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EnglishSeat, seatbelt and SRS airbags -> Child restraint systems for your Subaru Forester 2019-2024
Rear seat reminder
60
situation, there is the possibility that
the following phenomenon may oc-
cur.
– It may alert the driver even if there
are no passengers or cargo in the
rear seat.
– It may not alert the driver even if
there are passengers and cargo
in the rear seat.
This function can be turned ON/OFF
using the meter customizing func-
tion. Refer to “Function settings and
adjustments on the combination
meter display (color LCD)” �P24.
The ON/OFF setting will not be
changed even if the ignition switch
is turned to the “OFF” position.
The ON/OFF setting will be returned
to the default setting if the battery is
removed.
1-7. Rear seat reminder
1-8. Child restraint systems
& Safety precautions
This function prompts the driver to confirm
the presence of passengers and cargo in
the rear.
This function will be activated when the
rear doors are opened and closed.
It alerts the driver by warning messages on
the combination meter display (color LCD)
and beeps when the ignition switch is
turned from the “ON” position to the “OFF”
position.
.
.
.
Infants and small children should always
be placed in an infant or child restraint
system in the rear seat while riding in the
vehicle.
You should use an infant or child restraint
system that meets Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards or Canada Motor Vehi-
cle Safety Standards, is compatible with
your vehicle and is appropriate for the
child’s age and size.
NOTE
.
This function does not directly de-
tect passengers and cargo in the
rear seat.
This function detects the opening
and closing of the rear doors. In this
All child restraint systems are designed to
be secured in vehicle seats by lap belts or
the lap belt portion of a lap/shoulder belt
(except those described in “Installation of
child restraint systems by use of lower and
.
Child restraint systems 61
tether anchorages (LATCH)” �P71).
Children could be endangered in an
accident if their child restraint systems
are not properly secured in the vehicle.
When installing the child restraint system,
carefully follow the manufacturer’s instruc-
tions.
According to accident statistics, children
are safer when properly restrained in the
rear seating positions than in the front
seating positions.
All U.S. states and Canadian provinces
require that infants and small children be
restrained in an approved child restraint
system at all times while the vehicle is
moving.
Lock release knob
1
2
A
Unlocked
Locked
Unlocking marker in red
WARNING
Never let a passenger hold a child on
his or her lap or in his or her arms
while the vehicle is moving. The
passenger cannot protect the child
(or infant) from injury in a collision,
because the child will be caught
between the passenger and objects
inside the vehicle.
WARNING
.
.
Before installing a child restraint
system, be sure to confirm that
the seatback is securely locked
into place. Otherwise, in an acci-
dent, serious injury or death
could result.
Additionally, holding a child in your
lap or arms in the front seat exposes
that child to another serious danger.
Since the SRS airbag deploys with
considerable speed and force, the
child could be injured or even killed.
Do not leave children in the car
unattended. High interior tem-
peratures may cause heat stroke
and dehydration that result in
serious injury or death.
– CONTINUED –
Child restraint systems
62
swerving, or accidents.
& Safety tips for installing child
restraint systems
.
Do not leave an unsecured child
restraint system in your vehicle.
Unsecured child restraint sys-
tems can be thrown around in-
side of the vehicle in a sudden
stop, turn or accident; they can
strike and injure vehicle occu-
pants as well as result in serious
injuries or death to the child.
WARNING
.
.
Child restraint systems and seat-
belts can become hot in a vehicle
that has been closed up in sunny
weather; they could burn a small
child. Check the child restraint
system before you place a child
in it.
CAUTION
Do not use a seatbelt extender. If
a seatbelt extender is used when
installing a child restraint sys-
tem, the seatbelt will not securely
hold the child restraint system.
Use of a seatbelt extender could
cause death or serious injury to
children or other passengers in
sudden braking, swerving, or
accidents.
WARNING
When you install a child restraint
system, follow the manufacturer’s
instructions supplied with it. After
installing the child restraint system,
check to ensure that it is held
securely in position. If it is not held
tight and secure, the danger of your
child suffering personal injury in the
event of an accident may be in-
creased.
