Get Safety Guide for Volkswagen Golf 4 Door 2023

the road while using vehicle software or adjust-

ing vehicle equipment or accessories.

Safety

✓

Always adapt your speed and driving style to

visibility, weather, road, and traffic conditions.

General information

✓

Always obey traffic laws and speed limits.

Getting ready and driving safely

On long trips make frequent rest stops – at least

once every 2 hours.

Observe the following points before and during ev-

ery drive for your own safety, the safety of all pas-

✓

Secure animals in the vehicle with a system that

corresponds to their weight and size.

sengers and others →

:

✓

Check proper function of lights and turn signals.

✓

Check tire pressure → page 260, Tires and

wheels and fuel level → page 222, Refueling.

Driving in other countries checklist

Some countries have special safety standards and

other requirements that your vehicle may not meet.

Before taking your vehicle to another country, Volks-

wagen therefore recommends that you ask your au-

thorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswa-

gen Service Facility about the following issues with

regard to the country to which you would like to

travel:

✓

Make sure that all windows are clean.

Check the windshield washer fluid level

→ page 245, Windshield washer fluid.

✓

Make sure that the engine is not covered by

blankets or other materials and that the engine

air intake is not blocked.

Store items and all luggage safely in the storage

compartments, in the luggage compartment

and, where applicable, on the roof → page 196,

Storage areas, → page 213, Transporting.

✓

Should the vehicle be technically prepared for

the trip abroad, such as masking or adjusting

headlights?

Are maintenance, repair facilities, necessary

tools, and testing equipment as well as spare

parts readily available for your vehicle?

✓

Always make sure that nothing keeps the pedals

from moving freely.

Make sure that children are properly secured by

a restraint system appropriate for their size and

weight → page 64, Child safety and child re-

straints.

Are there authorized Volkswagen dealers and

authorized Volkswagen Service Facilities in the

countries where you will be driving?

Is fuel with the appropriate rating for your vehi-

cle's engine requirements readily available

→ page 221, Fuel and emission control system?

✓

Properly adjust front seats, all head restraints,

and mirrors → page 33, Sitting properly and

safely, → page 104, Seats and head restraints.

Are engine oil (→ page 246, Engine oil) and oth-

er operating fluids that meet Volkswagen quali-

ty and performance requirements available

where you will be driving? For more informa-

tion, please see → Warranty and Maintenance.

✓

Wear shoes that give your feet a good grip and

feel for the pedals.

Make sure that the floormat on the driver side is

properly fastened and cannot interfere with the

pedals.

✓

Does the factory-installed navigation system

work in the countries where you will be driving,

and is navigation data available?

✓

Assume a proper seating position before the ve-

hicle starts to move and keep this position while

driving. Make sure that all passengers do the

same → page 33, Sitting properly and safely.

Are special or heavy-duty tires necessary for the

kind of driving expected?

Properly fasten your safety belt before driving

the vehicle and wear your safety belt properly at

all times while driving. Make sure that all pas-

sengers do the same → page 36, Safety belts.

Refueling checklist

If you are uncertain in any way, have the work done

by an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized

Volkswagen Service Facility. Serious personal injury

may result from improperly performed work. Make

sure that you check the following items regularly.

The best thing is to check them every time you re-

fuel:

✓

Only transport as many passengers as there are

seats and safety belts available.

Never drive if your driving ability has been im-

paired, for example, by medication, alcohol, or

illegal drugs.

✓

Windshield washer fluid level → page 245,

Windshield washer fluid

✓

Never let passengers or phone calls distract you

while driving and never take your attention off

✓

Engine oil level → page 246, Engine oil

32

Safety

✓

Engine coolant level → page 251, Engine cool-

ant

Volkswagen dealer or an authorized Volkswagen

Service Facility for more information.

✓

Brake fluid level → page 255, Brake fluid

Tire pressure → page 260, Tires and wheels

Sitting properly and safely

Vehicle lighting necessary for driving safety

→ page 112, Lights:

Introduction

— Turn signals

— Low beams and high beams

— Taillights

Number of seats

The vehicle has a total of 5 seating positions: 2 in

front and 3 in the rear. Each seating position has

a safety belt.

— Brake lights

— License plate lights

Information about replacing light bulbs → page 230,

Replacing light bulbs.

WARNING

Improper seating positions increase the risk of se-

vere or fatal injuries in a crash or other accidents,

especially when the airbag deploys.

WARNING

Driving under the influence of alcohol, illegal

drugs, narcotics and some medications may cause

collisions and other accidents, severe personal in-

juries and even death.

All occupants must sit properly and be properly

restrained at all times.

·

Never let more people ride in the vehicle than

there are seating positions with safety belts

available.

·

Alcohol, illegal drugs, narcotics and some medi-

·

cations may severely affect perception, reaction

times and safe driving, which may result in the

loss of vehicle control.

Always secure children in the vehicle with an

approved and suitable restraint system appro-

priate for their age, weight, and height

·

→ page 64, Child safety and child restraints.

WARNING

Always keep your feet on the floor in front of

·

Always observe traffic rules and posted speed lim-

its and use common sense. Your good judgment

can mean the difference between arriving safely at

your destination and being seriously injured in

a crash or other kind of accident.

the seat. Never rest them on the seat, instru-

ment panel, out of the window, etc. The airbag

system and safety belt will not be able to pro-

tect you properly and can even increase the risk

of injury in a crash.

WARNING

Disregarding the safety-related checklist may lead

to accidents and injuries.

Always adjust seat, safety belts, and head re-

straints properly before driving and make sure that

all passengers are properly restrained.

Please note and follow the points listed in the

checklist.

·

Push the passenger seat as far back as possible.

·

Always be sure that there are at least 10 inches

(25 cm) between the front passenger's breast-

bone and the instrument panel.

NOTICE

Volkswagen is not responsible for mechanical dam-

age that may result from substandard fuel or service

or the unavailability of Genuine Volkswagen parts.

Always adjust the driver's seat and the steering

·

wheel so that there are at least 10 inches

(25 cm) between your breastbone and the

steering wheel.

Regular service and maintenance of your vehi-

cle is important both for operational and driv-

Adjust the driver's seat so that you can easily

ing safety and to help prolong your vehicle's service

life. Always follow the scheduled maintenance inter-

vals in the → Warranty and Maintenance, especially

for changing the brake fluid. Hard use, frequent

stop-and-go driving, driving in very dusty areas, and

other factors may make it necessary to have the ve-

hicle serviced more frequently. Ask an authorized

·

push the pedals all the way to the floor while

keeping your knee(s) slightly bent. The distance

to the instrument panel in the knee area must

be at least 4 inches (10 cm).

If these requirements cannot be met for physi-

cal reasons, contact an authorized Volkswagen

dealer or an authorized Volkswagen Service Fa-

·

Sitting properly and safely

33

cility to see whether adaptive equipment is

available.

WARNING

Some kinds of cigarette lighters can be lit uninten-

tionally, or crushed causing a fire that can result in

serious burns and vehicle damage.

Always hold the steering wheel on the outside

of the steering wheel rim with your hands at the

9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions to help reduce

the risk of personal injury if the driver's airbag

inflates.

·

Always make sure that there are no lighters in

the seat tracks or near other moving parts be-

fore adjusting the seats.

·

Never hold the steering wheel at the 12 o'clock

position or with your hands at other places in-

side the steering wheel rim or on the steering

wheel hub. Holding the steering wheel the

wrong way can cause serious injuries to the

hands, arms, and head if the driver's airbag in-

flates.

Before closing a storage compartment, always

make sure that no cigarette lighter can be acti-

vated, crushed, or otherwise damaged.

·

Never leave a cigarette lighter in a storage com-

·

partment, on the instrument panel, or in other

places in the vehicle. Heat buildup in the pas-

senger and luggage compartment of a parked

vehicle can result in temperatures in the vehicle

that are much higher than the outside tempera-

tures, particularly in summer. High tempera-

tures could cause the cigarette lighter to catch

fire.

Pointing the steering wheel toward your face

decreases the ability of the driver's airbag to

help protect you in a collision.

·

Never drive with backrests reclined or tilted

back farther than necessary to drive comforta-

bly. The farther back the backrests are tilted,

the greater the risk of injury caused by incorrect

positioning of the safety belts and improper

seating position.

Examples of improper seating posi-

tions

Never drive with the front seat passenger back-

rest tilted forward. If the front airbag deploys,

the front backrest can be forced backward and

injure passengers on the rear seat.

·

Please read the introductory information and

heed the Warnings and Notice

on page 33.

Sit as far back as possible from the steering

wheel and the instrument panel.

·

Not wearing or improperly fastening safety belts in-

creases the risk of severe or fatal injuries. Safety

belts can work only when they are properly posi-

tioned on the body. An improper seating position

significantly impairs the protection provided by

safety belts. This can cause severe or even fatal inju-

ries. Improper seating positions also increase the

risk of serious injury or death when an airbag de-

ploys and strikes an occupant who is not in the

proper seating position. The driver is responsible for

all passengers and especially children riding in the

vehicle.

Always sit upright with your back against the

backrest with the front seats properly adjusted.

Never lean against or place any part of your

body too close to the area where the airbags are

located.

Rear seat passengers who are not properly seat-

ed and restrained are more likely to be seriously

injured in a crash.

·

WARNING

Improper adjustment of the seats can cause acci-

dents and severe injuries.

The following are only some examples of seating po-

sitions that will increase the risk of serious injury or

death.

Never adjust the seats while the vehicle is mov-

·

ing. Your seat may move unexpectedly and you

could lose control of the vehicle. In addition,

you will not be in the correct seating position

while adjusting the seats.

Therefore, whenever the vehicle is moving:

— Never stand up in the vehicle.

— Never stand on the seats.

Adjust the front seat height, angle and longitu-

dinal direction only if the seat adjustment area

is clear.

·

— Never kneel on the seats.

— Never ride with the seat backrest reclined.

— Never lean up against the instrument panel.

— Never lie down on the rear seat.

— Never sit on the edge of the seat.

— Never sit sideways.

The adjustment of the front seats must not be

restricted by things in the footwell in front or

behind the seats.

·

34

Safety

— Never lean out the window.

Contact your authorized Volkswagen dealer or au-

thorized Volkswagen Service Facility or call the

Volkswagen Customer CARE Center at

1-800-822-8987 for information about possible

modifications to your vehicle.

— Never put your feet out the window.

— Never put feet on the instrument panel.

— Never rest your feet on the seat cushion or back

of the seat.

For your own safety and to reduce injuries in the

event of sudden braking maneuvers or accidents,

Volkswagen recommends the following seating po-

sitions:

— Never ride in the footwell.

— Never sit or stand on an armrest.

— Never ride without your safety belt properly fas-

tened.

Applies to all vehicle occupants:

— Never ride in the luggage compartment.

— Adjust head restraints so that the upper edge of

the head restraint is at least at eye level or higher.

Position the back of your head as close as possi-

ble to the head restraint → fig. 21 (dotted line).

WARNING

Contact with parts of the vehicle interior can cause

serious personal injury in a crash.

— Push the head restraint completely down for

short people, even if the top of the head is then

below the upper edge of the head restraint.

Always make sure that all vehicle occupants

stay in a proper seating position and are proper-

ly restrained whenever the vehicle is moving.

·

— Tall people should pull the head restraint all the

way up.

Improper seating positions increase the risk of

·

serious and fatal injury, especially when an air-

bag deploys and strikes a passenger in an im-

proper seating position.

— Adjust the seat backrest angle to an upright posi-

tion so that your back is in full contact with it

when the vehicle is moving.

— Always keep both feet on the floor and in the

footwell whenever the vehicle is moving.

Proper seating position

— Always adjust and fasten safety belts properly

→ page 36, Safety belts.

Please read the introductory information and

Driver - seat and steering wheel adjustment:

heed the Warnings and Notice

on page 33.

— Adjust the steering wheel so that there are at

least 10 inches (25 cm) between the steering

wheel and your breast bone

→ fig. 21 A , → page 103, Steering wheel. When

adjusting the proper distance to the steering

wheel, grasp the top of the steering wheel with

your elbows slightly bent.

— Always hold the steering wheel on the outside of

the steering wheel rim with your hands at the

9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions to help reduce

the risk of personal injury if the driver's airbag in-

flates.

Fig. 21 Proper safety belt positioning and head re-

straint adjustment. The driver should never sit closer

than 10 inches (25 cm) from the steering wheel.

— Never hold the steering wheel at the 12 o'clock

position or with your hands at other places inside

the steering wheel rim or on the steering wheel

hub. Holding the steering wheel the wrong way

can cause serious injuries to the hands, arms, and

head if the driver's airbag inflates.

The following describes the proper seating positions

for the driver and passengers.

If you have a physical impairment or condition that

prevents you from sitting properly on the driver seat

with the safety belt properly fastened and reaching

the pedals, special modifications to your vehicle may

be necessary. Only the proper seating position en-

sures optimum protection by the safety belt and air-

bag.

— Adjust the steering wheel so that the steering

wheel cover points at your chest and not at your

face. Pointing the steering wheel toward your

face decreases the ability of the driver's airbag to

help protect you in a collision.

— Adjust the driver's seat so that you can easily

push the pedals all the way to the floor while

Sitting properly and safely

35

keeping your knee(s) slightly bent. The distance to

the instrument panel in the knee area must be at

least 4 inches (10 cm) → fig. 21 B .

Always secure children in the vehicle with a re-

straint system appropriate for their age, weight

and height → page 64, Child safety and child

restraints.

·

— Adjust the seat height so that the top point of the

steering wheel can be reached.

Always fasten safety belts correctly before driv-

ing off and make sure that all passengers are

properly restrained.

·

— Always keep both feet in the footwell so that you

are in control of the vehicle at all times.

Never attach the safety belt to the buckle of an-

other seat. Attaching the safety belt to the

wrong buckle will reduce safety belt effective-

ness and can cause serious personal injury.

Passenger - front seat adjustment:

— Push the passenger seat as far back as possible in

order to ensure optimum protection if the airbag

is deployed.

Never let any objects or liquids get into the

safety belt latch and prevent it from working

properly.

·

Never remove a safety belt while the vehicle is

moving. Doing so will increase your risk of being

injured or killed.

Safety belts

Introduction

Never strap more than one person, including

small children, into any single safety belt.

·

Properly worn safety belts are the single most effec-

tive means of reducing the risk of serious injury and

death in a collision or other accident.

Never let children or babies ride sitting on your

lap, and never place a safety belt over a child

sitting on your lap.

Damage to safety belts reduces their overall effec-

tiveness and increases the risk of serious personal

injury and death whenever the vehicle is being used.

Never wear belts over rigid or breakable objects

in or on your clothing, such as eyeglasses, pens,

keys, etc., as these may cause injury.

·

Check the condition of all safety belts and buckles

regularly.

Several layers of heavy clothing (such as a coat

worn over a sports jacket) may interfere with

proper positioning of the safety belt and reduce

the overall effectiveness of the system.

If a safety belt shows damage to webbing, hard-

ware, retractors, or buckles, have the safety belt re-

placed by an authorized Volkswagen dealer or an au-

Never use comfort clips or devices that create

slack in the shoulder belt. However, special clips

may be required for the correct use of some

child restraint systems.

·

thorized Volkswagen Service Facility →

.

WARNING

Safety belts offer optimum protection only

when the seat backrest is upright and belts are

correctly positioned on the body.

Not wearing a safety belt or wearing an improperly

positioned safety belt increases the risk of severe

personal injury or death. Safety belts offer opti-

mum protection only when they are used properly.

WARNING

Properly worn safety belts are the single most

·

effective means of reducing the risk of serious

injury and death in a collision or other accident.

For this reason, always wear your safety belt

properly and make sure all passengers wear

their safety belts properly as well whenever the

vehicle is moving.

Damage to safety belts reduces their overall effec-

tiveness and increases the risk of serious personal

injury and death whenever the vehicle is being

used.

Never let safety belts become damaged by be-

ing caught in the door or seat hardware.

·

The driver must always make sure that every

·

Torn or frayed safety belts can tear, and dam-

aged safety belt hardware can break in an acci-

dent.

·

person in the vehicle is properly seated on

a seat of his or her own, properly fastens the

safety belts belonging to that seat before the

vehicle starts to move, and keeps the belts

properly fastened while riding in the vehicle.

This applies even when just driving around

town. Therefore, always wear your safety belts

and make sure that everybody in your vehicle is

properly restrained.

Inspect belts regularly for damage. If webbing,

·

hardware, buckles, or retractors are damaged,

have the belts replaced immediately with the

correct replacement belts approved by Volkswa-

gen for your vehicle, model, and model year.

36

Safety

Safety belts that were subject to stress in an ac-

cident and stretched must be replaced with

a correct, new safety belt, preferably by an au-

thorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volks-

wagen Service Facility.

light and the chime go out when both driver and

front passenger have buckled their safety belts.

·

If the driver and front seat passenger do not both

fasten their safety belts within about 24 seconds af-

ter the chime stops and the vehicle is moving at

a speed of more than about 15 mph (25 km/h), the

chime will again sound for about 6 seconds, then go

off for about 24 seconds, then sound again for about

another 6 seconds. The same thing happens if one of

the safety belts is fastened and then unfastened

while the vehicle is moving. The safety belt warning

light also flashes. The warning chime continues to

sound at 24 second intervals for up to 2 minutes. No

chime sounds at speeds of less than about 5 mph

(8 km/h).

Replacement after a crash may be necessary

even if a safety belt shows no visible damage.

Anchorages that have been loaded must also be

inspected.

Damaged safety belts must be replaced; they

cannot be repaired.

·

Never try to repair a damaged safety belt your-

self. Never remove or modify the safety belts in

any way.

Have safety belts, hardware, retractors, and

buckles replaced by an authorized Volkswagen

dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facili-

ty.

·

If the ignition is switched on, the safety belt warning

light stays on until the driver and front passenger

have both buckled their safety belts.

Always keep the belts clean. Dirty belts may not

work correctly and can impair the function of

the inertia reel.

WARNING

Not wearing a safety belt or wearing an improperly

positioned safety belt increases the risk of severe

personal injury or death. Safety belts offer opti-

mum protection only when used correctly.

Warning light

Please read the introductory information and

Frontal collisions and laws of phys-

ics

heed the Warnings and Notice

on page 36.

Please read the introductory information and

heed the Warnings and Notice

on page 36.

Fig. 22 Warning light in the instrument cluster.

Driver and/or front passenger have not fas-

tened their safety belts, if front passenger

seat is occupied. Fasten safety belts.

Fig. 23 A vehicle with passengers not wearing safety

belts approaches a wall.

When the ignition is switched on, several warning

and indicator lights come on briefly for a function

check. They go out after a few seconds.

A warning chime also sounds.

The safety belt warning light comes on for 6 sec-

onds when the ignition is switched on. A warning

chime also sounds for up to 6 seconds if the driver's

safety belt is not buckled. The chime stops sooner if

the driver buckles his or her safety belt. The warning

Safety belts

37

What happens to passengers not

wearing a safety belt

Please read the introductory information and

heed the Warnings and Notice

on page 36.

Fig. 24 A vehicle with passengers not wearing safety

belts hits a wall.

The physical principles of a frontal collision are sim-

ple. Both the moving vehicle and the passenger pos-

sess energy → fig. 23, which varies with vehicle

speed and body weight. Engineers call this energy

“kinetic energy.”

The higher the speed of the vehicle and the greater

the vehicle's weight, the more energy has to be “ab-

sorbed” in a crash.

Fig. 25 The unbelted driver is thrown forward.

Vehicle speed is the most significant factor. If your

speed doubles (for example, from 15 mph to 30 mph

– 25 km/h to 50 km/h), the energy increases 4 times!

Because the occupants of the vehicle in the above

example are not using safety belts, they are not “at-

tached” to the vehicle. In a frontal collision, they will

keep moving at the same speed the vehicle was

moving just before the crash, until something stops

them - here, the inside of the passenger compart-

ment. Because the occupants of the vehicle in the

example are not wearing safety belts, their entire ki-

netic energy will be absorbed by impact with the

wall → fig. 24.

The same principles apply to people in a vehicle that

is in a frontal collision on the highway. Even at city

speeds of 20–30 mph (30–50 km/h), the forces act-

ing on the body can reach one ton (2,000 lbs or

1,000 kg) or more. At greater speeds, these forces

are even higher.

Fig. 26 Unbelted passengers in the rear seats are

thrown forward on top of the belted driver.

Many people believe that it is possible to resist the

forces of an impact by holding tight or bracing

themselves. That is simply not true!

Of course, the laws of physics don't apply just to

frontal collisions; they determine what happens in

all kinds of accidents and collisions.

Even at low collision speeds, the forces acting on

the body are too much for the body to be held in the

seat with the arms and hands. In a frontal collision,

unrestrained occupants will slam violently into the

steering wheel, instrument panel, windshield or any-

thing else in the way → fig. 25.

