Kia Soul (2020 year). Owner's manual - part 4

Safety features of your vehicle

34

3

Child Restraint System (CRS)

A forward-facing child seat provides 
restraint for the child's body with a 
harness. Keep children in a forward-
facing child seat with a harness until 
they reach the top height or weight 
limit allowed by your child 
restraint's manufacturer.
Once your child outgrows the for-
ward- facing child restraint, your 
child is ready for a booster seat.

Booster seats

A booster seat is a restraint 
designed to improve the fit of the 
vehicle's seat belt system. A booster 
seat positions the seat belt so that 
it fits properly over the lap of your 
child.
Keep your child in a booster seat 
until they are big enough to sit in 
the seat without a booster and still 
have the seat belt fit properly. For a 
seat belt to fit properly, the lap belt 
must lie snugly across the upper 
thighs, not the stomach. The shoul-
der belt should lie snug across the 
shoulder and chest and not across 
the neck or face. Children under age 
13 must always ride in the rear 
seats and must always be properly 
restrained to minimize the risk of 
injury.

Installing a Child Restraint System 
(CRS)

After selecting a proper child seat 
for your child, check to make sure it 
fits properly in your vehicle.

Follow the instructions provided by 
the manufacturer when installing 
the child seat. Note these general 
steps when installing the seat to 
your vehicle:
䳜 Properly secure the child restraint 

to the vehicle. All child restraints 
must be secured to the vehicle 
with the lap part of a lap/shoulder 
belt or with the LATCH system.

䳜 Make sure the child restraint is 

firmly secured. After installing a 
child restraint to the vehicle, push 
and pull the seat forward and 
from side-to-side to verify that it 
is securely attached to the seat. A 
child restraint secured with a seat 
belt should be installed as firmly 
as possible. However, some side-
to-side movement can be 
expected.

䳜 Secure the child in the child 

restraint. Make sure the child is 
properly strapped in the child 
restraint according to the manu-
facturer instructions.

Lower Anchors and Tether for Chil

-

dren (LATCH) System

The LATCH system holds a child 
restraint during driving and in an 
accident. This system is designed to 
make installation of the child 
restraint easier and reduce the pos-
sibility of improperly installing your 
child restraint. The LATCH system 
uses anchors in the vehicle and 

35

3

3

Safety features of your vehicle

Child Restraint System (CRS)

attachments on the child restraint. 
The LATCH system eliminates the 
need to use seat belts to secure the 
child restraint to the rear seats.

Lower anchors are metal bars built 
into the vehicle. There are two lower 
anchors for each LATCH seating 
position that will accommodate a 
child restraint with lower attach-
ments.

To use the LATCH system in your 
vehicle, you must have a child 
restraint with LATCH attachments.

The child seat manufacturer will 
provide you with instructions on 
how to use the child seat with its 
attachments for the LATCH lower 
anchors.

LATCH anchors have been provided 
in the left and right outboard rear 
seating positions. Their locations are 
shown in the illustration. There are 
no LATCH anchors provided for the 
center rear seating position.

WARNING

LATCH Lower Anchors
Never attempt to attach a LATCH 
equipped seat in the center seating 
position. LATCH lower anchors are 
only to be used in the left and right 
rear outboard seating positions. You 
may damage the anchors or the 
anchors may fail and break in a colli-
sion if the seat is in the center seat-
ing position.

The lower anchor position indicator 
symbols are located on the left and 
right rear seatbacks to identify the 
position of the lower anchors in 
your vehicle (see arrows in illustra-
tion).

1. Lower Anchor position indicator
2. Lower Anchor

The LATCH anchors are located 
between the seatback and the seat 
cushion of the rear seat left and 
right outboard seating positions.

ODEEV058037NR

OSK3038027NR

Safety features of your vehicle

36

3

Child Restraint System (CRS)

To use the lower anchor, push the 
upper portion of the lower anchor 
cover.

Securing a child restraint with the 
LATCH anchors system

To install a LATCH-compatible child 
restraint in either of the rear out-
board seating positions:
1. Move the seat belt buckle away 

from the lower anchors.

2. Move any other objects away 

from the anchors that could pre-
vent a secure connection between 
the child restraint and the lower 
anchors.

