Get Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags -> Child restraint systems Guide for Subaru Forester SUV 2024

Rear seat reminder

60

situation, there is the possibility that

the following phenomenon may oc-

cur.

– It may alert the driver even if there

are no passengers or cargo in the

rear seat.

– It may not alert the driver even if

there are passengers and cargo

in the rear seat.

This function can be turned ON/OFF

using the meter customizing func-

tion. Refer to “Function settings and

adjustments on the combination

meter display (color LCD)” �P24.

The ON/OFF setting will not be

changed even if the ignition switch

is turned to the “OFF” position.

The ON/OFF setting will be returned

to the default setting if the battery is

removed.

1-7. Rear seat reminder

1-8. Child restraint systems

& Safety precautions

This function prompts the driver to confirm

the presence of passengers and cargo in

the rear.

This function will be activated when the

rear doors are opened and closed.

It alerts the driver by warning messages on

the combination meter display (color LCD)

and beeps when the ignition switch is

turned from the “ON” position to the “OFF”

position.

.

Infants and small children should always

be placed in an infant or child restraint

system in the rear seat while riding in the

vehicle.

You should use an infant or child restraint

system that meets Federal Motor Vehicle

Safety Standards or Canada Motor Vehi-

cle Safety Standards, is compatible with

your vehicle and is appropriate for the

child’s age and size.

NOTE

.

This function does not directly de-

tect passengers and cargo in the

rear seat.

This function detects the opening

and closing of the rear doors. In this

All child restraint systems are designed to

be secured in vehicle seats by lap belts or

the lap belt portion of a lap/shoulder belt

(except those described in “Installation of

child restraint systems by use of lower and

.

Child restraint systems 61

tether anchorages (LATCH)” �P71).

Children could be endangered in an

accident if their child restraint systems

are not properly secured in the vehicle.

When installing the child restraint system,

carefully follow the manufacturer’s instruc-

tions.

According to accident statistics, children

are safer when properly restrained in the

rear seating positions than in the front

seating positions.

All U.S. states and Canadian provinces

require that infants and small children be

restrained in an approved child restraint

system at all times while the vehicle is

moving.

Lock release knob

1

2

A

Unlocked

Locked

Unlocking marker in red

WARNING

Never let a passenger hold a child on

his or her lap or in his or her arms

while the vehicle is moving. The

passenger cannot protect the child

(or infant) from injury in a collision,

because the child will be caught

between the passenger and objects

inside the vehicle.

WARNING

.

Before installing a child restraint

system, be sure to confirm that

the seatback is securely locked

into place. Otherwise, in an acci-

dent, serious injury or death

could result.

Additionally, holding a child in your

lap or arms in the front seat exposes

that child to another serious danger.

Since the SRS airbag deploys with

considerable speed and force, the

child could be injured or even killed.

Do not leave children in the car

unattended. High interior tem-

peratures may cause heat stroke

and dehydration that result in

serious injury or death.

– CONTINUED –

Child restraint systems

62

swerving, or accidents.

& Safety tips for installing child

restraint systems

.

Do not leave an unsecured child

restraint system in your vehicle.

Unsecured child restraint sys-

tems can be thrown around in-

side of the vehicle in a sudden

stop, turn or accident; they can

strike and injure vehicle occu-

pants as well as result in serious

injuries or death to the child.

WARNING

.

Child restraint systems and seat-

belts can become hot in a vehicle

that has been closed up in sunny

weather; they could burn a small

child. Check the child restraint

system before you place a child

in it.

CAUTION

Do not use a seatbelt extender. If

a seatbelt extender is used when

installing a child restraint sys-

tem, the seatbelt will not securely

hold the child restraint system.

Use of a seatbelt extender could

cause death or serious injury to

children or other passengers in

sudden braking, swerving, or

accidents.

WARNING

When you install a child restraint

system, follow the manufacturer’s

instructions supplied with it. After

installing the child restraint system,

check to ensure that it is held

securely in position. If it is not held

tight and secure, the danger of your

child suffering personal injury in the

event of an accident may be in-

creased.