Never rely on airbags alone for protection. Even

when they deploy, airbags provide only additional

protection. Airbags are not supposed to deploy in all

kinds of accidents. Even if your vehicle is equipped

with airbags, all vehicle occupants, including the

driver, must wear safety belts correctly in order to

minimize the risk of severe injury or death in a crash,

38

Safety

regardless of whether a seating position has an air-

bag or not.

body become more “tolerable” and less likely to

cause injury.

An airbag will deploy only once. Safety belts are al-

ways there to offer protection in those accidents in

which airbags are not supposed to deploy or when

they have already deployed. Unbelted occupants can

also be thrown out of the vehicle, causing even more

severe injuries or death.

Although these examples are based on a frontal col-

lision, safety belts can also substantially reduce the

risk of injury in other kinds of crashes. So, whether

you're on a long trip or “just going to the corner

store,” always buckle up and make sure that others

do, too.

It is also important for occupants in the rear seats to

wear their safety belts properly since they can be

thrown violently forward through the vehicle in the

event of an accident. Unbelted passengers in the

rear seats endanger not only themselves but also

the driver and other passengers in the vehicle

→ fig. 26.

Accident statistics show that vehicle occupants

properly wearing safety belts have a lower risk of

being injured and a much better chance of surviving

a collision. Properly using safety belts also greatly

increases the ability of the supplemental airbags to

do their job in a collision. For this reason, wearing

a safety belt is required by law in most countries in-

cluding the United States and Canada.

Although your Volkswagen is equipped with airbags,

you still have to wear the safety belts provided.

Front airbags, for example, are activated only in

some frontal collisions. The front airbags are not ac-

tivated in all frontal collisions, in side and rear colli-

sions, in rollovers, or in cases when the conditions

for deployment stored in the electronic control unit

are not met. The same goes for the other airbag sys-

tems on your Volkswagen.

Safety belts protect

Please read the introductory information and

heed the Warnings and Notice

on page 36.

So always wear your safety belt and make sure that

everybody in your vehicle is properly restrained!

Using safety belts

Please read the introductory information and

heed the Warnings and Notice

on page 36.

Checklist

Using safety belts →

Fig. 27 Belted driver secured by the correctly worn

safety belt in the event of a sudden braking maneuver.

✓

Damage to safety belts reduces their overall ef-

fectiveness and increases the risk of serious

personal injury and death whenever the vehicle

is being used.

Used properly, safety belts can make a big differ-

ence. Safety belts help to keep passengers in their

seats, gradually reduce energy levels applied to the

body in a collision, and help prevent the uncontrol-

led movement that can cause serious injuries. In ad-

dition, safety belts reduce the danger of being

thrown out of the vehicle → fig. 27.

✓

Check the condition of all safety belts and buck-

les regularly.

✓

Keep safety belts clean.

Keep objects and liquids away from safety belt

webbing, the safety belt buckle tongue, and the

safety belt buckle latch and opening.

Safety belts attach passengers to the car and give

them the benefit of being slowed down more gently

or “softly” through the “give” in the safety belts,

crumple zones, and other safety features (such as

airbags) engineered into today's vehicles. The front

crumple zones and other passive safety features

(such as the airbag system) are also designed to ab-

sorb kinetic energy. By “absorbing” the kinetic ener-

gy over a longer period of time, the forces on the

✓

Do not pinch or damage the safety belt or buck-

le tongue (for instance, when closing a door).

Never modify, disassemble or try to repair safe-

ty belts and safety belt anchorages.

Safety belts

39

✓

Always fasten your safety belt properly before

driving and keep it fastened whenever the vehi-

cle is moving.

Always keep objects and liquids away from the

belt buckle and buckle opening.

·

Twisted safety belt

Fastening and unfastening safety

belts

If it is difficult to pull the safety belt out of the belt

guide, the belt may be twisted inside the side trim

because the belt retracted too quickly when it was

taken off.

Please read the introductory information and

heed the Warnings and Notice

on page 36.

— Hold the safety belt tongue, slowly and carefully

pull safety belt all the way out.

— Untwist the safety belt and slowly return the belt

by hand.

If you cannot untwist the safety belt, wear it any-

way. Make sure that the safety belt is twisted in

a spot where it does not come in direct contact with

your body. Have the safety belt untwisted immedi-

ately by an authorized Volkswagen dealer or author-

ized Volkswagen Service Facility.

Lockable safety belt

The retractors for the rear seat safety belts and the

front passenger safety belt have a switchable lock-

ing feature for child restraints in addition to the

emergency locking feature. Whenever a child re-

straint is installed with a safety belt, the safety belt

must be locked so that the safety belt webbing can-

not unreel. The switchable locking feature lets you

lock the belt so that a child restraint can be properly

installed and, for example, so that it can't tip to the

side when the vehicle goes around a corner

Fig. 28 Inserting the buckle tongue into the belt buck-

le.

→ page 64, Child safety and child restraints.

To see that a safety belt is lockable, pull the safety

belt all the way out of the safety belt retractor. You

should then hear a “clicking” sound as the belt winds

back into the retractor reel. Test the switchable

locking feature by pulling on the belt. When the

switchable locking feature is active, you should no

longer be able to pull the belt out of the retractor.

Fig. 29 Releasing the buckle tongue from the belt

buckle.

Properly worn safety belts help to hold occupants in

their seats and provide optimum protection during

The locking feature must be deactivated when a ve-

hicle occupant uses the safety belt.

braking or in a collision or other accident →

.

The switchable locking feature makes a “clicking”

sound when the safety belt is winding back onto the

safety belt retractor wheel after being pulled all the

way out. Whenever a child restraint is installed with

a safety belt, the safety belt must be locked so that

the safety belt webbing cannot unreel → page 64,

Child safety and child restraints. If active, deactivate

the locking feature before using the safety belt to

restrain a person without a child restraint system.

WARNING

Improper use and care of safety belts increases the

risk of severe personal injury or death.

Regularly check safety belts and related parts

for damage.

·

Damaged safety belts must be replaced; they

cannot be repaired.

·

Always keep safety belts clean.

·

Fastening safety belts

Always buckle your safety belt before driving.

Never catch, damage or chafe safety belt web-

bing on sharp edges.

40

Safety

— Adjust the front seat and head restraint correctly

→ page 104, Seats and head restraints.

Safety belt position

— Make sure the seat backrest of the rear seat

bench is in an upright position and securely latch-

Please read the introductory information and

heed the Warnings and Notice

on page 36.

ed in place before using the safety belt →

.

— Hold the safety belt by the tongue and pull it

slowly and evenly across the chest and pelvis. Do

not twist the safety belt webbing →

.

— Insert the tongue into the correct buckle for your

seat until you hear it latch securely → fig. 28.

— Pull on the safety belt to make sure that it is se-

curely latched in the buckle.

Unfastening safety belts

Unfasten safety belts only when the vehicle is not

moving →

.

Fig. 30 Proper safety belt positioning and head re-

straint adjustment.

— Press the red button on the buckle → fig. 29. The

buckle tongue is ejected.

— Let the belt wind up on the retractor as you guide

the belt tongue to its stowed position to help pre-

vent the safety belt from twisting and to help

avoid damage to the interior trim.

WARNING

Improperly positioned safety belts can cause seri-

ous personal injury or death in an accident.

Safety belts offer optimum protection only

when the seat backrest is upright and belts are

correctly positioned on the body.

·

A person who is not properly restrained can be

·

seriously injured by the safety belt itself if it

slips from the stronger parts of the body into

sensitive areas like the abdomen.

Fig. 31 Proper safety belt positioning for expectant

mothers.

Unfastening safety belts while the vehicle is in

·

motion can cause severe personal injury or

death in the event of an accident or braking ma-

neuver!

Wearing safety belts improperly can cause serious

injury or death. Safety belts can only work when

they are correctly positioned on the body. A properly

worn safety belt also helps to position the occupant

so that an airbag can provide maximum protection

when deployed. Therefore, always fasten your safety

belt and make sure that it is properly positioned over

your body.

Improper seating positions reduce the effectiveness

of safety belts and even increase the risk of injury or

death by moving the safety belt to critical areas of

the body. Improper seating positions also increase

the risk of severe injury or death when an airbag de-

ploys and strikes an occupant who is not seated

properly → page 33, Sitting properly and safely.

Proper safety belt position

— The shoulder portion of the safety belt must al-

ways run over the center of the shoulder and nev-

Safety belts

41

er over the throat, over the arm, under the arm or

behind the back.

Do not twist the belt when attaching it. If you

cannot untwist a twisted safety belt, wear it

anyway, but make sure the twisted part is not in

contact with your body. Have the problem cor-

rected right away by an authorized Volkswagen

dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facili-

ty.

·

— The lap portion of the safety belt must always run

as low as possible over the pelvis and never over

the abdomen.

— Always wear the safety belt flat and snug against

the body. Pull on the safety belt to tighten if nec-

essary.

Never hold the safety belt away from your body

with your hand.

·

Expectant mothers must always wear the lap por-

tion of the safety belt as low as possible across the

pelvis and below the rounding of the abdomen –

throughout the pregnancy. The safety belt must lie

flat against the body to avoid pressure against the

abdomen → fig. 31.

Never wear belts over rigid or breakable objects,

such as eyeglasses, pens or keys.

Never modify the position of the belt using

comfort clips, loops or similar devices.

If you have a physical impairment or condition

that prevents you from sitting properly on the

Adjusting safety belt height

seat with the safety belt properly fastened, special

modifications to your vehicle may be necessary.

Contact your authorized Volkswagen dealer or au-

thorized Volkswagen Service Facility or call the

Volkswagen Customer CARE Center at

The safety belt position can be adjusted using the

following features:

— Safety belt height adjusters for the front seats.

— Front seats with height adjustment.

1-800-822-8987 for information about possible

modifications to your vehicle.

WARNING

Improperly positioned safety belts can cause seri-

ous personal injury in an accident or a sudden

braking maneuver.

Safety belt height adjusters

Always make sure that all vehicle occupants are

·

Please read the introductory information and

correctly restrained and stay in a correct seating

position whenever the vehicle is being used.

heed the Warnings and Notice

on page 36.

Safety belts offer optimum protection only

when the seat backrest is upright and belts are

correctly positioned on the body.

·

A loose-fitting safety belt can cause serious in-

·

juries by shifting its position on your body from

the strong bones to more vulnerable soft tissue

and cause serious injury.

The shoulder belt portion of the safety belt

·

must be positioned over the middle of the occu-

pant's shoulder and never across the neck or

throat.

The safety belt must lie flat and snug on the oc-

cupant's upper body.

·

Never wear the shoulder part of the safety belt

under your arm or otherwise out of position.

·

Fig. 32 Next to the front seats: Safety belt height ad-

juster.

The lap portion of the safety belt must be posi-

·

tioned as low as possible across the pelvis and

never over the abdomen. Make sure the belt lies

flat and snug against the pelvis. Pull on the

safety belt to tighten if necessary.

Safety belt height adjusters for the front seats can

be used to adjust the height of the shoulder portion

of the safety belt so that it is positioned correctly:

— Pinch the safety belt attachment together as indi-

cated by the arrows and hold → fig. 32.

Expectant mothers must always wear the lap

·

portion of the safety belt as low as possible

across the pelvis and below the rounding of the

abdomen.

— Slide the belt and upper attachment up or down

until the safety belt is positioned over the center

of the shoulder → page 41, Safety belt position.

42

Safety

— Release the safety belt attachment.

with these regulations → page 43, Service and dis-

posal of belt pretensioners.

— Pull on the safety belt to make sure that the up-

per attachment is securely locked in place.

WARNING

Service and disposal of belt preten-

sioners

Never adjust the height of the safety belt while

driving.

Please read the introductory information and

heed the Warnings and Notice

on page 36.

Safety belt retractor, pretensioner,

load limiter

The pretensioners are part of the safety belts instal-

led at the front seats in your vehicle. Installing, re-

moving, servicing, or repairing of safety belt preten-

sioners can damage the safety belt system and pre-

vent it from working correctly in a collision. The pre-

tensioners themselves may then also not work in the

event of an accident, or not work properly.

Please read the introductory information and

heed the Warnings and Notice

on page 36.

The safety belts in the vehicle are part of the vehi-

cle's safety concept → page 50, Safety equipment

and consist of the following important features:

There are some important things you have to know

to make sure that the effectiveness of the system

will not be impaired and that discarded components

do not cause injury or pollute the environment. Un-

deployed safety belt pretensioners and airbag mod-

ules contain explosive materials that can cause seri-

ous injuries to the general public and to people who

work at dealerships and workshops, scrap yards, and

recycling facilities. For this reason, the systems must

be properly handled when they or the vehicles they

are installed in are scrapped.

Automatic safety belt retractors

Every safety belt is equipped with an automatic

safety belt retractor on the shoulder belt. As long as

the safety belt is pulled out slowly, the shoulder belt

will extend to let you move freely under normal driv-

ing conditions. The automatic safety belt retractor

locks the belt when the belt is pulled out fast, during

hard braking and in a collision. The belt may also

lock when you drive up or down a steep hill or

through a sharp curve.

Undeployed safety belt pretensioners and airbag

modules can also pollute the environment. Never

abandon vehicles or vehicle parts. If your vehicle

must be scrapped, please make sure that it is done

safely, responsibly, and in compliance with all appli-

cable environmental regulations. Take it to a li-

censed facility that has the knowledge and experi-

ence to properly dispose of the vehicle and its safety

belt system. Your authorized Volkswagen dealer and

authorized Volkswagen Service Facility are familiar

with these regulations.

Safety belt pretensioner

The safety belt retractors for the driver and front

seat passenger have a pretensioner that helps take

the slack out of the safety belt and tighten it when

the pretensioner is activated.

The pretensioners are activated by the electronic

control unit for the airbag system in front, side, and

rear collisions, and in rollovers. By tightening the

safety belt, the pretensioner helps to reduce the oc-

cupant's forward movement. The belt pretensioner

works together with the airbag system; its function

is monitored by the airbag system indicator light.

WARNING

Improper handling, care, servicing, and repair pro-

cedures can increase the risk of personal injury and

death by preventing a belt pretensioner from acti-

vating when needed or by causing it to activate

unexpectedly.

A fine dust may be released upon activation. This is

normal and is not caused by a fire in the vehicle.

Safety belt load limiter

The pretensioner can be activated only once. If

a pretensioner has been activated, the safety

belt must be replaced.

·

The front and rear outboard safety belts also have

load limiters to help reduce the forces applied to the

body in a crash.

Safety belt systems including the pretensioners

·

Heed all safety regulations if the vehicle or in-

dividual components of the system have to be

scrapped. Your authorized Volkswagen dealer and

authorized Volkswagen Service Facility are familiar

cannot be repaired. Special procedures are re-

quired to remove, install, and dispose of this

system.

Safety belts

43

Never repair, adjust, or change pretensioners or

any other part of the safety belt system your-

self. We strongly recommend that you have any

work on the safety belt system performed by an

authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized

Volkswagen Service Facility. They have the nec-

essary technical information, training, and spe-

cial equipment → page 316, Parts, accessories,

repairs, and modifications.

Even when they deploy, airbags provide only

supplemental protection.

·

Airbags work most effectively when used with

properly worn safety belts → page 36, Safety

belts.

The driver must always make sure that every

person in the vehicle is properly seated on

a seat of his or her own, properly fastens the

safety belts belonging to that seat before the

vehicle starts to move, and keeps the belts

properly fastened while riding in the vehicle.

This applies even when just driving around

town. Therefore, always wear your safety belts

and make sure that everybody in your vehicle is

properly restrained.

·

WARNING

Undeployed safety belt pretensioners and airbag

modules contain explosive materials that can

cause serious personal injuries if they are not

properly handled when they or the vehicles they

are installed in are scrapped.

WARNING

Never abandon vehicles or vehicle parts.

·

Sitting too close to the steering wheel or instru-

ment panel will decrease the effectiveness of the

airbags and will increase the risk of personal injury

in a collision.

Always scrap vehicles and vehicle parts, espe-

cially those containing undeployed airbag mod-

ules and undeployed safety belt pretensioners,

at a licensed facility that has the knowledge and

experience to properly dispose of the vehicle

and its safety belt and airbag systems.

Never sit closer than 10 inches (25 cm) to the

steering wheel or instrument panel.

·

If you cannot sit upright more than 10 inches

Undeployed airbag modules and safety belt

pretensioners are classified as Perchlorate

·

(25 cm) from the steering wheel and with your

back against the backrest, investigate whether

adaptive equipment may be available to help

you reach the pedals and increase your seating

distance from the steering wheel.

Material. Special handling may apply – see http://

www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlorate. Obey

all applicable legal requirements regarding handling

and disposal of the vehicle or parts of its restraint

system, including airbag modules and safety belts

with pretensioners. Authorized Volkswagen dealers

and authorized Volkswagen Service Facilities are fa-

miliar with the requirements, and we recommend

that you have them perform this service for you.

If you are unrestrained, leaning forward, sitting

sideways or out of position in any way, your risk

of injury is much higher.

·

You will also receive serious injuries and could

even be killed if you are up against the airbag or

too close to it when it inflates.

·

To reduce the risk of injury when an airbag in-

flates, always wear safety belts properly. See

→ page 36, Safety belts.

·

Airbag system

An infant in a rearward-facing child restraint in-

Introduction

·

stalled on the front passenger seat will be seri-

ously injured and can be killed if the front airbag

inflates.

Your vehicle is equipped with a front airbag for the

driver and front seat passenger. The front airbags

can provide additional protection for the chest and

head of the driver and the front seat passenger

when seats, safety belts, head restraints and, for the

driver, the steering wheel, are properly used and

have been properly adjusted. Airbags are only sup-

plemental restraints. They are not a substitute for

safety belts that must be worn even though the

front seating positions are equipped with front air-

bags.

Always make certain that children age 12 or

·

younger always ride in the rear seat. If children

are not properly restrained, they may be severe-

ly injured or killed when an airbag inflates.

Never let children ride unrestrained or improp-

erly restrained in the vehicle.

·

Never put your feet on the instrument panel or

·

on the seat. Always keep both feet on the floor

in front of the seat to help prevent serious inju-

ries to the head, legs and hips if the airbag in-

flates.

WARNING

Never rely on airbags alone for protection.

44

Safety

Be careful not to get the dust into your eyes or

into any cuts, scratches, or open wounds.

·

WARNING

Objects between you and the airbag will increase

the risk of injury in a crash by interfering with the

way the airbag unfolds or by being pushed into

you as the airbag inflates.

If the residue should get into your eyes, flush

them with water.

WARNING

Never hold things in your hands or on your lap

when the vehicle is moving.

·

Using solvents or other improper cleaning prod-

ucts on surfaces where airbags are located can

change the way airbags deploy in a crash.

Never transport items on or in the area of the

·

front passenger seat. Objects could move into

the area of the front airbags during braking or

other sudden maneuvers and fly dangerously

through the passenger compartment when an

airbag inflates.

Products containing solvents will change the

·

properties of the plastics and may cause plastic

parts to break and fly around when the airbag

deploys in a crash, causing injury.

Never use solvents or cleaners on the steering

·

Always make sure that the airbag deployment

·

wheel horn pad or on the instrument panel be-

cause they can damage the airbag cover or

change the stiffness or strength of the material

so that the airbag cannot deploy and protect

properly.

zones are clear at all times. Never let any thing

or object, a pet, or a person, including an infant

or small child, be in the space between any ve-

hicle occupant and any airbag at any time.

WARNING

When cleaning the horn pad and instrument

panel, use only a soft, dry cloth or a cloth mois-

tened with plain water.

·

An airbag works only once. Airbags that have de-

ployed in a crash must be replaced.

Deployed airbags and the related system parts

·

must be replaced immediately with new parts

approved by Volkswagen for the vehicle model

and model year.

Advanced Airbag System, infants,

child restraints, and children on the

front seat

Have repairs and vehicle modifications per-

·

formed by an authorized Volkswagen dealer or

authorized Volkswagen Service Facility. Author-

ized Volkswagen dealers and authorized Volks-

wagen Service Facilities have the required tools,

diagnostic equipment, repair information, and

trained personnel to properly replace any airbag

in your vehicle and assure system effectiveness

in a crash.

Please read the introductory information and

heed the Warnings and Notice

on page 44.

Be sure to read the important information and the

WARNINGS for important details about children and

Advanced Airbags → page 64, Child safety and

child restraints.

Never permit salvaged or recycled airbags to be

installed in your vehicle.

·

The Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle has

been certified to comply with the requirements of

the United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety

Standard (FMVSS) 208, as well as Canada Motor Ve-

hicle Safety Standard (CMVSS) 208 as applicable at

the time your vehicle was manufactured. According

to requirements, the front Advanced Airbag System

on the passenger side has been certified for “sup-

pression” for infants of about 12 months old and

younger and for “low risk deployment” for children

aged 3 to 6 years old (as defined in the standard).

Never modify any components of the airbag

system.

·

WARNING

Fine dust released when airbags deploy can irritate

the skin, eyes, and mucous membranes as well as

cause breathing problems for people who suffer

from asthma or other respiratory conditions.