3. Place the child restraint on the 

vehicle seat, then attach the seat 
to the lower anchors according to 
the instructions provided by the 
child restraint manufacturer.

4. Follow the child restraint instruc-

tions for properly adjusting and 
tightening the lower attach-
ments on the child restraint to 
the lower anchors.

WARNING

Take the following precautions 
when using the LATCH system:
䳜 Read and follow all installation 

instructions provided with your 
child restraint system.

䳜 To prevent the child from reaching 

and taking hold of the unused 
seat belts, buckle all unused rear 
seat belts before the child is 
placed into the vehicle. Lock each 

unused seatbelt following the 
instructions in the "automatic 
locking mode" subsection, and 
place the webbing behind the child 
seat or against an unused seat-
back. Children can be strangled if 
a shoulder belt becomes wrapped 
around their neck and the seat 
belt tightens.

䳜 NEVER attach more than one child 

restraint to a single anchor. This 
could cause the anchor or attach-
ment to come loose or break.

䳜 Always have the LATCH system 

inspected by your authorized Kia 
dealer after an accident. An acci-
dent can damage the LATCH sys-
tem and may not properly secure 
the child restraint.

Securing a child restraint seat with 
"Tether Anchor" system

First secure the child restraint with 
the LATCH lower anchors or the 
seat belt. If the child restraint man-
ufacturer recommends that the top 

OSK3038028NR

37

3

3

Safety features of your vehicle

Child Restraint System (CRS)

tether strap be attached, attach 
and tighten the top tether strap to 
the top tether strap anchor.

Child restraint hook holders are 
located on the shelf behind the rear 
seats.

WARNING

Take the following precautions 
when installing the tether strap:
䳜 Read and follow all installation 

instructions provided with your 
child restraint system.

䳜 NEVER attach more than one child 

restraint to a single tether anchor. 
This could cause the anchor or 
attachment to come loose or 
break.

䳜 Do not attach the tether strap to 

anything other than the correct 
tether anchor. It may not work 
properly if attached to something 
else.

䳜 Do not use the tether anchors for 

adult seat belts or harnesses, or 
for attaching other items or 
equipment to the vehicle.

䳜 Always fasten the seat belts 

behind the child restraint seat 
when they are not used to secure 
the child seat. Failure to do so 
may result in child strangulation.

To install the tether anchor:

1. Route the child restraint tether 

strap over the child restraint 
seatback. Route the tether strap 
under the head restraint and 
between the head restraint posts, 
or route the tether strap over the 
top of the vehicle seatback. Make 
sure the strap is not twisted.

2. Connect the tether strap hook to 

the tether anchor, then tighten 
the tether strap according to the 
child seat manufacturer's instruc-
tions to firmly secure the child 
restraint to the seat.

3. Check that the child restraint is 

securely attached to the seat by 
pushing and pulling the seat for-
ward and from side-to-side.

Securing a child restraint with a 
lap/shoulder belt

When not using the LATCH system, 
all child restraints must be secured 
to a vehicle rear seat with the lap 
part of a lap/shoulder belt.

ODEEV058040NR

Safety features of your vehicle

38

3

Child Restraint System (CRS)

Automatic locking mode

Since all passenger seat belts move 
freely under normal conditions and 
only lock under extreme or emer-
gency conditions (emergency lock-
ing mode), you must manually pull 
the seat belt all the way out to shift 
the retractor to the "automatic 
locking" mode to secure a child 
restraint.
The "automatic locking" mode will 
help prevent the normal movement 
of the child in the vehicle from caus-
ing the seat belt to loosen and com-
promise the child restraint system.

To install a child restraint system on 
the rear seats, do the following:
1. Place the child restraint system 

on a rear seat and route the lap/
shoulder belt around or through 
the child restraint, following the 
restraint manufacturer's instruc-
tions.
Be sure the seat belt webbing is 
not twisted.

2. Fasten the lap/shoulder belt latch 

into the buckle. Listen for the dis-
tinct "click" sound.

Position the release button so 
that it is easy to access in case of 
an emergency.

3. Pull the shoulder portion of the 

seat belt all the way out. When 
the shoulder portion of the seat 
belt is fully extended, it will shift 
the retractor to the "automatic 
locking" (child restraint) mode.