Children should be properly re-

strained at all times. Never allow a

child to stand up, or to kneel on any

seat. Unrestrained children will be

thrown forward during sudden stop

or in an accident and can be injured

seriously.

.

Attach the child restraint system

to the anchors properly. When

using the LATCH anchors, be

sure that there are no foreign

objects around the anchors.

Make sure the child restraint

system is securely attached.

Otherwise it may cause death or

serious injury to children or other

passengers in sudden braking,

Additionally, children standing up or

kneeling on or in front of the front

seat are exposed another serious

danger. Since the SRS airbag de-

ploys with considerable speed and

force, the child could be injured or

even killed.

Child restraint systems 63

Some types of child restraint systems

might not be able to be secured firmly

due to projection of the seat cushion.

In this seating position, you should use

only a child restraint system that has a

bottom base that fits snugly against the

contours of the seat cushion and can be

securely retained using the seatbelt.

& Where to place a child re-

straint system

The following descriptions are SUBARU’s

recommendations on where to place a

child restraint system in your vehicle.

WARNING

.

Several types of child restraint

systems may conceal the buckle

of the neighboring seat. If the

occupant of the neighboring seat

cannot correctly fasten the seat-

belt, that person must move to a

different seat. If the seatbelt can-

not be correctly fastened, there is

the risk of serious injury or death

in the event of sudden braking or

a collision.

C: Rear seat, center seating position

In this position, the following equipment is

provided for installing a child restraint

system.

.

ALR/ELR seatbelts

Lower anchorages (bars)

Top tether anchorages

A: Front passenger’s seat

You should not install a child restraint

system (including a booster seat) due to

the hazard to children posed by the

passenger’s airbag.

Some types of child restraint systems

might not be able to be secured firmly

due to projection of the seat cushion.

In this seating position, you should use

only a child restraint system that has a

bottom base that fits snugly against the

contours of the seat cushion and can be

securely retained using the seatbelt.

The rear center seat includes lower an-

chorages, and the lower anchorages on

the center side of the rear right seat can be

used to install a child restraint system.

B: Rear seat, window-side seating

positions

Recommended positions for all types of

child restraint systems.

In these positions, the following equipment

is provided for installing a child restraint

system.

.

If the child restraint system can-

not be correctly installed be-

cause it contacts the driver’s

seat, move the child restraint

system to a different seat. If it

cannot be installed in a different

seat (other than the driver’s seat),

adjust the front seat so that

contact does not occur.

.

Automatic Locking Retractor/Emer-

gency Locking Retractor (ALR/ELR)

seatbelts

.

Lower anchorages (bars)

Upper anchorages (tether anchorages)

When a child restraint system is installed in

the rear center seat using the lower

anchorages, do not sit in the rear right

– CONTINUED –

Child restraint systems

64

seat.

children are safer when properly

restrained in the rear seating

positions than in the front seating

positions.

WARNING

If a child restraint system is not correctly

fixed in place (for example, if a child

restraint system can be moved more than

1 inch (2.5 cm) from side to side), the child

restraint system should be moved to a

window seat position of the rear seat.

.

SINCE YOUR VEHICLE IS

EQUIPPED WITH A PASSEN-

GER’S SRS AIRBAG, NEVER IN-

STALL A CHILD RESTRAINT

SYSTEM IN THE FRONT PAS-

SENGER’S SEAT. DOING SO

RISKS SERIOUS INJURY OR

DEATH TO THE CHILD BY PLA-

CING THE CHILD’S HEAD TOO

CLOSE TO THE SRS AIRBAG.

.

Do not use lower anchorages

(bars) for a seat in the center

seating position unless a child

restraint system manufacturer’s

instructions permit and specify

using anchors spaced as far

apart as those in this vehicle.

WARNING

.

Even with advanced airbags, chil-

dren can be seriously injured by

the airbag. Seat children in the

rear seat properly restrained at

all times. The SRS airbag deploys

with considerable speed and

force and can injure or even kill

children, especially if they are not

restrained or improperly re-

strained. Because children are

lighter and weaker than adults,

their risk of being injured from

deployment is greater.

Do not connect two or more lower

hooks onto the same anchorage

(bar).

.