To reduce the risk of breathing problems, those

·

Even though your vehicle is equipped with an Ad-

vanced Airbag System, make certain that all children,

especially 12 years and younger, always ride on the

back seat properly restrained for their age and size.

The airbag on the front passenger side makes the

front seat a potentially dangerous place for a child

to ride. The front seat is not the safest place for

a child in a forward-facing child restraint. It is a very

with asthma or other respiratory conditions

should get fresh air right away by getting out of

the vehicle or opening windows or doors.

If you are in a collision in which airbags deploy,

wash your hands and face with mild soap and

water before eating.

·

Airbag system

45

dangerous place for an infant or a child in a rear-

ward-facing seat.

functioning properly whenever the ignition is on. Ev-

ery time you turn on the ignition, the airbag system

indicator light will come on for a few seconds

(function check).

DANGER

The front seat of any vehicle can be a dangerous

place for a child - even with an Advanced Airbag

System.

The airbag system must be inspected if the airbag

indicator light

— does not light up when the ignition is switched

on,

If the front airbag inflates, a child or infant who

·

— is unrestrained on the front seat,

— does not go out a few seconds after you have

switched on the ignition,

— is in an improperly installed forward-facing

child restraint on the front seat, or

— goes out and then lights up again or blinks after

the ignition is switched on,

— is in any rearward-facing child restraint on

the front seat will be seriously injured and

can be killed.

— or if it lights up or blinks while driving.

If an airbag system malfunction is detected, the air-

bag indicator light comes on and stays on to alert

the driver to the problem. It also reminds you to

have the airbag system checked immediately by an

authorized Volkswagen dealer or an authorized

Volkswagen Service Facility. If a malfunction occurs

that turns the front airbag on the passenger side off,

Even though your vehicle is equipped with an

·

Advanced Airbag System, make certain that all

children, especially 12 years and younger, al-

ways ride on the back seat properly restrained

for their age and size.

Always properly install rearward-facing child re-

·

straints or infant carriers and forward-facing

child restraints on the rear seat - even with an

Advanced Airbag System.

the PASSENGER AIR BAG

light → page 47,

PASSENGER AIR BAG

light will come on and

stay on whenever the ignition is on.

WARNING

An airbag system and safety belt pretensioner that

are not working properly cannot provide supple-

mental protection in a frontal crash.

Monitoring the Advanced Airbag

System

If the airbag indicator light comes on, it means

·

Please read the introductory information and

that there may be something wrong with the

Advanced Airbag System. It is possible that the

airbag will inflate when it is not supposed to, or

will not inflate when it should.

heed the Warnings and Notice

on page 44.

The Advanced Airbag System as well as the side air-

bags and Side Curtain Protection^®airbags with ejec-

tion mitigation features (including the electronic

control unit, sensors and system wiring) are all

monitored continuously to make sure that they are

Have the airbag system inspected immediately

by your authorized Volkswagen dealer or au-

thorized Volkswagen Service Facility.

·

46

Safety

PASSENGER AIR BAG

light

Please read the introductory information and heed the Warnings and Notice

on page 44.

Fig. 33 In the instrument panel: PASSENGER AIR BAG

light.

On

Location

Possible cause

Solution

See your authorized Volkswagen deal-

Airbag and safety belt preten- er or authorized Volkswagen Service

Instrument cluster

sioner system malfunction.

Facility immediately to have the sys-

tem checked.

See your authorized Volkswagen deal-

er or authorized Volkswagen Service

Facility immediately to have the sys-

tem checked.

Airbag system malfunction.

Instrument panel

→ fig. 33

Front passenger airbag turned Check if the airbag must stay turned

off by Advanced Airbag System. off.

The PASSENGER AIR BAG

light → fig. 33 will

— the ignition is switched on and

come on and stay on to tell you when the front Ad-

vanced Airbag System on the passenger side has

been turned off by the electronic control unit.

— the capacitive passenger detection system, which

switches the front seat passenger's front Ad-

vanced Airbag on and off, detects a change in the

status of the front passenger seat.

If the PASSENGER AIR BAG

light burns out, the

airbag indicator light → page 46, Monitoring the

Advanced Airbag System will come on and signal

a malfunction in the Advanced Airbag System. Al-

though the burned-out light will not change the way

the front airbag on the passenger side works, it will

no longer be possible to use the PASSEN-

After the PASSENGER AIR BAG

blinking, always make sure that the airbag status (on

or off) as shown by the PASSENGER AIR BAG

light is proper for the size, age, and weight (electri-

cal capacitance) of the occupant on the front pas-

senger seat. Always make sure that the safety belt

for the front passenger seat is properly fastened.

light stops

GER AIR BAG

light to make sure that the air-

bag on/off status is correct for the occupant on the

front passenger seat. Have the airbag system in-

spected immediately by your authorized Volkswagen

dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.

The PASSENGER AIR BAG

light will show the

status of the front seat passenger's front Advanced

Airbag System a few seconds after the ignition has

been switched on and the airbag monitoring light

The PASSENGER AIR BAG

about 5 seconds when:

light will blink for

goes off. The PASSENGER AIR BAG

light:

Airbag system

47

— will stay on if the front passenger seat is not oc-

cupied;

— remove and reinstall the child restraint. Make sure

that the child restraint is properly installed and

that the safety belt for the front passenger seat

has been correctly routed around or through the

child restraint as described in the child restraint

manufacturer's instructions;

— will stay on if the electrical capacitance measured

by the capacitive passenger detection system for

the front passenger seat equals the combined ca-

pacitance of an infant up to about 1 year of age

and one of the rearward-facing or forward-facing

child restraints listed in Federal Motor Vehicle

Safety Standard 208 with which the Advanced

Airbag System in your vehicle was certified. For

a listing of the child restraints that were used to

certify your vehicle's compliance with the U.S.

Safety Standard → page 64, Child safety and

child restraints;

— make sure that the switchable locking feature on

the safety belt for the front passenger seat has

been activated and that the safety belt has been

pulled tight;

— make sure that no electrical device (such as a lap-

top, CD player, or electronic games device) is

placed or used on the front passenger seat;

— make sure that no seat heater has been retrofit-

ted or otherwise added to the front passenger

seat;

— will go out if the front passenger seat is occupied

by an adult as registered by the capacitive pas-

senger detection system.

— make sure that nothing can interfere with the

safety belt buckles and that they are not ob-

structed;

The PASSENGER AIR BAG

light must come on

and stay on if the ignition is on and…

— make sure that there are no wet objects (such as

a wet towel) and no water or other liquids on the

front passenger seat cushion.

— a car bed has been installed on the front passen-

ger seat, or

— a rearward-facing child restraint has been instal-

led on the front passenger seat, or

If the PASSENGER AIR BAG

come on…

light still does not

— a forward-facing child restraint has been installed

on the front passenger seat,

If the PASSENGER AIR BAG

light still does not

come on and does not stay on continuously (when

the ignition is switched on), take the child restraint

off the front passenger seat and install it properly at

one of the rear seat positions. Have the airbag sys-

tem inspected immediately by your authorized

Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Serv-

ice Facility.

— and if the electrical capacitance registered on the

front passenger seat is equal to or less than the

combined capacitance of a typical 1 year-old in-

fant and one of the rearward-facing or forward-

facing child restraints listed in Federal Motor Ve-

hicle Safety Standard 208 with which the Ad-

vanced Airbag System in your vehicle was certi-

fied.

The PASSENGER AIR BAG

come on…

light should NOT

If the front passenger seat is not occupied, the front

passenger airbag will not deploy, and the PASSEN-

The PASSENGER AIR BAG

light should NOT

GER AIR BAG

light will stay on.

come on when the ignition is on and an adult is sit-

ting in a proper seating position on the front passen-

Never install a rearward-facing child restraint on the

front passenger seat. The safest place for a child in

any kind of child restraint is on the rear seat

→ page 44, Airbag system, and → page 64, Child

safety and child restraints.

ger seat. If the PASSENGER AIR BAG

light

comes on and stays on under these circumstances,

make sure that:

— the adult on the front passenger seat is properly

seated on the center of the seat cushion with his

or her back up against the backrest and the back-

rest is not reclined;

If the PASSENGER AIR BAG

light comes on…

If the PASSENGER AIR BAG

light comes on

when one of the conditions listed above is met, be

sure to check the light regularly to make certain that

— the safety belt is being properly worn and that

there is not a lot of slack in the safety belt web-

bing;

the PASSENGER AIR BAG

uously whenever the ignition is on. If the PASSEN-

GER AIR BAG light does not come on and stay

light stays on contin-

— there are no aftermarket seat covers or cushions

or other things (such as blankets) on the front

passenger seat that might cause the capacitive

passenger detection system to miscalculate elec-

trical capacitance.

on all the time, stop as soon as it is safe to do so

AND

— reactivate the airbag system by turning the igni-

tion off for more than 4 seconds and then turning

it on again;

48

Safety

Have the airbag system inspected by your au-

thorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volks-

wagen Service Facility before transporting any-

one on the front passenger seat.

·

WARNING

If the status of the Advanced Airbag System has

changed while the vehicle is moving, the PASSEN-

GER AIR BAG

light blinks for about 5 seconds

If the capacitive passenger detection system

determines that the front passenger seat is

empty, the front airbag on the passenger side will be

to catch the driver's attention. If this happens, al-

ways stop as soon as it is safe to do so and check

the steps described above.

turned off, and the PASSENGER AIR BAG

will stay on.

light

WARNING

If the PASSENGER AIR BAG

light does not go

If the front passenger safety belt itself is

off when an adult who is not very small is sitting

on the front passenger seat after taking the steps

described above, make sure the adult is properly

seated and restrained at one of the rear seating

positions.

buckled and the front passenger seat is not

occupied, the PASSENGER AIR BAG

come on and stay on.

light will

Airbags inflate in the blink of an eye, so fast that

many people don't even realize that the airbags have

deployed. The airbags will deflate immediately after

deployment so that the front occupants can see

through the windshield again without interruption.

Airbags and how they work

Please read the introductory information and

heed the Warnings and Notice

on page 44.

Airbags inflate with a great deal of force. Airbags

can cause serious injuries when they inflate and hit

those who are sitting too close, are out of position,

or are not properly restrained. By keeping room be-

tween your body and the steering wheel and the

front of the passenger compartment, the airbag can

inflate fully and completely and provide supplemen-

tal protection during certain frontal collisions

→ page 36, Safety belts.

Front airbags and how they work

Airbags are only supplemental restraints. They are

not a substitute for safety belts that must be worn

even though the front seating positions are equip-

ped with front airbags. The front airbags can provide

additional protection for the chest and head of the

driver and the front seat passenger when seats,

safety belts, head restraints and, for the driver, the

steering wheel, are properly used and have been

properly adjusted.

Make sure that nothing is in the way of the airbags

when they deploy. For example, things on your lap

or on the seat could be pushed into your body or fly

dangerously through the passenger compartment

when the airbag inflates and cause serious personal

injury.

When the airbag system deploys in a collision, a gas

generator fills the airbags that break open the pad-

ded covers on the steering wheel and the instru-

ment panel. The front airbags inflate between the

steering wheel and the driver and between the in-

strument panel and the front passenger.

The areas outlined in red (dotted lines) → fig. 34 and

→ fig. 35 indicate the airbag deployment zone. Nev-

er place or attach accessories or other objects (such

as cup holders, telephone brackets, note pads, large,

heavy or bulky objects) on the doors, on the wind-

shield, over or near the area marked in red (dotted

lines).

Front airbags in combination with properly worn

safety belts slow down and limit the occupant's for-

ward movement. Together they help to prevent the

driver and front seat passenger from hitting parts of

the vehicle interior, thereby reducing the forces act-

ing on the occupants during a crash. In this way,

they help to reduce the risk of injury to the head and

upper body during a crash. Airbags do not provide

protection for the arms and lower body parts. It is

important to remember that the supplemental air-

bag system is designed to reduce the likelihood of

serious injuries. However, it is possible that a de-

ployed airbag may cause other injuries such as swel-

ling, bruising, friction burns, and abrasions.

Physical impairments and airbags

If you have a physical impairment or condition that

prevents you from sitting properly on the driver seat

with the safety belt properly fastened and reaching

the pedals, special modifications to your vehicle may

be necessary. The safety belt and airbag can only

provide optimum protection if you are seated cor-

rectly and can reach the pedals.

Airbag system

49

Contact your authorized Volkswagen dealer or au-

thorized Volkswagen Service Facility or call the

Volkswagen Customer CARE Center at

The airbags are part of the overall passive vehicle

safety system. The airbag system works most effi-

ciently when used with properly worn safety belts

1-800-822-8987 for information about possible

modifications to your vehicle.

and a proper seating position →

on page 33.

in Introduction

When airbags deploy

Safety equipment

Deployment of the front airbags and the activation

of the safety belt pretensioners depend on the de-

celeration measured by the crash sensors and regis-

tered by the electronic control unit. Crash severity

depends on speed and deceleration as well as the

mass and stiffness of the vehicle or object involved

in the crash.

Your safety and the safety of your passengers

shouldn't be left to chance. Advances in technology

have made a number of features available to help

reduce the risk of injury in a collision. The following

are just a few of the safety features for your Volks-

wagen:

— Sophisticated safety belts for all seating positions.

The front airbags will not inflate in side or rear colli-

sions, in rollovers or if the ignition is switched off.

The front airbags will not inflate in all frontal colli-

sions. The triggering of the airbag system depends

on the vehicle deceleration rate caused by the colli-

sion and registered by the electronic control unit. If

this rate is below the reference value programmed

into the control unit, the airbags will not be trig-

gered, even though the vehicle may be badly dam-

aged as a result of the collision. Vehicle damage, re-

pair costs or even the lack of vehicle damage is not

necessarily an indication of whether an airbag

should inflate or not. It is not possible to define

a range of vehicle speeds that will cover every possi-

ble kind and angle of impact that will always trigger

the airbags, since the circumstances will vary con-

siderably between one collision and another. Impor-

tant factors include, for example, the nature (hard or

soft) of the object that the vehicle hits, the angle of

impact, vehicle speed, etc.

— Safety belt pretensioners for the driver and front

passenger.

— Safety belt load limiters for the front and rear

outboard seating positions.

— Safety belt height adjusters for the front seats.

— Safety belt warning light.

— Advanced front airbag system for the driver and

front passenger.

— Sensors for the capacitive front seat passenger

detection system.

— Side airbags for the driver and front passenger.

Side Curtain Protection^®airbags with ejection

mitigation features.

—

— Airbag indicator light

— PASSENGER AIR BAG

.

light.

— Electronic control unit and associated sensors.

— Head restraints with height adjustment optimized

for rear-end collisions.

When an airbag deploys, fine dust is released. This is

normal and is not caused by a fire in the vehicle. This

dust is made up mostly of a powder used to lubri-

cate the airbags as they deploy. This dust could irri-

tate skin and eyes and cause breathing problems for

people with asthma or other respiratory conditions.

— Adjustable steering column.

— LATCH/UAS lower universal anchorages for child

restraints at the rear outboard seating positions.

— Top tether anchorages for child restraints at all

rear seating positions.

Always remember: Front airbags only supplement

the 3 point safety belts in some frontal collisions on-

ly when the vehicle deceleration is high enough to

deploy the airbags. Airbags only deploy once, and

only in certain kinds of collisions. The safety belts

are always there to offer protection in situations in

which airbags should not deploy or when they have

already deployed, for example, when your vehicle

strikes or is struck by another vehicle after an initial

collision.

These individual safety features can work together

as a system to help protect you and your passengers

in a wide range of collisions. These features can't

work as a system if they are not always correctly ad-

justed and properly used!

How the Advanced Airbag System components work

together…

On the passenger side, regardless of safety belt use,

the front passenger front airbag will be turned off if

the electrical capacitance measured by the capaci-

tive passenger detection system on the front pas-

senger seat is less than the amount programmed in

the electronic control unit. The front airbag on the

passenger side will also be turned off if the capaci-

This is just one of the reasons why an airbag is

a supplementary restraint and is not a substitute for

a safety belt. The airbag system works most effec-

tively when used with the safety belts. Therefore, al-

ways buckle up properly and wear your safety belts.

50

Safety

tance measured by the system for the front passen-

ger seat equals that of an infant of about 1 year of

age in one of the child restraints that was used to

certify the Advanced Airbag System under Federal

Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208. The PASSEN-

Always make certain that children age 12 or

younger always ride in the rear seat. If children

are not properly restrained, they may be severe-

ly injured or killed when the airbag inflates.

·

Never let children ride unrestrained or improp-

erly restrained in the vehicle.

GER AIR BAG

light comes on and stays on to

tell you when the front Advanced Airbag System on

the passenger side has been turned off → page 47,

Adjust the front seats properly.

·

PASSENGER AIR BAG

light.

Never ride with the backrest reclined.

Always sit as far as possible from the steering

wheel or the instrument panel.

WARNING

Never rely on airbags alone for protection.

Always sit upright with your back against the

backrest of your seat.

·

Even when they deploy, airbags provide only

supplemental protection.

·

Never put your feet on the instrument panel or

on the seat.

Airbags work most effectively when used with

properly worn safety belts → page 36, Safety

belts.

·

Always keep both feet on the floor in front of

the seat to help prevent serious injuries to the

head, legs and hips if the airbag inflates.

The driver must always make sure that every

·

person in the vehicle is properly seated on

a seat of his or her own, properly fastens the

safety belts belonging to that seat before the

vehicle starts to move, and keeps the belts

properly fastened while riding in the vehicle.

This applies even when just driving around

town. Therefore, always wear your safety belts

and make sure that everybody in your vehicle is

properly restrained.

WARNING

Objects between you and the airbag will increase

the risk of injury in a crash by interfering with the

way the airbag unfolds and/or by being pushed in-

to you as the airbag inflates.

Never hold things in your hands or on your lap

when the vehicle is moving.

·

Never place accessories or other objects (such

·

WARNING

as cup holders, telephone brackets, or things

that are large, heavy, or bulky) on the doors or

attach them to the doors; never place them

over or near the area marked AIRBAG on the

steering wheel, instrument panel, or seat backr-

ests or between those areas and someone in

the vehicle. These objects could cause injury in

a crash, especially if an airbag inflates.

Sitting too close to the steering wheel or instru-

ment panel will decrease the effectiveness of the

airbags and will increase the risk of personal injury

in a collision.

Never sit less than 10 inches (25 cm) from the

steering wheel or instrument panel.

·

If you cannot sit upright more than 10 inches

·

Never recline the front passenger seat to trans-

·

(25 cm) from the steering wheel, investigate

whether adaptive equipment may be available

to help you reach the pedals and increase your

seating distance from the steering wheel.

port objects. Items can also move into the de-

ployment area of the side airbags or the front

airbag during braking or in a sudden maneuver.

Objects near the airbags can fly dangerously

through the passenger compartment and cause

injury, particularly when the seat is reclined and

the airbags inflate.

If you are unrestrained, leaning forward, sitting

sideways, or out of position in any way, your

risk of injury is much higher.

·

Never place or transport objects on the front

You can also be seriously injured and even be

killed if you are sitting too close to the airbag

when it inflates.

·

passenger seat. Always make sure that there is

nothing on the front passenger seat that will

cause the capacitive sensor in the seat to signal

to the airbag system that the seat is occupied

by a person when it in fact is not, or that the

person on the seat is heavier than he or she ac-

tually is. The change in electric capacitance be-

cause of such objects can cause the passenger

front airbag to be turned on when it should be

off, or can cause the airbag to work in a way

To reduce the risk of injury when an airbag in-

flates, always wear safety belts properly.

·

An infant in a rearward-facing child restraint in-

·

stalled on the front passenger seat will be seri-

ously injured and can be killed if the front airbag

inflates – even with an Advanced Airbag Sys-

tem.

Airbag system

51

that is different from the way it would have

worked without objects on the seat.

Never permit salvaged or recycled airbags to be

installed in your vehicle.

·

Always make sure that the status signaled by

·

the PASSENGER AIR BAG

light is correct

for the way that the front passenger seat is be-

ing used.

The dangers of using child re-

straints on the front seat

WARNING

Please read the introductory information and

The fine dust created when airbags deploy can

cause breathing problems for people with asthma

or other breathing conditions.

heed the Warnings and Notice

on page 44.

The airbag on the front passenger side makes the

front seat a potentially dangerous place for a child

to ride, even if the vehicle is equipped with an Ad-

vanced Airbag System. The front seat is a very dan-

gerous place for an infant or small child in a rear-

ward facing child restraint. The front seat is also not

the safest place for a child in a forward-facing child

restraint. All children, especially 12 years and young-

er, must always ride on the back seat and be proper-

ly restrained for their age and size.

To reduce the risk of breathing problems, those

·

with asthma or other respiratory conditions

should get fresh air right away by getting out of

the vehicle or opening windows or doors.

If you are in a collision in which airbags deploy,

wash your hands and face with mild soap and

water before eating.

·

Be careful not to get the dust into your eyes, or

into any cuts, scratches, or open wounds.

·

During a frontal collision, a child restraint or infant

carrier on the front seat could be hit and knocked

out of position by the inflating front passenger air-

bag. The airbag could significantly reduce the effec-

tiveness of the child restraint and even seriously in-

jure a child while deploying.

