2006 Subaru Forester Owner's Manual - Page 342

Consumer information and Reporting safety defects 13-11 suspension, axles and other parts of the body. Therefore, this means that the vehicle cannot necessarily be loaded up to the tire's maximum load rating on the tire sidewall. Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit 1. Locate the statement "The combined weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed XXX pounds" on your vehicle's placard. 2. Determine the combined weight of the driver and passengers that will be riding in your vehicle. 3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver and passengers from XXX kilograms or XXX pounds. 4. The resulting figure equals the available amount of cargo and luggage load capacity. For example, if the "XXX" amount equals 1,400 lbs (635kg). and there will be five- 150 lbs (68 kg) passengers in your vehicle, the amount of available cargo and luggage load capacity is 650 lbs. (1,400 - 750 (5 × 150) = 650 lbs) 5. Determine the combined weight of luggage and cargo being loaded on the vehicle. That weight may not safely exceed the available cargo and luggage load capacity calculated in Step 4. 6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, load from your trailer will be trans- ferred to your vehicle. Consult this manual to determine how this reduces the available cargo and luggage load capacity of your vehicle. Adverse safety consequences of overloading on handling and stopping and on tires Overloading could affect vehicle handling, stopping distance, vehicle and tire as shown in the following. This could lead to an accident and possibly result in severe personal injury. Vehicle stability will deteriorate. Heavy and/or high-mounted loads could increase the risk of rollover. Stopping distance will increase. Brakes could overheat and fail. Suspension, bearings, axles and other parts of the body could break or experience accelerated wear that will shorten vehicle life. Tires could fail. Tread separation could occur. Tire could separate from its rim.