Children should be properly re-
strained at all times. Never allow a
child to stand up, or to kneel on any
seat. Unrestrained children will be
thrown forward during sudden stop
or in an accident and can be injured
seriously.
.
Attach the child restraint system
to the anchors properly. When
using the LATCH anchors, be
sure that there are no foreign
objects around the anchors.
Make sure the child restraint
system is securely attached.
Otherwise it may cause death or
serious injury to children or other
passengers in sudden braking,
Additionally, children standing up or
kneeling on or in front of the front
seat are exposed another serious
danger. Since the SRS airbag de-
ploys with considerable speed and
force, the child could be injured or
even killed.
Child restraint systems 63
Some types of child restraint systems
might not be able to be secured firmly
due to projection of the seat cushion.
In this seating position, you should use
only a child restraint system that has a
bottom base that fits snugly against the
contours of the seat cushion and can be
securely retained using the seatbelt.
& Where to place a child re-
straint system
The following descriptions are SUBARU’s
recommendations on where to place a
child restraint system in your vehicle.
WARNING
.
Several types of child restraint
systems may conceal the buckle
of the neighboring seat. If the
occupant of the neighboring seat
cannot correctly fasten the seat-
belt, that person must move to a
different seat. If the seatbelt can-
not be correctly fastened, there is
the risk of serious injury or death
in the event of sudden braking or
a collision.
C: Rear seat, center seating position
In this position, the following equipment is
provided for installing a child restraint
system.
.
.
.
ALR/ELR seatbelts
Lower anchorages (bars)
Top tether anchorages
A: Front passenger’s seat
You should not install a child restraint
system (including a booster seat) due to
the hazard to children posed by the
passenger’s airbag.
Some types of child restraint systems
might not be able to be secured firmly
due to projection of the seat cushion.
In this seating position, you should use
only a child restraint system that has a
bottom base that fits snugly against the
contours of the seat cushion and can be
securely retained using the seatbelt.
The rear center seat includes lower an-
chorages, and the lower anchorages on
the center side of the rear right seat can be
used to install a child restraint system.
B: Rear seat, window-side seating
positions
Recommended positions for all types of
child restraint systems.
In these positions, the following equipment
is provided for installing a child restraint
system.
.
If the child restraint system can-
not be correctly installed be-
cause it contacts the driver’s
seat, move the child restraint
system to a different seat. If it
cannot be installed in a different
seat (other than the driver’s seat),
adjust the front seat so that
contact does not occur.
.
Automatic Locking Retractor/Emer-
gency Locking Retractor (ALR/ELR)
seatbelts
.
.
Lower anchorages (bars)
Upper anchorages (tether anchorages)
When a child restraint system is installed in
the rear center seat using the lower
anchorages, do not sit in the rear right
– CONTINUED –
Child restraint systems
64
seat.
children are safer when properly
restrained in the rear seating
positions than in the front seating
positions.
WARNING
If a child restraint system is not correctly
fixed in place (for example, if a child
restraint system can be moved more than
1 inch (2.5 cm) from side to side), the child
restraint system should be moved to a
window seat position of the rear seat.
.
SINCE YOUR VEHICLE IS
EQUIPPED WITH A PASSEN-
GER’S SRS AIRBAG, NEVER IN-
STALL A CHILD RESTRAINT
SYSTEM IN THE FRONT PAS-
SENGER’S SEAT. DOING SO
RISKS SERIOUS INJURY OR
DEATH TO THE CHILD BY PLA-
CING THE CHILD’S HEAD TOO
CLOSE TO THE SRS AIRBAG.
.
.
Do not use lower anchorages
(bars) for a seat in the center
seating position unless a child
restraint system manufacturer’s
instructions permit and specify
using anchors spaced as far
apart as those in this vehicle.
WARNING
.
Even with advanced airbags, chil-
dren can be seriously injured by
the airbag. Seat children in the
rear seat properly restrained at
all times. The SRS airbag deploys
with considerable speed and
force and can injure or even kill
children, especially if they are not
restrained or improperly re-
strained. Because children are
lighter and weaker than adults,
their risk of being injured from
deployment is greater.
Do not connect two or more lower
hooks onto the same anchorage
(bar).
.