4. Slowly allow the shoulder portion 

of the seat belt to retract and lis-
ten for an audible "clicking" or 
"ratcheting" sound. This indicates 
that the retractor is in the "auto-
matic locking" mode. If no distinct 
sound is heard, repeat steps 3 and 
4.

ODEEV058041NR

ODEEV058042NR

ODEEV058043NR

39

3

3

Safety features of your vehicle

Child Restraint System (CRS)

5. Remove as much slack from the 

belt as possible by pushing down 
on the child restraint system 
while feeding the shoulder belt 
back into the retractor.

6. Push and pull on the child 

restraint system to confirm that 
the seat belt is holding it firmly in 
place. If it is not, release the seat 
belt and repeat steps 2 through 6.

7. Double check that the retractor is 

in the "automatic locking" mode 
by attempting to pull more of the 
seat belt out of the retractor. If 
you cannot, the retractor is in the 
"automatic locking" mode.

If your CRS manufacturer instructs 
or recommends you to use a tether 
anchor with the lap/shoulder belt, 
refer to "Securing a child restraint 
with the LATCH anchors system" on 
page 3-36 for more information.

NOTICE

When the seat belt is allowed to 
retract to its fully stowed position, 
the retractor will automatically 
switch from the "automatic locking" 
mode to the emergency lock mode 
for normal adult usage.

WARNING

Auto lock mode
Set the retractor to Automatic Lock 
mode when installing any child 
restraint system. If the retractor is 
not in the automatic locking mode, 
the child restraint can move when 
your vehicle turns or stops sud-
denly. A child can be seriously 
injured or killed if the child restraint 
is not properly anchored in the car.

To remove the child restraint, press 
the release button on the buckle 
and then pull the lap/shoulder belt 
out of the restraint and allow the 
seat belt to retract fully.

ODEEV058044NR

Safety features of your vehicle

40

3

Air bag - advanced supplemental restraint

system

Air bag - advanced supplemental restraint system

* The actual air bags in the vehicle may differ from the illustration.
1. Driver's front air bag
2. Passenger's front air bag
3. Side air bag
4. Curtain air bag

Even in vehicles with air bags, you and your passengers must always wear 
the safety belts provided in order to minimize the risk and severity of injury 
in the event of a collision or rollover.

OSK3038029NR

41

3

3

Safety features of your vehicle

Air bag - advanced supplemental restraint

system

How does the air bag system oper-
ate?
䳜 Air bags are activated (able to 

inflate if necessary) only when 
the ignition switch has been 
turned to the ON position.

䳜 The appropriate air bags inflate 

instantly in the event of a serious 
frontal collision or side collision in 
order to help protect the occu-
pants from serious physical 
injury.

䳜 Generally, air bags are designed 

to inflate based upon the severity 
of a collision and its direction, etc. 
These two factors determine 
whether the sensors produce an 
electronic deployment / inflation 
signal.

䳜 Air bags will inflate based upon 

the severity of a collision and its 
direction, etc. But Air bags will not 
inflate in every crash or collision 
situation. 

䳜 The front air bags will completely 

inflate and deflate in an instant. It 
is virtually impossible for you to 
see the air bags inflate during an 
accident. It is much more likely 
that you will simply see the 
deflated air bags hanging out of 
their storage compartments after 
the collision.

䳜 In addition to inflating in serious 

side collisions, side and/or curtain 
air bags will inflate if the sensing 
system detects a rollover.

䳜 When a rollover is detected, side 

and/or curtain air bags will remain 
inflated longer to help provide 
protection from ejection, espe-
cially when used in conjunction 
with the seat belts.

䳜 In order to help provide protec-

tion, the air bags must inflate 
rapidly. The speed of the air bag 
inflation is a consequence of 
extremely short time in which to 
inflate the air bag between the 
occupant and the vehicle struc-
tures before the occupant 
impacts those structures. This 
speed of inflation reduces the risk 
of serious or life-threatening inju-
ries and is thus a necessary part 
of the air bag design. However, air 
bag inflation can also cause inju-
ries which can include fascial 
abrasions, bruises and broken 
bones because the inflation speed 
also causes the air bags to expand 
with a great deal of force.

