The following suggestions are intended to help you cope with the ever changing traffic environment.

Reporting safety defects in the U.S.
If you believe that your vehicle has a defect which could cause a crash or could cause injury or death, you should immediately inform the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in addition to notifying Volvo Cars of North America. If NHTSA receives similar complaints, it may open an investigation, and if it finds that a safety defect exists in a group of vehicles, it may order a recall and remedy campaign. However, NHTSA cannot become involved in individual problems between you, your retailer, or Volvo Cars of North America. To contact NHTSA, you may either call the Auto Safety Hotline toll-free at 1- 800-424-9393 (or 202-366-0123 in Washington, D.C. area) or write to: NHTSA, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington D.C. 20590. You can also obtain other information about motor vehicle safety from the Hotline.
Volvo strongly recommends that if your vehicle is covered under a service campaign, safety or emission recall or similar action, it should be completed as soon as possible. Please check with your local retailer or Volvo Cars of North America, LLC if your vehicle is covered under these conditions. NHTSA can be reached at:

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov

or by phone at:

pg. 13 Occupant safety

1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327- 4236) (toll free)
1-800-424-9393 (toll free)
1-202-366-0123 (in the Washington DC area)

pg. 14 Seat belts

Seat belts

Using seat belts
Not wearing a seat belt is like believing "It'll never happen to me!" Volvo, the inventor of the three-point seat belt, urges you and all occupants of your vehicle to wear seat belts and ensure that children are properly restrained, using an infant, car or booster seat determined by age, weight and height.
Volvo also believes no child should sit in the front seat of a vehicle.
Most states and provinces make it mandatory for occupants of a vehicle to use seat belts.
So, urging you to buckle up is not just our recommendation. The few seconds it takes to buckle your seat belt may one day allow you to say "It's a good thing I was wearing my seat belt."
The outboard seat belts are equipped with tensioners that reduce slack in the belts.
These tensioners are triggered in situations where the airbags deploy. The front seat belts also include a tension reducing device which, in the event of a collision, limits the peak forces exerted by the seat belt on the occupant.

WARNING! Never use a seat belt for more than one occupant. Never wear the shoulder portion of the belt under the arm, behind the back or otherwise out of position. Such use could cause injury in the event of an accident. As seat belts lose much of their strength when exposed to violent stretching, they should be replaced after any collision, even if they appear to be undamaged.

Sample label on all seat belts with tensioners

Buckling a seat belt
Pull the belt out far enough to insert the latch plate into the receptacle until a distinct click is heard. The seat belt retractor is normally "unlocked" and you can move freely, provided that the shoulder belt is not pulled out too far. The retractor will lock up as follows:

pg. 15 Seat belts

When wearing the seat belt remember:

Tightening the lap belt

WARNING! Never repair the belt on your own; have this work done by an authorized Volvo retailer only. Any device used to induce slack into the shoulder belt portion of the three-point belt system will have a detrimental effect on the amount of protection available to you in the event of a collision. The seat back should not be tilted too far back. The shoulder belt must be taut in order to function properly. Do not use child safety seats or child booster cushions/backrests in the front passenger's seat. We also recommend that children who have outgrown these devices sit in the rear seat with the seat belt properly fastened.

Child seats
Please refer to page 35 for information on securing child seats with the seat belts.

Seat belt use during pregnancy
Pregnant women should always wear seat belts. Remember that the belt should be positioned in such a way as to avoid any possible pressure on the abdomen. The lap section of the belt should be located low, as shown in the illustration.

pg. 16 Seat belts

Seat belt reminder light in ceiling console

Seat belt reminder
A light, located above the rear view mirror in the ceiling console, will light up if either of the front seat occupants has not buckled his/her seat belt. A light will also illuminate in the instrument panel. If the car is not moving, the lights will go out after approximately 6 seconds.

Front seats
The seat belt reminder lights will remain on until the driver and/or front seat passenger has buckled his/her seat belt. There is also an audible tone that changes frequency, depending on the speed of the car.