Do not allow children to lean their
heads or any other parts of their
bodies against the door or the
area of the seat, front and rear
pillars or roof side rails. The SRS
side airbags and SRS curtain
airbags deploy even if children
are seated in the child restraint
system, and the impact could
cause death or serious injury to
the child.
For that reason, be sure to secure
ALL types of child restraint sys-
tems (including forward facing
child restraint systems) in the
REAR seats at all times. You
should choose a restraint system
which is appropriate for the
child’s age, height and weight.
According to accident statistics,
.
To secure the child restraint sys-
tem, be sure to comply with all
installation instructions provided
by the child restraint system
manufacturer. Not doing so could
result in death or serious injury to
children in a sudden stop or
accident.
Child restraint systems 65
Also it is important for you to make sure
that the child restraint system is compa-
tible with the vehicle in which it will be
used.
may result in death or serious
injuries in the event of sudden
stop, sudden steering maneuver
or an accident.
& Choosing a child restraint
system
NOTE
! Installing a rearward facing child
Some sizes of child restraint systems
may not fit the vehicle seat. Before
purchasing a child restraint system,
check whether it fits on the vehicle seat.
restraint system
WARNING
.
.
NEVER INSTALL A CHILD RE-
STRAINT SYSTEM IN THE FRONT
PASSENGER’S SEAT. DOING SO
RISKS SERIOUS INJURY OR
DEATH TO THE CHILD BY PLA-
CING THE CHILD’S HEAD TOO
CLOSE TO THE SRS AIRBAG.
& Installing child restraint sys-
tems with ALR/ELR seatbelt
CAUTION
Choose a child restraint system that is
appropriate for the child’s age and size
(weight and height) in order to provide the
child with proper protection. The child
restraint system should meet all applicable
requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards for the United States or
of Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standards
for Canada. It can be identified by looking
for the label on the child restraint system or
the manufacturer’s statement of compli-
ance in the document attached to the
system.
.
When you install a child restraint
system, follow the manufac-
turer’s instructions supplied with
it. After installing the child re-
straint system, check to ensure
that it is held securely in position.
If it is not held tight and secure,
the danger of your child suffering
personal injury in the event of an
accident may be increased.
Before installing a child restraint
system, be sure to confirm that
the seatback is securely locked
into place. Otherwise, in an acci-
dent, serious injury or death
could result.
1. Place the child restraint system in the
rear seating position.
.
When installing a child restraint
system in the rear center seating
position, set both seatbacks to
the original position. Otherwise,
the child restraint system cannot
be securely restrained, which
WARNING
When you intend to install a child
restraint system in the rear center
seating position, if the child restraint
– CONTINUED –
Child restraint systems
66
system does not fit snugly against
the contours of the rear center seat
cushion, install the child restraint
system in the window-side seating
position to be safe. For details, refer
to “Where to place a child restraint
system” �P63.
4. Take up the slack in the lap belt.
6. Before having a child sit in the child
restraint system, try to move it back
and forth and right and left to check if it
is firmly secured. Sometimes a child
restraint system can be more firmly
secured by pushing it down into the
seat cushion and then tightening the
seatbelt. It should not be possible to
move the child restraint system more
than 1 in (2.5 cm) in any direction along
the seatbelt path.
7. If the seatbelt has been set to the ALR
mode in step 5, pull at the shoulder
portion of the belt to confirm that it
cannot be pulled out (ALR properly
functioning).
5. If using the seatbelt in the ALR mode is
recommended by the manufacturer’s
instructions supplied with the child
restraint system, perform the following
procedure.
(1) Pull out the seatbelt fully from the
retractor to change the retractor
over from the Emergency Locking
Retractor (ELR) to the Automatic
Locking Retractor (ALR) mode.
(2) Allow the belt to rewind into the
retractor. As the belt is rewinding,
clicks will be heard which indicate
the retractor functions as ALR.
2. Run the lap and shoulder belt through
or around the child restraint system
following the instructions provided by
its manufacturer.
3. Insert the tongue plate into the buckle
until you hear a click.
Child restraint systems 67
! Installing a forward facing child
restraint system
WARNING
.
.
