Mazda 3 Owners Manual: Split/One-piece Folding the Seatback

Putting occupants in the luggage compartment is dangerous because seat belts cannot be fastened which could lead to serious injury or death during sudden braking or a collision.

Do not allow children to play inside the vehicle with the seatback(s) lowered.

Allowing children to play in the vehicle with the seatback(s) folded down is dangerous. If a child enters the luggage compartment and the seatback(s) were raised back up, the child may become trapped in the luggage compartment which could lead to an accident.

Tightly secure cargo in the luggage compartment when it is transported with the seatback(s) folded down.

Driving without tightly securing cargo and luggage is dangerous as it could move and become an obstruction to driving during emergency braking or a collision resulting in an unexpected accident.

When transporting cargo, do not allow the cargo to exceed the height of the seatback(s).

Transporting cargo stacked higher than the seatback(s) is dangerous as visibility to the rear and sides of the vehicle is reduced which could interfere with driving operations and lead to an accident.

Depending on the position of a front seat, it may not be possible to fold a rear seatback all the way down because it may hit the seatback of the front seat which could scratch or damage the front seat or its pocket.

Lower or remove the head restraint on the rear outboard seat if necessary.

If the seat belt is used while it is twisted and caught in the seatback, the seat belt cannot function at its full capacity, which could cause serious injury or death.

When returning a seatback to its upright position, make sure that it is fi rmly locked and the red indication is not visible (5–Door).

If the red indication is visible behind the push knob, it means the seatback is not locked. If the vehicle is driven without the seatback locked, it could fold down suddenly and cause an accident.