For 1990-2009 cars

Determine if the third row seat is equipped with cinching latch plate safety belts by comparing the belts to the following pictures:

#### Cinching Latch Plate

#### Regular Latch Plate

### Lap-Shoulder Belt

If the vehicle has cinching latch plate safety belts in the third row seat, this information replaces the information located under Step 2 of the "Lap-Shoulder Belt" information in Section 1 of the owner manual.

1. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you. do not let it get twisted.

The lap-shoulder belt may lock if you pull the belt across you very quickly. If this happens, let the belt go back slightly to unlock it. Then pull the belt across more slowly.

If the belt stops before it reaches the buckle, tilt the latch plate and keep pulling until the safety belt can be buckled.

### Securing A Child Restraint in a Rear Seat Position

If you have identified cinching latch plate safety belts in the third row seat, this information replaces the information located under Steps 2 and 4 of the "Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear Seat Position" information in Section 1 of the owner manual.

1. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and shoulder portions of the vehicle's safety belt through or around the restraint. The child restraint instructions will show you how. Tilt the latch plate to adjust the belt if needed.

All seating positions in the vehicle have a lap-shoulder belt.

The following instructions explain how to wear a lap-shoulder belt properly.

1. Adjust the seat, if the seat is adjustable, so you can sit up straight. To see how, see "Seats" in the Index.
2. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you. Do not let it get twisted.

The lap-shoulder belt may lock if you pull the belt across you very quickly. If this happens, let the belt go back slightly to unlock it. Then pull the belt across you more slowly.

If the shoulder portion of a passenger belt is pulled out all the way, the child restraint locking feature may be engaged. If this happens, let the belt go back all the way and start again.

3. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.

Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure. If the belt is not long enough, see Safety Belt Extender.

Position the release button on the buckle so that the safety belt could be quickly unbuckled if necessary.

4. If equipped with a shoulder belt height adjuster, move it to the height that is right for you. See "Shoulder Belt Height Adjustment" later in this section for instructions on use and important safety information.
5. To make the lap part tight, pull up on the shoulder belt.

It may be necessary to pull stitching on the safety belt through the latch plate to fully tighten the lap belt on smaller occupants.

To unlatch the belt, push the button on the buckle. The belt should return to its stowed position.

Before a door is closed, be sure the safety belt is out of the way. If a door is slammed against a safety belt, damage can occur to both the safety belt and the vehicle.

### Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster

The vehicle has a shoulder belt height adjuster for the driver and right front passenger seating position.

Adjust the height so that the shoulder portion of the belt is centered on the shoulder. The belt should be away from the face and neck, but not falling off the shoulder. Improper shoulder belt height adjustment could reduce the effectiveness of the safety belt in a crash.

To move it, squeeze the button on the front of the height adjuster to release the locking feature, and move the height adjuster to the desired position.

After the adjuster is set to the desired position, try to move it down without squeezing the release button to make sure it has locked into position.

### Safety Belt Pretensioners

The vehicle has safety belt pretensioners for the front occupants. Although the pretensioners cannot be seen, they are part of the safety belt assembly. They can help tighten the safety belts during the early stages of a moderate to severe frontal or near frontal crash if the threshold conditions for pretensioner activation are met. And, if the vehicle has side impact airbags, safety belt pretensioners can help tighten the safety belts in a side crash.

Pretensioners work only once. If the pretensioners activate in a crash, they will need to be replaced, and probably other new parts for the vehicle's safety belt system. See Replacing Safety Belt System Parts After a Crash.

### Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides

Rear shoulder belt comfort guides may provide added safety belt comfort for older children who have outgrown booster seats and for some adults. When installed on a shoulder belt, the comfort guide positions the belt away from the neck and head.

There is one guide for each outboard passenger position in the rear seat. Here is how to install a comfort guide to the safety belt:

1. Pull the elastic cord out from the side of the seatback to remove the guide from its storage pocket.
2. Place the guide over the belt and insert the two edges of the belt into the slots of the guide.
3. Be sure that the belt is not twisted and it lies flat. The elastic cord must be under the belt and the guide on top.

Caution: A safety belt that is not properly worn may not provide the protection needed in a crash. The person wearing the belt could be seriously injured. The shoulder belt should go over the shoulder and across the chest. These parts of the body are best able to take belt restraining forces.

4. Buckle, position, and release the safety belt as described previously in this section. Make sure that the shoulder belt crosses the shoulder.

To remove and store the comfort guide, squeeze the belt edges together so that the safety belt can be removed from the guide. Push the guide into the pocket on the side of seatback.

Properly secure the guide loop before folding the seatback. The comfort guide and vehicle can be damaged while closing a door if it is not properly secured in its storage location.