䳜 There are even circumstances 

under which contact with the 
steering wheel or passenger air 
bag can cause fatal injuries, espe-
cially if the occupant is positioned 
excessively close to the steering 
wheel or passenger air bag.

Safety features of your vehicle

42

3

Air bag - advanced supplemental restraint

system

WARNING

Airbag inflation
Sit as far back as possible from the 
steering wheel while still maintain-
ing comfortable control of the vehi-
cle. A distance of at least  from your 
chest to the steering wheel is rec-
ommended. Failure to do so can 
result in airbag inflation injuries to 
the driver.

Noise and smoke

When inflated, the air bags make a 
loud noise and leave smoke and 
powder in the air inside the vehicle. 
This is normal and is a result of the 
ignition of the air bag inflator. After 
the air bag inflates, you may feel 
substantial discomfort in breathing 
due to the contact of your chest 
with both the seat belt and the air 
bag, as well as from breathing the 
smoke and powder. Open your doors 
and/or windows as soon as possible 
after impact in order to reduce dis-
comfort and prevent prolonged 
exposure to the smoke and powder.

Though smoke and powder are non-
toxic, it may cause irritation to the 
skin (eyes, nose and throat, etc). If 
this is the case, wash and rinse with 
cold water immediately and consult 
a doctor if the symptom persists.

WARNING

Hot components
Do not touch the air bag storage 
area's internal components immedi-
ately after airbag inflation. The air 
bag related parts in the steering 
wheel, instrument panel and the 
roof rails above the front and rear 
doors are very hot. Hot components 
can result in burn injuries.

WARNING

Do not install or place any accesso-
ries near air bag deployment areas, 
such as the instrument panel, win-
dows, pillars, and roof rails.

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

Never place a rear-facing child 
restraint in the front passenger's 
seat.

ODEEV058046NR

43

3

3

Safety features of your vehicle

Air bag - advanced supplemental restraint

system

If the air bag deploys, it would 
impact the rear-facing child 
restraint, causing serious or fatal 
injury.

In addition, do not place front-facing 
child restraints in the front passen-
ger's seat. If the front passenger air 
bag inflates, it could cause serious 
or fatal injuries to the child.

WARNING

Air bag deployment
When children are seated in the rear 
outboard seats of a vehicle equipped 
with side and/or curtain air bags, 
install the child restraint system as 
far away from the door side as pos-
sible. Inflation of the side and/or 
curtain air bags could impact the 
child.

Air bag warning light

The purpose of air bag warning light 
in your instrument panel is to alert 
you of a potential problem with 
your air bag system, which could 
include your side and/or curtain air 
bags used for rollover protection.

If the air bag warning light is illumi-
nated for more than 6 seconds after 
the ignition switch has been turned 
to the ON position, or of it illumi-
nates during vehicle operation, an 
SRS component may not be func-
tioning properly and you should 

have your vehicle checked by an 
authorized Kia dealer.

If any of the following conditions 
occur, this indicates a malfunction in 
the air bag system. Have an autho-
rized Kia dealer inspect the air bag 
system as soon as possible.
䳜 The light does not turn on briefly 

when you turn the ignition switch 
to the ON position.

䳜 The light stays on after illuminat-

ing for approximately 6 seconds.

䳜 The light comes on while the vehi-

cle is in motion.

䳜 The light blinks when the ignition 

switch to the ON position.

Supplemental Restraint System 
(SRS) components and functions

* The actual position of SRS compo-

nents may differ from the illustra-
tion.

ODEEV068100NR

ODEEV058047NR

Safety features of your vehicle

44

3

Air bag - advanced supplemental restraint

system

The SRS consists of the following 
components:
1. Driver's front air bag module
2. Passenger's front air bag module
3. Side air bag modules
4. Curtain air bag modules
5. Retractor pre-tensioner assem-

blies (if equipped)

6. Air bag warning light
7. SRS control module (SRSCM)
8. Front impact sensors
9. Side impact sensors (if equipped)
10.Side pressure sensors (if 

equipped)

11.Occupant detection system 

(Front passenger's seat only)

12.Front passenger's seat belt 

buckle sensor

13.Retractor pre-tensioner assem-

blies (if equipped)

*: if equipped

Driver's front air bag (1)

The front air bag modules are 
located both in the center of the 
steering wheel and in the front pas-
senger's panel above the glove box. 

