Volkswagen Atlas 2018 User manual

Supplement
Atlas – edition 4.2018
Model year 2018
Child safety and child restraints
The information in this supplement supersedes the information of the respective
chapters in the following Owner's Manual:
–Atlas Owner's Manual
Please continue to refer to the Owner's Manual in conjunction with this supplement
for information, descriptions, and specifications regarding the operation and care of
your vehicle as well as information and warnings that you must heed for your own
safety and the safety of your passengers.
Nachtrag: Child safety and child restraints
Stand: 13.01.2017
Englisch USA: 04.2018
Teile-Nr.: 5K7012723FC

5K7012723FC

Signs and symbols
Indicates a reference to a section with im-
portant information and safety warnings 
that should always be heeded.
Arrow indicating that the section continues
on the next page.
Arrow marking the end of a section.
The symbol indicates situations in which
the vehicle must be stopped as quickly as
possible.
®The symbol indicates registered trade-
marks. However, the absence of this sym-
bol does not constitute a waiver of any
rights associated with intellectual property.
→ Cross-reference to a red, orange, or yellow
warning in the same section or on the stat-
ed page, pointing out possible risks that
can cause serious personal injuries and how
to help prevent them.
→
→
→ Cross reference to a Notice about possible
property damage, in the same section or on
the stated page.
Used on vehicle labels and indicates the
availability of additional important infor-
mation and warnings in this Owner’s Man-
ual.
DANGER
Texts with this symbol contain information regard-
ing hazardous situations which will cause death or
severe injuries if not avoided.
WARNING
Texts with this symbol contain information regard-
ing hazardous situations which could cause death
or severe injuries if not avoided.
CAUTION
Texts with this symbol contain information regard-
ing hazardous situations which could cause minor
or moderate injuries if not avoided.
NOTICE
Texts with this symbol contain information regard-
ing situations which could cause vehicle damage if
not avoided.
Texts with this symbol contain information
about the environment and how you can help
to protect it.
Texts with this symbol contain supplementary
information. 

Child safety and child
restraints
Introduction
The physical principles of what happens when
your vehicle is in a collision or other accident also
apply to children → chapter Safety belts. But un-
like adults and teenagers, their muscles and
bones are not fully developed. In many respects
children are at greater risk of serious injury in ac-
cidents than are adults.
Because children's bodies are not fully devel-
oped, they must use restraint systems especially
designed for their size, weight, and body struc-
ture. Many countries and all states of the United
States and provinces of Canada have laws requir-
ing the use of approved child restraint systems
for 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)
infant 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, on-
ly an appropriate child restraint properly used
can reduce the risk of serious injury. Child re-
straints, like adult safety belts, must be used
properly to be effective. Used improperly, they
can increase the risk of serious injury in an acci-
dent.
All children, especially those 12 years and young-
er, must always ride in the back seat properly re-
strained for their age and size. If you must install
a child restraint on the front passenger seat in
exceptional circumstances, be sure to read and
heed the important information and warnings in
the section of this Manual that begins on
→ page 5, Child restraints and the Advanced
Airbag System. Infants and other children who
are properly restrained in an appropriate child re-
straint that is for their size and age can benefit
from the protection that supplemental side air-
bags provide in some kinds of crashes.
For more information, please see information
provided by the:
–National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA), currently at: http://www.safercar.gov
(for the USA)
–Transport Canada Information Centre, current-
ly at: http://www.tc.gc.ca (for Canada)
Consult the child restraint manufacturer's in-
structions to be sure the seat is right for your
child's size → page 25, Sources of information
about child restraints and their use. Please be
sure to read and heed all of the important infor-
mation and WARNINGS about child safety, Ad-
vanced Airbags, and the installation of child re-
straints in this Manual.
There is a lot you need to know about the Ad-
vanced Airbags in your vehicle and how they
work when infants and children in child restraints
are on the front passenger seat. Because of the
large amount of important information, we can-
not repeat it all here. We urge you to read the
detailed information in this Manual about airbags
and the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle
and the very important information about trans-
porting children on the front passenger 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.
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
installed on the front passenger seat will be
seriously 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 backrest, center armrest, door or roof.
●Always install rearward-facing child re-
straints on the rear seat.
●If you have, in exceptional circumstances,
nevertheless decided to install a rearward-
facing child restraint on the front passenger
seat and the PASSENGER AIR BAG  light
does not come on and stay on whenever the
ignition is on, immediately install the rear-
ward-facing child restraint on the rear seat
and have the airbag system inspected right
away by your authorized Volkswagen dealer
or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility. 
Child safety and child restraints 1
5K7012723FC
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5K7012723FC

