Kia Soul (2020 year). Owner's manual - part 2

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Safety features of your vehicle

䳜 Do not install a child restraint on the front passenger's 

seat .........................................................................................3-42

䳜 Air bag warning light............................................................3-43
䳜 Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) components 

and functions.........................................................................3-43

䳜 Occupant Detection System (ODS)....................................3-46
䳜 Driver's and passenger's front air bag..............................3-52
䳜 Side air bag ............................................................................3-55
䳜 Curtain air bag.......................................................................3-56
䳜 Air bag collision sensors ......................................................3-58
䳜 Why didn't my air bag go off in a collision? 

(Inflation and non-inflation conditions of the air bag)...3-59

䳜 Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) Care ....................3-61
䳜 Adding equipment to or modifying your air bag-

equipped vehicle....................................................................3-61

䳜 Air bag warning label ...........................................................3-62

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Safety features of your vehicle

Important safety precautions

SAFETY FEATURES OF YOUR 
VEHICLE

Important safety precautions

You will find many safety precau-
tions and recommendations 
throughout this section, and 
throughout this manual.

The safety precautions in this sec-
tion are among the most important.

Always wear your seat belt

A seat belt is your best protection in 
all types of accidents. Air bags are 
designed to supplement seat belts, 
not replace them. So even though 
your vehicle is equipped with air 
bags, ALWAYS make sure you and 
your passengers wear your seat 
belts, and wear them properly.

Restrain all children

All children under age 13 should ride 
in your vehicle properly restrained in 
a rear seat, not the front seat. 
Infants and small children should be 
restrained in an appropriate child 
restraint. Larger children should use 
a booster seat with the lap/shoulder 
belt until they can use the seat belt 
properly without a booster seat.

Air bag hazards

While air bags can save lives, they 
can also cause serious or fatal inju-
ries to occupants who sit too close 
to them, or who are not properly 
restrained. Infants, young children, 
and shorter adults are at the great-
est risk of being injured by an inflat-
ing air bag. Follow all instructions 
and warnings in this manual.

Driver distraction

Driver distraction presents a serious 
and potentially deadly danger, espe-
cially for inexperienced drivers. 
Safety should be the first concern 
when behind the wheel and drivers 
need to be aware of the wide array 
of potential distractions, such as 
drowsiness, reaching for objects, 
eating, personal grooming, other 
passengers, and using cellular 
phones.

Drivers can become distracted when 
they take their eyes and attention 
off the road or their hands off the 
wheel to focus on activities other 
than driving. To reduce your risk of 
distraction or getting into an acci-
dent:
䳜 ALWAYS set up your mobile 

devices (i.e., MP3 players, phones, 
navigation units, etc.) when your 
vehicle is parked or safely 
stopped.

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Important safety precautions

䳜 ONLY use your mobile device 

when allowed by laws and when 
conditions permit safe use. 
NEVER text or email while driving. 
Most countries have laws prohib-
iting drivers from texting. Some 
countries and cities also prohibit 
drivers from using handheld 
phones.

䳜 NEVER let the use of a mobile 

device distract you from driving. 
You have a responsibility to your 
passengers and others on the 
road to always drive safely, with 
your hands on the wheel as well 
as your eyes and attention on the 
road.

Control your speed

Excessive speed is a major factor in 
crash injuries and deaths. Generally, 
the higher the speed, the greater 
the risk, but serious injuries can also 
occur at lower speeds. Never drive 
faster than is safe for current con-
ditions, regardless of the maximum 
speed posted.

Keep your vehicle in safe condition

Having a tire blowout or a mechani-
cal failure can be extremely hazard-
ous. To reduce the possibility of 
such problems, check your tire pres-
sures and condition frequently, and 
perform all regularly scheduled 
maintenance.

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Safety features of your vehicle

Seat

Seat

Front seat
1. Forward and backward
2. Seatback angle
3. Seat cushion height
4. Lumbar support (if equipped)
5. Head rest

Rear seat
6. Seatback folding
7. Headrest

*: if equipped

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WARNING

Loose objects
Do not place anything in the driver's 
footwell or under the front seats. 
Loose objects in the driver's foot 
area could interfere with the opera-
tion of the foot pedals.

WARNING

Uprighting seat
Do not press the release lever on a 
manual seatback without holding 
and controlling the seatback. The 
seatback will spring upright possibly 
impacting you or other passengers.

WARNING

Driver responsibility for passengers

The driver must advise the passen-
gers to keep the seatback in an 
upright position whenever the vehi-
cle is in motion. If a seat is reclined 
during an accident, the restraint 
system's ability to restrain will be 
greatly reduced.