If the residue should get into your eyes, flush

them with water.

·

WARNING

To reduce the risk of serious injury, make sure that

the PASSENGER AIR BAG

light is on and

Because of this danger, and because children are

generally better protected on the rear seat when

properly restrained for their age and size, we strong-

ly urge you to always make sure that children ride on

the rear seat → page 64, Child safety and child re-

straints, and → page 44, Airbag system.

stays on whenever a child restraint is installed on

the front passenger seat and the ignition is

switched on.

If the PASSENGER AIR BAG

light does not

·

stay on, take the child restraint off the front

passenger seat and install it properly at one of

the rear seating positions.

DANGER

Always make sure that the child restraint is cor-

rectly registered by the capacitive passenger

detection system.

·

A front seat passenger, especially an infant or

small child, will be seriously injured and can even

be killed if too close to the airbag when it deploys

– even an Advanced Airbag.

Have the airbag system inspected immediately

by your authorized Volkswagen dealer or au-

thorized Volkswagen Service Facility if the PAS-

All vehicle occupants and especially children

·

must be restrained properly whenever riding in

a vehicle. An unrestrained or improperly re-

strained child could be injured by striking the in-

terior or by being ejected from the vehicle dur-

ing a sudden maneuver or impact. An unre-

strained or improperly restrained child is also at

greater risk of injury or death through contact

with an inflating airbag.

SENGER AIR BAG

light does not come on

and stay on whenever a child restraint is instal-

led on the front passenger seat and the ignition

is switched on.

WARNING

Airbags that have deployed in a crash must be re-

placed.

Accident statistics show that children are safer

on the rear seat than on the front seat.

·

Use only original equipment airbags approved

·

by Volkswagen and installed by a trained tech-

nician who has the necessary tools and diagnos-

tic equipment to properly replace any airbag on

your vehicle and assure system effectiveness in

a crash.

A suitable child restraint properly installed and

·

used at one of the rear seating positions pro-

vides the highest degree of protection for in-

fants and small children in most accident situa-

tions.

52

Safety

Although the Advanced Airbag System has been

designed to switch off when an infant or small

child is on the front passenger seat in a child re-

straint that was used during the certification

process for the Advanced Airbag System, no one

can guarantee with absolute certainty that the

airbag will never deploy under these particular

conditions in all conceivable situations for the

duration of your vehicle's use.

Volkswagen dealer or an authorized Volkswagen

Service Facility.

·

WARNING

Forward-facing child restraints installed on the

front passenger seat may interfere with the de-

ployment of the airbag and cause serious personal

injury to the child.

If exceptional circumstances require the use of

·

The Advanced Airbag System can deploy in ac-

cordance with the “low risk” option for 3 to

6 year-old children under the U.S. Federal

Standard if a child with electrical capacitance

greater than the combined capacitance of a typ-

ical 1 year-old infant restrained in one of the

forward facing or rearward-facing child re-

straints with which your vehicle was certified is

on the front passenger seat and the other con-

ditions for airbag deployment are met.

a forward-facing child restraint on the front

passenger seat, the following special precau-

tions must be taken for the safety and well-be-

ing of the child:

— Always make sure that the forward-facing

child restraint has been designed and certi-

fied for use on a front passenger seat with

a front airbag and a side airbag.

— Always carefully follow the manufacturer's

instructions provided for the child restraint or

infant carrier.

For their own safety, all children, especially

12 years and younger, must always ride on the

back seat properly restrained for their age and

size.

·

— Never install a child restraint without a prop-

erly attached top tether strap if the child re-

straint manufacturer's instructions require

the top tether strap for proper installation, or

if required by law. For example, the use of

a top tether strap for forward-facing child re-

straints is required by law in Canada.

When installing a child restraint, always careful-

ly follow the manufacturer's instructions.

DANGER

Children on the front seat of any vehicle, even one

with Advanced Airbags, can be seriously injured or

even killed when an airbag inflates.

— Never put the forward-facing child restraint

up against or very near the instrument panel.

— Always set the safety belt upper anchorage

to the adjustment position that permits

proper installation in accordance with the

child restraint manufacturer's instructions.

A child in a rearward-facing child restraint in-

·

stalled on the front passenger seat will be seri-

ously injured and can be killed if the front airbag

inflates.

— Always move the front passenger seat to the

highest position in the up and down adjust-

ment range and move it back to the rearmost

position in the seat's fore and aft adjustment

range, as far away from the airbag as possi-

ble, before installing the forward-facing child

restraint.

The inflating airbag will hit the child restraint or

·

infant carrier with great force and will smash

the child restraint and the child against the seat

backrest, center armrest, door, or roof.

Always install rearward-facing child restraints

on the rear seat.

·

Although the Advanced Airbag System in your

·

— Always make sure that the safety belt upper

anchorage is behind the child restraint and

not next to or in front of the child restraint so

that the safety belt will be properly posi-

tioned.

vehicle is designed to turn off the front airbag

when a rearward-facing child restraint has been

installed on the front passenger seat, nobody

can absolutely guarantee that deployment is

impossible in all conceivable situations that may

happen during the useful life of your vehicle.

— Always make sure that nothing is in the way

that prevents the front passenger seat from

being moved all the way back to the rear-

most position in its fore and aft adjustment

range.

If you have, in exceptional circumstances, nev-

ertheless decided to install a rearward-facing

child restraint on the front passenger seat and

·

the PASSENGER AIR BAG

light does not

— Always make sure that the backrest is in the

upright position.

come on and stay on whenever the ignition is

on, immediately install the rearward-facing seat

in a rear seating position and have the airbag

system inspected immediately by an authorized

— Never place additional items on the seat that

can influence the electrical capacitance

Airbag system

53

measured by the capacitive passenger detec-

tion system.

gen dealer or an authorized Volkswagen

Service Facility.

— Always make sure that the PASSEN-

Always buckle the child restraint firmly in place

even when no child is sitting in it. A loose child

restraint can fly around the vehicle during

a sudden stop or in a collision.

·

GER AIR BAG

light comes on and stays

on all the time whenever the ignition is

switched on.

— If the PASSENGER AIR BAG

light does

Always read and heed all WARNINGS whenever

using a child restraint in the vehicle: → page 36,

Safety belts, → page 44, Airbag system, and

→ page 64, Child safety and child restraints.

not come on and stay on, immediately install

the forward-facing child restraint in a seating

position on the rear seat and have the airbag

system inspected by an authorized Volkswa-

Front airbags

Please read the introductory information and heed the Warnings and Notice

on page 44.

Fig. 34 Location and deployment zone of the driver front airbag.

Fig. 35 Location and deployment zone of the front passenger front airbag.

The vehicle is equipped with an Advanced Airbag

System in compliance with the United States Federal

Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 208 or the

Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (CMVSS) 208

applicable at the time your vehicle was manufac-

tured. The airbag for the driver is in the steering

wheel hub → fig. 34 and the airbag for the front

passenger is in the instrument panel → fig. 35

The general location of the airbags is marked “AIR-

BAG.”

.

54

Safety

The safety belts for the front seating positions have

safety belt pretensioners which help take up slack in

the belts. The airbag control unit also activates the

belt pretensioners → page 43, Safety belt retractor,

pretensioner, load limiter.

when a rearward-facing child restraint has been

installed on the front passenger seat, nobody

can absolutely guarantee that deployment is

impossible in all conceivable situations that may

happen during the useful life of your vehicle.

If you have, in exceptional circumstances, nev-

ertheless decided to install a rearward-facing

child restraint on the front passenger seat and

The safety belts for the front and rear outboard

seating positions also have belt load limiters to re-

duce the forces acting on a body during an accident.

·

the PASSENGER AIR BAG

light does not

The areas marked in red (dotted lines) → fig. 34

and → fig. 35 indicate the airbag deployment

zone. Never place or attach accessories or other ob-

jects (such as cup holders, telephone brackets, note

pads, na vigation systems, large, heavy or bulky ob-

jects) on the doors, on the windshield, over or near

the area marked in red (dotted lines).

come on and stay on whenever the ignition is

on, immediately install the rearward-facing seat

in a rear seating position and have the airbag

system inspected immediately by an authorized

Volkswagen dealer or an authorized Volkswagen

Service Facility.

DANGER

Front airbags will not deploy:

— if the ignition is switched off when a crash occurs,

— in side collisions,

A front seat passenger, especially an infant or

small child, will be seriously injured and can even

be killed if too close to the airbag when it deploys

– even an Advanced Airbag.

— in rear-end collisions,

— in rollovers,

All vehicle occupants and especially children

·

must be restrained properly whenever riding in

a vehicle. An unrestrained or improperly re-

strained child could be injured by striking the in-

terior or by being ejected from the vehicle dur-

ing a sudden maneuver or impact. An unre-

strained or improperly restrained child is also at

greater risk of injury or death through contact

with an inflating airbag.

— when the crash deceleration measured by the air-

bag system is less than the minimum threshold

needed for airbag deployment as registered by

the electronic control unit.

The front passenger front airbag will also not de-

ploy:

— when the front passenger seat is not occupied,

Accident statistics show that children are safer

on the rear seat than on the front seat.

·

— when the electrical capacitance measured by the

capacitive passenger detection system for the

front passenger seat indicates that the passenger

side front airbag must be switched off by the

electronic control unit (the PASSENGER AIR BAG

light comes on and stays on → page 47, PAS-

A suitable child restraint properly installed and

·

used at one of the rear seating positions pro-

vides the highest degree of protection for in-

fants and small children in most accident situa-

tions.

SENGER AIR BAG

light).

An Advanced Airbag System can deploy with the

·

DANGER

“low risk” option for 3 to 6 year-old children

when a child who is heavier than the combined

capacitance of a typical 1 year-old child plus

child restraint is secured on the passenger seat

in a forward-facing or rear-facing child restraint

that was used to certify your vehicle, and when

the other conditions for airbag deployment are

met.

Children on the front seat of any vehicle, even one

with Advanced Airbags, can be seriously injured or

even killed when an airbag inflates.

A child in a rearward-facing child restraint in-

·

stalled on the front passenger seat will be seri-

ously injured and can be killed if the front airbag

inflates.

For their own safety, all children, especially

·

The inflating airbag will hit the child restraint or

·

those 12 years and younger, must always sit on

the back seat, properly restrained for their age

and size.

infant carrier with great force and will smash

the child restraint and the child against the seat

backrest, center armrest, door, or roof.

When installing a child restraint, always careful-

ly follow the manufacturer's instructions.

·

Always install rearward-facing child restraints

on the rear seat.

·

If the airbag indicator light goes on while driv-

ing, have the system inspected immediately by

your authorized Volkswagen dealer or author-

·

Although the Advanced Airbag System in your

vehicle is designed to turn off the front airbag

·

Airbag system

55

ized Volkswagen Service Facility. A lit indicator

light means the airbags may not work properly

if activated in a crash.

Always make sure that the status signaled by

·

the PASSENGER AIR BAG

light is correct

for the way that the front passenger seat is be-

ing used.

Always make sure that the status signaled by

·

the PASSENGER AIR BAG

light is correct

WARNING

for the way that the front passenger seat is be-

ing used.

Holding the steering wheel the wrong way can

cause serious injuries to the hands, arms, and head

if the driver's airbag inflates.

WARNING

Objects between you and the airbag will increase

the risk of injury in a crash by interfering with the

way the airbag unfolds and/or by being pushed in-

to you as the airbag inflates.

Always hold the steering wheel with both hands

·

on the outside of the steering wheel rim at the

9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions to help reduce

the risk of personal injury if the driver's airbag

inflates.

Never hold things in your hands or on your lap

when the vehicle is moving.

·

Never hold the steering wheel at the 12 o'clock

·

position or with your hands anywhere inside the

steering wheel or on the steering wheel hub.

Holding the steering wheel the wrong way in-

creases the risk of severe injury to the arms,

hands, and head if the driver airbag deploys.

Never place accessories or other objects (such

·

as cup holders, telephone brackets, notepads,

navigation systems, or things that are large,

heavy, or bulky) on the doors or attach them to

the doors; never place them over or near the

area marked “AIRBAG” on the steering wheel,

instrument panel, or seat backrests, or between

those areas and someone in the vehicle

→ fig. 34 and → fig. 35. Such objects could

cause serious injury in a collision, especially if an

airbag inflates.

WARNING

The fine dust created when airbags deploy can

cause breathing problems for people with asthma

or other breathing conditions.

To reduce the risk of breathing problems, those

·

Never attach accessories to the windshield

·

with asthma or other respiratory conditions

should get fresh air right away by getting out of

the vehicle or opening windows or doors.

above the passenger front airbag, such as GPS

navigation units or music players. Such objects

could cause serious injury in a collision, espe-

cially if an airbag inflates.

If you are in a collision in which airbags deploy,

wash your hands and face with mild soap and

water before eating.

·

Never recline the front passenger seat to trans-

·

port objects. Items can also move into the de-

ployment area of the side airbags or the front

airbag during braking or in a sudden maneuver.

Objects near the airbags can fly dangerously

through the passenger compartment and cause

injury, particularly when the seat is reclined and

the airbags inflate.

Be careful not to get the dust into your eyes, or

into any cuts, scratches, or open wounds.

·

If the residue should get into your eyes, flush

them with water.

·

WARNING

Always make sure that there is nothing on the

Airbags that have deployed in a crash must be re-

placed.

·

front passenger seat that will cause the capaci-

tive passenger detection system in the seat to

signal to the Airbag System that the seat is oc-

cupied by a person when it is not, or to signal

that it is occupied by someone who is heavier

than the person actually sitting on the seat. The

presence of an object could cause the passen-

ger front airbag to be turned on when it should

be off, or could cause the airbag to work in

a way that is different from the way it would

have worked without the object on the seat.

Use only original equipment airbags approved

·

by Volkswagen and installed by a trained tech-

nician who has the necessary tools and diagnos-

tic equipment to properly replace any airbag on

your vehicle and assure system effectiveness in

a crash.

Never permit salvaged or recycled airbags to be

installed in your vehicle.

·

Undeployed airbag modules and safety belt

pretensioners are classified as Perchlorate

Material. Special handling may apply – see http://

www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlorate. Obey

all applicable legal requirements regarding handling

Always make sure that nothing is on the front

passenger seat when the backrest is folded for-

ward.

·

56

Safety

and disposal of the vehicle or parts of its restraint

system, including airbag modules and safety belts

with pretensioners. Authorized Volkswagen dealers

and authorized Volkswagen Service Facilities are fa-

miliar with the requirements, and we recommend

that you have them perform this service for you.

— The PASSENGER AIR BAG

light in the center

Advanced Airbag System compo-

nents

of the instrument panel that tells you when the

front Advanced Airbag System on the passenger

side has been turned off → page 47, PASSEN-

Please read the introductory information and

GER AIR BAG

light.

heed the Warnings and Notice

on page 44.

— A switch in the safety belt buckle for the driver

and for the front seat passenger that senses

whether that safety belt is latched or not and

transmits this information to the electronic con-

trol unit.

The front passenger seat in your vehicle has a lot of

very important parts of the Advanced Airbag System

in it → page 49, Airbags and how they work. These

parts include the capacitive passenger detection

system, wiring, brackets, and more. The control unit

monitors the system in the front passenger seat

when the ignition is switched on and turns the air-

bag indicator light on when a malfunction in the one

of the system components is detected → page 46,

Monitoring the Advanced Airbag System. Because

the front passenger seat contains important parts of

the Advanced Airbag System, you must take care to

prevent it from being damaged. Damage to the seat

may prevent the Advanced Airbag System for the

front passenger seat from doing its job in a crash.

WARNING

An airbag system and safety belt pretensioner that

are not working properly cannot provide supple-

mental protection in a frontal crash.

If the airbag indicator light comes on, it means

·

that there may be something wrong with the

airbag system. It is possible that the airbag will

inflate when it is not supposed to, or will not in-

flate when it should.

Have the airbag system inspected immediately

by your authorized Volkswagen dealer or au-

thorized Volkswagen Service Facility.

·

The front Advanced Airbag System also includes:

— Crash sensors in the front of the vehicle that

measure vehicle acceleration/deceleration to pro-

vide information to the Advanced Airbag System

about the severity of the crash.

Use only original equipment airbags approved

·

by Volkswagen. Have them installed by

a trained technician who has the necessary

tools and diagnostic equipment to properly re-

place any airbag in your vehicle and assure sys-

tem effectiveness in a crash.

— An electronic control unit, with integrated crash

sensors for front and side impacts. The control

unit “decides” whether to fire just the front air-

bags based on the information received from the

crash sensors. The control unit also “decides”

whether the safety belt pretensioners should be

activated.

Never permit salvaged or recycled airbags to be

installed in your vehicle.

·

WARNING

Damage to the front passenger seat can prevent

the front airbag from working properly.

— An Advanced Airbag with gas generator for the

driver inside the steering wheel hub.

Improper repair or disassembly of the front pas-

senger and driver seat can prevent the Ad-

vanced Airbag System from working properly.

·

— An Advanced Airbag with gas generator inside the

instrument panel for the front passenger.

— A capacitive passenger detection system under-

neath the front passenger seat cover. This system

measures the electrical capacitance of the person

in the seat. The information registered is sent

continuously to the electronic control unit to reg-

ulate deployment of the front Advanced Airbag on

the passenger side.

Repairs to the front passenger seat should be

performed by an authorized Volkswagen dealer

or an authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.

·

Never remove the front passenger seat or driver

seat from the vehicle.

·

Never remove the upholstery from the front

passenger seat.

·

— An airbag system indicator light in the instrument

cluster → page 46, Monitoring the Advanced Air-

bag System.

Airbag system

57

Never disassemble or take parts off the seat or

disconnect wires from it.

by your authorized Volkswagen dealer or au-

thorized Volkswagen Service Facility.

·

Never carry sharp objects in your pockets or put

them on the seat. If the capacitive passenger

detection system in the front passenger seat is

punctured it cannot work properly.

WARNING

If the front passenger seat gets wet, dry it imme-

diately.

Never carry things on your lap or carry objects

on the front passenger seat. Such objects can

influence the capacitance registered by the ca-

pacitive passenger detection system, so that in-

correct information is provided to the airbag

control unit. These things can also cause serious

personal injury if the airbag inflates.

·

If liquid soaks into the front passenger seat, this

·

can keep the airbag system from working prop-

erly and may, for instance, deactivate the pas-

senger front airbag. If this happens, the PAS-

SENGER AIR BAG

light will come on and

stay on together with the airbag indicator light

in the instrument cluster.

Never store items under the front seats. Parts of

the Advanced Airbag System under the front

seats could be damaged, preventing them and

the airbag system from working properly.

·

If liquid is pooled on the seat, but has not

soaked in, this may also keep the airbag system

from working properly and cause the front pas-

senger front airbag to be enabled (turned on),

even though there is a properly installed child

restraint system on the seat. Wet towels or oth-

er wet things on the seat cushion can have the

same effect. The PASSENGER AIR BAG

·

Never put seat covers or replacement uphols-

tery on the front seats that have not been ap-

proved by Volkswagen for your specific vehicle.

·

Seat covers can prevent the Advanced Airbag

System from recognizing child restraints or oc-

cupants on the passenger seat and prevent the

side airbag in the seat backrest from deploying

properly.

light goes out when the front passenger's front

airbag is active.

NOTICE

Never use cushions, pillows, blankets, or similar

items on the front passenger seat. The addition-

al layers prevent the capacitive passenger de-

tection system from accurately measuring the

capacitance of the child safety seat and/or the

person on the seat and thus keep the Advanced

Airbag System from working properly.

To help prevent damage to electrical and other

parts in the seat, do not kneel on the front seats

or apply concentrated pressure to a small area of

the seat or backrest.

·

Never install leather upholstery on a vehicle that

originally had cloth upholstery. Never install cloth

upholstery on a vehicle that originally had leather

upholstery. The capacitive passenger detection

system for the Advanced Airbag system will not

work properly if different upholstery is installed

on the passenger seat than the upholstery origi-

nally installed on the vehicle when it was original-

ly manufactured.

·

Never place or use any electrical device (such as

a laptop, CD player, or electronic games device)

on the front passenger seat. Such devices can

influence the capacitance registered by the ca-

pacitive passenger detection system, so that in-

correct information is provided to the airbag

control unit.

If a seat heater has been retrofitted or other-

wise added to the front passenger seat, never

install any child restraint system on this seat.

·

How to tell if the front passenger

front airbag is on or off

If you must use a child restraint on the front

passenger seat and the child restraint manufac-

turer's instructions require the use of a towel,

foam cushion or something similar to properly

position the child restraint, make certain that

Please read the introductory information and

heed the Warnings and Notice

on page 44.

Passenger front airbag

the PASSENGER AIR BAG

light comes on

Regardless of safety belt use, the airbag in front of

the front passenger seat will be switched off if the

electrical capacitance measured on this seat is less

than the value programmed in the electronic control

unit.

and stays on whenever the child restraint is in-

stalled on the front passenger seat.