Do not allow children to lean their

heads or any other parts of their

bodies against the door or the

area of the seat, front and rear

pillars or roof side rails. The SRS

side airbags and SRS curtain

airbags deploy even if children

are seated in the child restraint

system, and the impact could

cause death or serious injury to

the child.

For that reason, be sure to secure

ALL types of child restraint sys-

tems (including forward facing

child restraint systems) in the

REAR seats at all times. You

should choose a restraint system

which is appropriate for the

child’s age, height and weight.

According to accident statistics,

.

To secure the child restraint sys-

tem, be sure to comply with all

installation instructions provided

by the child restraint system

manufacturer. Not doing so could

result in death or serious injury to

children in a sudden stop or

accident.

Child restraint systems 65

Also it is important for you to make sure

that the child restraint system is compa-

tible with the vehicle in which it will be

used.

may result in death or serious

injuries in the event of sudden

stop, sudden steering maneuver

or an accident.

& Choosing a child restraint

system

NOTE

! Installing a rearward facing child

Some sizes of child restraint systems

may not fit the vehicle seat. Before

purchasing a child restraint system,

check whether it fits on the vehicle seat.

restraint system

WARNING

.

NEVER INSTALL A CHILD RE-

STRAINT SYSTEM IN THE FRONT

PASSENGER’S SEAT. DOING SO

RISKS SERIOUS INJURY OR

DEATH TO THE CHILD BY PLA-

CING THE CHILD’S HEAD TOO

CLOSE TO THE SRS AIRBAG.

& Installing child restraint sys-

tems with ALR/ELR seatbelt

CAUTION

Choose a child restraint system that is

appropriate for the child’s age and size

(weight and height) in order to provide the

child with proper protection. The child

restraint system should meet all applicable

requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle

Safety Standards for the United States or

of Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standards

for Canada. It can be identified by looking

for the label on the child restraint system or

the manufacturer’s statement of compli-

ance in the document attached to the

system.

.

When you install a child restraint

system, follow the manufac-

turer’s instructions supplied with

it. After installing the child re-

straint system, check to ensure

that it is held securely in position.

If it is not held tight and secure,

the danger of your child suffering

personal injury in the event of an

accident may be increased.

Before installing a child restraint

system, be sure to confirm that

the seatback is securely locked

into place. Otherwise, in an acci-

dent, serious injury or death

could result.

1. Place the child restraint system in the

rear seating position.

.

When installing a child restraint

system in the rear center seating

position, set both seatbacks to

the original position. Otherwise,

the child restraint system cannot

be securely restrained, which

WARNING

When you intend to install a child

restraint system in the rear center

seating position, if the child restraint

– CONTINUED –

Child restraint systems

66

system does not fit snugly against

the contours of the rear center seat

cushion, install the child restraint

system in the window-side seating

position to be safe. For details, refer

to “Where to place a child restraint

system” �P63.

4. Take up the slack in the lap belt.

6. Before having a child sit in the child

restraint system, try to move it back

and forth and right and left to check if it

is firmly secured. Sometimes a child

restraint system can be more firmly

secured by pushing it down into the

seat cushion and then tightening the

seatbelt. It should not be possible to

move the child restraint system more

than 1 in (2.5 cm) in any direction along

the seatbelt path.

7. If the seatbelt has been set to the ALR

mode in step 5, pull at the shoulder

portion of the belt to confirm that it

cannot be pulled out (ALR properly

functioning).

5. If using the seatbelt in the ALR mode is

recommended by the manufacturer’s

instructions supplied with the child

restraint system, perform the following

procedure.

(1) Pull out the seatbelt fully from the

retractor to change the retractor

over from the Emergency Locking

Retractor (ELR) to the Automatic

Locking Retractor (ALR) mode.

(2) Allow the belt to rewind into the

retractor. As the belt is rewinding,

clicks will be heard which indicate

the retractor functions as ALR.

2. Run the lap and shoulder belt through

or around the child restraint system

following the instructions provided by

its manufacturer.

3. Insert the tongue plate into the buckle

until you hear a click.

Child restraint systems 67

! Installing a forward facing child

restraint system

WARNING

.