When the SRSCM detects a suffi-
ciently severe impact to the front of 
the vehicle, it will automatically 
deploy the front air bags.

Driver's front air bag (2)

Upon deployment, tear seams 
molded directly into the pad covers 
will separate under pressure from 
the expansion of the air bags. Fur-
ther opening of the covers then 
allows full inflation of the air bags.

Driver's front air bag (3)

A fully inflated air bag, in combina-
tion with a properly worn seat belt, 
slows the driver's or the passenger's 

ODEEV058048NR

ODEEV058049NR

ODEEV058050NR

45

3

3

Safety features of your vehicle

Air bag - advanced supplemental restraint

system

forward motion, reducing the risk of 
head and chest injury.

After complete inflation, the air bag 
immediately starts deflating, 
enabling the driver to maintain for-
ward visibility and the ability to 
steer or operate other controls.

Passenger's front air bag

WARNING

Air bag obstructions
Do not install or place any accesso-
ries on the steering wheel, instru-
ment panel, or on the front 
passenger's panel above the glove 
box in a vehicle. Such objects may 
become dangerous projectiles if the 
air bag deploys.

WARNING

Flying objects
Do not place any objects (an 
umbrella, bag, etc.) between the 
front door and the front seat. Such 
objects may become dangerous 
projectiles if the side airbag inflates.

䳜 If an air bag deploys, there may 

be a loud noise followed by a fine 
dust released in the vehicle. These 
conditions are normal and are not 
hazardous - the air bags are 
packed in this fine powder. The 
dust generated during air bag 
deployment may cause skin or 
eye irritation as well as aggravate 
asthma for some persons. Always 
wash all exposed skin areas thor-
oughly with cold water and a mild 
soap after an accident in which 
the air bags were deployed.

䳜 The SRS can function only when 

the ignition switch is in the ON 
position. If the SRS air bag warn-
ing light does not illuminate, or 
continuously remains on after 
illuminating for about 6 seconds 
when the ignition switch is turned 
to the ON position, or after the 
vehicle is in the ready mode, 
comes on while driving, the SRS is 
not working properly. If this 
occurs, have your vehicle immedi-
ately inspected by an authorized 
Kia dealer.

ODEEV058051NR

Safety features of your vehicle

46

3

Air bag - advanced supplemental restraint

system

NOTICE

Before you replace a fuse or discon-
nect a battery terminal, change the 
ignition switch to the OFF position. 
Never remove or replace the air bag 
related fuse(s) when the ignition 
switch is ON position. Failure to heed 
this warning will cause the SRS air 
bag warning light to illuminate.

Occupant Detection System (ODS)

Your vehicle is equipped with an 
occupant detection system in the 
front passenger's seat.

The occupant detection system is 
designed to detect the presence of a 
properly-seated front passenger 
and determine if the passenger's 
front air bag should be enabled 
(may inflate) or not. Only the front 
passenger front air bag is controlled 
by the Occupant Detection System.

Do not put anything in front of the 
passenger air bag "

" indica-

tor.

Main components of the occupant 
detection system

䳜 An detection device located within 

the front passenger seat cushion.

䳜 An electronic system which 

determines whether the passen-
ger air bag systems should be 
activated or deactivated.

䳜 An indicator light located on the 

instrument panel which illumi-
nates the words PASSENGER AIR 
BAG "

" indicates the front 

passenger air bag system is deac-
tivated.

䳜 The instrument panel air bag 

warning light is interconnected 
with the occupant detection sys-
tem.

If the front passenger seat is occu-
pied by a person that the system 
determines to be of appropriate 
size, and he/she sits properly (sit-
ting upright with the seatback in an 
upright position, centered on the 
seat cushion with their seat belt on, 
legs comfortably extended and their 
feet on the floor), the PASSENGER 
AIR BAG "

" indicator will turn 

off and the front passenger's air 
bag will be able to inflate, if neces-
sary, in frontal crashes.

You will find the PASSENGER AIR 
BAG "

" indicator on the cen-

ter fascia panel. This system 
detects the conditions 1~4 in the 
following table and activates or 
deactivates the front passenger air 
bag based on these conditions.