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.
●All vehicle occupants and especially children
must be restrained properly whenever riding
in a vehicle. An unrestrained or improperly
restrained child could be injured by striking
the interior or by being ejected from the ve-
hicle during a sudden maneuver or impact.
An unrestrained or improperly restrained
child is also at greater risk of injury or death
through contact with an inflating airbag.
●A suitable child restraint properly installed
and used at one of the rear seating positions
provides the highest degree of protection for
infants and small children in most accident
situations.
WARNING
Forward-facing child restraints installed on the
front passenger seat may interfere with the de-
ployment of the airbag and cause serious per-
sonal injury to the child.
●If exceptional circumstances require the use
of a forward-facing child restraint on the
front passenger's seat, the child's safety and
well-being require the following special pre-
cautions to be taken:
–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 re-
straint or infant carrier.
–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 in-
stallation, or if required by law. For exam-
ple, the use of a top tether strap for for-
ward-facing child restraints is required by
law in Canada.
–Never put the forward-facing child re-
straint up against or very near the instru-
ment panel.
–Always set the safety belt upper anchor-
age to the adjustment position that per-
mits proper installation in accordance with
the child restraint manufacturer's instruc-
tions.
–Always move the front passenger seat to
the highest position in the up and down
adjustment 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 possible before installing the for-
ward-facing child restraint.
–Always make sure that the safety belt up-
per anchorage is behind the child restraint
and not next to or in front of the child re-
straint so that the safety belt will be prop-
erly positioned.
–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 objects on the seat (such as a
laptop, CD player, or electronic games de-
vice). These may influence the electrical
capacitance measured by the capacitive
passenger detection system and can also
fly around in an accident and cause serious
personal injury.
–Never place or use any electrical device
(such as a laptop, CD player, or electronic
games device) on the front passenger seat
if the device is connected to the 12 Volt
socket → chapter Power outlets.
–If a seat heater has been retrofitted or
otherwise added to the front passenger
seat, never install any child restraint sys-
tem on this seat.
–Make sure that there are no wet objects
(such as a wet towel) and no water or oth-
er liquids on the front passenger seat
cushion.
–Always make sure that the PASSEN-
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 not come on and stay on, immediate-
ly install the forward-facing child restraint 
(Supplement) – Child safety and child restraints
2

in a rear seating position and have the air-
bag system inspected by your authorized
Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswa-
gen Service Facility.
●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 when-
ever using a child restraint in a vehicle. See
→ chapter Safety belts, → chapter Airbag sys-
tem, and → page 1, Child safety and child re-
straints.
Always replace child restraints that were in-
stalled in a vehicle during a crash. Damage
to a child restraint that is not visible could cause
it to fail in another collision situation. 
Child restraints – Overview
Please read the introductory information and
heed the Warnings and Notice and on page
1.
All children and especially infants must be prop-
erly restrained in a child restraint appropriate for
their size and age whenever riding in a vehicle.
Their safety also requires that the child restraint
be properly installed. There are many car seat
choices on the market. You can use the informa-
tion below to help you choose a car seat that
best meets your child’s needs.
Type of child restraint Applies to
Rear-facing child restraint
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:
– 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.
Rear-facing child restraint before
moving to a forward-facing child
restraint
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.
Forward-facing child restraint
4–7 years: Keep your child in a forward-facing car seat with a har-
ness and tether until he or she reaches the top height or weight
limit allowed by the car seat’s manufacturer. Once your child out-
grows the forward-facing car seat with a harness, it’s time to
travel in a booster seat, but still in the back seat.
Booster seat
7–12 years: Keep your child in a booster seat until he or she is big
enough to fit in a seat belt properly. For a seat belt to fit properly,
the lap belt must lie snugly across the upper thighs, not the stom-
ach. 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.
Today's child restraints are designed to be se-
cured to the vehicle either with the standard
3 point lap and shoulder belt or with the LATCH/
UCRA lower universal anchorages. Many child re-
straints also require the use of a top tether strap.
Depending on your state or country, top tether
straps may also be required by law. The top teth-
er strap reduces the forward movement of the
child restraint in a crash, to help reduce the risk
of head injury if the child hits the vehicle interior. 
3
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Your vehicle has the following installation op-
tions in the second and third row of seats
Child restraint installation Second row of seats (2 or 3 seat-
ing positions)
Third row of seats (2 seating po-
sitions)
LATCH/UCRA lower universal an-
chorages –
Top tether anchorage  
Safety belts with the switchable
locking feature  
The LATCH/UCRA lower universal anchorage at-
tachment points are on the lower part of the
second row seat backrests. Each lower universal
anchorage point is accessible through an open-
ing in the backrest upholstery. There are two an-
chorages for each of the seating positions on the
second row. The circular markings help you to lo-
cate the lower anchorages → fig. 8 .
Installing 3 child restraints on the second row
With the right combination of child restraints it is
possible to install three child restraints on the
second row at the same time. However, some
child restraints are wider than others. It is not
possible to properly install three wide child re-
straints on the second row at the same time. If
you need to install three child restraints at the
same time, always make sure that the child re-
straints are properly installed.
Be especially careful when installing a child re-
straint on the center seating position in the sec-
ond row as it is narrower than the outboard posi-
tions. A wide child restraint installed on the cen-
ter seat may cover the safety belt buckles for the
other seating positions. Do not allow someone to
ride in a seating position where the safety belt
buckle is covered by a child restraint → chap-
ter Safety belts.
A child restraint in the center seating position
may also contact or push up against the safety
belt buckles, which can damage the buckles and
make them unusable or unsafe. Always check
that the child restraint does not contact any of
the safety belt buckles. Check the placement of
the child restraint regularly to make sure that it
has not shifted and come into contact with any
of the safety belt buckles. Although properly in-
stalling the child restraint and regularly checking
its placement will help to prevent damage to the
safety belt buckles, installing a protective cover
on the buckles will provide additional protection
→ page 10, Using a child restraint on the rear
seat.
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 man-
ufacturer.
–The child restraint does not hang over the
edge of the vehicle seat by more than what is
allowed by the child restraint manufacturer.
–The child restraint is centered in the seating
position and is not installed at an angle.
–The child restraint does not move forward or
sideways 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 restraints do not interfere with each
other and each remains fully functional and
accessible to properly restrain and protect
each child.
–The child restraint is installed with LATCH/
UCRA or the vehicle safety belt according to
the weight limits stated on the child restraint
and that the child restraint’s top tether is used
as instructed by the child restraint manufac-
turer.
More information:
–Important safety instructions for using child
restraints → page 7
–Using a child restraint on the rear seat
→ page 10
–Infant seats → page 12 
(Supplement) – Child safety and child restraints
4