NEVER INSTALL A CHILD RE-
STRAINT SYSTEM IN THE FRONT
PASSENGER’S SEAT. DOING SO
RISKS SERIOUS INJURY OR
DEATH TO THE CHILD BY PLA-
CING THE CHILD’S HEAD TOO
CLOSE TO THE SRS AIRBAG.
Before installing a child restraint
system, be sure to confirm that
the seatback is securely locked
into place. Otherwise, in an acci-
dent, serious injury or death
could result.
8. To remove the child restraint system,
press the release button on the seat-
belt buckle and allow the belt to retract
completely. The belt will return to the
ELR mode.
3. Remove the head restraint of the rear
seating position where the child re-
straint system is to be installed. For
details, refer to “Head restraints”
�P43.
CAUTION
1. Place the child restraint system in the
rear seating position.
2. For models with rear seat reclining
mechanism, if there is a gap between
the child restraint system and the
seatback, adjust the seatback angle
until good contact is achieved.
NOTE
When the child restraint system is no
longer in use, remove it and restore the
ELR function of the retractor. That
function is restored by allowing the
seatbelt to retract fully.
Store the head restraint in the cargo
area. Do not place the head restraint
in the passenger compartment to
prevent it from being thrown around
in the passenger compartment in a
sudden stop or a sharp turn.
– CONTINUED –
Child restraint systems
68
position, pass the rear center seat-
belt through the belt guide properly.
For details, refer to “Rear center
seatbelt” �P53.
WARNING
When you intend to install a child
restraint system in the rear center
seating position, if the child restraint
system does not fit snugly against
the contours of the rear center seat
cushion, install the child restraint
system on the window-side seating
position to be safe. For details, refer
to “Where to place a child restraint
system” �P63.
5. Insert the tongue plate into the buckle
until you hear a click.
8. Before having a child sit in the child
restraint system, try to move it back
and forth and right and left to check if it
is firmly secured. Sometimes a child
restraint system can be more firmly
secured by pushing it down into the
seat cushion and then tightening the
seatbelt. It should not be possible to
move the child restraint system more
than 1 in (2.5 cm) in any direction along
the seatbelt path.
6. Take up the slack in the lap belt.
7. Pull out the seatbelt fully from the
retractor to change the retractor over
from the Emergency Locking Retractor
(ELR) to the Automatic Locking Re-
tractor (ALR) function. Then, allow the
belt to rewind into the retractor. As the
belt is rewinding, clicks will be heard
which indicate the retractor functions
as ALR.
9. Pull at the shoulder portion of the belt
to confirm that it cannot be pulled out
(ALR properly functioning).
4. Run the lap and shoulder belt through
or around the child restraint system
following the instructions provided by
its manufacturer.
– When a child restraint system is
installed on the rear center seating
Child restraint systems 69
press the release button on the seat-
belt buckle and allow the belt to retract
completely. The belt will return to the
ELR mode.
& Installing a booster seat or
booster cushion
Remember that the head restraint is not
intended to be used at the lowest position
(retracted position). Therefore, when the
rear center seat is occupied (including
when a child restraint system is installed)
next time, be sure to raise the head
restraint to the extended position.
NOTE
10. Latch the top tether hook onto the
tether anchorage that is located behind
the rear seat and tighten the top tether
firmly. For additional instructions, refer
to “Top tether anchorages” �P75.
When the child restraint system is no
longer in use, remove it and restore the
ELR function of the retractor. That
function is restored by allowing the
seatbelt to retract fully.
Booster seat
Booster cushion
11. To remove the child restraint system,
– CONTINUED –
Child restraint systems
70
1. Adjust the head restraint as follows.
For booster seat:
For booster cushion:
rear seating position and sit the child
on it. The child should sit well back on
the booster seat/cushion.
3. For models with rear seat reclining
mechanism, if there is a gap between
the booster seat/cushion and the seat-
back, adjust the seatback angle until
good contact is achieved.
4. Run the lap and shoulder belt through
or around the booster seat/cushion
and the child following the instructions
provided by its manufacturer. For
booster seat/cushion with a belt guide,
use the seatbelt through the belt guide.
(1) Raise the head restraint to the
extended position (center seat).
