The side airbags help protect the upper torso of the driver or a front passenger during a moderate to severe side impact.

■Housing Locations

The side airbags are housed in the outside edge of the driver’s and passenger’s seatbacks.

Both are marked SIDE AIRBAG.

■Operation

When the sensors detect a moderate-to-severe side impact, the control unit signals the side airbag on the impact side to immediately inflate.

Side Airbags

Do not attach accessories on or near the side airbags.

They can interfere with the proper operation of the airbags, or hurt someone if an airbag inflates.

If the impact is on the passenger’s side, the airbag may not deploy when there is no passenger in the front passenger seat.

Do not cover or replace the front seat-back covers without consulting a dealer.

Improperly replacing or covering front seat-back covers can prevent your side airbags from properly deploying during a side impact.

■ When a side airbag deploys with little or no visible damage

Because the airbag systems senses sudden acceleration, a strong impact to the side of the vehicle’s framework can cause a side airbag to deploy. In such cases, there may be little or no damage, but the side impact sensors detected a severe enough impact to deploy the airbag.

■ When a side airbag may not deploy, even though visible damage appears severe

It is possible for a side airbag to not deploy during an impact that results in apparently severe damage. This can occur when the point of impact was towards the far front or rear of the vehicle, or when the vehicle’s crushable body parts absorbed most of the crash energy. In either case, the side airbag would not have been needed nor provided protection even if it had deployed.

■Side Airbag Cutoff System

To reduce the likelihood that a front passenger may be injured by an inflating side airbag, the passenger side airbag is automatically turned off when:

• The height sensors detect a child or short-statured adult is seated in the front passenger seat.
• The position sensor detects that the front passenger is leaning into the deployment path of the side airbag.

When the side airbag cutoff system is activated, the side airbag off indicator comes on.

■Side Airbag Off Indicator

If the side airbag off indicator comes on, have the passenger sit upright. A few seconds after the passenger is sitting properly, the side airbag will automatically be turned on, and the indicator will go off.

If the front passenger is a child, stop when it is safe to do so, and have the child sit properly restrained in a rear seat.

Side Airbag Cutoff System

The sensors that monitor the front passenger’s height and body position may not work if:

• The seat-back is wet
• The passenger is touching a metal or other electrical conductive object
• A seat cushion is on the seat
• The passenger is wearing excessively thick clothing