2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU Owners Manual

1-3 Six-Way Power Seat (If Equipped)
If your vehicle has this feature, the power seat control is
located on the outboard side of the driver's seat. This
control allows you to move the seat up, down, forward
or backward. It will also move the front or rear of the
seat cushion up or down.To adjust the power seat, do the following:

Move the seat forward or backward by pushing the
control toward the front or back of the vehicle.

Raise or lower the entire seat cushion by holding the
whole control up or down.

Raise or lower the front of the seat cushion by
holding the front part of the control up or down.

Raise or lower the rear of the seat cushion by
holding the rear part of the control up or down.

1-4 Reclining Front Seatbacks
Your vehicle has the following reclining front
seatback lever.
To adjust the seatback, lift the lever located on the
outboard side of the seat. Move the seatback to where
you want it and release the lever. Check to see that the
handle returns to the original position and that the
seatback is securely locked.
Pull up on the lever without pushing on the seatback and
the seat will go to an upright position.
But don't have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is
moving.

1-5
CAUTION:
Sitting in a reclined position when your vehicle is
in motion can be dangerous. Even if you buckle
up, your safety belts can't do their job when
you're reclined like this.
The shoulder belt can't do its job because it
won't be against your body. Instead, it will be in
front of you. In a crash you could go into it,
receiving neck or other injuries.
The lap belt can't do its job either. In a crash the
belt could go up over your abdomen. The belt
forces would be there, not at your pelvic bones.
This could cause serious internal injuries.
For proper protection when the vehicle is in
motion, have the seatback upright. Then sit
well back in the seat and wear your safety
belt properly.
Head Restraints
Head restraints are fixed on some models and adjustable
on others. Slide an adjustable head restraint up or down
so that the top of the restraint is closest to the top of
your head. This position reduces the chance of a neck
injury in a crash.

1-6 Rear Seats
Folding Rear Seatback (Option)
To fold down the rear seatback, do the following:
1. Open the trunk and pull one or both of the tethers
located on the driver's side of the trunk. The left
tether will open the larger side of the seatback. The
right tether will open the smaller side of the
seatback.
2. Once a tether is pulled, the seatback can be pushed
open through the trunk, or pulled open from inside
the vehicle.
To close the split folding rear seatback, push the
seatback up until you hear a click. Then pull on the
seatback to make sure it is secure.

1-7
Safety Belts: They're for Everyone
This part of the manual tells you how to use safety belts
properly. It also tells you some things you should not do
with safety belts.
And it explains the Supplemental Restraint System
(SRS), or air bag system.
CAUTION:
Don't let anyone ride where he or she can't wear
a safety belt properly. If you are in a crash and
you're not wearing a safety belt, your injuries
can be much worse. You can hit things inside the
vehicle or be ejected from it. You can be seriously
injured or killed. In the same crash, you might
not be if you are buckled up. Always fasten your
safety belt, and check that your passengers' belts
are fastened properly too.
CAUTION:
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo area,
inside or outside of a vehicle. In a collision,
people riding in these areas are more likely to be
seriously injured or killed. Do not allow people to
ride in any area of your vehicle that is not
equipped with seats and safety belts. Be sure
everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and using a
safety belt properly.
Your vehicle has a light
that comes on as a reminder
to buckle up. See ªSafety
Belt Reminder Lightº in
the Index.
In most states and Canadian provinces, the law says to
wear safety belts. Here's why: They work.

1-8
You never know if you'll be in a crash. If you do have a
crash, you don't know if it will be a bad one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so
serious that even buckled up a person wouldn't survive.
But most crashes are in between. In many of them,
people who buckle up can survive and sometimes walk
away. Without belts they could have been badly hurt
or killed.
After more than 30 years of safety belts in vehicles,
the facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does
matter ... a lot!
Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as
it goes.
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it's just a seat
on wheels.

1-9
Put someone on it.Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider
doesn't stop.

1-10
The person keeps going until stopped by something.
In a real vehicle, it could be the windshield ...or the instrument panel ...