2011 Subaru Forester Owner's Manual - Page 76

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags 1-51 vehicle, the control module inflates the curtain airbags. After the deployment, the SRS side airbag immediately starts to deflate. The time required from detection of an impact to deflation of an SRS side airbag after deployment is shorter than the blink of an eye. The SRS curtain airbags remain inflated for a while following deployment then slowly deflates. The SRS side airbag and SRS curtain airbags deploy even when no one occupies the seat on the side on which an impact is applied. When the SRS side airbag and SRS curtain airbags deploy, a sudden, fairly loud inflation noise will be heard and some smoke will be released. These occurrences are a normal result of the deployment. This smoke does not indicate a fire in the vehicle. After deployment, do not touch any part of the SRS curtain airbag system (from the front pillar to the part of the roof side over the rear seat). Doing so can cause burns because the components can be very hot as a result of deployment. The SRS side airbag and SRS curtain airbags are designed to deploy in the event of an accident involving a moderate to severe side impact collision. Also, in the case of a rollover, the SRS curtain airbags deploy. They are basically not designed to deploy in a lesser side impact. Also, they are basically not designed to deploy in frontal or rear impacts because SRS side airbag and SRS curtain airbag deployment would not help the occupant in those situations. Each SRS side airbag and SRS curtain airbags are designed to function on a onetime-only basis. SRS side airbag and SRS curtain airbag deployment depend on the level of force experienced in the passenger compartment during a side impact collision. That level differs from one type of collision to another, and it may have no bearing on the visible damage done to the vehicle itself. Also, the SRS curtain airbags deploy depending on the vehicle's position and inclination at the time of the rollover. ! Example of the type of accident in which the SRS side airbag will most likely deploy. A severe side impact near the front seat activates the SRS side airbag and SRS curtain airbag. CAUTION Do not touch the SRS side airbag system components around the front seat seatback with bare hands right after deployment. Doing so can cause burns because the components can be very hot as a result of deployment. - CONTINUED -