
Your Driving, the Road, and
Your Vehicle
Defensive Driving
The best advice anyone can give about driving is:
Drive defensively.
Please start with a very important safety device in your
vehicle: Buckle up. SeeSafety Belts: They Are for
Everyone on page 1-16.
Defensive driving really means “be ready for anything.”
On city streets, rural roads, or freeways, it means
“always expect the unexpected.”
Assume that pedestrians or other drivers are going to
be careless and make mistakes. Anticipate what
they might do. Be ready for their mistakes.
Rear-end collisions are about the most preventable of
accidents. Yet they are common. Allow enough following
distance. It is the best defensive driving maneuver, in
both city and rural driving. You never know when the
vehicle in front of you is going to brake or turn suddenly.
Defensive driving requires that a driver concentrate on
the driving task. Anything that distracts from the driving
task — such as concentrating on a cellular telephone call,
reading, or reaching for something on the oor — makesproper defensive driving more difficult and can even
cause a collision, with resulting injury. Ask a passenger to
help do things like this, or pull off the road in a safe place
to do them yourself. These simple defensive driving
techniques could save your life.Drunken Driving
Death and injury associated with drinking and driving is
a national tragedy. It is the number one contributor
to the highway death toll, claiming thousands of victims
every year.
Alcohol affects four things that anyone needs to drive
a vehicle:
Judgment
Muscular Coordination
Vision
Attentiveness
Police records show that almost half of all motor
vehicle-related deaths involve alcohol. In most cases,
these deaths are the result of someone who was
drinking and driving. In recent years, more than
16,000 annual motor vehicle-related deaths have been
associated with the use of alcohol, with more than
300,000 people injured.
4-2

Off-Road Driving
This off-road guide is meant to provide advice for when
you drive your vehicle off paved roads. Also, see
Braking on page 4-6.
Off-road driving can be great fun. But it does have
some de nite hazards. The greatest of these is
the terrain itself.
“Off-roading” means you have left the great North
American road system behind. Traffic lanes are not
marked. Curves are not banked. There are no
road signs. Surfaces can be slippery, rough, uphill or
downhill. In short, you have gone right back to nature.
Off-road driving involves some new skills. And that is
why it is very important that you read this guide. You will
nd many driving tips and suggestions. These will help
make your off-road driving safer and more enjoyable.
Before You Go Off-Roading
There are some things to do before you go out. For
example, be sure to have all necessary maintenance
and service work done. Check to make sure all
underbody shields are properly attached. Make sure any
equipment you may need ( rst aid kit, cell phone,
ashlight, etc.) is securely stored in the vehicle.Be sure you read all the information about your
four-wheel-drive vehicle in this manual. Is there enough
fuel? Is the spare tire fully in ated? Are the uid
levels up where they should be? What are the local
laws that apply to off-roading where you will be driving?
If you do not know, you should check with law
enforcement people in the area. Will you be on
someone’s private land? If so, be sure to get the
necessary permission.
Removable Side Steps
Your vehicle may be equipped with removable
side steps.
Remove the steps prior to off roading to give your
vehicle more ground clearance and to prevent damage
to the vehicle from the side steps dragging and/or
catching on obstacles.
Notice:Do not drive off road with the side steps
attached to your vehicle. You can damage the side
steps and/or your vehicle’s frame if they get caught
or drag against an obstacle. This damage would not
be covered by your vehicle’s warranty. Always
remove the side steps prior to any off road driving.
4-16

Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much water can build up
under your tires that they can actually ride on the
water. This can happen if the road is wet enough and
you are going fast enough. When your vehicle is
hydroplaning, it has little or no contact with the road.
Hydroplaning does not happen often. But it can if your
tires do not have much tread or if the pressure in
one or more is low. It can happen if a lot of water is
standing on the road. If you can see re ections
from trees, telephone poles, or other vehicles, and
raindrops dimple the water’s surface, there could
be hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds. There
just is not a hard and fast rule about hydroplaning.
The best advice is to slow down when it is raining.
Driving Through Deep Standing Water
Notice:If you drive too quickly through deep
puddles or standing water, water can come in
through your engine’s air intake and badly damage
your engine. Never drive through water that is
slightly lower than the underbody of your vehicle. If
you cannot avoid deep puddles or standing water,
drive through them very slowly.
Driving Through Flowing Water
{CAUTION:
Flowing or rushing water creates strong forces.
If you try to drive through owing water, as you
might at a low water crossing, your vehicle can
be carried away. As little as six inches of
owing water can carry away a smaller vehicle.
If this happens, you and other vehicle
occupants could drown. Do not ignore police
warning signs, and otherwise be very cautious
about trying to drive through owing water.
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
Besides slowing down, allow some extra following
distance. And be especially careful when you
pass another vehicle. Allow yourself more clear
room ahead, and be prepared to have your
view restricted by road spray.
Have good tires with proper tread depth. SeeTires
on page 5-54.
4-42

