The side airbags help protect the torso and pelvis of the driver or a front passenger during a moderate-to-severe side impact.
Housing Locations
The side airbags are housed in the outside edge of the driver's and passenger's seat- backs.
Both are marked SIDE AIRBAG.
Operation
When the sensors detect a moderate-to-severe side impact, the control unit signals the side airbag on the impact side to immediately inflate.
Do not attach accessories on or near the side airbags. They can interfere with the proper operation of the airbags, or hurt someone if an airbag inflates.
If the impact is on the passenger's side, the airbag may not deploy when there is no passenger in the front passenger seat.
Do not cover or replace the front seat-back covers without consulting a dealer.
Improperly replacing or covering front seat-back covers can prevent your side airbags from properly deploying during a side impact.
When a side airbag deploys with little or no visible damage
Because the airbag system senses sudden acceleration, a strong impact to the side of the vehicle's framework can cause a side airbag to deploy. In such cases, there may be little or no damage, but the side impact sensors detected a severe enough impact to deploy the airbag.
When a side airbag may not deploy, even though visible damage appears severe
It is possible for a side airbag to not deploy during an impact that results in apparently severe damage. This can occur when the point of impact was toward the far front or rear of the vehicle, or when the vehicle's crushable body parts absorbed most of the crash energy. In either case, the side airbag would not have been needed nor provided protection even if it had deployed.
The seat belt system includes an indicator on the instrument panel to remind the driver or a front passenger or both to fasten their seat belts.
If the ignition switch is turned to ON *1 and a seat belt is not fastened, a beeper will sound and the indicator will blink. After a few seconds, the beeper will stop and the indicator will come on and remain illuminated until the seat belt is fastened.