If the PASSENGER AIR BAG

light does not

·

come on and stay on, immediately install the

child the restraint at a seating position on the

rear seat and have the airbag system inspected

The front airbag on the passenger side of the front

seat will also be turned off if the electrical capaci-

58

Safety

tance measured on the seat (by the capacitive pas-

senger detection system) is less than or equal to the

combined capacitance of:

For safety reasons, you must never use a child re-

straint system on the front passenger seat unless

the PASSENGER AIR BAG

light comes on and

stays on, perhaps in combination with the indica-

tor light in the instrument cluster. If the passenger

front airbag deployed in an accident, it would se-

verely injure and possibly kill the child in the re-

straint system. If the PASSENGER AIR BAG

— a typical 1 year-old infant and

— any of the child restraints listed in Federal Motor

Vehicle Safety Standard 208 for which the Ad-

vanced Airbag System in your vehicle is certified.

light burns out, the airbag indicator light will come

on and signal a malfunction of the Advanced Airbag

System. Although the burned-out light will not

change the way the front airbag on the passenger

side works, it will no longer be possible to use the

For a listing of the child restraints that were used to

certify your vehicle's compliance with U.S. Safety

Standard 208, see → page 67, Child restraints and

the Advanced Airbag System. The PASSEN-

GER AIR BAG

light comes on and stays on to

PASSENGER AIR BAG

light to make sure that

tell you when the front Advanced Airbag on the pas-

senger side has been turned off.

the airbag on/off status is correct for the occupant

on the front passenger seat. Have the airbag system

inspected immediately by your authorized Volkswa-

gen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facili-

ty.

Passenger front airbag active

— Switch on the ignition.

— The capacitive passenger detection system meas-

ures the electrical capacitance of the front pas-

senger seat. If that capacitance is above the refer-

ence value, the passenger front airbag will be

switched on by the Advanced Airbag control unit.

DANGER

A front seat passenger, especially an infant or

small child, will be seriously injured and can even

be killed if sitting too close to the airbag when it

deploys.

— If the ignition is on, and the PASSEN-

GER AIR BAG

does not come on, the passenger front airbag is

generally active. If the light has burned out

light in the instrument panel

All vehicle occupants and especially children

·

must be restrained properly whenever riding in

a vehicle. An unrestrained or improperly re-

strained child could be injured by striking the in-

terior or by being ejected from the vehicle dur-

ing a sudden maneuver or impact. An unre-

strained or improperly restrained child is also at

greater risk of injury or death through contact

with an inflating airbag.

(see below), you will be unable to tell whether the

passenger front airbag is active or not.

Using child restraints on the front passenger seat

The airbag on the front passenger side makes the

front seat a potentially dangerous place for a child

to ride. Because of this danger, and because children

are generally better protected on the rear seat when

properly restrained for their age and size, we strong-

ly advise that you always place children on the rear

seat → page 52, The dangers of using child restraints

on the front seat. For a list of the child restraints

used to certify compliance of the Advanced Airbag

System in your vehicle with the suppression require-

ments of FMVSS 208, see → page 67, Child re-

straints and the Advanced Airbag System.

A child in a rearward-facing child restraint in-

·

stalled on the front passenger seat will be seri-

ously injured and can be killed if the front airbag

inflates.

The inflating airbag will hit the child restraint or

·

infant carrier with great force and will smash

the child restraint and the child against the seat

backrest, center armrest, door, or roof.

Accident statistics show that children are safer

on the rear seat than on the front seat.

·

For more information, see → page 64, Child safety

and child restraints; note →

below!

A suitable child restraint properly installed and

·

used at one of the rear seating positions pro-

vides the highest degree of protection for in-

fants and small children in most accident situa-

tions.

How do I know when the passenger front airbag has

been turned off by the control unit?

The PASSENGER AIR BAG

light in the instru-

ment panel will come on and stay on to tell you

when the front Advanced Airbag on the passenger

side has been turned off by the electronic control

For their own safety, all children, especially

·

12 years and younger, must always ride on the

back seat properly restrained for their age and

size.

unit. Unless the yellow

stays on, the passenger front airbag is still active

→ page 47, PASSENGER AIR BAG light.

light comes on and

When installing a child restraint, always careful-

ly follow the manufacturer's instructions.

·

Airbag system

59

front airbag on or off so that it does not deploy

when it should or deploys when it should not, re-

sulting in an increased risk of serious personal in-

jury.

WARNING

To reduce the risk of serious injury, make sure that

the PASSENGER AIR BAG

light comes on and

stays on whenever a child restraint is installed on

the front passenger seat and the ignition is

switched on. Take the child restraint off the front

passenger seat and install it properly at one of the

seating positions on the rear seat if the PASSEN-

Do not carry anything on your lap or transport

·

things on the passenger seat. Things on the

passenger seat can influence the capacitance

registered by the capacitive passenger detec-

tion system, sending the wrong information to

the airbag control unit. These objects can also

cause serious personal injury if the airbag in-

flates.

GER AIR BAG

light does not stay on. Have

the airbag system inspected immediately by an

authorized Volkswagen dealer or an authorized

Volkswagen Service Facility.

Always make sure that a child restraint has been

·

If you must use a child restraint on the front

·

correctly registered by the capacitive passenger

detection system. If the status of the Advanced

Airbag System changes while the vehicle is

passenger seat and the child restraint manufac-

turer's instructions require the use of a towel,

foam cushion or something similar to properly

position the child restraint, make certain that

the PASSENGER AIR BAG

and stays on whenever the child restraint is in-

stalled on the front passenger seat.

moving, the PASSENGER AIR BAG

light

blinks for about 5 seconds to catch the driver's

attention. If this happens, always stop as soon

as it is safe to do so and check to make sure

that the airbag on/off status is correct for the

passenger riding on the front passenger seat.

light comes on

Otherwise, install the child restraint system on

the rear seat!

·

WARNING

Changes in the electrical capacitance of the pas-

senger seat while driving can switch the passenger

Side airbags

Please read the introductory information and heed the Warnings and Notice

on page 44.

Fig. 36 On the driver side. : Location and deployment zone of the side airbags. : Location and deployment zone

of the side airbags in the padding on the outboard side of the front seat backrests.

The side airbags are in the backrest padding of the

driver and front passenger seats → fig. 36. The gen-

eral location is shown by the word “AIRBAG.” The

area marked in red (dotted lines) indicates the de-

ployment zone of the side airbags.

In a side collision, the side airbag in the seat back-

rest can deploy on the side of the vehicle that is

struck and help reduce the risk of injury to the driver

or the front seat passenger.

60

Safety

The side airbags installed for the front seating posi-

tions have been designed and certified to help re-

duce the risk of injury that can be caused by airbags

when they inflate, particularly when the occupant

sitting next to it is not seated properly.

are not supposed to deploy or when they have al-

ready deployed.

The side airbag system will not inflate:

— if the ignition is switched off when a crash occurs,

The side airbag for the front passenger seat can be

used with properly installed child restraints. Always

read and heed all important information and WARN-

INGS whenever using a child restraint in the vehicle:

→ page 36, Safety belts, → page 44, Airbag system,

→ page 64, Child safety and child restraints, and

— in side collisions when the acceleration measured

by the sensor is too low,

— in front-end collisions,

— in rear-end collisions,

— in rollovers, unless the deployment threshold for

deployment stored in the control unit is met.

→

in The dangers of using child restraints on the

front seat on page 52.

In some types of accidents, the front airbags, Side

Curtain Protection^®airbags and side airbags may be

triggered together.

The side airbag system includes:

— An electronic control module and side impact

sensors.

WARNING

— Side airbags in the front seat backrests.

An inflating side airbag can cause serious or even

fatal injury. Improperly wearing safety belts and

improper seating positions increase the risk of se-

rious personal injury and death whenever a vehicle

is being used.

— An airbag system indicator light in the instrument

cluster → page 46, Monitoring the Advanced Air-

bag System.

When a side airbag deploys in a collision, a gas gen-

erator fills the side airbag between the vehicle occu-

pant and the door. The side airbag system supple-

ments the safety belts and can help to reduce the

risk of injury to the occupant's upper torso.

To help reduce the risk of injury when the sup-

plemental side airbag inflates,

·

— Always sit in an upright position and do not

lean against the area where the side airbag is

located.

In order to help provide this additional protection,

the side airbag must inflate within the blink of an

eye at very high speed and with great force. The

supplemental side airbag could injure you if your

seating position is not proper or upright or if items

are in the area where the supplemental side airbag

inflates. This applies especially to children

— Never let a child or anyone else rest their

head against the side trim panel in the area

where the side airbag inflates.

— Always make sure that safety belts are worn

correctly.

→ page 64, Child safety and child restraints.

— Never let anyone sitting in the front seat put

their hand out of the window.

The airbag system is monitored electronically to

make sure it is working properly at all times. Every

time you turn on the ignition, the airbag system in-

dicator light will come on for a few seconds

(function check).

Objects between you and the airbag can in-

·

crease the risk of injury in a collision by interfer-

ing with the way the airbag unfolds or by being

pushed into you as the airbag inflates.

Never place or attach accessories or other ob-

The airbag system is not a substitute for your safety

belt. Rather, it is part of the overall occupant re-

straint system in your vehicle → page 33, Sitting

properly and safely, → page 36, Safety belts.

·

jects (such as cup holders, telephone brackets,

or even large, bulky objects) on the doors or

over or near the area marked “AIRBAG” on the

seat backrests → fig. 36.

It is important to remember that the side airbag sys-

tem is designed to help reduce the likelihood of seri-

ous injury. However, it is also important to remem-

ber that a deploying airbag may also cause other in-

juries, such as swelling, bruising, friction burns, and

abrasions. Also remember that side airbags will de-

ploy only once and only in certain kinds of accidents.

After the side airbag inflates, the system must be re-

placed. Your safety belts are always there to offer

protection in those accidents in which side airbags

Accessories or other objects can fly dangerously

·

through the passenger compartment and cause

serious injury if the supplemental side airbag in-

flates.

Never position or hold any objects or pets in the

area where an airbag inflates or allow any chil-

dren or other passengers to ride in that space.

·

Never use the built-in coat hooks for anything

but lightweight clothing. Never leave any heavy

or sharp-edged objects in the pockets. Such ob-

·

Airbag system

61

jects may interfere with side airbag deployment

and cause serious personal injury in a collision.

Always prevent the side airbags from being

damaged by heavy objects hitting the sides of

the seat backrests or force being put on the

seat backs, especially in the area where the side

airbag module is located.

·

WARNING

Improper use, repair, or disassembly of the driver

and front passenger seats can prevent side airbags

from working properly and result in severe injuries.

The airbag system can only be triggered once. If

the airbag has been triggered, the system must

be replaced.

·

Always make sure that the side airbag can in-

flate without interference:

·

Always have work involving the side airbag sys-

tem, including removal, replacement, and in-

stallation of airbag components, or other repairs

performed by an authorized Volkswagen dealer

or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility. Oth-

erwise, the airbag system may not work cor-

rectly.

— Never install seat covers or replacement up-

holstery over the front seat backrests that

have not been specifically approved by Volks-

wagen. Otherwise, the side airbag may not

be able to deploy properly.

— Never put seat cushions, blankets, or other

coverings over the areas where the side air-

bags inflate.

Never remove the front seats from the vehicle

or modify parts of the front seats.

·

Never attempt to modify any components of

the airbag system in any way.

— Damage to the original seat covers or to the

seam in the area of the side airbag module

must always be repaired immediately by an

authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized

Volkswagen Service Facility.

If too much force is exerted on the seat back-

rest bolsters, the side airbags may deploy im-

properly, not at all, or when they should not.

Side Curtain Protection^®airbags

Please read the introductory information and heed the Warnings and Notice

on page 44.

Fig. 37 On the left vehicle side: Installation location and deployment zone of the Side Curtain Protection airbag.

The Side Curtain Protection^®airbags are in the head-

er area on both sides of the vehicle → fig. 37. The

general location is identified by the word “AIRBAG.”

The red lines show the deployment zone of the Side

Curtain Protection^®airbags. The Side Curtain Protec-

tion^®airbags contain features that provide ejection

mitigation to help prevent vehicle occupants or

parts of their bodies from being completely or parti-

ally ejected from the vehicle interior in certain side

impacts and vehicle rollovers.

The Side Curtain Protection^®airbag system includes:

— An electronic control module and side impact

sensors.

The Side Curtain Protection^®airbags above the

front and rear side windows.

—

— An airbag system indicator light in the instrument

cluster → page 46, Monitoring the Advanced Air-

bag System.

62

Safety

The Side Curtain Protection^®airbags inflate down-

wards between the occupant and the side window

on that side of the vehicle that is struck in certain

side collisions → fig. 37. The Side Curtain Protection^®

airbag system supplements the safety belts and can

help to reduce the risk of injury for the occupant's

head and upper torso on the side of the vehicle that

is struck in a side collision. The Side Curtain Protec-

tion^®airbags also contain features to help prevent

vehicle occupants or parts of their bodies from being

completely or partially ejected from the vehicle inte-

rior in certain vehicle rollovers.

In some types of accidents, the front, Side Curtain

Protection^®and side airbags may be triggered to-

gether.

WARNING

An inflating Side Curtain Protection^®airbag can

cause serious or even fatal injury. Improperly

wearing safety belts and improper seating posi-

tions increase the risk of serious personal injury

and death whenever a vehicle is being used.

A deploying airbag inflates within a fraction of

a second with a lot of force and at very high

speed.

·

In order to help provide this additional protection,

the Side Curtain Protection^®airbag must inflate

within the blink of an eye at very high speed and

with great force. The Side Curtain Protection^®airbag

could injure you if your seating position is not proper

or upright or if items are located in the area where

the supplemental Side Curtain Protection^®airbag in-

flates. This applies especially to children

Always make sure that the Side Curtain Protec-

tion^®airbag can inflate without interference.

·

Always sit in proper seating position and wear

·

safety belts while traveling so that the Side Cur-

tain Protection^®airbags can help provide pro-

tection.

→ page 64, Child safety and child restraints.

Never let occupants place any parts of their

bodies in the area where the Side Curtain Pro-

tection^®airbag inflates.

·

The airbag system is monitored electronically to

make sure it is working properly at all times. Every

time you turn on the ignition, the airbag system in-

dicator light will come on for a few seconds

(function check).

Always keep the area where the Side Curtain

·

Protection^®airbag inflates clear. Never carry any

objects or pets in the area between them and

where the airbags inflate and never let children

or other passengers ride in this area.

The airbag system is not a substitute for your safety

belt. Rather, it is part of the overall occupant re-

straint system in your vehicle → page 33, Sitting

properly and safely, → page 36, Safety belts.

Never use hangers to hang clothes on the

hooks.

·

It is important to remember that the Side Curtain

Protection^®airbag system is designed to help reduce

the likelihood of serious injury. However, it is possi-

ble that a deployed Side Curtain Protection^®airbag

may cause other injuries such as swelling, bruising,

friction burns, and abrasions. Remember too, Side

Curtain Protection^®airbags will deploy only once

and only in certain kinds of accidents. Side Curtain

Protection^®airbags that have deployed in a crash

must be replaced. Your safety belts are always there

to offer protection in those accidents in which Side

Curtain Protection^®airbags are not supposed to de-

ploy or when they have already deployed.

Never use the built-in coat hooks for anything

·

but lightweight clothing. Never leave any heavy

or sharp-edged objects in the pockets that may

interfere with airbag deployment and can cause

personal injury in a collision.

Only use factory-installed sunshades or, if

shades installed after the vehicle leaves the fac-

tory, use only genuine Volkswagen sunshades.

·

Never swing the sun visors over to the side win-

·

dows if things such as pens, garage door open-

ers, hands-free speakers, etc. are attached to

the sun visors. They could come loose and cause

serious injury if the Side Curtain Protection^®air-

bag inflates.

The Side Curtain Protection^®airbag will not inflate:

— if the ignition is switched off when a crash occurs,

WARNING

— in side collisions when the acceleration measured

by the sensor is too low,

The airbag system can only be triggered once.

If the airbag has been triggered, the system

must be replaced by an authorized Volkswagen

·

— in front-end collisions,

— in rear-end collisions,

dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facili-

ty.

— in rollovers, unless the deployment threshold for

deployment stored in the control unit is met.

Always have work involving the curtain airbag

system, removal and installation of the airbag

components, or other repairs performed by your

·

Airbag system

63

authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized

Volkswagen Service Facility. Otherwise the air-

bag system may not work correctly.

Always make sure that the airbag deployment

zones are clear at all times. Never let anything

or object, a pet, or a person, including an infant

or small child, be in the space between any ve-

hicle occupant and any airbag.

·

Never attempt to modify any components of

the airbag system in any way.

·

Do not attach any accessories to the doors.

Never attach objects to the cover or in the de-

ployment zone of a Side Curtain Protection^®air-

bag.

— National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

(NHTSA), currently at: http://www.safercar.gov

(for the USA)

Child safety and child re-

straints

— Transport Canada Information Centre, currently

at: http://www.tc.gc.ca (for Canada)

Introduction

Consult the child restraint manufacturer's instruc-

tions to be sure the seat is right for your child's size

→ page 71, Using a child restraint on the rear seat.

Please be sure to read and heed all of the important

information and WARNINGS about child safety, Ad-

vanced Airbags, and the installation of child re-

straints in this Manual.

The physical principles of what happens when your

vehicle is in a collision or other accident also apply

to children → page 36, Safety belts. But unlike adults

and teenagers, their muscles and bones are not fully

developed. In many respects children are at greater

risk of serious injury in accidents than are adults.

Because children's bodies are not fully developed,

they must use restraint systems especially designed

for their size, weight, and body structure. Many

countries and all states of the United States and

provinces of Canada have laws requiring the use of

approved child restraint systems for infants and

small children.

There is a lot you need to know about the Advanced

Airbags in your vehicle and how they work when in-

fants and children in child restraints are on the front

passenger seat. Because of the large amount of im-

portant information, we cannot repeat it all here.

We urge you to read the detailed information in this

Manual about airbags and the Advanced Airbag Sys-

tem in your vehicle and the very important informa-

tion about transporting children on the front pas-

senger seat. Please be sure to heed the WARNINGS -

they are extremely important for your safety and

the safety of your passengers, especially infants and

small children.

In a frontal crash at a speed of 20–35 mph (30–

56 km/h), the forces acting on a 13 pound (6 kg) in-

fant will be more than 20 times the weight of the

child. This means the effective weight of the child

would suddenly increase to more than 260 pounds

(120 kg). Under these conditions, only an appropri-

ate child restraint properly used can reduce the risk

of serious injury. Child restraints, like adult safety

belts, must be used properly to be effective. Used

improperly, they can increase the risk of serious in-

jury in an accident.

DANGER

Children on the front seat of any car, even with

Advanced Airbags, can be seriously injured or even

killed when an airbag inflates.

A child in a rearward-facing child restraint in-

All children, especially those 12 years and younger,

must always ride in the back seat properly restrained

for their age and size. If you must install a child re-

straint on the front passenger seat in exceptional

circumstances, be sure to read and heed the impor-

tant information and warnings in the section of this

Manual that begins on → page 71, Using a child re-

straint on the rear seat. Infants and other children

who are properly restrained in an appropriate child

restraint that is for their size and age can benefit

from the protection that supplemental side airbags

provide in some kinds of crashes.

·

stalled on the front passenger seat will be seri-

ously injured and can be killed if the front airbag

inflates.

The inflating airbag will hit the child restraint or

·

infant carrier with great force and will smash

the child restraint and child against the back-

rest, center armrest, door or roof.

Always install rearward-facing child restraints

on the rear seat.

·

If you have, in exceptional circumstances, nev-

ertheless decided to install a rearward-facing

child restraint on the front passenger seat and

·

For more information, please see information pro-

vided by the:

the PASSENGER AIR BAG

light does not

64

Safety

come on and stay on whenever the ignition is

on, immediately install the rearward-facing

child restraint on the rear seat and have the air-

bag system inspected right away by your au-

thorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volks-

wagen Service Facility.

— Always set the safety belt upper anchorage

to the adjustment position that permits

proper installation in accordance with the

child restraint manufacturer's instructions.

— Always move the front passenger seat to the

highest position in the up and down adjust-

ment range and move it back to the rearmost

position in the seat's fore and aft adjustment

range, as far away from the airbag as possi-

ble before installing the forward-facing child

restraint.

WARNING

Accident statistics have shown that children are

generally safer in the rear seat area than in the

front seating position. Always restrain any child

age 12 and under in the rear.

— Always make sure that the safety belt upper

anchorage is behind the child restraint and

not next to or in front of the child restraint so

that the safety belt will be properly posi-

tioned.

All vehicle occupants and especially children

·

must be restrained properly whenever riding in

a vehicle. An unrestrained or improperly re-

strained child could be injured by striking the in-

terior or by being ejected from the vehicle dur-

ing a sudden maneuver or impact. An unre-

strained or improperly restrained child is also at

greater risk of injury or death through contact

with an inflating airbag.