OSK3038031NR

47

3

3

Safety features of your vehicle

Air bag - advanced supplemental restraint

system

Always be sure that you and all 
vehicle occupants are seated and 
restrained properly (sitting upright 
with the seat in an upright position, 
centered on the seat cushion, with 
the person's legs comfortably 
extended, feet on the floor, and 
wearing the safety belt properly) 
for the most effective protection by 
the air bag and the safety belt.
䳜 The ODS (Occupant Detection 

System) may not function prop-
erly if the passenger takes 
actions which can defeat the 
detection system. These include:

1. Failing to sit in an upright posi-

tion.

2. Leaning against the door or 

center console.

3. Sitting towards the sides or the 

front of the seat.

4. Putting legs on the dashboard 

or resting them on other loca-
tions which reduce the passen-
ger weight on the front seat.

5. Improperly wearing the safety 

belt.

6. Reclining the seatback.

Condition and operation in the front passenger occupant detection system

Condition detected by the 

occupant classification system

Indicator/Warning light

Devices

"PASSENGER 

AIR BAG OFF" 

indicator light

SRS warning 

light

Front passen-

ger air bag

1. Adult

*1

*1. The system judges a person of adult size as an adult. When a smaller adult sits in

the front passenger seat, the system may recognize him/her as a child depend-
ing on his/her physique and posture.

Off

Off

Activated

2. Child restraint system with 
child under 12 months 
old

*2*3*4

*2. Do not allow children to ride in the front passenger seat. When a larger child who

has outgrown a child restraint system sits in the front passenger seat, the sys-
tem may recognize him/her as an adult depending upon his/her physique or sit-
ting position.

*3. Never install a child restraint system on the front passenger seat.
*4. The  PASSENGER  AIR  BAG  "

"  indicator  may  turn  on  or  off  when  a  child

above 12 months to 12 years old (with or without child restraint system) sits in
the front passenger seat. This is a normal condition.

On

Off

Deactivated

3. Unoccupied

On

Off

Deactivated

4. Malfunction in the system

Off

On

Activated

Safety features of your vehicle

48

3

Air bag - advanced supplemental restraint

system

WARNING

䳜 Do not install a child restraint seat 

in the passenger seat when the 
seat is heavily soaked with any 
type of liquid.

䳜 Do not alter or remodel the ODS 

(Occupant Detection System). 
This may damage the system and 
prevent its proper function in a 
collision.

NOTICE

䳜 Do not use car seat cushions that 

cover up the surface of the seat 
and aftermarket manufactured 
passenger seat heaters.

䳜 After conducting car interior 

cleaning using steam or deter-
gent, the seat should be dried 
properly. Afterward, check for 
normal operation of the PASSEN-
GER AIR BAG "OFF" and air bag 
warning lights.

䳜 Any service related to the pas-

senger seat and the ODS must be 
done at Kia service center.

䳜 After the passenger seat has 

been removed or installed for 
repair purposes, check for normal 
operation of the PASSENGER AIR 
BAG "

" and air bag warning 

lights with a person seated or not 
seated in the passenger seat.

WARNING

When the PASSENGER AIR BAG 
"

" symbol is illuminated, the 

passenger air bag system will not 
operate. The passenger air bag sys-
tem will operate when necessary if 
the symbol is not illuminated.

NOTICE

Do not modify or replace the front 
passenger seat. Don't place any-
thing on or attach anything such as 
a blanket, front seat cover or after 
market seat heater to the front 
passenger seat. This can adversely 
affect the occupant detection sys-
tem.

WARNING

ODS System
Riding in an improper position 
adversely affects the Occupant 
Detection System and may result in 
the deactivation of the front pas-
senger airbag. It is important for the 
driver to instruct the passenger as 
to the proper seating instructions as 
contained in this manual.

49

3

3

Safety features of your vehicle

Air bag - advanced supplemental restraint

system

䳜 Do not place a heavy load in the 

front passenger seatback pocket 
or on the front passenger seat.

䳜 Do not place feet on the front 

passenger seatback.

䳜 Never sit with hips shifted 

towards the front of the seat.

䳜 Never excessively recline the 

front passenger seatback.

䳜 Never place feet on the dash-

board.

ODEEV058055NR

ODEEV058056NR

ODEEV058057NR

ODEEV058002NR

ODEEV058059NR