NEVER INSTALL A CHILD RE-

STRAINT SYSTEM IN THE FRONT

PASSENGER’S SEAT. DOING SO

RISKS SERIOUS INJURY OR

DEATH TO THE CHILD BY PLA-

CING THE CHILD’S HEAD TOO

CLOSE TO THE SRS AIRBAG.

Before installing a child restraint

system, be sure to confirm that

the seatback is securely locked

into place. Otherwise, in an acci-

dent, serious injury or death

could result.

8. To remove the child restraint system,

press the release button on the seat-

belt buckle and allow the belt to retract

completely. The belt will return to the

ELR mode.

3. Remove the head restraint of the rear

seating position where the child re-

straint system is to be installed. For

details, refer to “Head restraints”

�P43.

CAUTION

1. Place the child restraint system in the

rear seating position.

2. For models with rear seat reclining

mechanism, if there is a gap between

the child restraint system and the

seatback, adjust the seatback angle

until good contact is achieved.

NOTE

When the child restraint system is no

longer in use, remove it and restore the

ELR function of the retractor. That

function is restored by allowing the

seatbelt to retract fully.

Store the head restraint in the cargo

area. Do not place the head restraint

in the passenger compartment to

prevent it from being thrown around

in the passenger compartment in a

sudden stop or a sharp turn.

– CONTINUED –

Child restraint systems

68

position, pass the rear center seat-

belt through the belt guide properly.

For details, refer to “Rear center

seatbelt” �P53.

WARNING

When you intend to install a child

restraint system in the rear center

seating position, if the child restraint

system does not fit snugly against

the contours of the rear center seat

cushion, install the child restraint

system on the window-side seating

position to be safe. For details, refer

to “Where to place a child restraint

system” �P63.

5. Insert the tongue plate into the buckle

until you hear a click.

8. Before having a child sit in the child

restraint system, try to move it back

and forth and right and left to check if it

is firmly secured. Sometimes a child

restraint system can be more firmly

secured by pushing it down into the

seat cushion and then tightening the

seatbelt. It should not be possible to

move the child restraint system more

than 1 in (2.5 cm) in any direction along

the seatbelt path.

6. Take up the slack in the lap belt.

7. Pull out the seatbelt fully from the

retractor to change the retractor over

from the Emergency Locking Retractor

(ELR) to the Automatic Locking Re-

tractor (ALR) function. Then, allow the

belt to rewind into the retractor. As the

belt is rewinding, clicks will be heard

which indicate the retractor functions

as ALR.

9. Pull at the shoulder portion of the belt

to confirm that it cannot be pulled out

(ALR properly functioning).

4. Run the lap and shoulder belt through

or around the child restraint system

following the instructions provided by

its manufacturer.

– When a child restraint system is

installed on the rear center seating

Child restraint systems 69

press the release button on the seat-

belt buckle and allow the belt to retract

completely. The belt will return to the

ELR mode.

& Installing a booster seat or

booster cushion

Remember that the head restraint is not

intended to be used at the lowest position

(retracted position). Therefore, when the

rear center seat is occupied (including

when a child restraint system is installed)

next time, be sure to raise the head

restraint to the extended position.

NOTE

10. Latch the top tether hook onto the

tether anchorage that is located behind

the rear seat and tighten the top tether

firmly. For additional instructions, refer

to “Top tether anchorages” �P75.

When the child restraint system is no

longer in use, remove it and restore the

ELR function of the retractor. That

function is restored by allowing the

seatbelt to retract fully.

Booster seat

Booster cushion

11. To remove the child restraint system,

– CONTINUED –

Child restraint systems

70

1. Adjust the head restraint as follows.

For booster seat:

For booster cushion:

rear seating position and sit the child

on it. The child should sit well back on

the booster seat/cushion.

3. For models with rear seat reclining

mechanism, if there is a gap between

the booster seat/cushion and the seat-

back, adjust the seatback angle until

good contact is achieved.

4. Run the lap and shoulder belt through

or around the booster seat/cushion

and the child following the instructions

provided by its manufacturer. For

booster seat/cushion with a belt guide,

use the seatbelt through the belt guide.

(1) Raise the head restraint to the

extended position (center seat).

Do not remove the head restraint.