Do not remove the head restraint.
5. Insert the tongue plate into the buckle
until you hear a click. Take care not to
twist the seatbelt.
(1) Remove the head restraint from
the rear seating position where the
child restraint system is to be
installed.
(2) Store the removed head restraint
in the cargo area.
Make sure the shoulder belt is posi-
tioned across the center of child’s
shoulder and that the lap belt is
positioned as low as possible on the
child’s hips.
CAUTION
Do not place the head restraint in the
passenger compartment to prevent
it from being thrown around in the
passenger compartment in a sud-
den stop or a sharp turn.
2. Place the booster seat/cushion in the
Child restraint systems 71
effective in preventing or redu-
cing injury.
& Installation of child restraint
systems by use of lower and
tether anchorages (LATCH)
.
.
Place the lap belt as low as
possible on the child’s hips. A
high-positioned lap belt will in-
crease the risk of sliding under
the lap belt and of the lap belt
sliding up over the abdomen, and
both can result in serious injury
or death.
! Lower and tether anchorages
Make sure the shoulder belt is
positioned across the center of
child’s shoulder. Placing the
shoulder belt over the neck may
result in neck injury during sud-
den braking or in a collision.
6. To remove the booster seat/cushion,
press the release button on the seat-
belt buckle and allow the belt to retract.
WARNING
WARNING
.
.
Never use a belt that is twisted or
reversed. In an accident, this can
increase the risk or severity of
injury to the child.
.
Attach the child restraint system
to the anchors properly. When
using the LATCH anchors, be
sure that there are no foreign
objects around the anchors.
Make sure the child restraint
system is securely attached.
Otherwise it may cause death or
serious injury to children or other
passengers in sudden braking,
swerving, or accidents.
Never place the shoulder belt
under the child’s arm or behind
the child’s back. If an accident
occurs, this can increase the risk
or severity of injury to the child.
.
The seatbelt should fit snugly in
order to provide full restraint.
Loose fitting belts are not as
– CONTINUED –
Child restraint systems
72
.
When installing a child restraint
system using LATCH anchors
with the rear seatbelt fastened,
ensure that the rear seatbelt does
not become caught in the child
restraint system or the lower
LATCH anchorages.
! Lower anchorages
NOTE
The seatbelt warning system of the rear
seats detects if any of the seats are
occupied by a passenger. Installing a
child restraint system in the rear seat-
ing area, using the LATCH anchors,
may result in the activation of the
passenger seatbelt warning light and
chime. Fastening the rear seatbelt prior
to installing the child restraint system
will avoid activating the passenger
seatbelt warning light and chime.
Your vehicle is equipped with 5 lower
anchorages (bars) and 3 upper an-
chorages (tether anchorages) for accom-
modating such child restraint systems.
WARNING
Do not connect two or more lower
hooks onto the same anchorage
(bar).
For details, refer to “Rear passenger’s
seats” �P170.
There are a total of 5 lower anchorages at
the rear seat. The second lower ancho-
rage from the right side is used for both the
right seat and center seat. Each lower
anchorage is located where the seat
cushion meets the seatback.
Some types of child restraint systems can
be installed on the rear seat of your vehicle
without use of the seatbelts. Such child
restraint systems are secured to the
dedicated anchorages provided on the
vehicle body. The lower and tether an-
chorages are sometimes referred to as the
LATCH system (Lower Anchors and
Tethers for CHildren).
Child restraint systems 73
1. Move the seatback back and forth to
confirm that it is securely locked into
place.
! Tether anchorages
– Check the red colored unlocking
marker which is attached to the
bottom of the lock release knob is
not visible. For details, refer to
“Folding down the rear seatback”
�P40.
3. Peel off the anchorage cover from the
selected side of the rear seatback.
Fold the peeled anchorage cover in
half and affix it with hook and loop tape
to expose the anchorages (bars) to be
used for installation of the child re-
straint system.
The tether anchorages (upper an-
chorages) are provided at the locations
shown in the above illustration. For details,
refer to “Top tether anchorages” �P75.
! To install a child restraint system
using lower and tether an-
chorages
2. You will find “ ” marks at the bottoms
of the rear seatback. These marks
indicate the positions of the lower
anchorages (bars).