–Convertible child restraints → page 14 –Booster seats and safety belts → page 16,
Booster seats and safety belts
–Installing child restraints with a safety belt
→ page 18 
Child restraints and the Advanced
Airbag System
Please read the introductory information and
heed the Warnings and Notice and on page
1.
Advanced front airbag system and children
Your vehicle is equipped with a front “Advanced
Airbag System” that complies with United States
Federal 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 Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle has
been certified to meet the “low risk” require-
ments for 3 to 6 year-old children (as defined in
the standard) 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 defined in the electronic control
unit. The low risk deployment criteria are intend-
ed 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 in-
flates.
In addition, the system has been certified to
comply with the “suppression” requirements of
the Safety Standard, to turn off the front airbag
automatically for infants up to 12 months who
are restrained on the front passenger seat in
child restraints that are listed in the Standard.
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 forward-facing child restraint. It is
a very dangerous place for an infant or a larger
child in a rearward-facing seat.
The vehicle's Advanced Airbag System has a ca-
pacitive passenger detection system in the front
passenger seat cushion that can detect the pres-
ence of a baby or a child in a child restraint sys-
tem on this seat.
The capacitive passenger detection system
measures the capacitance of the child and the
child restraint and a child blanket on the front
passenger seat. The capacitance due to the pres-
ence of a child, a child restraint, and a baby blan-
ket on the front passenger seat is related to the
child restraint system resting on the seat. The ca-
pacitance of a child restraint system varies de-
pending on the type of system and specific make
and model.
The electrical capacitance of the various types,
makes, and models of child restraints specified
by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Ad-
ministration (NHTSA) in the relevant safety
standard are stored in the Advanced Airbag Sys-
tem 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 infant, the Advanced
Airbag System compares the capacitance meas-
ured by the capacitive passenger detection sys-
tem with the data stored in the electronic control
unit.
Child restraints and Advanced Airbags
No matter what child restraint you use, make
sure that it has been certified to meet U.S. Feder-
al Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213
(FMVSS 213) or, if you live in Canada, Canada Mo-
tor Vehicle Safety Standard 213 (CMVSS 213). Al-
so make sure that the child restraint you are us-
ing has been certified by its manufacturer for use
with an airbag. Always be sure that the child re-
straint is properly installed at one of the rear
seating positions. If in exceptional circumstances
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 ca-
pacitive passenger detection system inside the
front passenger seat, that the passenger front 
5
5K7012723FC

airbag is switched off, and that the airbag status
is always correctly signaled by the PASSEN-
GER AIR BAG  light.
Many types and models of child restraints have
been available over the years, new models are in-
troduced regularly incorporating new and im-
proved 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 “foot-
prints,” 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 Airbags with
each and every child restraint that has ever been
sold in the past or will be sold over the course of
the useful life of your vehicle.
For this reason, the United States National High-
way Traffic Safety Administration has published a
list of specific types, makes and models of child
restraints that must be used to certify compli-
ance of the Advanced Airbag System in your ve-
hicle with the suppression requirements of Fed-
eral Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208. These
child restraints are:
Subpart A. Car bed child restraints
Model Manufactured on or
after
Angel Guard Angel Ride
AA2403FOF
September 25, 2007
Subpart B. Rear-facing child restraints
Model Manufactured on or
after
Century Smart Fit 4543 December 1, 1999
Cosco Arriva 22-013
PAW and base 22-999
WHO
September 25, 2007
Evenflo Discovery Adjust
Right 212 December 1, 1999
Graco Infant 8457 December 1, 1999
Graco Snugride September 25, 2007
Peg Perego Primo
Viaggio SIP IMUN00US September 25, 2007
Subpart C. Forward-facing and convertible
child restraints
Model Manufactured on or
after
Britax Roundabout
E9L02xx September 25, 2007
Cosco Touriva 02519 December 1, 1999
Cosco Summit Deluxe
High Back Booster
22-262
September 25, 2007
Cosco High Back Booster
22-209 September 25, 2007
Evenflo Tribute V
379xxxx September 25, 2007
Evenflo Medallion 254 December 1, 1999
Evenflo Generations
352xxxx September 25, 2007
Graco ComfortSport September 25, 2007
Graco Toddler SafeSeat
Step 2 September 25, 2007
Graco Platinum Cargo September 25, 2007
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 ignition is switched on.
●Take the child restraint off the front passen-
ger seat and install it properly at one of the
rear seat positions if the PASSEN-
GER AIR BAG  light does not come on
and stay on.
●Have the airbag system inspected immedi-
ately by your authorized Volkswagen dealer
or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility. 
(Supplement) – Child safety and child restraints6

