Fig. 32 Side airbag in driver's seat.

Fig. 33 Illustration of completely inflated side airbag on the left side of the vehicle.

The side airbags are housed within the outer backrests of the front seats and, depending on the vehicle configuration and equipment finish, within the outer flanks of the rear bench seats ››› Fig. 32, ››› Fig. 33.

Their operational locations are clearly designated by the word "AIRBAG" printed on the upper outer edge of the seat backrest or embossed in relief on lower trim coverings.

Working in direct coordination with the seat belts, the side airbag system provides crucial supplementary protection for the upper torso and pelvis regions in the event of a severe side-impact collision.

During a side collision, side airbags minimize injury severity for body areas facing the impact zone. While seat belts securely restrain passengers in their seats during lateral crashes, the side airbags deploy simultaneously to deliver maximum localized protection.

WARNING

• If you fail to wear your seat belt, lean excessively forward, or adopt an incorrect posture while the vehicle is in motion, you expose yourself to a vastly higher risk of injury if the side airbag system triggers during a collision.
• For side airbags to provide their intended maximum protection, occupants must maintain the prescribed upright sitting position with seat belts securely buckled at all times while traveling in your Seat Leon.
• During a lateral side-impact collision, side airbags will fail to deploy properly if pressure sensors cannot measure the rapid rise in interior door pressure due to air escaping through unsealed openings, damaged door membranes, or holes in the interior door panel.
• Never drive your vehicle if the interior door trim panels have been removed or if they are improperly fitted and unsealed.
• Occupants sitting in the outer seats must never carry objects or pets in the deployment space between their bodies and the door panels, nor allow children or passengers to lean against that side. Attaching unauthorized accessories—such as rigid cup holders—to the door panels is strictly prohibited, as it compromises side airbag safety performance.
• Ensure that children traveling in the rear are seated properly in approved child restraints and that their heads do not lean into the deployment path of the side airbags ››› Fig. 33, where an inflating cushion could strike them with dangerous force.
• Integrated clothes hooks located above the doors should be used exclusively for lightweight garments. Never leave heavy, hard, or sharp-edged objects in the pockets of clothing hanging there.
• Seat backrest bolsters must never be struck, punched, or kicked forcefully, as doing so can damage internal sensor arrays and wiring.

  If damaged in this manner, the side airbags may fail to trigger when needed.

• Under no circumstances should protective slipcovers or non-certified seat covers be fitted over seats equipped with side airbags unless specifically approved for your Seat Leon model. Because side airbags burst outward through the seat backrest seams, conventional covers will obstruct deployment and severely reduce their effectiveness.
• Any structural damage to original seat upholstery or around the stitched seams housing side airbag modules must be repaired immediately by a specialized workshop.
• Supplemental airbags are designed to protect during a single accident only; always replace deployed airbag modules immediately afterward.
• Any maintenance work, diagnostics, or removal and reinstallation of side airbag components (such as unbolting the front seats for interior repairs) must be performed exclusively by an authorized specialist workshop. Unauthorized work can introduce operational faults into the safety control network.