5. Insert the tongue plate into the buckle

until you hear a click. Take care not to

twist the seatbelt.

(1) Remove the head restraint from

the rear seating position where the

child restraint system is to be

installed.

(2) Store the removed head restraint

in the cargo area.

Make sure the shoulder belt is posi-

tioned across the center of child’s

shoulder and that the lap belt is

positioned as low as possible on the

child’s hips.

CAUTION

Do not place the head restraint in the

passenger compartment to prevent

it from being thrown around in the

passenger compartment in a sud-

den stop or a sharp turn.

2. Place the booster seat/cushion in the

Child restraint systems 71

effective in preventing or redu-

cing injury.

& Installation of child restraint

systems by use of lower and

tether anchorages (LATCH)

.

Place the lap belt as low as

possible on the child’s hips. A

high-positioned lap belt will in-

crease the risk of sliding under

the lap belt and of the lap belt

sliding up over the abdomen, and

both can result in serious injury

or death.

! Lower and tether anchorages

Make sure the shoulder belt is

positioned across the center of

child’s shoulder. Placing the

shoulder belt over the neck may

result in neck injury during sud-

den braking or in a collision.

6. To remove the booster seat/cushion,

press the release button on the seat-

belt buckle and allow the belt to retract.

WARNING

.

Never use a belt that is twisted or

reversed. In an accident, this can

increase the risk or severity of

injury to the child.

.

Attach the child restraint system

to the anchors properly. When

using the LATCH anchors, be

sure that there are no foreign

objects around the anchors.

Make sure the child restraint

system is securely attached.

Otherwise it may cause death or

serious injury to children or other

passengers in sudden braking,

swerving, or accidents.

Never place the shoulder belt

under the child’s arm or behind

the child’s back. If an accident

occurs, this can increase the risk

or severity of injury to the child.

.

The seatbelt should fit snugly in

order to provide full restraint.

Loose fitting belts are not as

– CONTINUED –

Child restraint systems

72

.

When installing a child restraint

system using LATCH anchors

with the rear seatbelt fastened,

ensure that the rear seatbelt does

not become caught in the child

restraint system or the lower

LATCH anchorages.

! Lower anchorages

NOTE

The seatbelt warning system of the rear

seats detects if any of the seats are

occupied by a passenger. Installing a

child restraint system in the rear seat-

ing area, using the LATCH anchors,

may result in the activation of the

passenger seatbelt warning light and

chime. Fastening the rear seatbelt prior

to installing the child restraint system

will avoid activating the passenger

seatbelt warning light and chime.

Your vehicle is equipped with 5 lower

anchorages (bars) and 3 upper an-

chorages (tether anchorages) for accom-

modating such child restraint systems.

WARNING

Do not connect two or more lower

hooks onto the same anchorage

(bar).

For details, refer to “Rear passenger’s

seats” �P170.

There are a total of 5 lower anchorages at

the rear seat. The second lower ancho-

rage from the right side is used for both the

right seat and center seat. Each lower

anchorage is located where the seat

cushion meets the seatback.

Some types of child restraint systems can

be installed on the rear seat of your vehicle

without use of the seatbelts. Such child

restraint systems are secured to the

dedicated anchorages provided on the

vehicle body. The lower and tether an-

chorages are sometimes referred to as the

LATCH system (Lower Anchors and

Tethers for CHildren).

Child restraint systems 73

1. Move the seatback back and forth to

confirm that it is securely locked into

place.

! Tether anchorages

– Check the red colored unlocking

marker which is attached to the

bottom of the lock release knob is

not visible. For details, refer to

“Folding down the rear seatback”

�P40.

3. Peel off the anchorage cover from the

selected side of the rear seatback.

Fold the peeled anchorage cover in

half and affix it with hook and loop tape

to expose the anchorages (bars) to be

used for installation of the child re-

straint system.

The tether anchorages (upper an-

chorages) are provided at the locations

shown in the above illustration. For details,

refer to “Top tether anchorages” �P75.

! To install a child restraint system

using lower and tether an-

chorages

2. You will find “ ” marks at the bottoms

of the rear seatback. These marks

indicate the positions of the lower

anchorages (bars).