Important safety instructions for
using child restraints
Please read the introductory information and
heed the Warnings and Notice and on page
1.
Fig. 1 Never let babies or older children ride in a ve-
hicle while sitting on the lap of another passenger.
Proper use of child restraints greatly reduces the
risk of injury in a collision or other kind of acci-
dent!
All children, especially those 12 years and young-
er, must always ride in the back seat properly re-
strained for their age and size.
Always use the right child restraint for each child
and always use it properly.
LATCH/UCRA lower universal anchorages secure
the child restraint system in the seat without us-
ing the vehicle's safety belts. Anchorages provide
a secure and easy-to-use attachment and mini-
mize the possibility of improper child restraint in-
stallation. If you decide to install a child restraint
system using the standard safety belt instead of
the LATCH/UCRA anchorages for the respective
seating position, be sure to always carefully fol-
low the child restraint manufacturer's instruc-
tions on how to route the safety belt properly
through the child restraint and how to restrain
the child in the child restraint.
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 18, In-
stalling child restraints with a safety belt.
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).
Important additional information about
installing a child restraint system on the front
passenger seat:
If you must install a child restraint on the front
passenger seat in exceptional circumstances, be
sure to read and heed the important information
and warnings in the section of this Manual that
begins on → page 5, Child restraints and the Ad-
vanced Airbag System.
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 re-
straint. Always follow the child restraint manu-
facturer's installation instructions → .
Move the front passenger seat to the highest po-
sition 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 for-
ward-facing child restraint and make sure the
backrest is in the upright position → .
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.
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 10, Us-
ing a child restraint on the rear seat. Always fol-
low the child restraint manufacturer’s instruc-
tions when installing a child restraint.
Do not use the switchable locking feature when
using the vehicle's safety belt to restrain a child
on a booster seat.
Always remember: Even though your vehicle is
equipped with an Advanced Airbag System, all
children, especially those 12 years and younger,
must always ride in the back seat properly re-
strained for their age and size. 
7
5K7012723FC

DANGER
Never install rearward-facing child restraints or
infant 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 backrest, center armrest, door or roof.
●Always install rearward-facing child re-
straints and infant carriers on the rear 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 emer-
gency situation.
●All vehicle occupants and especially children
must always be restrained properly whenev-
er riding in a vehicle.
–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.
–An unrestrained or improperly restrained
child is at much greater risk of injury or
death by being struck by an inflating air-
bag.
●Commercially available child restraints are
required to comply with U.S. Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard FMVSS 213 (in Cana-
da CMVSS 213).
–When buying a child restraint, select one
that fits your child and the vehicle.
–Volkswagen does not recommend using
child restraints that rest on legs or tube-
like frames. They do not provide adequate
contact with the seat.
●Always check that the child restraint has
been properly installed.
–Only use child restraint systems that fully
contact the flat portion of the seat cush-
ion, unless otherwise allowed by the child
restraint manufacturer. The child restraint
must not tip or lean to either side.
–Always make sure that the child restraint
is securely installed and cannot move for-
ward or sideways more than about 1 inch
(2.5 cm).
–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 up against any
safety belt buckles, because this can cause
damage to the buckles and make the
buckles unusable or unsafe.
–Always heed all legal requirements per-
taining to the installation and use of child
restraints and carefully follow the instruc-
tions provided by the manufacturer of the
seat you are using.
●For safety reasons, children under 4 ft. 9 in.
(57 inches / 1.45 meters) may not wear
standard safety belts. Children must always
be restrained by a proper child restraint sys-
tem. Otherwise, they could sustain injuries to
the abdomen and neck areas during sudden
braking maneuvers or accidents.
●Never let more than one child occupy a child
restraint.
●Never let babies or older children ride in a
vehicle while sitting on the lap of another
passenger.
–Holding a child in your arms is never a
substitute for a child restraint system.
–The strongest person could not hold the
child with the forces that exist in an acci-
dent. The child will strike the interior of
the vehicle and can also be struck by an-
other passenger.
–The child and the passenger can also injure
each other in an accident.
WARNING
Forward-facing child restraints installed on the
front passenger's seat can interfere with the
airbag when it inflates and cause serious injury
to the child.
●Always install child restraints on the rear
seat.
●If exceptional circumstances require the use
of a forward-facing child restraint on the
front passenger's seat, the child's safety and
well-being require the following special pre-
cautions to be taken: 
(Supplement) – Child safety and child restraints8