Seat belt maintenance
Check periodically that the seat belts are in good condition. Use water and a mild detergent for cleaning. Check seat belt mechanism function as follows: attach the seat belt and pull rapidly on the strap.

pg. 17 Front airbags (Supplemental Restraint System - SRS)

Components in the SRS system

Front airbags
Your Volvo is equipped with a Supplemental Restraint System (SRS), which consists of front airbags that enhance the three-point seat belt system. The Volvo SRS system includes gas generators (1) surrounded by the airbags (2) and front seat belt tensioners for both of the front seats. To deploy the system, the sensor (3) activates the gas generators causing the airbags to be inflated with nitrogen gas.
As the movement of the seats' occupants compresses the airbags, some of the gas is expelled at a controlled rate to provide better cushioning. Both seat belt tensioners also deploy, minimizing seat belt slack. The entire process, including inflation and deflation of the airbags, takes approximately one fifth of a second.

Location of the passenger's side front airbag

The system is designed to supplement the protection provided by the three-point seat belt system. The outboard rear seat belts are also equipped with tensioners. The SRS system is indicated by the "SRS" embossed on the steering wheel pad and above the glove compartment, and by decals on both sun visors and on the front and far right side of the dash. The airbags are folded and located in the steering wheel hub and above the glove compartment.

Seat belts - the heart of the Volvo safety system
The heart of the Volvo safety system is the three-point seat belt (a Volvo invention)! In order for the SRS system to provide the protection intended, seat belts must be worn at all times by everyone in the vehicle. The SRS system is a supplement to the seat belts.

pg. 18 Front airbags (Supplemental Restraint System - SRS)

pg. 19 Occupant Weight Sensor - disabling the passenger's side front airbag

Occupant Weight Sensor (OWS) indicator light

Disabling the passenger's side front airbag
The passenger's side front airbag is automatically enabled/disabled by the Occupant Weight Sensor (OWS), a system that monitors the weight of the person or object in the front passenger's seat. The system consists of a silicon-filled bag located under the padding in the front passenger's seat cushion, a control module located under this seat, and a seat belt tension sensor, located on the outboard side of the seat.

If the system is functioning normally, the status of the front passenger's side airbag (enabled/disabled) will be shown by the OWS indicator light as explained in the table above.

NOTE: When the ignition is switched on, the OWS indicator light will go on for up to 10 seconds while the system performs a self-diagnostic test and then go out.

However, if a fault is detected in the system:

WARNING! If a fault in the system is detected and indicated as explained above, be aware that the passenger's side front airbag will not deploy in the event of a collision. In this case, the safety systems and Occupant Weight Sensor should be inspected by an authorized Volvo retailer as soon as possible.

pg. 20 Front airbags (Supplemental Restraint System - SRS)

WARNING! Never try to open, remove, or repair any components in the OWS system. This could result in system malfunction. Maintenance or repairs should only be carried out by an authorized Volvo service technician.

WARNING! Keep the following points in mind with respect to the OWS system. Failure to follow these instructions could adversely affect the system's function and result in serious injury to the occupant of the front passenger's seat: The full weight of the front seat passenger should always be on the seat cushion. The passenger should never lift him/herself off the seat cushion using the armrest in the door or the center console, by pressing the feet on the floor, by sitting on the edge of the seat cushion, or by pressing against the backrest in a way that reduces pressure on the seat cushion. This could cause OWS to disable the front, passenger's side airbag. The front passenger's seat should not be modified in any way. This could reduce pressure on the seat cushion, which might interfere with the OWS system's function. No objects should be placed under the front passenger's seat. This could interfere with the OWS system's function.

WARNING! No objects that add to the total weight on the seat should be placed on the front passenger's seat. If a child is seated in the front passenger's seat with any additional weight, this extra weight could cause the OWS system to enable the airbag, which might cause it to deploy in the event of a collision, thereby injuring the child. The seat belt should never be wrapped around an object on the front passenger's seat. This could interfere with the OWS system's function. The front passenger's seat belt should never be used in a way that exerts more pressure on the passenger than normal. This could increase the pressure exerted on the weight sensor by a child, and could result in the airbag being enabled, which might cause it to deploy in the event of a collision, thereby injuring the child.

pg. 21 Front airbags (Supplemental Restraint System - SRS)

When do the front airbags deploy?
The front airbags are designed to deploy during certain frontal or front-angular collisions, impacts, or decelerations, depending on the crash severity, angle, speed and object impacted. The airbags may also deploy in certain non-frontal collisions where rapid deceleration occurs. The SRS sensors are designed to react to both the impact of the collision and the inertial forces generated by it, and to determine if the intensity of the collision is sufficient for the seat belt tensioners and/or airbags to be deployed. If the airbags have been deployed, we recommend the following:

NOTE:

WARNING! Do not use child safety seats or child booster cushions/backrests in the front passenger's seat. We also recommend that occupants under 4 feet 7 inches (140 cm) in height who have outgrown these devices sit in the rear seat with the seat belt fastened. Never drive with the airbags deployed. The fact that they hang out can impair the steering of your vehicle. Other safety systems can also be damaged. The smoke and dust formed when the airbags are deployed can cause skin and eye irritation in the event of prolonged exposure.