WARNING

Before installing a child restraint

system, be sure to confirm that the

seatback is securely locked into

place. Otherwise, in an accident,

serious injury or death could result.

– CONTINUED –

Child restraint systems

74

4. Remove the rear seat head restraint.

For details, refer to “Head restraints”

�P43.

5. While following the instructions sup-

plied by the child restraint system

manufacturer, connect the lower hooks

onto the lower anchorages located at

7. If your child restraint system is a

flexible attachment type (which uses

tether belts), push the child restraint

system into the seat cushion and pull

both left and right lower tether belts up

to secure the child restraint system by

taking up the slack in the belt.

8. Latch the top tether hook onto the

tether anchorage that is located behind

the rear seat and tighten the top tether

firmly. For additional instructions, refer

to “Top tether anchorages” �P75.

CAUTION

“

” marks on the bottom of the rear

seatback. When the hooks are con-

nected, make sure the adjacent seat-

belts are not caught.

Store the head restraint in the cargo

area. Do not place the head restraint

in the passenger compartment to

prevent it from being thrown around

in the passenger compartment in a

sudden stop or a sharp turn.

6. For models with rear seat reclining

mechanism, if there is a gap between

the child restraint system and the

seatback, adjust the seatback angle

until good contact is achieved.

Child restraint systems 75

! Anchorage location

National Highway Traffic Safety Adminis-

tration (NHTSA) website. In Canada,

check with Transport Canada.

& Top tether anchorages

Your vehicle is equipped with three top

tether anchorages so that a child restraint

system having a top tether can be installed

in the rear seat. When installing a child

restraint system using top tether, proceed

as follows, while observing the instructions

by the child restraint system manufacturer.

Since a top tether can provide additional

stability by offering another connection

between a child restraint system and the

vehicle, we recommend that you use a top

tether whenever one is required or avail-

able.

9. Before having a child sit in the child

restraint system, try to move it back

and forth and right and left to check if it

is firmly secured. Sometimes a child

restraint system can be more firmly

secured by pushing it down into the

seat cushion. It should not be possible

to move the child restraint system

more than 1 in (2.5 cm).

10. To remove the child restraint system,

follow the reverse procedures of in-

stallation.

SUBARU recommends that you check

with a certified Child Passenger Safety

Technician to ensure the proper installa-

tion of your child restraint system. For

more information, and to locate the closest

inspection location in the U.S., refer to the

1

2

3

For left seat

For center seat

For right seat

Three upper anchorages are installed on

the back side of the rear seatback.

– CONTINUED –

SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint System airbag)

76

2. Tighten the top tether securely.

! To hook the top tether

1-9. SRS airbag (Supplemen-

tal Restraint System airbag)

SUBARU recommends that you check

with a certified Child Passenger Safety

Technician to ensure the proper installa-

tion of your child restraint system. For

more information, and to locate the closest

inspection location in the U.S., refer to the

National Highway Traffic Safety Adminis-

tration (NHTSA) website. In Canada,

check with Transport Canada.

CAUTION

Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)

name is used because the airbag system

supplements the vehicle’s seatbelts.

.

Remove the head restraint when

mounting a child restraint sys-

tem. Otherwise, the top tether

cannot be fastened tightly.

This vehicle is equipped with a supple-

mental restraint system which consists of

seven airbags.

Store the head restraint that has

been removed in the cargo area.

Do not place the head restraint in

the passenger compartment to

prevent it from being thrown

around in the passenger com-

partment in a sudden stop or a

sharp turn.

The configurations are as follows.

.

Driver’s and front passenger’s frontal

airbags

Driver’s and front passenger’s side

airbags

Curtain airbags (for driver, front pas-

senger, and window-side rear passen-

gers)

.

Knee airbag for driver

These SRS airbags are designed only

as a supplement to the primary protec-

tion provided by the seatbelt.

The system also controls seatbelt preten-

sioners. For operation instructions and

precautions concerning the seatbelt pre-

tensioner, refer to “Seatbelt pretensioners”

�P57.

1. Attach the top tether hook to the

appropriate upper anchorage.

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags -> Child restraint systems for Your Subaru Forester SUV 2024

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