— Always make sure that nothing is in the way

that prevents the front passenger's seat from

being moved to the rearmost position in its

fore and aft adjustment range.

— Always make sure that the backrest is in the

upright position.

A suitable child restraint properly installed and

·

used at one of the rear seating positions pro-

vides the highest degree of protection for in-

fants and small children in most accident situa-

tions.

— Never place objects on the seat (such as

a laptop, CD player, or electronic games de-

vice). These may influence the electrical ca-

pacitance measured by the capacitive pas-

senger detection system and can also fly

around in an accident and cause serious per-

sonal injury.

WARNING

Forward-facing child restraints installed on the

front passenger seat may interfere with the de-

ployment of the airbag and cause serious personal

injury to the child.

— If a seat heater has been retrofitted or other-

wise added to the front passenger seat, never

install any child restraint system on this seat.

If exceptional circumstances require the use of

·

— Make sure that there are no wet objects (such

as a wet towel) and no water or other liquids

on the front passenger seat cushion.

a forward-facing child restraint on the front

passenger's seat, the child's safety and well-be-

ing require the following special precautions to

be taken:

— Always make sure that the PASSEN-

GER AIR BAG

light comes on and stays

— Always make sure that the forward-facing

seat has been designed and certified by its

manufacturer for use on a front passenger

seat with a front and side airbag.

on all the time whenever the ignition is

switched on.

— If the PASSENGER AIR BAG

light does

not come on and stay on, immediately install

the forward-facing child restraint in a rear

seating position and have the airbag system

inspected by your authorized Volkswagen

dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Fa-

cility.

— Always carefully follow the manufacturer's

instructions provided with the child restraint

or infant carrier.

— Never install a child restraint without a prop-

erly attached top tether strap if the child re-

straint manufacturer's instructions require

the top tether strap for proper installation, or

if required by law. For example, the use of

a top tether strap for forward-facing child re-

straints is required by law in Canada.

Always buckle the child restraint firmly in place

even if a child is not sitting in it. A loose child

restraint can fly around during a sudden stop or

in a collision.

·

Always read and heed all WARNINGS whenever

using a child restraint in a vehicle. See

→ page 36, Safety belts, → page 44, Airbag sys-

— Never put the forward-facing child restraint

up against or very near the instrument panel.

Child safety and child restraints

65

tem, and → page 64, Child safety and child re-

straints.

a child restraint that is not visible could cause it to

fail in another collision situation.

Always replace child restraints that were in-

stalled in a vehicle during a crash. Damage to

Child restraints – Overview

Please read the introductory information and heed the Warnings and Notice

and

on page 64.

All children and especially infants must be properly

restrained in a child restraint appropriate for their

size and age whenever riding in a vehicle. Their safe-

ty also requires that the child restraint be properly

installed. There are many car seat choices on the

market. You can use the information below to help

you choose a car seat that best meets your child’s

needs.

Type of child restraint

Applies to

Birth to 12 months: Your child under age 1 should always ride in

a rear-facing car seat. There are different types of rear-facing car

seats:

Rear-facing child restraint

– Infant-only seats can only be used rear-facing.

– Convertible and all-in-one car seats typically have higher height and

weight limits for the rear-facing position, allowing you to keep your

child rear-facing for a longer period of time.

1–3 years: Keep your child rear-facing as long as possible. It’s the best

way to keep him or her safe. Your child should remain in a rear-facing

car seat until he or she reaches the top height or weight limit allowed

by the car seat’s manufacturer. Once your child outgrows the rear-

facing car seat, your child is ready to travel in a forward-facing car

seat with a harness and tether.

Rear-facing child restraint before

moving to a forward-facing child re-

straint

4–7 years: Keep your child in a forward-facing car seat with a harness

and tether until he or she reaches the top height or weight limit al-

lowed by the car seat’s manufacturer. Once your child outgrows the

forward-facing car seat with a harness, it’s time to travel in a booster

seat, but still in the back seat.

7–12 years: Keep your child in a booster seat until he or she is big

enough to fit in a safety belt properly. For a safety belt to fit properly,

the lap belt must lie snugly across the upper thighs, not the stomach.

The shoulder belt should lie snugly across the shoulder and chest and

not cross the neck or face. Remember: your child should still ride in

the back seat because it’s safer there.

Forward-facing child restraint

Booster seat

Today's child restraints are designed to be secured

to the vehicle either with the standard 3 point lap

and shoulder belt or with the LATCH/UAS lower uni-

versal anchorages. Many child restraints also require

the use of a top tether strap. Depending on your

state or country, top tether straps may also be re-

quired by law. The top tether strap reduces the for-

ward movement of the child restraint in a crash, to

help reduce the risk of head injury if the child hits

the vehicle interior.

Child restraint installa-

tion

Rear seats

Anchorages available

for the 2 outboard seat-

ing positions.

LATCH/UAS lower univer-

sal anchorages

Top tether anchorages

Safety belts with the

switchable locking fea-

ture

Your vehicle has the following installation options

in the rear seats:

The LATCH/UAS lower universal anchorage attach-

ment points are on the lower part of the rear seat

backrest for the 2 outboard seating positions. The

circular markings on the lower anchorage points

66

Safety

help you to locate the lower anchorages

→ page 80 , → fig. 44.

— The child restraints do not interfere with each

other and each remains fully functional and ac-

cessible to properly restrain and protect each

child.

How to tell if the child restraint is properly installed

— The child restraint is flush with both the seat

cushion and the seat backrest, unless a small gap

between the child restraint and the seat backrest

is allowed by the child restraint manufacturer.

— The child restraint is installed with LATCH/UAS or

the vehicle safety belt according to the weight

limits stated on the child restraint and the child

restraint’s top tether is used as instructed by the

child restraint manufacturer.

— The child restraint does not hang over the edge of

the vehicle seat by more than the generally ac-

cepted 20% of the child restraint. Always follow

the overhang limits allowed by the child restraint

manufacturer.

More information:

— Important safety instructions for using child re-

straints → page 69

— The child restraint is centered in the seating posi-

tion and is not installed at an angle.

— Using a child restraint on the rear seat

→ page 71

— The child restraint does not move forward or side-

ways by more than about 1 inch (2.5 cm).

— Infant seats → page 72

— Convertible child restraints → page 74

— Booster seats and safety belts → page 76

— The child restraint does not contact or push

against any of the safety belt buckles, because

this can cause damage to the buckles and make

the buckles unusable or unsafe.

— Installing child restraints with a safety belt

→ page 78

for infants up to 12 months who are restrained on

the front passenger seat in child restraints that are

listed in the Standard.

Child restraints and the Advanced

Airbag System

Even though your vehicle is equipped with an Ad-

vanced Airbag System, all children, especially those

12 years and younger, must always ride in the back

seat properly restrained for their age and size. The

airbag on the passenger side makes the front seat

a potentially dangerous place for a child to ride. The

front seat is not the safest place for a child in a for-

ward-facing child restraint. It is a very dangerous

place for an infant or a larger child in a rearward-

facing seat.

Please read the introductory information and

heed the Warnings and Notice

64.

and

on page

Advanced front airbag system and children

Your vehicle is equipped with a front “Advanced Air-

bag System” that complies with United States Fed-

eral Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 208 and

with Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard

(CMVSS) 208 as applicable at the time your vehicle

was manufactured.

The vehicle's Advanced Airbag System has a capaci-

tive passenger detection system in the front passen-

ger seat cushion that can detect the presence of

a baby or a child in a child restraint system on this

seat.

The Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle has

been certified to meet the “low risk” requirements

for 3 to 6 year-old children (as defined in the stand-

ard) on the passenger side and small adults on the

driver side. “Low risk” deployment occurs in those

crashes that take place at lower decelerations as de-

fined in the electronic control unit. The low risk de-

ployment criteria are intended to reduce the risk of

injury through interaction with the airbag that can

occur in these collisions, for example, by being too

close to the steering wheel or instrument panel

when the airbag inflates.

The capacitive passenger detection system meas-

ures the capacitance of the child and the child re-

straint and a child blanket on the front passenger

seat. The capacitance due to the presence of a child,

a child restraint, and a baby blanket on the front

passenger seat is related to the child restraint sys-

tem resting on the seat. The capacitance of a child

restraint system varies depending on the type of

system and specific make and model.

In addition, the system has been certified to comply

with the “suppression” requirements of the Safety

Standard, to turn off the front airbag automatically

The electrical capacitance of the various types,

makes, and models of child restraints specified by

Child safety and child restraints

67

the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administra-

tion (NHTSA) in the relevant safety standard are

stored in the Advanced Airbag System control unit

together with the capacitances typical of infants and

a 1 year-old child. When a child restraint is used on

the front passenger seat with a typical 1 year-old in-

fant, the Advanced Airbag System compares the ca-

pacitance measured by the capacitive passenger de-

tection system with the data stored in the electronic

control unit.

Subpart B. Rear-facing child restraints

Manufactured on or af-

ter

Model

Century Smart Fit 4543

Cosco Arriva 22-013 PAW

and base 22-999 WHO

Evenflo Discovery Adjust

Right 212

December 1, 1999

September 25, 2007

December 1, 1999

Graco Infant 8457

December 1, 1999

Graco Snugride

September 25, 2007

Child restraints and Advanced Airbags

Peg Perego Primo Viaggio

SIP IMUN00US

September 25, 2007

No matter what child restraint you use, make sure

that it has been certified to meet U.S. Federal Motor

Vehicle Safety Standard 213 (FMVSS 213) or, if you

live in Canada, Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Stand-

ard 213 (CMVSS 213). Also make sure that the child

restraint you are using has been certified by its man-

ufacturer for use with an airbag. Always be sure that

the child restraint is properly installed at one of the

rear seating positions. If in exceptional circumstan-

ces you must use it on the front passenger seat,

carefully read all of the information on child safety

and Advanced Airbags and heed all of the applicable

WARNINGS. Make certain that the child restraint is

correctly recognized by the capacitive passenger de-

tection system inside the front passenger seat, that

the passenger front airbag is switched off, and that

the airbag status is always correctly signaled by the

Subpart C. Forward-facing and convertible child re-

straints

Manufactured on or af-

ter

Model

Britax Roundabout

September 25, 2007

E9L02xx

Cosco Touriva 02519

Cosco Summit Deluxe

High Back Booster 22-262

Cosco High Back Booster

22-209

December 1, 1999

September 25, 2007

Evenflo Tribute V 379xxxx September 25, 2007

Evenflo Medallion 254

Evenflo Generations

352xxxx

Graco ComfortSport

Graco Toddler SafeSeat

Step 2

December 1, 1999

September 25, 2007

PASSENGER AIR BAG

light.

Many types and models of child restraints have been

available over the years, new models are introduced

regularly incorporating new and improved designs

and older models are taken out of production. Child

restraints are not standardized. Child restraints of

the same type typically have different weights and

sizes and different “footprints,” the size and shape

of the bottom of the child restraint that sits on the

seat, when they are installed on a vehicle seat. These

differences make it virtually impossible to certify

compliance with the requirements for Advanced Air-

bags with each and every child restraint that has ev-

er been sold in the past or will be sold over the

course of the useful life of your vehicle.

Graco Platinum Cargo

WARNING

To reduce the risk of serious injury, always make

sure that the PASSENGER AIR BAG light

comes on and stays on whenever a child restraint

is installed on the front passenger seat and the ig-

nition is switched on.

Take the child restraint off the front passenger

·

seat and install it properly at one of the rear

seat positions if the PASSENGER AIR BAG

light does not come on and stay on.

For this reason, the United States National Highway

Traffic Safety Administration has published a list of

specific types, makes and models of child restraints

that must be used to certify compliance of the Ad-

vanced Airbag System in your vehicle with the sup-

pression requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle

Safety Standard 208. These child restraints are:

Have the airbag system inspected immediately

by your authorized Volkswagen dealer or au-

thorized Volkswagen Service Facility.

·

Subpart A. Car bed child restraints

Manufactured on or af-

ter

Model

Angel Guard Angel Ride

AA2403FOF

September 25, 2007

68

Safety

cannot move forward or sideways more than about

1 inch (2.5 cm).

Important safety instructions for

using child restraints

Important additional information about installing

a child restraint system on the front passenger seat:

Please read the introductory information and

heed the Warnings and Notice

64.

and

on page

If you must install a child restraint on the front pas-

senger seat in exceptional circumstances, be sure to

read and heed the important information and warn-

ings in the section of this Manual that begins on

→ page 71, Using a child restraint on the rear seat.

There are also additional adjustments that must be

made in order to be able to properly install a child

restraint on the front passenger seat:

Set the safety belt upper anchorage for the front

passenger seat so that the available safety belt is

long enough to properly install the child restraint.

Always follow the child restraint manufacturer's in-

stallation instructions →

.

Move the front passenger seat to the highest posi-

tion in the seat's up and down adjustment range and

to the rearmost position in the seat's fore and aft

adjustment range, as far away from the airbag as

possible before installing the forward-facing child

restraint and make sure the backrest is in the up-

Fig. 38 Never let babies or older children ride in a vehi-

cle while sitting on the lap of another passenger.

right position →

.

Proper use of child restraints greatly reduces the

risk of injury in a collision or other kind of accident!

Always make sure that the safety belt upper anchor-

age is behind the child restraint and not next to or in

front of the child restraint so that the safety belt will

be properly positioned.

All children, especially those 12 years and younger,

must always ride in the back seat properly restrained

for their age and size.

Always remember: Even though your vehicle is

equipped with an Advanced Airbag System, all chil-

dren, especially those 12 years and younger, must

always ride in the back seat properly restrained for

their age and size.

Always use the right child restraint for each child

and always use it properly.

LATCH/UAS lower universal anchorages secure the

child restraint system in the seat without using the

vehicle's safety belts. Anchorages provide a secure

and easy-to-use attachment and minimize the pos-

sibility of improper child restraint installation. If you

decide to install a child restraint system using the

standard safety belt instead of the LATCH/UAS an-

chorages for the respective seating position, be sure

to always carefully follow the child restraint manu-

facturer's instructions on how to route the safety

belt properly through the child restraint and how to

restrain the child in the child restraint.

DANGER

Never install rearward-facing child restraints or in-

fant carriers on the front passenger seat.

A child will be seriously injured and can be killed

when the passenger airbag inflates – even with

an Advanced Airbag System.

·

The inflating airbag will hit the child restraint or

·

infant carrier with great force and will smash

the child restraint and child against the back-

rest, center armrest, door or roof.

When using the vehicle safety belt to install a child

restraint, you must activate the switchable locking

feature on the safety belt to help prevent the child

restraint from moving → page 71, Using a child re-

straint on the rear seat.

Always install rearward-facing child restraints

and infant carriers on the rear seat.

·

Do not use the switchable locking feature when us-

ing the vehicle's safety belt to restrain a child on

a booster seat.

WARNING

Not using a child restraint, using the wrong child

restraint, or improperly installing a child restraint

increases the risk of serious personal injury and

death in a collision or other emergency situation.

Push the child restraint down with your full weight

to get the safety belt really tight so that the seat

Child safety and child restraints

69

All vehicle occupants and especially children

must always be restrained properly whenever

riding in a vehicle.

men and neck areas during sudden braking ma-

neuvers or accidents.

·

Never let more than one child occupy a child re-

straint.

·

— An unrestrained or improperly restrained

child can be injured or killed by being thrown

against the inside of the vehicle or by being

ejected from it during a sudden maneuver or

impact.

Never let babies or older children ride in a vehi-

cle while sitting on the lap of another passen-

ger.

— Holding a child in your arms is never a substi-

tute for a child restraint system.

— An unrestrained or improperly restrained

child is at much greater risk of injury or death

by being struck by an inflating airbag.

— The strongest person could not hold the child

with the forces that exist in an accident. The

child will strike the interior of the vehicle and

can also be struck by another passenger.

Commercially available child restraints are re-

quired to comply with U.S. Federal Motor Vehi-

cle Safety Standard FMVSS 213 (in Canada

CMVSS 213).

·

— The child and the passenger can also injure

each other in an accident.

— When buying a child restraint, select one that

fits your child and the vehicle.

WARNING

— Volkswagen does not recommend using child

restraints that rest on legs or tube-like

frames. They do not provide adequate con-

tact with the seat.

Forward-facing child restraints installed on the

front passenger's seat can interfere with the air-

bag when it inflates and cause serious injury to the

child.

Always check that the child restraint has been

properly installed.

Always install child restraints on the rear seat.

·

If exceptional circumstances require the use of

— Only use child restraint systems that fully

contact the flat portion of the seat cushion.

The child restraint must not tip or lean to ei-

ther side.

a forward-facing child restraint on the front

passenger's seat, the child's safety and well-be-

ing require the following special precautions to

be taken:

— Always make sure the child restraint does not

hang over the edge of the vehicle seat by

more than the generally accepted 20% of the

child restraint. Always follow the overhang

limits allowed by the child restraint manufac-

turer.

— Always make sure that the forward-facing

seat has been designed and certified by its

manufacturer for use on a front passenger

seat with a front and side airbag.

— Always carefully follow the manufacturer's

instructions provided with the child restraint

or carrier.

— Always make sure that the child restraint is

securely installed and cannot move forward

or sideways more than about 1 inch (2.5 cm).

— Never install a child restraint without a prop-

erly attached top tether strap if the child re-

straint manufacturer's instructions require

the top tether strap for proper installation, or

if required by law. For example, the use of

a top tether strap for forward-facing child re-

straints is required by law in Canada.

— Always make sure that the child restraint is

not installed at an angle.

— Always make sure that the child restraint

does not contact or push against any safety

belt buckles, because this can cause damage

to the buckles and make the buckles unusa-

ble or unsafe.

— Never put the forward-facing child restraint

up against or very near the instrument panel.

— Always heed all legal requirements pertaining

to the installation and use of child restraints

and carefully follow the instructions provided

by the manufacturer of the seat you are us-

ing.

— Always set the safety belt upper anchorage

to the adjustment position that permits

proper installation in accordance with the

child restraint manufacturer's instructions.

— Always move the front passenger seat to the

highest position in the up and down adjust-

ment range and move it back to the rearmost

position in the seat's fore and aft adjustment

range, as far away from the airbag as possi-

For safety reasons, children under 4 ft. 9 in.

(57 inches / 1.45 meters) may not wear stand-

ard safety belts. Children must always be re-

strained by a proper child restraint system. Oth-

erwise, they could sustain injuries to the abdo-

·

70

Safety

ble before installing the forward-facing child

restraint.

Using a child restraint on the rear

seat

— Always make sure that the safety belt upper

anchorage is behind the child restraint and

not next to or in front of the child restraint so

that the safety belt will be properly posi-

tioned.

Please read the introductory information and

heed the Warnings and Notice

64.

and

on page

— Always make sure that nothing is in the way

that prevents the front passenger's seat from

being moved to the rearmost position in its

fore and aft adjustment range.

— Always make sure that the backrest is in the

upright position.

— Never place additional items (such as laptop,

CD player, or electronic games device) on the

seat that can influence the capacitance regis-

tered by the capacitive passenger detection

system and can cause injury in a crash.

— If a seat heater has been retrofitted or other-

wise added to the front passenger seat, never

install any child restraint system on this seat.

Fig. 39 Keep unused safety belts away from children in

child restraints.

— Make sure that there are no wet objects (such

as a wet towel) and no water or other liquids

on the front passenger seat cushion.

Important special steps when installing a child re-

straint with LATCH/UAS lower universal anchorages

or with the vehicle safety belt.

Always buckle the child restraint firmly in place

even if a child is not sitting in it. A loose child

restraint can fly around during a sudden stop or

in a collision.

·

You must take special precautions when installing

a LATCH/UAS child restraint behind the front pas-

senger or driver seats. Always route the center safe-

ty belt and the unused safety belt for the seating

position where the child restraint is being installed

securely out of the child’s reach. Securing the safety

belts will help prevent a child from playing with an

unused safety belt and becoming entangled with it

→ fig. 39.

Always read and heed all WARNINGS whenever

using a child restraint in a vehicle. See

→ page 36, Safety belts, → page 44, Airbag sys-

tem, and → page 64, Child safety and child re-

straints.

WARNING

To reduce the risk of serious injury, always make

sure that the PASSENGER AIR BAG light

comes on and stays on whenever a child restraint

is installed on the front passenger seat and the ig-

nition is switched on.

Securing the unused safety belts out of the child's

reach

Secure an unused safety belt to help prevent a child

from playing with and becoming entangled in the

safety belt. The method for securing an unused safe-

ty belt depends on the seating position.

If the PASSENGER AIR BAG

stay on, perform the checks described

light does not

·

Securing an unused safety belt for an outboard seat-

ing position:

→ page 47, PASSENGER AIR BAG

light.

Take the child restraint off the front passenger

seat and install it properly at one of the rear

seat positions if the PASSENGER AIR BAG

light does not stay on.

·

— Route the safety belt around the head restraint

for the center seating position → fig. 39.

— Make sure the safety belt is out of the child’s

reach, so that the child cannot grab and play with

it.

Have the airbag system inspected immediately

by an authorized Volkswagen dealer or author-

ized Volkswagen Service Facility.