When do the front airbags not deploy?
Not all frontal collisions activate the SRS system. If the collision involves a nonrigid object (e.g., a snow drift or bush), or a rigid, fixed object at a low speed, the SRS system will not necessarily deploy. Front airbags do not normally deploy in a side impact collision, in a collision from the rear or in a rollover situation. The amount of damage to the bodywork does not reliably indicate if the airbags should have deployed or not.

pg. 22 Front airbags (Supplemental Restraint System - SRS)

Safety system warning light in the instrument panel
A self-diagnostic system incorporated in the sensor monitors certain safety system components. A check is performed on components such as seat belt locks, SRS, SIPS, OWS, and/or the VIC system. If a fault is detected, the warning light will illuminate. The light is included in the warning/indicator light cluster in the instrument panel. Normally, the safety system warning lamp should light up when the ignition key is turned to positions I, II or III and should go out after approximately 7 seconds or when the engine is started. Check that this light is functioning properly every time the vehicle is started.

WARNING! If the safety system warning light stays on after the engine has started or if it comes on while you are driving, drive the vehicle to the nearest authorized Volvo retailer for inspection as soon as possible.

There is no maintenance to perform on the SRS yourself. The month and year shown on the decal on the door pillar indicate when you should contact your Volvo retailer for specific servicing or replacement of airbags and seat belt tensioners. This service must be performed by an authorized Volvo retailer.

WARNING! If your vehicle has been subjected to flood conditions (e.g. soaked carpeting/ standing water on the floor of the vehicle) or if your vehicle has become flood-damaged in any way, do not attempt to start the vehicle or put the key in the ignition before disconnecting the battery (see below). This may cause airbag deployment which could result in personal injury. Have the vehicle towed to an authorized Volvo retailer for repairs. Automatic transmission: Before attempting to tow the vehicle, use the following procedure to override the shiftlock system to move the gear selector to the neutral position. Switch off the ignition for at least 10 minutes and disconnect the battery Wait at least one minute. Insert the key in the ignition and turn it to position II. Press firmly on the brake pedal. Move the gear selector from (P)ark to the (N)eutral position. See page 111 for information on manually overriding the shiftlock system.

pg. 23 Front airbags (Supplemental Restraint System - SRS)

SRS text on passenger's dash

Should you have any questions about the SRS system, please contact your authorized Volvo retailer or Volvo Customer Support:

In the USA	In Canada
Volvo Cars of North America, LLC	Volvo Cars of Canada Ltd.
Customer Care Center	National Customer Service
P.O. Box 914	175 Gordon Baker Rd.
Rockleigh, New Jersey 07647-091	North York, Ontario M2H 2N7
1-800-458-1552	1-800-663-8255

SRS text on outside of both sun visors

SRS text on inside of both sun visors

WARNING! Children must never be allowed in the front passenger's seat. Volvo recommends that ALL occupants (adults and children) shorter than 4 feet 7 inches (140 cm) be seated in the back seat of any vehicle with a passenger-side front airbag. See 35 for guidelines. Occupants in the front passenger's seat must never sit on the edge of the seat, sit leaning toward the instrument panel or otherwise sit out of position. The occupant's back must be as upright as comfort allows and be against the seat back with the seat belt properly fastened. Feet must be on the floor, e.g. not on the dash, seat or out of the window.

pg. 24 Front airbags (Supplemental Restraint System - SRS)

WARNING! No objects or accessory equipment, e.g. dashboard covers, may be placed on, attached to, or installed near the SRS hatch (the area above the glove compartment) or the area affected by airbag deployment (see the illustration on page 17). There should be no loose articles, e.g. coffee cups, on the floor, seat, or dashboard area. Never try to open the SRS cover on the steering wheel or the passenger's side dashboard. This should only be done by an authorized Volvo service technician. Failure to follow these instructions can result in injury to the vehicle occupants.