–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 re-
straint or carrier.
–Never install a child restraint without a
properly attached top tether strap if the
child restraint manufacturer's instructions
require the top tether strap to be used, or
if required by law. For example, the use of
a top tether strap for forward-facing child
restraints is required by law in Canada.
–Never put the forward-facing child re-
straint up against or very near the instru-
ment panel.
–Always set the safety belt upper anchor-
age to the adjustment position that per-
mits proper installation in accordance with
the child restraint manufacturer's instruc-
tions.
–Always move the front passenger seat to
the highest position in the up and down
adjustment 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 possible before installing the for-
ward-facing child restraint.
–Always make sure that the safety belt up-
per anchorage is behind the child restraint
and not next to or in front of the child re-
straint so that the safety belt will be prop-
erly positioned.
–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 on the seat
that can influence the capacitance regis-
tered by the capacitive passenger detec-
tion system and can cause injury in a
crash.
–Never place or use any electrical device
(such as a laptop, CD player, or electronic
games device) on the front passenger seat
if the device is connected to the 12 Volt
socket → chapter Power outlets.
–If a seat heater has been retrofitted or
otherwise added to the front passenger
seat, never install any child restraint sys-
tem on this seat.
–Make sure that there are no wet objects
(such as a wet towel) and no water or oth-
er liquids on the front passenger seat
cushion.
●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 when-
ever using a child restraint in a vehicle. See
→ chapter Safety belts, → chapter Airbag sys-
tem, and → page 1, 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 ignition is switched on.
●If the PASSENGER AIR BAG  light does
not stay on, perform the checks described
→ chapter PASSENGER AIR BAG light.
●Take the child restraint off the front passen-
ger seat and install it properly at one of the
rear seat positions if the PASSEN-
GER AIR BAG  light does not stay on.
●Have the airbag system inspected immedi-
ately by an authorized Volkswagen dealer or
authorized Volkswagen Service Facility. 
9
5K7012723FC

Using a child restraint on the rear seat
Please read the introductory information and heed the Warnings and Notice and on page 1.
Fig. 2 Keep unused safety belts away from children
in child restraints.
Fig. 3 Protective cover for the safety belt buckle.
Important special steps when installing a
child restraint with LATCH/UCRA lower
universal anchorages or with the vehicle
safety belt.
You must take special precautions to prevent a
child from playing with an unused safety belt and
becoming entangled with it → fig. 2. Always
route the center safety belt and the unused safe-
ty belt for the seating position where the child
restraint is being installed securely out of the
child’s reach.
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 man-
ufacturer.
–The child restraint does not hang over the
edge of the vehicle seat by more than what is
allowed by the child restraint manufacturer.
–The child restraint is centered in the seating
position and is not installed at an angle.
–The child restraint does not move forward or
sideways by more than about 1 inch (2.5 cm). 
(Supplement) – Child safety and child restraints
10

–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 restraints do not interfere with each
other and each remains fully functional and
accessible to properly restrain and protect
each child.
–The child restraint is installed with LATCH/
UCRA or the vehicle safety belt according to
the weight limits stated on the child restraint
and that the child restraint’s top tether is used
as instructed by the child restraint manufac-
turer.
Protecting the safety belt buckles from
damage
A child restraint in the center seating position
may damage the safety belt buckles on either
side of the child restraint and make them unusa-
ble or unsafe. You can help to prevent damage to
the safety belt buckles as follows:
–Install the child restraint properly → page 10,
How to tell if the child restraint is properly in-
stalled.
–Only install a child restraint that fits between
the safety belt buckles in the center seating
position.
–Check regularly that the child restraint has not
shifted and come into contact with any of the
safety belt buckles.
–Check regularly that the safety belt buckles
have not been damaged in any way.
As additional help in preventing damage to the
safety belt buckles, a protective cover for the
safety belt buckles will be available from an au-
thorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volks-
wagen Service Facility. The protective cover
should be attached to the safety belt buckles
whenever a child restraint will be installed on the
center seating position either with LATCH/UCRA
lower universal anchorages or with the vehicle
safety belt.
Installing the protective cover:
–Attach the protective cover before installing a
child restraint on the center seating position.
–Place the protective cover on top of the safety
belt buckle, and push it in until you hear it
latch securely.
–Pull on the protective cover to make sure that
it is securely latched in the buckle.
Removing the protective cover:
–Insert the safety belt tongue into the slit in the
protective cover and press the button below
→ fig. 3 . The protective cover is ejected.
When a protective cover is attached to a safety
belt buckle, that buckle cannot be used with the
safety belt. Remove the protective cover before
allowing someone to use that seating position.
Securing the unused safety belts out of 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 safety belt depends on the seating posi-
tion.
Secure an unused safety belt for an outboard
seating position:
–Route the safety belt around the head re-
straint for the center seating position → fig. 2.
–Make sure the safety belt is out of the child’s
reach, so that the child cannot grab and play
with it.
–Make sure that the safety belt does not block
the LATCH/UCRA lower universal anchorages.
This could prevent you from correctly instal-
ling a child restraint with the LATCH/UCRA
lower universal anchorages.
–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
safety belt retracts.
Secure an unused safety belt for the center seat
and third row:
–Buckle the safety belt → fig. 2.
–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.
–Let the safety belt fully retract and then pull
on it to make sure the switchable locking fea-
ture is active and the safety belt is properly
fastened and tight so that the child cannot
grab and play with the safety belt.
When a child safety seat is secured on the sec-
ond or third rows, adjust the position in front of
the child restraint to provide the child with suffi-
cient space. For example, adjust the front 
11
5K7012723FC