·

— Make sure that the safety belt does not block the

LATCH/UAS lower universal anchorages. This

could prevent you from correctly installing a child

restraint with the LATCH/UAS lower universal an-

chorages.

Child safety and child restraints

71

— Do not activate the switchable locking feature.

Otherwise it will be very difficult to wind the

safety belt back into its normal position. You

should not hear a “clicking” sound when the safe-

ty belt retracts.

WARNING

A child in a child restraint installed with the

LATCH/UAS lower universal anchorages or with

the standard safety belt on the rear seat may play

with unused rear seat safety belts and become en-

tangled, resulting in serious personal injury and

even death.

Securing an unused safety belt for the center seat:

— Buckle the safety belt → fig. 39.

— Pull the shoulder belt portion of the safety belt all

the way out of the retractor to activate the

switchable locking feature. You should hear

a “clicking” noise as the belt winds back into the

retractor.

Always secure unused rear seat safety belts out

·

of the reach of children in child restraints such

as by properly routing them around the head re-

straint adjacent to the seating position where

the child restraint is installed.

— Let the safety belt fully retract and then pull on it

to make sure the switchable locking feature is ac-

tive and the safety belt is properly fastened and

tight so that the child cannot grab and play with

the safety belt.

NOTICE

The outboard safety belts may become damaged if

they are secured improperly.

Be careful not to activate the switchable locking

·

When a child safety seat is secured on the rear

bench, adjust the position of the front seat to pro-

vide the child with sufficient space. Therefore, adjust

the front seat to the size of the child safety seat and

the child. Consider the proper seating position of the

retractor when routing the unused safety belt

around the head restraint adjacent to the seat

where a child restraint has been installed. Other-

wise it will be very difficult to wind the safety belt

back into its normal position.

passenger →

.

Only pull the unused safety belt out far enough to

·

When child restraints are not needed, be sure to re-

move the safety belt(s) from around the head re-

straint(s), unbuckle the center safety belt, and return

all safety belts to their normal stored positions so

that they will be available for regular use.

allow you to route the belt around the head re-

straint. If the safety belt is pulled out too far, the

switchable locking feature will be activated.

When installing a child restraint, be careful not to

·

get the belt caught in the structure of the child

restraint and become damaged, especially when

the switchable locking feature has been activated.

How to tell if the child restraint is properly installed

— The child restraint is flush with both the seat

cushion and the seat backrest, unless a small gap

between the child restraint and the seat backrest

is allowed by the child restraint manufacturer.

Infant seats

— The child restraint does not hang over the edge of

the vehicle seat by more than the generally ac-

cepted 20% of the child restraint. Always follow

the overhang limits allowed by the child restraint

manufacturer.

Please read the introductory information and

heed the Warnings and Notice

64.

and

on page

— The child restraint is centered in the seating posi-

tion and is not installed at an angle.

— The child restraint does not move forward or side-

ways by more than about 1 inch (2.5 cm).

— The child restraint does not contact or push

against any of the safety belt buckles, because

this can cause damage to the buckles and make

the buckles unusable or unsafe.

— The child restraint is installed with LATCH/UAS or

the vehicle safety belt according to the weight

limits stated on the child restraint and the child

restraint’s top tether is used as instructed by the

child restraint manufacturer.

Fig. 40 Example of a rearward-facing infant seat prop-

erly installed on the rear seat.

72

Safety

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recom-

mends that all infants should ride in rear-facing car

safety seats (in which the child faces the back of the

vehicle) starting with their first ride home from the

hospital. All infants and toddlers (generally up to

age 3) should ride in a rear-facing car safety seat as

long as possible – or until they reach the highest

weight or height allowed by their child restraint’s

manufacturer. These infant seats support the baby's

back, neck and head in a collision. Rear-facing child

restraints can be used safely only on the rear seat of

the vehicle → fig. 40.

DANGER

Not using a child restraint, using the wrong child

restraint or improperly installing a child restraint

increases the risk of serious personal injury and

death in a collision or other emergency situation.

Never install rearward-facing child restraints or

·

infant carriers on the front passenger seat, even

with an Advanced Airbag System. A child will be

seriously injured and can be killed when the in-

flating airbag hits the child restraint or infant

carrier with great force and smashes the child

restraint and child against the backrest, center

armrest, door or roof.

Before installing a child restraint on the front pas-

senger seat, be sure to follow the special instruc-

tions and heed the warnings → page 67, Child re-

straints and the Advanced Airbag System and

→ page 52, The dangers of using child restraints on

the front seat.

Always install rearward-facing child restraints

and infant carriers on the rear seat.

·

Never install a rearward-facing child restraint in

·

the forward-facing direction. These restraints

are designed for the special needs of infants

and very small children and cannot protect

them properly if the seat is forward-facing.

— When using the vehicle safety belt to install

a child restraint (except a booster seat), you must

activate the switchable locking feature on the

safety belt to help prevent the child restraint from

moving → page 71, Using a child restraint on the

rear seat. Always follow the child restraint manu-

facturer’s instructions when installing a child re-

straint.

If you must install a rearward facing child re-

straint on the front passenger seat because of

exceptional circumstances, but the PASSEN-

·

GER AIR BAG

light does not come on and

stay on, immediately install the rearward-facing

child restraint at a seating position on the rear

seat and have the airbag system inspected right

away by your authorized Volkswagen dealer or

authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.

— Attach the Top Tether strap or straps to the teth-

er anchorage for the seating position where the

child restraint is being installed with either the

LATCH/UAS system or with a safety belt

→ page 83, Securing a child restraint with the

Top Tether strap.

Always read and heed all WARNINGS whenever

using a child restraint in a vehicle. See

→ page 36, Safety belts, → page 44, Airbag sys-

tem, and → page 64, Child safety and child re-

straints.

·

— Follow the manufacturer's instructions for posi-

tioning the handle of the car seat when it is in-

stalled in the vehicle.

The airbag on the passenger side makes the front

seat a potentially dangerous place for a child to ride.

The front seat is not the safest place for a child in

a forward-facing child restraint. It is a very danger-

ous place for an infant or a larger child in a rear-

ward-facing seat.

WARNING

A child in a child restraint installed with the

LATCH/UAS lower universal anchorages or with

the standard safety belt on the rear seat may play

with unused rear seat safety belts and become en-

tangled, resulting in serious personal injury and

even death.

You must take special precautions when installing

a child restraint with the vehicle safety belt or with

LATCH/UAS lower universal anchorages behind the

front passenger seat or behind the driver seat. Al-

ways route the center safety belt and the unused

safety belt for the seating position where the child

restraint is being installed securely out of the child’s

reach. Securing the safety belts will help prevent

a child from playing with an unused safety belt and

becoming entangled with it → page 71, Using a child

restraint on the rear seat, → fig. 39.

Always secure unused rear seat safety belts out

·

of the reach of children in child restraints such

as by properly routing them around the head re-

straint adjacent to the seating position where

the child restraint is installed.

NOTICE

Be careful not to activate the switchable locking

·

retractor when routing the unused safety belt

around the head restraint adjacent to the seat

where a child restraint has been installed.

Child safety and child restraints

73

Only pull the unused safety belt out far enough to

allow you to route the belt around the head re-

straint.

structure of the child restraint and become dam-

aged, especially when the switchable locking fea-

ture has been activated.

·

When installing a child restraint with a safety

belt, be careful not to get the belt caught in the

Convertible child restraints

Please read the introductory information and heed the Warnings and Notice

and

on page 64.

Fig. 41 All convertible child restraints have lower anchors and a top tether. Figures

A

and

B

show how to correct-

ly install a LATCH/UAS seat. Figure

C shows the set up of a seat using the vehicle's safety belt system.

Children between 1 and about 7 years old must al-

ways be properly restrained in a child restraint certi-

fied for their size and weight → fig. 41.

— Make sure that the child restraint is centered in

the seating position and is not installed at an an-

gle.

— The child restraint must not contact or push

against any of the safety belt buckles, because

this can cause damage to the buckles and make

the buckles unusable or unsafe.

Once your child outgrows the rear-facing car seat

(generally up to age 3), your child is ready to travel

in a forward-facing car seat with a harness. Keep

your child in a forward-facing car seat with a har-

ness until he or she reaches the top height or weight

limit allowed by your car seat’s manufacturer.

— Fasten the harness webbing that is part of the

child restraint system securely and pull it tight so

that you can only slip one finger underneath the

shoulder belt portion at the child's chest.

Before installing a child restraint on the front pas-

senger seat, be sure to follow the special instruc-

tions and heed the warnings → page 67, Child re-

straints and the Advanced Airbag System and

→ page 52, The dangers of using child restraints on

the front seat.

— Attach the Top Tether strap to the tether anchor-

age for the seating position where the child re-

straint is being installed with either the

LATCH/UAS system or the safety belt → page 83,

Securing a child restraint with the Top Tether

strap.

— When using the vehicle safety belt to install

a child restraint, you must activate the switchable

locking feature on the safety belt to help prevent

the child restraint from moving → page 71, Using

a child restraint on the rear seat.

The airbag on the passenger side makes the front

seat a potentially dangerous place for a child to ride.

The front seat is not the safest place for a child in

a forward-facing child restraint. It is a very danger-

ous place for an infant or a larger child in a rear-

ward-facing seat.

— Push the child restraint down with your full

weight to get the safety belt really tight so that

the seat cannot move forward or sideways more

than about 1 inch (2.5 cm).

You must take special precautions when installing

a child restraint with the vehicle safety belt or with

LATCH/UAS lower universal anchorages behind the

74

Safety

front passenger seat or behind the driver seat. Al-

ways route the center safety belt and the unused

safety belt for the seating position where the child

restraint is being installed securely out of the child’s

reach. Securing the safety belts will help prevent

a child from playing with an unused safety belt and

becoming entangled with it → page 71, Using a child

restraint on the rear seat, → fig. 39.

— Forward-facing child restraints installed on

the front passenger seat may interfere with

the deployment of the airbag and cause seri-

ous personal injury to the child.

— Always make sure that the forward-facing

seat has been designed and certified by its

manufacturer for use on a front passenger

seat with a front and side airbag.

— Always carefully follow the manufacturer's

instructions provided with the child restraint

or carrier.

DANGER

Not using a child restraint, using the wrong child

restraint or improperly installing a child restraint

increases the risk of serious personal injury and

death in a collision or other emergency situation.

— Never install a child restraint without a prop-

erly attached top tether strap if the child re-

straint manufacturer's instructions require

the top tether strap for proper installation, or

if required by law. For example, the use of

a top tether strap for forward-facing child re-

straints is required by law in Canada.

Children on the front seat of any car, even with

Advanced Airbags, can be seriously injured or

even killed when an airbag inflates.

·

A child in a rearward-facing child restraint in-

·

stalled on the front passenger seat will be seri-

ously injured and can be killed if the front airbag

inflates – even with an Advanced Airbag Sys-

tem.

— Never put the forward-facing child restraint

up against or very near the instrument panel.

— Always set the safety belt upper anchorage

to the adjustment position that permits

proper installation in accordance with the

child restraint manufacturer's instructions.

The inflating airbag will hit the child restraint or

·

infant carrier with great force and will smash

the child restraint and child against the back-

rest, center armrest, door or roof.

— Always move the front passenger seat to the

highest position in the up and down adjust-

ment range and move it back to the rearmost

position in the seat's fore and aft adjustment

range, as far away from the airbag as possi-

ble before installing the forward-facing child

restraint.

Always install rearward-facing child restraints

on the rear seat.

·

If you must install a rearward facing child re-

straint on the front passenger seat because of

exceptional circumstances, but the PASSEN-

·

GER AIR BAG

light does not come on and

— Always make sure that the safety belt upper

anchorage is behind the child restraint and

not next to or in front of the child restraint so

that the safety belt will be properly posi-

tioned.

stay on, immediately install the rearward-facing

child restraint at a seating position on the rear

seat and have the airbag system inspected right

away by your authorized Volkswagen dealer or

authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.

— Always make sure that nothing is in the way

that prevents the front passenger's seat from

being moved to the rearmost position in its

fore and aft adjustment range.

Always read and heed all WARNINGS whenever

using a child restraint in a vehicle. See

→ page 36, Safety belts, → page 44, Airbag sys-

tem, and → page 64, Child safety and child re-

straints.

·

— Always make sure that the backrest is in the

upright position.

— Never place objects on the seat (such as

a laptop, CD player, or electronic games de-

vice). These may influence the electrical ca-

pacitance measured by the capacitive pas-

senger detection system and can also fly

around in an accident and cause serious per-

sonal injury.

WARNING

An improperly installed child restraint can interfere

with the airbag as it deploys and seriously injure or

even kill the child – even with an Advanced Airbag

System.

If exceptional circumstances require the use of

·

a forward-facing child restraint on the front

passenger's seat, the child's safety and well-be-

ing require the following special precautions to

be taken:

— If a seat heater has been retrofitted or other-

wise added to the front passenger seat, never

install any child restraint system on this seat.

Child safety and child restraints

75

— Make sure that there are no wet objects (such

as a wet towel) and no water or other liquids

on the front passenger seat cushion.

tangled, resulting in serious personal injury and

even death.

Always secure unused rear seat safety belts out

·

— Make sure that the PASSENGER AIR BAG

light comes on and stays on all the time

whenever the ignition is switched on.

of the reach of children in child restraints such

as by properly routing them around the head re-

straint adjacent to the seating position where

the child restraint is installed.

— If the PASSENGER AIR BAG

light does

not come on and stay on, immediately install

the forward-facing child restraint at a seating

position on the rear seat and have the airbag

system inspected by your authorized Volks-

wagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Serv-

ice Facility.

NOTICE

Be careful not to activate the switchable locking

·

retractor when routing the unused safety belt

around the head restraint adjacent to the seat

where a child restraint has been installed.

Always buckle the child restraint firmly in place

even if a child is not sitting in it. A loose child

restraint can fly around during a sudden stop or

in a collision.

·

Only pull the unused safety belt out far enough to

allow you to route the belt around the head re-

straint.

·

When installing a child restraint with a safety

belt, be careful not to get the belt caught in the

structure of the child restraint and become dam-

aged, especially when the switchable locking fea-

ture has been activated.

WARNING

A child in a child restraint installed with the

LATCH/UAS lower universal anchorages or with

the standard safety belt on the rear seat may play

with unused rear seat safety belts and become en-

developed, and they must not use the vehicle safety

belts without a suitable child restraint.

Booster seats and safety belts

The vehicle's safety belts alone will not fit most chil-

dren until they are at least 4 ft. 9 in. (57 in-

ches / 1.45 meters) tall. Booster seats raise these

children up so that the safety belt will pass properly

over the strong parts of their bodies and the safety

belt can help protect them in a collision.

Please read the introductory information and

heed the Warnings and Notice

64.

and

on page

— Do not use the switchable locking feature when

using the vehicle's safety belt to restrain a child

on a booster seat.

— Always position the shoulder portion of the safety

belt midway over the child's shoulder. If you must

transport an older child in a booster seat on the

front passenger seat, you can use the safety belt

height adjustment to help adjust the shoulder

portion properly.

— Always make sure that the shoulder portion is

snug across the shoulder and chest and never

rests against or across the child's neck or face.

Fig. 42 Child properly restrained in a booster seat on

the rear seat.

— Always make sure that the child can wear the lap

belt portion across the upper thighs and never

over the stomach or abdomen.

Children between about 8 to 12 years old are best

protected in child safety seats designed for their age

and weight. Experts say that the skeletal structure,

particularly the pelvis, of these children is not fully

Children who are at least 4 ft. 9 in. (57 in-

ches / 1.45 meters) tall can generally use the vehi-

cle's 3 point lap and shoulder belts. Never use the

76

Safety

lap belt portion of the vehicle's safety belt alone to

restrain any child, regardless of how big the child is.

Always remember that children do not have the pro-

nounced pelvic structure required for the proper

function of lap belt portion of the vehicle's 3 point

lap and shoulder belts. The child's safety absolutely

requires that a lap belt portion of the safety belt be

fastened snugly across the upper thighs. Never let

the lap belt portion of the safety belt pass over the

child's stomach or abdomen.

In a collision, airbags must inflate within a blink of

an eye and with considerable force. In order to do its

job, the airbag needs room to inflate so that it will

be there to protect the occupant as the occupant

moves forward into the airbag.

Even Advanced Airbags can injure children when

they inflate. A vehicle occupant who is out of posi-

tion and too close to the airbag gets in the way of an

inflating airbag. When an occupant is too close, he

or she will be struck violently and will receive seri-

ous or possibly even fatal injuries.

It is usually best to put these children in appropriate

booster seats and keep them in a booster seat until

they are big enough to fit in a safety belt properly.

Be sure the booster seat meets all applicable safety

standards.

In order for the airbag to offer protection, it is im-

portant that all vehicle occupants, especially chil-

dren, who must be in the front seat under excep-

tional circumstances, be properly restrained and as

far away from the airbag as possible. By keeping

room between the child's body and the front of the

passenger compartment, the airbag can inflate com-

pletely and provide supplemental protection in cer-

tain frontal collisions.

Booster seats raise the seating position of the child

and reposition both the lap and shoulder parts of the

safety belt so that they pass across the child's body

in the right places. The routing of the belt over the

child's body is very important for the child's protec-

tion, whether or not a booster seat is used. Children

age 12 and under must always ride in the rear seat.

You must take special precautions when installing

a booster seat with the vehicle safety belt behind

the front passenger seat or behind the driver seat.

Always route and secure the unused center safety

belt to help prevent a child from playing with the

unused safety belt and becoming entangled in it

→ page 71, Using a child restraint on the rear seat,

→ fig. 39.

Keep your child in a booster seat until he or she is at

least 4 ft. 9 in. (57 inches / 1.45 meters) tall AND

your child is:

— tall enough to sit without slouching; and

— able to keep his or her back against the vehicle

seat; and

WARNING

— able to keep his or her knees naturally bent over

the edge of the vehicle seat; and

Not using a booster seat, using the booster seat

improperly, incorrectly installing a booster seat or

using the vehicle safety belt improperly increases

the risk of serious personal injury and death in

a collision or other emergency situation. To help

reduce the risk of serious personal injury and/or

death:

— able to keep his or her feet flat on the floor; and

— able to sit in that position during the entire trip.

The way the safety belt passes over the child’s body

is important for their safety and protection in

a crash. Always make sure you child can wear the

safety belt properly:

Never use the switchable locking feature when

·

— The lap belt must lie snugly across the upper

thighs, not the stomach.

using the vehicle's safety belt to restrain a child

on a booster seat.

— The shoulder belt must lie snugly across the

shoulder and chest, and never cross the neck or

face.

Always make sure to position the shoulder por-

tion of the 3 point belt over the middle of the

child's shoulder.

·

— Never let a child put the shoulder belt under the

arm or behind the back, because it could cause

severe injuries in a crash.

Never let the shoulder portion of the safety belt

rest against or across the neck, face, chin, or

throat of the child.

·

Always check belt fit on the child in every vehicle.

A booster seat may be needed in some vehicles and

not in others. If the safety belt does not fit properly,

the child must continue to use a booster seat. Re-

gardless of whether the child is using a booster or is

able to properly wear the standard safety belt prop-

erly without a booster seat, keep your child in the

back seat. Accident statistics show that children are

safer on the rear seat than on the front seat.

Always make sure the lap belt portion of the

·

3 point belt is worn snugly across the upper

thighs. Never let the lap belt portion of the

safety belt pass over the child's stomach or ab-

domen.

Never let a child put the shoulder belt under the

arm or behind the back, because it could cause

severe injuries in a crash.

·

Child safety and child restraints

77

Failure to properly route safety belts over

a child's body will cause severe injuries in a col-

lision or other emergency situation.

·

Installing child restraints with

a safety belt

Children on the front seat of any car, even with

Advanced Airbags, can be seriously injured or

even killed when an airbag inflates.

Please read the introductory information and

heed the Warnings and Notice

64.

and

on page

Never let a child stand or kneel on any seat, for

example, the front seat.

·

Safety belts for the rear seats and the front passen-

ger seat must be locked with the switchable locking

feature to properly secure child restraints.

Never let a child ride in the cargo area of your

vehicle.

Always remember that a child leaning forward,

sitting sideways or out of position in any way

during a collision can be struck by a deploying

airbag. This will result in serious personal injury

or death.

Child restraints are designed to be secured to the

vehicle either with the 3 point lap and shoulder belt

or with LATCH/UAS lower universal anchorages. The

child restraint may also have a Top Tether strap,

which must be used if required by the child restraint

manufacturer or by law → page 83, Securing a child

restraint with the Top Tether strap.

If you must install a booster seat on the front

passenger seat because of exceptional circum-

·

stances, the PASSENGER AIR BAG

must come on and stay on, whenever the igni-

tion is switched on.

light

Regardless of the kind of child restraint that you

use, always make sure that the child restraint is

properly secured in the vehicle; otherwise the child

could be seriously injured in a crash. Always follow

legal requirements regarding the installation of child

restraints.

