation and maintenance
of your vehicle’s seat belts.

CONCERN FOR YOUR SAFETY
NISSAN urges you to always use your available seat belt restraint system whenever you
drive, even if your vehicle is equipped with supplemental air bags. Please ask all of your
passengers to buckle up too. For children, make sure they are secured in an appropriate
child restraint or booster seat.* Seat belts do save lives. See the vehicle owner’s manual
for details.



* Please see the vehicle owner’s manual and child restraint manufacturer’s instructions for complete

details.