2003 CHEVROLET TAHOE Owners Manual

Removing the Bench Seat
To remove the full bench seat, do the following:
1. Open the rear doors and enter the rear of the
vehicle.
2. Fold the seatback
forward onto the seat
cushion by using
the lever labeled 1.
The seat cannot
be removed unless the
seatback is folded.3. To unlatch the seat
from the ¯oor, pull up
on the release
lever labeled 2, located
at the rear of the
seat, and lift the rear of
the seat up off the
¯oor.
4. Squeeze the release lever, located in the lower
middle to unlatch the seat from the ¯oor while
pulling the seat out.
5. While holding the rear of the seat up, roll the seat
out of the vehicle.
1-19

Replacing the Bench Seat
{CAUTION:
If the seatback isn't locked, it could move
forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could
cause injury to the person sitting there. Always
press rearward on the seatback to be sure it is
locked.
{CAUTION:
A seat that isn't locked into place properly can
move around in a collision or sudden stop.
People in the vehicle could be injured. Be sure
to lock the seat into place properly when
installing it.
{CAUTION:
A safety belt that is improperly routed, not
properly attached, or twisted won't provide the
protection needed in a crash. The person
wearing the belt could be seriously injured.
After raising the rear seatback, always check
to be sure that the safety belts are properly
routed and attached, and are not twisted.
To reinstall the full bench seat, do the following:
1. While holding the rear of the seat up, slide the front
wheels into the slots on the ¯oor. The front latches
should lock into place. If the latches do not lock,
try tilting the rear of the seats upwards.
2. Once the latches are engaged, let the seat drop
into place. Release the lever labeled 1 to return
the seat to its upright position.
3. Push and pull on the seat to make sure it is locked
into place. The seatback cannot be raised to the
upright position unless the seat is secured to
the ¯oor.
1-20

Bucket Seats
If your vehicle has bucket seats, the seatbacks can be
reclined and the seats can be folded to give you
more cargo room.
Reclining the Seatbacks
On the extended models with bucket seats, the
seatbacks can be reclined. To adjust the seatback do
the following:
1. Pull forward the lever located at the base of
the seat.
2. Release the lever to lock the seatback where you
want it. If you pull the lever without pushing on the
seatback, the seatback will go to an upright
position.
Folding the Seatbacks
{CAUTION:
If the seatback isn't locked, it could move
forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could
cause injury to the person sitting there. Always
press rearward on the seatback to be sure it is
locked.
The seatbacks on the bucket seats may be folded
forward to give you more cargo space.
On extended models with rear bucket seats, the head
restraints need to be removed in order to fold the
rear seats. To do this follow these directions:
1. Lift the head restraints up until they stop.
2. Press in the button on the side of the head restraint
guide cap and lift up on the head restraint.
3. Do the same for the other cap.
The head restraint can be removed and stored in the
space provided in the folded up seat cushion.
1-21

To fold the seatbacks on the bucket seats, do the
following:
1. Pull up on the strap
loop located at the rear
of the seat cushion
and pull the seat
cushion up. Then fold it
forward.2. Pull the seatback
release lever up and
pull the seatback
forward. Then fold it
until it is ¯at.
If the seatback cannot fold ¯at because it interferes with
the cushion, try moving the front seat forward and/or
bringing the front seatback more upright.
1-22

Once the seatbacks are folded down, the rear seat
footwell area will be exposed and will have to be
covered by the load ¯oor panel. To create a load ¯oor,
do the following:1. Release the panels from the seatbacks by pushing
forward on the latches.
2. Then fold the panels back to cover the rear seat
footwell area.
If you have removed the head restraints to fold the rear
bucket seat, be sure to reinstall them on the seatback
after it has been returned to the normal seating position.
1-23

Safety Belts
Safety Belts: They Are 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.
{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
Safety Belt Reminder
Light on page 3-38.
In most states and in all Canadian provinces, the law
says to wear safety belts. Here's why:
They work.
1-24

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.
1-25

Put someone on it. Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider
doesn't stop.
1-26