WARNING
Before installing a child restraint
system, be sure to confirm that the
seatback is securely locked into
place. Otherwise, in an accident,
serious injury or death could result.
– CONTINUED –
Child restraint systems
74
4. Remove the rear seat head restraint.
For details, refer to “Head restraints”
�P43.
5. While following the instructions sup-
plied by the child restraint system
manufacturer, connect the lower hooks
onto the lower anchorages located at
7. If your child restraint system is a
flexible attachment type (which uses
tether belts), push the child restraint
system into the seat cushion and pull
both left and right lower tether belts up
to secure the child restraint system by
taking up the slack in the belt.
8. Latch the top tether hook onto the
tether anchorage that is located behind
the rear seat and tighten the top tether
firmly. For additional instructions, refer
to “Top tether anchorages” �P75.
CAUTION
“
” marks on the bottom of the rear
seatback. When the hooks are con-
nected, make sure the adjacent seat-
belts are not caught.
Store the head restraint in the cargo
area. Do not place the head restraint
in the passenger compartment to
prevent it from being thrown around
in the passenger compartment in a
sudden stop or a sharp turn.
6. For models with rear seat reclining
mechanism, if there is a gap between
the child restraint system and the
seatback, adjust the seatback angle
until good contact is achieved.
Child restraint systems 75
! Anchorage location
National Highway Traffic Safety Adminis-
tration (NHTSA) website. In Canada,
check with Transport Canada.
& Top tether anchorages
Your vehicle is equipped with three top
tether anchorages so that a child restraint
system having a top tether can be installed
in the rear seat. When installing a child
restraint system using top tether, proceed
as follows, while observing the instructions
by the child restraint system manufacturer.
Since a top tether can provide additional
stability by offering another connection
between a child restraint system and the
vehicle, we recommend that you use a top
tether whenever one is required or avail-
able.
9. Before having a child sit in the child
restraint system, try to move it back
and forth and right and left to check if it
is firmly secured. Sometimes a child
restraint system can be more firmly
secured by pushing it down into the
seat cushion. It should not be possible
to move the child restraint system
more than 1 in (2.5 cm).
10. To remove the child restraint system,
follow the reverse procedures of in-
stallation.
SUBARU recommends that you check
with a certified Child Passenger Safety
Technician to ensure the proper installa-
tion of your child restraint system. For
more information, and to locate the closest
inspection location in the U.S., refer to the
1
2
3
For left seat
For center seat
For right seat
Three upper anchorages are installed on
the back side of the rear seatback.
– CONTINUED –
SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint System airbag)
76
2. Tighten the top tether securely.
! To hook the top tether
1-9. SRS airbag (Supplemen-
tal Restraint System airbag)
SUBARU recommends that you check
with a certified Child Passenger Safety
Technician to ensure the proper installa-
tion of your child restraint system. For
more information, and to locate the closest
inspection location in the U.S., refer to the
National Highway Traffic Safety Adminis-
tration (NHTSA) website. In Canada,
check with Transport Canada.
CAUTION
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)
name is used because the airbag system
supplements the vehicle’s seatbelts.
.
.
Remove the head restraint when
mounting a child restraint sys-
tem. Otherwise, the top tether
cannot be fastened tightly.
This vehicle is equipped with a supple-
mental restraint system which consists of
seven airbags.
Store the head restraint that has
been removed in the cargo area.
Do not place the head restraint in
the passenger compartment to
prevent it from being thrown
around in the passenger com-
partment in a sudden stop or a
sharp turn.
The configurations are as follows.
.
.
.
Driver’s and front passenger’s frontal
airbags
Driver’s and front passenger’s side
airbags
Curtain airbags (for driver, front pas-
senger, and window-side rear passen-
gers)
.
Knee airbag for driver
These SRS airbags are designed only
as a supplement to the primary protec-
tion provided by the seatbelt.
The system also controls seatbelt preten-
sioners. For operation instructions and
precautions concerning the seatbelt pre-
tensioner, refer to “Seatbelt pretensioners”
�P57.
1. Attach the top tether hook to the
appropriate upper anchorage.