WARNING

Seat cushion
Occupants should never sit on after-
market seat cushions or sitting 
cushions. The passenger ODS sys-
tem may not operate properly, or 
passenger's hips may slide under 
the lap portion of the seat belt 
during an accident or a sudden stop.

WARNING

Driver's seat
䳜 Never attempt to adjust the seat 

while the vehicle is moving. This 
could result in loss of control of 
your vehicle.

䳜 Do not allow anything to interfere 

with the normal position of the 
seatback. Storing items against 
the seatback could result in seri-
ous or fatal injury in a sudden 
stop or collision.

䳜 Sit as far back as possible from 

the steering wheel while still 
maintaining comfortable control 
of the your vehicle. A distance of 
at least 25 cm (10 in) from your 
chest to the steering wheel is rec-
ommended. Failure to do so can 
result in air bag inflation injuries 
to the driver.

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Seat

WARNING

Rear seatbacks
Always lock the rear seatback 
before driving. Failure to do so could 
result in passengers or objects being 
thrown forward injuring vehicle 
occupants.

WARNING

Unexpected Seat Movement
After adjusting a manual seat, 
always check that it is locked by 
shifting your weight to the front 
and back. Sudden or unexpected 
movement of the driver's seat could 
cause you to lose control of the 
vehicle.

WARNING

Seat adjustment
䳜 Do not adjust the seat while 

wearing seat belts. Moving the 
seat forward will cause strong 
pressure on the abdomen.

䳜 Do not place your hand near the 

seat bottom or seat track while 
adjusting the seat. Your hand 
could get caught in the seat 
mechanism.

WARNING

Luggage and Cargo
Do not stack pile or stack luggage or 
cargo higher than the seatback in 
the cargo area. In an accident the 
cargo could strike and injure a pas-
senger. If objects are large, heavy or 
must be piled, they must be secured 
in the cargo area.

WARNING

Cargo Area
Do not allow passengers to ride in 
the cargo area under any circum-
stance. The cargo area is solely for 
the purpose of transporting luggage 
or cargo.

WARNING

Small Objects
Use extreme caution when picking 
up small objects trapped under the 
seats or between the seat and the 
center console. Your hands might be 
cut or injured by the sharp edges of 
the seats mechanism.

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Seat

Feature of Seat Leather

Leather is made from the outer skin 
of an animal, which goes through a 
special process to be available for 
use. Since it is a natural substance, 
each part differs in thickness or 
density.
䳜 Wrinkles may appear as a natural 

result of stretching and shrinking 
depending on the temperature 
and humidity.

䳜 The seat is made of stretchable 

fabric to improve comfort.

䳜 The parts contacting the body are 

curved and the side supporting 
area is high which provides driving 
comfort and stability.

CAUTION

䳜 Belts with metallic accessories, 

zippers or keys inside the back 
pocket may damage the seat fab-
ric.

䳜 Make sure not to wet the seat. It 

may change the nature of natural 
leather.

䳜 Jeans or clothes which could 

bleach may contaminate the sur-
face of the seat covering fabric.

NOTICE

Wrinkles or abrasions may appear 
naturally from usage. It is not a 
fault of product. Wrinkles or abra-
sions are not covered by warranty.

Front seat adjustment - manual 
seat

The front seat can be adjusted by 
using the control levers located on 
the outside of the seat cushion.

Forward and backward

Adjust the seat before driving, and 
make sure the seat is locked 
securely by trying to move forward 
and backward without using the 
lever. If the seat moves, it is not 
locked properly.

To move the seat forward or back-
ward:
1. Pull the seat slide adjustment 

lever up and hold it.

2. Slide the seat to the position you 

desire.

3. Release the lever and make sure 

the seat is locked in place.

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Seat

Seatback angle

To recline the seatback:
1. Lean forward slightly and lift up 

the seatback recline lever.

2. Carefully lean back on the seat 

and adjust the seatback of the 
seat to the position you desire.

3. Release the lever and make sure 

the seatback is locked in place. 
(The lever MUST return to its 
original position for the seatback 
to lock.)

Seat cushion height  (if equipped)

To change the height of the seat 
cushion, push the lever upwards or 
downwards.

䳜 To lower the seat cushion, push 

down the lever several times.

䳜 To raise the seat cushion, pull up 

the lever several times.