passenger seat to the size of the child safety seat
and the child directly behind it. Consider the
proper seating position of the passenger → .
When child restraints are not needed, be sure to
remove the safety belt(s) from around the head
restraint(s), unbuckle the center safety belt, and
return all safety belts to their normal stored posi-
tions so that they will be available for regular
use.
WARNING
A child in a child restraint installed with the
LATCH/UCRA lower universal anchorages or
with the standard safety belt on the rear seat
may play with unused rear seat safety belts and
become entangled, resulting in serious personal
injury and even death.
●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 restraint adjacent to the seating posi-
tion where the child restraint is installed.
NOTICE
The outboard safety belts may become damaged
if they are secured improperly.
●Be careful not to activate the switchable lock-
ing retractor when routing the unused safety
belt around the head restraint. Otherwise it
will be very difficult to wind the safety belt
back into its normal position.
●Only pull the unused safety belt out far
enough to allow you to route the belt around
the head restraint. 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, especial-
ly when the switchable locking feature has
been activated. 
Infant seats
Please read the introductory information and
heed the Warnings and Notice and on page
1.
Fig. 4 Example of a rearward-facing infant seat
properly installed on the rear seat.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) rec-
ommends that all infants should ride in rear-fac-
ing 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-fac-
ing car safety seat as long as possible – or until
they reach the highest weight or height allowed
by their child restraint’s manufacturer. These in-
fant seats support the baby's back, neck and
head in a collision. Rear-facing child restraints
can be used safely only on the rear seats of the
vehicle → fig. 4. The best place for a rear-facing
safety seat is in the second row where the safety
seat can be installed with the LATCH/UCRA sys-
tem.
Before installing a child restraint on the front
passenger seat, be sure to follow the special in-
structions and heed the warnings → page 5, Child
restraints and the Advanced Airbag System and
→ chapter The dangers of using child restraints
on the front seat.
(Supplement) – Child safety and child restraints
12

–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 re-
straint from moving → page 10, Using a child
restraint on the rear seat. Always follow the
child restraint manufacturer’s instructions
when installing a child restraint.
–Attach the Top Tether strap or straps to the
tether anchorage for the seating position
where the child restraint is being installed with
either the LATCH/UCRA system or with a safe-
ty belt → page 23, Securing a child restraint
with the Top Tether strap.
–Follow the manufacturer's instructions for po-
sitioning the handle of the car seat when it is
installed 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 dangerous place for an infant or a larger
child in a rearward-facing seat.
You must take special precautions when instal-
ling a child restraint with the vehicle safety belt
or with LATCH/UCRA lower universal anchorages
on a rear seating position. Always route the cen-
ter 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. Secur-
ing the safety belts will help prevent a child from
playing with an unused safety belt and becoming
entangled with it → page 10, Using a child re-
straint on the rear seat, → fig. 2.
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 emer-
gency 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 kil-
led when the inflating 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.
●Always install rearward-facing child re-
straints and infant carriers on the rear seats.
●Never install a rearward-facing child restraint
in the forward-facing direction. These re-
straints are designed for the special needs of
infants and very small children and cannot
protect them properly if the seat is forward-
facing.
●If you must install a rearward facing child re-
straint on the front passenger seat because
of exceptional circumstances, but the PAS-
SENGER AIR BAG  light does not come
on and stay on, immediately install the rear-
ward-facing child restraint at a seating posi-
tion on the rear rows and have the airbag
system inspected right away by your author-
ized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volks-
wagen Service Facility.
●Always read and heed all WARNINGS when-
ever using a child restraint in a vehicle. See
→ chapter Safety belts, → chapter Airbag sys-
tem, and → page 1, Child safety and child re-
straints.
WARNING
A child in a child restraint installed with the
LATCH/UCRA lower universal anchorages or
with the standard safety belt on the rear seat
may play with unused rear seat safety belts and
become entangled, resulting in serious personal
injury and even death.
●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 restraint adjacent to the seating posi-
tion where the child restraint is installed.
NOTICE
●Be careful not to activate the switchable lock-
ing retractor when routing the unused safety
belt around the head restraint adjacent to the
seat where a child restraint has been installed.
●Only pull the unused safety belt out far
enough to allow you to route the belt around
the head restraint.
●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
damaged, especially when the switchable
locking feature has been activated. 
13
5K7012723FC

