Adjusting the seating position -> Introduction for Your Volkswagen Tiguan 4 Door First Generation (2007-2016)

Adjusting the seating position  
Introduction  
In this section you’ll find information about:  
Examples of improper seating positions  
Proper seating position  
Manual controls on the driver and front passenger seats  
Electrical controls on the driver and front passenger seats  
Adjusting the rear seat  
Adjusting front and rear head restraints  
Removing and reinstalling head restraints  
Adjusting the steering wheel position  
Center armrest  
Number of seats  
The vehicle has a total of 5 seating positions: 2 in front and 3 in the rear. Each seating position has a  
safety belt.  
More information:  
Seat functions  
Safety belts  
Airbag system  
Child safety and child restraints  
WARNING  
Improper seating positions increase the risk of severe or fatal injuries in a crash or other  
accidents, especially when the airbag deploys.  
All occupants must sit properly and be properly restrained at all times.  
Never let more people ride in the vehicle than there are seating positions with safety belts  
available.  
Always secure children in the vehicle with an approved and suitable restraint system  
appropriate for their age, weight, and height ⇒ꢀ Child safety and child restraints, ⇒ꢀ Airbag  
system.  
Always keep your feet on the floor in front of the seat. Never rest them on the seat,  
instrument panel, out of the window, etc. The airbag system and safety belt will not be able to  
protect you properly and can even increase the risk of injury in a crash.  
WARNING  
Always adjust seat, safety belts and head restraints properly before driving and make sure  
that all passengers are properly restrained.  
Push the passenger seat as far back as possible. Always be sure that there are at least  
10 inches (25 cm) between the front passenger's breastbone and the instrument panel.  
Always adjust the driver's seat and the steering wheel so that there are at least 10 inches  
(25 cm) between your breastbone and the steering wheel.  
Adjust the driver's seat so that you can easily push the pedals all the way to the floor  
while keeping your knee(s) slightly bent. The distance to the instrument panel in the knee  
area must be at least 4 inches (10 cm).  
If these requirements cannot be met for physical reasons, contact an authorized  
Volkswagen dealer or an authorized Volkswagen Service Facility to see whether adaptive  
equipment is available.  
Always hold the steering wheel on the outside of the steering wheel rim with your hands  
at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions to help reduce the risk of personal injury if the  
driver's airbag inflates.  
Never hold the steering wheel at the 12 o'clock position or with your hands at other places  
inside the steering wheel rim or on the steering wheel hub. Holding the steering wheel the  
wrong way can cause serious injuries to the hands, arms, and head if the driver airbag  
inflates.  
Pointing the steering wheel toward your face decreases the ability of the driver's airbag to  
help protect you in a collision.  
Never drive with backrests reclined or tilted back farther than necessary to drive  
comfortably. The farther back the backrests are tilted, the greater the risk of injury caused by  
incorrect positioning of the safety belts and improper seating position.  
Never drive with the front seat passenger backrest tilted forward. If the front airbag  
deploys, the front backrest can be forced backward and injure passengers on the rear seat.  
Sit as far back as possible from the steering wheel and the instrument panel.  
Always sit upright with your back against the backrest with the front seats properly  
adjusted. Never lean against or place any part of your body too close to the area where the  
airbags are located.  
Rear seat passengers who are not properly seated and restrained are more likely to be  
seriously injured in a crash.  
WARNING  
Improper adjustment of the seats can cause accidents and severe injuries.  
Never adjust the seats while the vehicle is moving. Your seat may move unexpectedly and  
you could lose control of the vehicle. In addition, you will not be in the correct seating  
position while adjusting the seats.  
Adjust the front seat height, angle and longitudinal direction only if the seat adjustment  
area is clear.  
The adjustment of the front seats must not be restricted by things in the footwell in front  
or behind the seats.