WARNING

Reclining seatback
Sitting in a reclined position when 
the vehicle is in motion can be dan-
gerous. Even when buckled up, the 
protections of your restraint sys-
tem (seat belts and/or air bags) is 
greatly reduced by reclining your 
seatback.
Seat belts must be snug against 
your hips and chest to work prop-
erly. When the seatback is reclined, 
the shoulder belt cannot do its job 
because it will not be snug against 
your chest. Instead, it will be in front 
of you. During an accident, you could 
be thrown into the seat belt, caus-
ing neck or other injuries.
The more the seatback is reclined, 
the greater chance the passenger's 
hips will slide under the lap belt or 
the passenger's neck will strike the 
shoulder belt.

Front seat adjustment - power 
seat  (if equipped)

The front seat can be adjusted by 
using the control switches located 
on the outside of the seat cushion.

Before driving, adjust the seat to 
the proper position so you can easily 

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control the steering wheel, pedals 
and switches on the instrument 
panel.

CAUTION

Power seating adjustments
䳜 The power seating controls func-

tion by electronic motor. Exces-
sive operation may cause damage 
to the electrical equipment.

䳜 Do not operate two or more 

power seat control switches at 
the same time. Doing so may 
damage the power seat motor or 
electrical components.

Forward and backward

To move the seat forward or back-
ward:
䳜 Push the control switch forward 

or backward to move the seat to 
the desired position. Release the 
switch once the seat reaches the 
desired position.

Seatback angle

To recline the seatback:
䳜 Push the control switch forward 

or backward to move the seat-
back to the desired angle. Release 
the switch once the seat reaches 
the desired position.

Seat cushion height

To change the height of the seat:
䳜 Pull the front portion of the con-

trol switch up to raise or press 
down to lower the front part of 
the seat cushion. Pull the rear 
portion of the control switch up to 
raise or press down to lower the 
seat cushion. Release the switch 

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Seat

once the seat reaches the desired 
position.

Lumbar support for driver's seat  (if 
equipped)

The lumbar support can be adjusted 
by pressing the lumbar support 
switch on the side of the seat.
1. Press the front portion of the 

switch to increase support, or the 
rear portion of the switch, to 
decrease support.

2. Release the switch once it 

reaches the desired position.

Headrest for front seat

The driver's and front passenger's 
seats are equipped with a headrest 
for the occupant's safety and com-
fort.

The headrest not only provides 
comfort for the driver and front 
passenger, but also helps protect 
the head and neck in the event of a 
rear collision.

For maximum effectiveness in case 
of an accident, the headrest should 
be adjusted so the middle of the 
headrest is at the same height of 
the center of gravity of an occu-
pant's head. Generally, the center of 
gravity of most people's head is 
similar with the height of the top of 
their eyes.

Also, adjust the headrest as close to 
your head as possible. For this rea-
son, the use of a cushion that holds 
the body away from the seatback is 
not recommended.

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WARNING

Headrest removal/adjustment
䳜 Do not operate the vehicle with 

the headrests removed. Head-
rests can provide critical neck and 
head support in a crash.

䳜 Do not adjust the headrest height 

while the vehicle is in motion. 
Driver may lose control of the 
vehicle.

CAUTION

Excessive pulling or pushing may 
damage the headrest.

Adjusting the height up and down

To raise the headrest:
1. Pull it up to the desired position 

(1).

2. To lower the headrest, push and 

hold the release button (2) on the 
headrest support.

3. Lower the headrest to the desired 

position (3).

NOTICE

If you recline the seatback towards 
the front with the headrest and 
seat cushion raised, the headrest 
may come in contact with the sun 
visor or other parts of the vehicle.

Removal

Type A

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Seat

Type B

To remove the headrest:
1. Recline the seatback (2) with the 

recline lever or switch (1).

2. Raise headrest as far as it can go.
3. Press the headrest release button 

(3) while pulling the headrest up 
(4).

WARNING

Headrest Removal
NEVER allow anyone to ride in a 
seat with the headrest removed or 
reversed. Headrests can provide 
critical neck and head support in a 
crash.

Reinstallation

Type A

Type B

To reinstall the headrest:
1. Put the headrest poles (2) into 

the holes while pressing the 
release button (1).

2. Recline the seatback (4) with the 

recline lever or switch (3).

3. Adjust the headrest to the appro-

priate height.

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WARNING

Headrest Reinstallation
To reduce the risk of injury to the 
head or neck, always make sure the 
headrest is locked into position and 
adjusted properly after reinstalling.

Seatback pocket 

The seatback pocket is provided on 
the back of the front passenger's 
seatback.