Convertible child restraints
Please read the introductory information and heed the Warnings and Notice and on page 1.
Fig. 5 All convertible child restraints have lower anchors and a Top Tether. Figures Aand Bshow how to
correctly install a LATCH/UCRA seat. Figure Cshows the set up of a seat using the vehicle's safety belt sys-
tem.
Children between 1 and about 7 years old must
always be properly restrained in a child restraint
certified for their size and weight → fig. 5.
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 harness until he or she reaches the top height
or weight limit allowed by your car seat’s manu-
facturer.
Before installing a child restraint on the front
passenger seat, be sure to follow the special in-
structions and heed the warnings → page 5, Child
restraints and the Advanced Airbag System and
→ chapter The dangers of using child restraints
on the front seat.
–When using the vehicle safety belt to install a
child restraint, you must activate the switcha-
ble locking feature on the safety belt to help
prevent the child restraint from moving
→ page 10, Using a child restraint on the rear
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 side-
ways more than about 1 inch (2.5 cm).
–Make sure that the child restraint is centered
in the seating position and is not installed at
an angle.
–The child restraint must not contact or push
against any of the safety belt buckles, as this
can cause damage to the buckles and make
the buckles unusable or unsafe.
–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.
–Attach the Top Tether strap to the tether an-
chorage for the seating position where the
child restraint is being installed with either the
LATCH/UCRA system or the safety belt.
→ page 23, Securing a child restraint with the
Top Tether strap.
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 dangerous place for an infant or a larger
child in a rearward-facing seat.
You must take special precautions when instal-
ling a child restraint with the vehicle safety belt
or with LATCH/UCRA lower universal anchorages
on the rear seating positions. Always 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 be-
coming entangled with it → page 10, Using a
child restraint on the rear seat, → fig. 2.
(Supplement) – Child safety and child restraints
14

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 emer-
gency situation.
●Children on the front seat of any car, even
with Advanced Airbags, can be seriously in-
jured or even killed when an airbag inflates.
●A child in a rearward-facing child restraint
installed on the front passenger seat will be
seriously injured and can be killed if the front
airbag inflates – even with an Advanced Air-
bag 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 backrest, center armrest, door or roof.
●Always install rearward-facing child re-
straints 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 PAS-
SENGER AIR BAG  light does not come
on and stay on, immediately install the rear-
ward-facing child restraint at a seating posi-
tion on the rear seat and have the airbag sys-
tem inspected right away by your authorized
Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen
Service Facility.
●Always read and heed all WARNINGS when-
ever using a child restraint in a vehicle. See
→ chapter Safety belts, → chapter Airbag sys-
tem, and → page 1, Child safety and child re-
straints.
WARNING
An improperly installed child restraint can in-
terfere with the airbag as it deploys and seri-
ously 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-being require the following special pre-
cautions to be taken:
–Forward-facing child restraints installed
on the front passenger seat may interfere
with the deployment of the airbag and
cause serious 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 re-
straint or carrier.
–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 in-
stallation, or if required by law. For exam-
ple, the use of a top tether strap for for-
ward-facing child restraints is required by
law in Canada.
–Never put the forward-facing child re-
straint up against or very near the instru-
ment panel.
–Always set the safety belt upper anchor-
age to the adjustment position that per-
mits proper installation in accordance with
the child restraint manufacturer's instruc-
tions.
–Always move the front passenger seat to
the highest position in the up and down
adjustment 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 possible before installing the for-
ward-facing child restraint.
–Always make sure that the safety belt up-
per anchorage is behind the child restraint
and not next to or in front of the child re-
straint so that the safety belt will be prop-
erly positioned.
–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 objects on the seat (such as a
laptop, CD player, or electronic games de-
vice). These may influence the electrical
capacitance measured by the capacitive
passenger detection system and can also
fly around in an accident and cause serious
personal injury. 
15
5K7012723FC

–Never place or use any electrical device
(such as a laptop, CD player, or electronic
games device) on the front passenger seat
if the device is connected to the 12 Volt
socket → chapter Power outlets.
–If a seat heater has been retrofitted or
otherwise added to the front passenger
seat, never install any child restraint sys-
tem on this seat.
–Make sure that there are no wet objects
(such as a wet towel) and no water or oth-
er liquids on the front passenger seat
cushion.
–Make sure that the PASSEN-
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 not come on and stay on, immediate-
ly install the forward-facing child restraint
at a seating position on the rear seat and
have the airbag system inspected by your
authorized Volkswagen dealer or author-
ized Volkswagen Service Facility.
●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.
WARNING
A child in a child restraint installed with the
LATCH/UCRA lower universal anchorages or
with the standard safety belt on the rear seat
may play with unused rear seat safety belts and
become entangled, resulting in serious personal
injury and even death.
●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 restraint adjacent to the seating posi-
tion where the child restraint is installed.
NOTICE
●Be careful not to activate the switchable lock-
ing retractor when routing the unused safety
belt around the head restraint adjacent to the
seat where a child restraint has been installed.
●Only pull the unused safety belt out far
enough to allow you to route the belt around
the head restraint.
●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
damaged, especially when the switchable
locking feature has been activated. 
Booster seats and safety belts
Please read the introductory information and
heed the Warnings and Notice and on page
1.
Fig. 6 Child properly restrained in a booster seat in
the second row.
Fig. 7 Child properly restrained in a booster seat in
the third row.
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 skele-
tal structure, particularly the pelvis, of these chil-
dren is not fully developed, and they must not
use the vehicle safety belts without a suitable
child restraint. 
(Supplement) – Child safety and child restraints
16