If the PASSENGER AIR BAG

light does not

·

come on and stay on, perform the checks de-

scribed → page 47, PASSENGER AIR BAG

light.

Place the child restraint on a seat, preferably on

a rear seat →

.

Take the child restraint off the front passenger

seat and install it properly at one of the seating

positions on the rear seat if the PASSEN-

Switchable locking feature

Whenever a child restraint (except a booster seat) is

installed with a safety belt, the safety belt must be

locked so that the safety belt webbing cannot unreel

→ page 79, Activating the switchable locking fea-

ture. The switchable locking feature lets you lock the

belt so that a child restraint can be properly installed

and, for example, so that it cannot tip to the side

when the vehicle goes around a corner.

GER AIR BAG

ever the ignition is switched on.

light does not stay on when-

Always read and heed all WARNINGS whenever

using a child restraint in a vehicle. See

→ page 36, Safety belts, → page 44, Airbag sys-

tem, and → page 64, Child safety and child re-

straints.

·

WARNING

Installing the child restraint on a rear seat

A child in a child restraint installed with the

LATCH/UAS lower universal anchorages or with

the standard safety belt on the rear seat may play

with unused rear seat safety belts and become en-

tangled, resulting in serious personal injury and

even death.

Always carefully follow the child restraint manufac-

turer's instructions when installing a child restraint

in your vehicle →

.

— Make sure that the child restraint is centered in

the seating position and is not installed at an an-

gle.

Always secure unused rear seat safety belts out

·

— Make sure that the child restraint does not con-

tact or push against any of the safety belt buck-

les, because this can cause damage to the buckles

and make the buckles unusable or unsafe.

of the reach of children in child restraints such

as by properly routing them around the head re-

straint adjacent to the seating position where

the child restraint is installed.

— Always make sure the child restraint does not

hang over the edge of the vehicle seat by more

than the generally accepted 20% of the child re-

straint. Always follow the overhang limits allowed

by the child restraint manufacturer.

78

Safety

— Route the safety belt around or through the child

restraint using the proper path for the safety belt

as specified by the child restraint manufacturer.

— Insert the belt tongue into the buckle for that

seating position.

— Make sure that the red release button faces away

from the child restraint so that it can be unbuck-

led quickly.

— Insert the belt tongue into the buckle for that

seating position.

— Make sure that the red release button faces away

from the child restraint so that it can be unbuck-

led quickly.

— Remove all slack from the lap belt portion of the

safety belt and hold it tightly against the child re-

straint.

— Remove all slack from the lap belt portion of the

safety belt and hold it tightly against the child re-

straint.

— Push the child restraint down with your full

weight to make sure that the child restraint will

be properly installed with the safety belt really

tight.

— Push the child restraint down with your full

weight to make sure that the child restraint will

be properly installed with the safety belt really

tight.

— Activate the belt's switchable locking feature

→ page 79, Activating the switchable locking

feature.

— Activate the belt's switchable locking feature

→ page 79, Activating the switchable locking

feature.

— Pull on the safety belt to make sure the safety

belt is properly fastened and tight.

— Check the child restraint for proper installation by

pulling on the child restraint at the place where

the vehicle's safety belt goes into the child re-

straint. The child restraint should not move for-

ward or sideways by more than about 1 inch

(2.5 cm).

— Pull on the safety belt to make sure the safety

belt is properly fastened and tight.

— Check the child restraint for proper installation by

pulling on the child restraint at the place where

the vehicle's safety belt goes into the child re-

straint. The child restraint should not move for-

ward or sideways by more than about 1 inch

(2.5 cm).

— Make sure that the child restraint is centered on

the seat and is not installed at an angle.

— After checking to make sure that the child re-

straint is properly installed, make certain that the

child restraint is correctly recognized by the ca-

pacitive passenger detection system in the front

passenger seat and that the PASSEN-

Special instructions for installing child restraints if

the child restraint must be installed on the front

seat

Always carefully follow the child restraint manufac-

turer's instructions when installing a child restraint

GER AIR BAG

light signals the correct front

passenger front airbag status. Please be sure to

read the additional important information and

heed the WARNINGS about the Advanced Airbag

System and the function of the PASSEN-

in your vehicle →

.

Place the child restraint on a seat, preferably on

a rear seat → . If in exceptional circumstances

you must install the child restraint on the front seat,

be sure to follow the special instructions and heed

the WARNINGS below.

GER AIR BAG

light in this Manual.

Always remember: Even though your vehicle is

equipped with an Advanced Airbag System, all chil-

dren, especially those 12 years and younger, must

always ride in the back seat properly restrained for

their age and size.

— Make sure the front seat backrest is in the upright

position.

— Move the front passenger seat to the rearmost

position in the seat's fore and aft adjustment

range, as far away from the airbag as possible.

Activating the switchable locking feature

— Slowly pull the shoulder belt portion of the safety

belt all the way out of the retractor.

— Set the front passenger's safety belt height ad-

juster so that available safety belt length is suffi-

cient to properly install the child restraint.

— While keeping your weight on the child restraint,

guide the shoulder belt portion of the safety belt

back into the retractor until the belt lies flat and

is tightened against the child restraint.

— Always make sure that the safety belt upper an-

chorage is behind the child restraint and not next

to or in front of the child restraint so that the

safety belt will be properly positioned.

— You should hear a “clicking” noise as the belt

winds back into the inertia reel of the safety belt

retractor. Test the switchable locking feature by

pulling on the belt. You should no longer be able

— Route the safety belt around or through the child

restraint using the proper path for the safety belt

as specified by the child restraint manufacturer.

Child safety and child restraints

79

to pull the belt out of the retractor. The switcha-

ble locking feature is now active.

WARNING

Improperly installed child restraints increase the

risk of serious personal injury and death in a colli-

sion.

Deactivating the switchable locking feature

The switchable locking feature for child restraints

will be deactivated automatically when the belt is

wound all the way back into the retractor.

Never unfasten the safety belt to deactivate the

·

switchable locking feature for child restraints

while the vehicle is moving. You would not be

restrained and could be seriously injured in an

accident.

— Press the red button on the safety belt buckle.

The belt tongue will pop out of the buckle.

— Guide the safety belt back by hand so that it rolls

easily onto the retractor and the trim around the

retractor will not be damaged.

NOTICE

When installing a child restraint, be careful not to

get the belt caught in the structure of the child re-

straint and become damaged, especially when the

switchable locking feature has been activated.

Always let the safety belt retract completely into its

stowed position. The safety belt can now be used as

an ordinary safety belt without the switchable lock-

ing feature for child restraints.

If the switchable locking feature should be activated

inadvertently, the safety belt must be unfastened

and guided completely back into its stowed position

to deactivate this feature. If the switchable locking

feature is not deactivated, the safety belt will gradu-

ally become tighter and uncomfortable to wear.

Securing the child restraint with

LATCH/UAS lower universal ancho-

rages

Please read the introductory information and

WARNING

heed the Warnings and Notice

64.

and

on page

Using the wrong child restraint or an improperly

installed child restraint can cause serious personal

injury or death in an accident.

Always make sure that the safety belt retractor

·

is locked when installing a child restraint, ex-

cept a booster seat. An unlocked safety belt re-

tractor cannot hold the child restraint in place

during normal driving or in a crash.

Always buckle the child restraint firmly in place

·

even if a child is not sitting in it. A loose child

restraint can fly around during a sudden stop or

in a collision.

Always make sure the seat backrest to which

·

the child restraint is installed is in an upright

position and securely latched into place and

cannot fold forward. Otherwise, the seat back-

rest with the child restraint attached to it could

fly forward in a collision or other emergency sit-

uation.

Fig. 43 On the rear outboard seat backrests: Removing

the covers (if equipped) on the LATCH/UAS lower uni-

versal anchorages.

Always read and heed all WARNINGS whenever

·

using a child restraint in a vehicle → page 64,

Child safety and child restraints. Special precau-

tions apply when installing a child restraint on

the front passenger seat → page 52, The dan-

gers of using child restraints on the front seat,

and → page 67, Child restraints and the Ad-

vanced Airbag System, and → page 69, Impor-

tant safety instructions for using child re-

straints.

80

Safety

that itself is not equipped with LATCH/UAS lower

universal anchorage points.

The child restraint must not contact or push against

any of the safety belt buckles to help prevent dam-

age to the buckles, which can make the buckles un-

usable or unsafe.

There are 2 ways to attach an appropriate child re-

straint to the LATCH/UAS lower universal anchorag-

es:

Rigid connectors on bars at the back of the child re-

straint:

— Make sure the seat backrest of the rear seat

bench is in the upright position and securely

latched in place.

Fig. 44 On the rear outboard seat backrests: Markings

on the LATCH/UAS lower universal anchorages.

— Release or deploy the top tether strap (if one is

required by the child restraint manufacturer or by

law) to secure the seat → page 83, Securing

a child restraint with the Top Tether strap.

LATCH is used in the United States and stands for

Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children. In Canada,

UAS (Universal Anchorage System) is used to de-

scribe the combination of top tether straps and low-

er anchorages.

— Guide the upper tether strap under the rear head

restraint (raise the head restraint if necessary).

— Attach the tether strap anchorage hook into the

opening of the tether anchorage.

All child restraints manufactured after Septem-

ber 1, 1999 must have LATCH/UAS lower universal

anchorages.

— Attach the connectors onto the LATCH/UAS lower

universal anchorages.

The LATCH/UAS lower universal anchorage attach-

ment points are on the lower part of the rear seat

backrest for the 2 outboard seating positions. Each

lower universal anchorage point may have a cover.

The circular markings on the anchorage points help

you to locate the lower anchorages → fig. 44 (ar-

rows). If necessary, remove the covers → fig. 43 to

access the lower anchorage points and stow the

covers in a clean, secure location for future use.

— Make sure you hear the child restraint click se-

curely into place.

— Tighten the top tether strap (if there is one) to se-

cure the seat → page 83, Securing a child re-

straint with the Top Tether strap.

— Pull on both sides of the child restraint once

you've installed it to make certain it is secure and

properly attached.

LATCH/UAS lower universal anchorages secure the

child restraint system in the seat without using the

vehicle's safety belts. Anchorages provide a secure

and easy-to-use attachment and minimize the pos-

sibility of improper child restraint installation.

Releasing

— Release the top tether strap (if one is required by

the child restraint manufacturer or by law).

— Release the lower latch from the LATCH/UAS low-

er universal anchorages following the child re-

straint manufacturer's instructions.

Remember that the LATCH/UAS lower universal an-

chorage points are only intended for installation and

attachment of child restraints specifically certified

for use with these lower universal anchorages. Child

restraints that are not equipped with the

Hooks attached to adjustable straps (hook-on con-

nectors)

LATCH/UAS lower universal anchorage attachments

can still be installed with vehicle safety belts accord-

ing to the child restraint manufacturer's instructions.

You must never mount two child restraint systems

to one LATCH/UAS lower universal anchorage point

at the same time. For instance, you must not install

a child restraint with LATCH/UAS lower universal an-

chorage points on one of the outboard seating posi-

tions and then use the inboard anchorage to also in-

stall a child restraint in the center of the rear seat

— Make sure the seat backrest of the rear seat

bench is in the upright position and securely

latched in place.

— Attach the hook-on connectors with the spring

catch release onto the LATCH/UAS lower universal

anchorage so that the connectors lock into place.

— Pull on the connector attachments to make sure

that it is properly attached to the LATCH/UAS

lower universal anchorage.

Child safety and child restraints

81

— Pull straps tight following the child restraint man-

ufacturer's instructions.

WARNING

Improper use of the LATCH/UAS system can in-

crease the risk of serious personal injury and death

in an accident.

— Release or deploy the top tether strap (if one is

required by the child restraint manufacturer or by

law) to secure the seat → page 83, Securing

a child restraint with the Top Tether strap.

Always carefully follow the child restraint man-

·

ufacturer's instructions for proper installation of

the child restraints and proper use of tether

straps as well as the LATCH/UAS lower universal

anchorages or safety belts in your vehicle.

— Guide the upper tether strap under the rear head

restraint (raise the head restraint if necessary).

— Guide the tether strap between the rear seat back

and the luggage compartment cover.

Never mount two child restraint systems on one

LATCH/UAS lower universal anchorage point.

·

— Attach the tether strap anchorage hook into the

opening of the tether anchorage and pull the top

tether strap tight.

These anchors were developed only for child re-

straints using the LATCH/UAS system.

·

— After you have installed the child restraint, pull on

both of the adjustable straps on the child restraint

and pull also on the tether strap to make certain

the seat is secure and properly attached.

Never attach other child restraints, belts, lug-

gage or other things to the LATCH/UAS ancho-

rages.

·

Always make sure that you hear a click when

·

latching the seat in place. If you do not hear

a click, the seat is not secure and could fly for-

ward and hit the interior of the vehicle or be

ejected from the vehicle.

Releasing

— Loosen the tension on the hook-on connector

straps following the child restraint manufacturer's

instructions.

— Release the top tether strap (if one is required by

the child restraint manufacturer or by law).

NOTICE

A child restraint may damage the seat upholstery or

the safety belt buckles if installed improperly or left

on the seat when not in use.

— Depress the spring catch on the hook.

— Hold the spring catch in the depressed position.

— Move the hook in the direction of the vehicle floor

so that there is enough space to release the con-

nector from the lower anchorage.

When installing, make sure that the child restraint

·

does not contact or push against any of the safety

belt buckles, because this can cause damage to

the buckles and make the buckles unusable or un-

safe.

You must take special precautions when installing

a child restraint with the vehicle safety belt or with

LATCH/UAS lower universal anchorages behind the

front passenger seat or behind the driver seat. Al-

ways route the unused center seat safety belt and

the unused safety belt for the seating position

where the LATCH/UAS child restraint is being instal-

led around the rear head restraint behind the child

restraint to help prevent a child from playing with

the unused belt and becoming entangled in it.

Be careful not to activate the switchable lock-

ing retractor when routing the safety belts

around the head restraints. Only pull the safety belt

out far enough to allow you to route the belt around

the head restraint.

82

Safety

Securing a child restraint with the Top Tether strap

Please read the introductory information and heed the Warnings and Notice

and

on page 64.

Fig. 45 Example of a mounted upper tether strap: The version on the left shows an outer seating position. The ver-

sion on the right shows the center seating position.

head restraint guide rods do not interfere with

any part of the top tether strap.

— Center seating position: Guide the upper tether

strap under the center rear head restraint only

when it is pushed all the way up. If the tether

strap hook is too big to pass under the center

head restraint, push the head restraint all the way

down and guide the strap over the center head

restraint.

— Guide the tether strap between the rear seat

backrest and the luggage compartment cover.

— Attach the tether strap anchorage hook into the

opening of the tether anchorage → fig. 46.

— Pull on the tether strap hook so that the spring

Fig. 46 Anchorages for the top tether strap on the

catch of the hook is engaged.

back of the rear seat.

— Tighten the tether strap firmly following the child

restraint manufacturer's instructions.

The Top Tether strap reduces the forward move-

ment of the child restraint in a crash; this helps to

reduce the risk of head injury.

— Move the head restraint back into the original po-

sition, if necessary → page 104, Seats and head

restraints.

Installing the Top Tether strap

Releasing the tether strap

— Release or deploy the Top Tether strap on the

child restraint according to the child restraint

— Loosen the tension on the tether strap following

the child restraint manufacturer's instructions.

manufacturer's instructions →

.

— Remove the luggage compartment cover, if nec-

essary.

— Depress the spring catch on the hook and release

it from the anchorage.

— Locate the tether anchor behind the rear seat

backrest → fig. 46.

WARNING

Improper installation of child restraints will in-

crease the risk of injury and death in a crash.

— Outer seating position: Guide the upper tether

strap under the outer rear head restraint (raise the

head restraint if necessary). For child restraints

with V-tether straps: Always make sure that the

Child safety and child restraints

83

Always follow the instructions provided by the

manufacturer of the child restraint when instal-

ling it in your vehicle.

Never attach a child restraint tether strap to

a tie-down hook in the luggage compartment.

·

Never use child restraint top tether anchorages

to secure safety belts or other kinds of occupant

restraints.

Never install a child restraint without a properly

attached top tether strap if the child restraint

manufacturer's instructions require the top

tether strap for proper installation, or if required

by law. For example, the use of a top tether

strap for forward-facing child restraints is re-

quired by law in Canada.

Never secure or attach any luggage or other

items to the Top Tether anchorages.

·

NOTICE

If you leave the child restraint with the tether strap

firmly installed for several days, this could leave

a mark on the upholstery on the seat cushion and

backrest in the area where the tether strap was in-

stalled. The upholstery would also be permanently

stretched around the tether strap. This applies espe-

cially to leather seats.

Improper use of top tether straps and anchors

can lead to injury in a collision. The anchors are

designed to withstand only those loads imposed

by correctly fitted child restraints.

·

Never attach two child restraint systems to one

top tether strap or top tether anchorage.

http://www.carseat.org

Volkswagen Customer CARE

Sources of information about child

restraints and their use

Tel.: 1-800-822-8987

Please read the introductory information and

heed the Warnings and Notice

64.

and

on page

In an emergency

Introduction

WARNING

A vehicle breakdown in traffic is dangerous and

creates a great risk for you, your passengers, and

others.

The following are some sources of additional infor-

mation about child restraint selection, installation

and use:

Safety authorities advise that the best child safety

seat is the one that fits your child and fits in your ve-

hicle, and that you will use correctly and consistent-

ly.

Try before you buy!

Always stop the vehicle as soon as it is safe to

·

do so. Move the vehicle a safe distance off the

road where it is safe to park and, if necessary,

lock all doors in an emergency. Turn on the

emergency flashers and set up another warning

device about 25 yards (25 meters) behind the

vehicle to warn approaching traffic.

Transport Canada Information Centre

Tel.: 1-800-333-0371

Tel.: 1-613-998-8616 (Ottawa)

http://www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Never park the vehicle where the hot exhaust

·

Tel.: 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153)

system or catalytic converter could ignite flam-

mable materials, such as brush, leaves, dry

grass, spilled fuel, etc.

http://www.nhtsa.gov

http://www.safercar.gov

National SAFE KIDS Campaign

Never leave children, disabled persons, or any-

·

one who cannot help themselves alone in the

vehicle when locking the doors. This could re-

sult in people being trapped in the vehicle in an

emergency. Depending on the time of year,

people trapped in the vehicle can be exposed to

very high or very low temperatures.

Tel.: 1-202-662-0600

http://www.safekids.org

SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A.

Tel.: 1-800-745-SAFE or 1-800-745-7233 (English)

Tel.: 1-800-747-SANO or 1-800-747-7266 (Spanish)

84

Safety

7. Take all vehicle keys with you when leaving your

vehicle.

Protecting yourself and the vehicle

8. Set up a warning triangle or other warning de-

vice in order to alert other motorists and cy-

clists.

Please read the introductory information and

heed the Warnings and Notice

on page 84.

9. Let the engine cool down and get expert assis-

tance if necessary.

If the emergency flashers are on, use the turn signal

lever to indicate a direction or lane change, for ex-

ample when the vehicle is being towed. This tempo-

rarily interrupts the emergency flashers.

Switch on the emergency flashers when:

— Traffic suddenly slows down or stops in front of

you to warn those approaching from behind.

— In any emergency situation.

— If the vehicle breaks down.

— When being towed.

Always obey traffic laws that govern the use of

emergency flashers where you are driving.

If the emergency flashers are not working, a differ-

ent method – as permitted by law – must be used to

alert other motorists and cyclists to the breakdown.

Fig. 47 In the center of the instrument panel: Button

for the emergency flashers.

WARNING

Obey all legal requirements regarding protecting

a broken-down vehicle. For example, turning on the

emergency flashers and wearing a safety vest are

mandatory in many countries.

Disregarding the safety-related checklist may lead

to accidents and serious personal injuries.

Always review and follow the checklist. Follow

accepted safety practices and use common

sense.

·

Checklist

For your own safety and that of your passengers,

carry out the following steps in the order listed

NOTICE

→

:

To help prevent damage to the vehicle if you should

have to push it a short distance by hand, never push

against spoilers, lights, body panels, windows, or

similar parts. Concentrating force on these parts of

the vehicle can cause expensive damage that may

not always be obvious right away.

1. Park the vehicle at a safe distance from traffic

and on a suitable surface →

on page 84.

in Introduction

2. Switch on emergency flashers by pressing the

button → fig. 47.

3. Shift the transmission to Park (P) (automatic or

DSG) or Neutral (manual only) → page 148, Au-

tomatic and DSG® transmission.

The vehicle battery will be drained if the

emergency flashers are on for a long time –

even if the ignition is switched off.

4. Apply the parking brake to help prevent the ve-

hicle from moving → page 178, Using the park-

ing brake (Golf, Golf GTI).

5. Stop the engine and remove the key from the

ignition switch or turn off the ignition with the

starter button and remove the key from the ve-

hicle → page 141, Starting and stopping the en-

gine.

6. Have all passengers exit and go to a safe loca-

tion away from moving traffic, such as behind

a guard rail.

In an emergency

85

Safety for Your Volkswagen Golf 4 Door 2023

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