2022 Subaru Outback Rear Seats
WARNING
Seatbelts provide maximum restraint when the occupant sits back and upright in the seat. Do not place cushions or any other materials between occupants and seatbacks or seat cushions. By doing so, the risk of sliding under the lap belt and of the lap belt sliding up over the abdomen will increase, and both can result in serious internal injury or death.
WARNING
Never stack luggage or other cargo higher than the top of the seatback as it could tumble forward and injure passengers in the event of a sudden stop or accident.
Reclining the Seatback (Outback/Subaru Outback Wilderness)
WARNING
To prevent the passenger from slid-ing under the seatbelt in the event of a collision, always put the seatback in the upright position while the vehicle is in motion.
CAUTION
If the vehicle is equipped with a cargo area cover, observe the fol-lowing precautions.
- Make sure hands are not pinched between the headrest and the cargo area cover when rear seat is reclined.
- Move the front cover of the cargo area cover backward so that the cover is not damaged by the reclined seatback. Refer to “Lift-ing Cargo Cover (Outback/Subaru Outback Wilderness – If Equipped)” P319.
Adjust the seatback to the desired position while pulling the lever.
After adjusting the seatback, release the lever and make sure the seatback is securely locked into place.
Folding Down the Rear Seat-back
WARNING
- When folding down the seatback, check that there are no passengers or objects on the rear seat. Not doing so creates a risk of injury or property damage.|
- Never allow passengers to ride on the folded rear seatback or in the cargo area or trunk. Doing so may result in serious injury or death.
- Secure all objects and especially long items properly to prevent them from being thrown around inside the vehicle and causing serious injury during a sudden steering maneuver or acceleration.
- When you return the seatback to its original position, shake it slightly to confirm that it is securely in place. If it is not securely fixed in place, it may suddenly fold down in the event of sudden braking, or objects may move out from the cargo area, both could cause serious injury or death.
- Striker
WARNING
When the seatback is returned to its original position, observe the following precautions. Failure to do so may lead to serious injury or an accident because the proper seat-belt operation will be affected.
- The seatbelt should not be caught in the seatback and it should be fully visible.
- The seatbelt should not pass behind the striker for the seat-back.
CAUTION
For Outback/Subaru Outback Wilderness, the rear seatback may fold down quickly due to the internal spring. Hold the seatback while pull-ing the release button to slow it down.
Folding down the rear seatback (Legacy)
Release button
1) Release lever (if equipped)
- Lower the head restraints.
- Folding the seatback by performing either of the following procedures.
- Push the release button.
- Pull the release lever.
Folding down the rear seatback (Outback/Subaru Outback Wilderness)
Release button
Release lever
- Lower the head restraints.
- Folding the seatback by performing either of the following procedures.
- Push the release button.
- Pull the release lever.
Return the rear seatback
WARNING
When returning the seatback to its original position, observe the following precaution.
Failure to do so may damage the seatbelt, and possibly result in a serious injury.
- Pull the seatbelt out towards the vehicle exterior so that it will not be caught between the seatback and the trim.
Lock release button
- Unlocked
- Locked
- A) Unlocking marker in red
To return the seatback to its original position, raise the seatback until it locks into place and ensure that the unlocking marker on the lock release button is no longer visible.
WARNING
When you return the seatback to its original position, check that the unlocking marker on the lock release button is not visible. Also, shake the seatback slightly to confirm that it is securely in place. If the seatback is not securely in place, the seatback may suddenly fold down in the event of sudden braking, or objects may move out from the cargo area, which could cause serious injury or death.
Head Restraint Adjustment
Both the rear window side seats and the rear center seat are equipped with head restraints.
WARNING
- Never drive the vehicle with the head restraints removed because they are designed to reduce the risk of serious neck injury in the event that the vehicle is struck from the rear. Therefore, when you remove the head restraints, you must reinstall all head restraints to protect vehicle occupants.
- All occupants, including the driver, should not operate a vehicle or sit in a vehicle’s seat until the head restraints are placed in their proper positions in order to minimize the risk of neck injury in the event of a crash.
- The front seat head restraints are designed to be installed into the front seats only. The rear seat head restraints are designed to be installed into the rear seats only. Do not attempt to install the front seat head restraints into the rear seats, or the rear seat head restraints into the front seats.
Rear window side seating position
- Head restraint
- Release button
To raise:
Pull the head restraint up.
To lower:
Push the head restraint down while pressing the release button on the top of the seatback.
To remove:
While pressing the release button, pull out the head restraint.
To install:
Install the head restraint into the holes that are located on the top of the seatback until the head restraint locks.
The head restraint should be adjusted so that the center of the head restraint is closest to the top of the occupant’s ears. When the seats are not occupied, lower the head restraints to improve rearward visibility.
NOTE
For Legacy, it is not possible to remove or install the head restraint without folding down the rear seatback. Fold down the rear seatback and then remove or install the head restraint.
Rear center seating position
- When not used (retracted position)
- When used (extended position)
CAUTION
The head restraint is not intended to be used in the retracted position. Before sitting on the seat, raise the head restraint to the extended position.
- Head restraint
- Release button
To raise:
Pull the head restraint up.
To lower:
Push the head restraint down while pressing the release button on the top of the seatback.
To remove:
While pressing the release button, pull out the head restraint.
To install:
Install the head restraint into the holes that are located on the top of the seatback until the head restraint locks.
When the rear center seating position is occupied, raise the head restraint to the extended position. When the rear center seating position is not occupied, lower the head restraint to improve rearward visibility.
Armrest
To lower the armrest, pull on the armrest’s top edge.
WARNING
To avoid serious injury and vehicle damage, passengers must never sit on the center armrest.