The vehicle's safety belts alone will not fit most
children 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 prop-
erly over the strong parts of their bodies and the
safety belt can help protect them in a collision.
–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 ad-
just 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.
–Always make sure that the child can wear the
lap belt portion across the upper thighs and
never over the stomach or abdomen.
Children who are at least 4 ft. 9 in. (57 inches /
1.45 meters) tall can generally use the vehicle's
3 point lap and shoulder belts. Never use the 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 pronounced pelvic structure required for the
proper function of lap belt portion of the vehi-
cle'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 ab-
domen.
It is usually best to put these children in appro-
priate 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.
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 protection, whether or not a boos-
ter seat is used. Children age 12 and under must
always ride in the rear seat.
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
–able to keep his or her knees naturally bent
over the edge of the vehicle seat; and
–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:
–The lap belt must lie snugly across the upper
thighs, not the stomach.
–The shoulder belt must lie snugly across the
shoulder and chest, and never cross the neck
or face.
–Never let a child put the shoulder belt under
the arm or behind the back, because it could
cause severe injuries in a crash.
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 seat belt does not fit
properly, the child must continue to use a boos-
ter seat. Regardless of whether the child is using
a booster or is able to properly wear the standard
safety belt properly 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.
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 po-
sition 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 serious or possibly even fatal injuries.
In order for the airbag to offer protection, it is
important that all vehicle occupants, especially
children, who must be in the front seat under ex-
ceptional circumstances, be properly restrained
and as far away from the airbag as possible. By
keeping room between the child's body and the 
17
5K7012723FC

front of the passenger compartment, the airbag
can inflate completely and provide supplemental
protection in certain frontal collisions.
You must take special precautions when instal-
ling a booster seat with the vehicle safety belt on
the rear seats. Always route and secure the un-
used center safety belt to help prevent a child
from playing with the unused safety belt and be-
coming entangled in it → page 10, Using a child
restraint on the rear seat, → fig. 2.
WARNING
Not using a booster seat, using the booster seat
improperly, incorrectly installing a booster seat
or using the vehicle safety belt improperly in-
creases the risk of serious personal injury and
death in a collision or other emergency situa-
tion. To help reduce the risk of serious personal
injury and/or death:
●Never use the switchable locking feature
when using the vehicle's safety belt to re-
strain a child on a booster seat.
●Always make sure to position the shoulder
portion of the 3 point belt over the middle of
the child's shoulder.
●Never let the shoulder portion of the safety
belt rest against or across the neck, face,
chin, or throat of the child.
●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
abdomen.
●Never let a child put the shoulder belt under
the arm or behind the back, because it could
cause severe injuries in a crash.
●Failure to properly route safety belts over a
child's body will cause severe injuries in a
collision or other emergency situation.
●Children on the front seat of any car, even
with Advanced Airbags, can be seriously in-
jured or even killed when an airbag inflates.
●Never let a child stand or kneel on any seat,
for example, the front seat.
●Never let a child ride in the cargo area of
your vehicle.
●Always remember that a child leaning for-
ward, 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.
●If you must install a booster seat on the front
passenger seat because of exceptional cir-
cumstances, the PASSENGER AIR BAG  
light must come on and stay on, whenever
the ignition is switched on.
●If the PASSENGER AIR BAG  light does
not come on and stay on, perform the checks
described → chapter PASSENGER AIR BAG
light.
●Take the child restraint off the front passen-
ger seat and install it properly at one of the
seating positions on the rear rows if the PAS-
SENGER AIR BAG  light does not stay on
whenever the ignition is switched on.
●Always read and heed all WARNINGS when-
ever using a child restraint in a vehicle. See
→ chapter Safety belts, → chapter Airbag sys-
tem, and → page 1, Child safety and child re-
straints.
WARNING
A child in a child restraint installed with the
LATCH/UCRA lower universal anchorages or
with the standard safety belt on the rear seats
may play with unused rear seat safety belts and
become entangled, resulting in serious personal
injury and even death.
●Always secure unused rear seats safety belts
out of the reach of children in child restraints
such as by properly routing them around the
head restraint adjacent to the seating posi-
tion where the child restraint is installed. 
Installing child restraints with a
safety belt
Please read the introductory information and
heed the Warnings and Notice and on page
1.
Safety belts for the rear seats and the front pas-
senger seat must be locked with the switchable
locking feature to properly secure child re-
straints.
Child restraints are designed to be secured to the
vehicle either with the 3 point lap and shoulder
belt or with LATCH/UCRA lower universal ancho-
rages. The child restraint may also have a Top
Tether strap, which must be used if required by 
(Supplement) – Child safety and child restraints
18