WARNING

Seatback pockets
Do not put heavy or sharp objects in 
the seatback pockets. In an accident 
they could come loose from the 
pocket and injure vehicle occupants.

Headrest for rear seat

The rear seat is equipped with 
headrests in all the seating positions 
for the occupant's safety and com-
fort.

The headrest not only provides 
comfort for passengers, but also 
helps protect the head and neck in 
the event of a collision.

For maximum effectiveness in case 
of an accident, the headrest should 
be adjusted so the middle of the 
headrest is at the same height of 
the center of gravity of an occu-
pant's head. Generally, the center of 
gravity of most people's heads is 
similar with the height as the top of 
their eyes.

Also, adjust the headrest as close to 
your head as possible. For this rea-
son, the use of a cushion that holds 
the body away from the seatback is 
not recommended.

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Safety features of your vehicle

Seat

Adjusting the height up and down

䳜 To raise the headrest, pull it up to 

the desired position (1).

䳜 To lower the headrest, push and 

hold the release button (2) on the 
headrest support and lower the 
headrest to the desired position 
(3).

Removal and reinstallation

䳜 To remove the headrest, raise it 

as far as it can go then press the 
release button (1) While pulling 
the headrest upward (2).

䳜 To reinstall the headrest, put the 

headrest poles (3) into the holes 
while pressing the release button 
(1).

Then adjust it to the appropriate 
height and ensure that it locks in 
position.

Armrest  (if equipped)

To use the armrest, pull it forward 
from the seatback.

Folding the rear seat

The rear seatbacks may be folded 
to facilitate carrying long items or 
to increase the luggage capacity of 
the vehicle.

WARNING

Folded Seatback
The purpose of the fold-down rear 
seatbacks is to allow you to carry 
longer objects that could not other-
wise be accommodated.
䳜 Never allow a passenger to sit on 

top of the folded down seatback 

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while the car is moving. This is not 
a proper seating position since no 
seat belts are available for use. 
This could result in serious injury 
or death in case of an accident or 
sudden stop.

To fold down the rear seatback

1. Set the front seatback to the 

upright position and if necessary, 
slide the front seat forward.

2. Lower the rear headrests to the 

lowest position.

WARNING

Objects
Objects carried on the folded down 
seatback should not extend higher 
than the top of the front seatbacks. 
This could allow cargo to slide for-
ward and cause injury or damage 
during sudden stops.

3. When folding the seatback, insert 

the rear seat belt buckle in the 
pocket between the rear seatback 
and cushion then make sure both 
seat belts do not interfere with 
stowed luggage and cargo. Then, 
the seat belt webbing should be 
placed in the webbing guide to 
prevent the seat belt from being 
damaged by loaded cargo, etc. If 
the seat belt is loose, it may 
cause damage or noise. In that 
case, return the seatback to the 
upright position and put the web-

bing out from the guide to realign 
it.

4. Pull on the seatback folding lever, 

then fold the seat toward the 
front of the vehicle. When you 
return the seatback to its upright 
position, always be sure it has 
locked into position by pushing on 
the top of the seatback.

5. To use the rear seat, lift and pull 

the seatback backward by lifting 
up seatback. Pull the seatback 
firmly until it clicks into place. 
Make sure the seatback is locked 
in place.

6. Return the rear seat belt to the 

proper position.

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Seat

To unfold the rear seat

1. To use the rear seat, lift and pull 

the seatback backward. Pull the 
seatback firmly until it clicks into 
place. Make sure the seatback is 
locked in place. When you return 
the seatback to its upright posi-
tion, always be sure it has locked 
into position by pushing on the 
top of the seatback.
If you cannot see the red line at 
the bottom of folding lever, it 
means the seatback is locked 
completely.

2. Return the rear seat belt to the 

proper position.

3. When the seatback is completely 

installed, check the seatback fold-
ing lever again.

WARNING

Uprighting seat
When you return the seatback to its 
upright position, hold the seatback 
and return it slowly. If the seatback 
is returned without holding it, the 
back of the seat could spring for-
ward, resulting in injury caused by 
being struck by the seatback.

WARNING

Rear Seatback
To ensure maximum protection in 
the event of an accident or sudden 
stop, when returning the rear seat 
to the upright position:
䳜 Be careful not to damage the seat 

belt webbing or buckle.

䳜 Do not allow the seat belt web-

bing or buckle to become pinched 
or caught in the rear seat.

䳜 Ensure the seatback is completely 

locked into its upright position by 
pushing on the top of the seat-
back.
Failure to adhere to any of these 
instructions could result in serious 
injury or death in the event of a 
crash.

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