Customer Assistance and Information...............7-2
Customer Satisfaction Procedure......................7-2
Online Owner Center......................................7-3
Customer Assistance for Text Telephone (TTY)
Users........................................................7-4
Customer Assistance Offices............................7-4
GM Mobility Program for Persons with
Disabilities..................................................7-5
Roadside Assistance Program..........................7-6
Courtesy Transportation...................................7-7
Vehicle Data Collection and Event Data
Recorders..................................................7-9Reporting Safety Defects................................7-10
Reporting Safety Defects to the United States
Government..............................................7-10
Reporting Safety Defects to the Canadian
Government..............................................7-11
Reporting Safety Defects to General Motors.....7-11
Service Publications Ordering Information.........7-11
Section 7 Customer Assistance and Information
7-1

The BBB Auto Line Program is an out of court program
administered by the Council of Better Business Bureaus
to settle automotive disputes regarding vehicle repairs or
the interpretation of the New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
Although you may be required to resort to this informal
dispute resolution program prior to ling a court action,
use of the program is free of charge and your case will
generally be heard within 40 days. If you do not agree
with the decision given in your case, you may reject it and
proceed with any other venue for relief available to you.
Contact the BBB Auto Line Program using the toll-free
telephone number or write them at:
BBB Auto Line Program
Council of Better Business Bureaus, Inc.
4200 Wilson Boulevard
Suite 800
Arlington, VA 22203-1838
Telephone: 1-800- 955-5100
This program is available in all 50 states and the District
of Columbia. Eligibility is limited by vehicle age,
mileage, and other factors. General Motors reserves the
right to change eligibility limitations and/or discontinue
its participation in this program.Online Owner Center
The Owner Center is a resource for your GM ownership
needs. Speci c vehicle information can be found in
one place.
The Owner Center allows you to:
Get e-mail service reminders.
Access information about your speci c vehicle,
including tips and videos and an electronic
version of this owner’s manual. (United States only)
Keep track of your vehicle’s service history and
maintenance schedule.
Find GM dealers for service nationwide.
Receive special promotions and privileges only
available to members. (United States only)
Refer to the web for updated information.
To register your vehicle, visit www.MyGMLink.com.
(United States) or My GM Canada within
www.gmcanada.com (Canada).
7-3

Customer Assistance for Text
Telephone (TTY) Users
To assist customers who are deaf, hard of hearing, or
speech-impaired and who use Text Telephones (TTYs),
HUMMER has TTY equipment available at its Customer
Assistance Center. Any TTY user can communicate
with HUMMER by dialing: 1-800-833-6537. (TTY users
in Canada can dial 1-800-263-3830.)
Customer Assistance Offices
HUMMER encourages customers to call the toll-free
number for assistance. If a U.S. customer wishes
to write to HUMMER, the letter should be addressed to
HUMMER’s Customer Assistance Center.
United States – Customer Assistance
HUMMER Customer Assistance Center
P.O. Box 33171
Detroit, MI 48232-5177
1-866-HUMMER6 (486-6376)
1-800-833-6537 (For Text Telephone devices (TTYs))
Roadside Assistance: 1-866-HUMMER6 (486-6376)
Fax Number: 313-381-0022From Puerto Rico:
1-800-496-9992 (English)
1-800-496-9993 (Spanish)
Fax Number: 313-381-0022
From U.S. Virgin Islands:
1-800-496-9994
Fax Number: 313-381-0022
Canada – Customer Assistance
General Motors of Canada Limited
Customer Communication Centre, 163-005
1908 Colonel Sam Drive
Oshawa, Ontario L1H 8P7
1-800-263-3777 (English)
1-800-263-7854 (French)
1-800-263-3830 (For Text Telephone devices (TTYs))
Roadside Assistance: 1-800-268-6800
7-4

Overseas – Customer Assistance
Please contact the local General Motors Business Unit.
Mexico, Central America and
Caribbean Islands/Countries (Except
Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin
Islands) – Customer Assistance
General Motors de Mexico, S. de R.L. de C.V.
Customer Assistance Center
Paseo de la Reforma # 2740
Col. Lomas de Bezares
C.P. 11910, Mexico, D.F.
01-800-508-0000
Long Distance: 011-52-53 29 0 800
GM Mobility Program for Persons
with Disabilities
This program, available to
quali ed applicants, can
reimburse you up to $1,000
toward eligible aftermarket
driver or passenger
adaptive equipment that
may be required for your
vehicle, such as hand
controls, wheelchair/
scooter lifts, etc.
This program can also provide you with free resource
information, such as area driver assessment centers and
mobility equipment installers. The offer is available for
a limited period of time from the date of vehicle
purchase/lease. For more details, or to determine your
vehicle’s eligibility, see your GM dealer or call the
GM Mobility Assistance Center at 1-800-323-9935. Text
telephone (TTY) users, call 1-800-833-9935.
GM of Canada also has a Mobility Program. Call
1-800-GM-DRIVE (463-7483) for details. All TTY users
call 1-800-263-3830.
7-5

For prompt and efficient assistance when calling, please
provide the following to the Roadside Assistance
Representative:
Your name, home address, and home telephone
number.
Telephone number of your location.
Location of the vehicle.
Model, year, color, and license plate number
Mileage, Vehicle Identi cation Number (VIN) and
delivery date of the vehicle
Description of the problem
While we hope you never have the occasion to use our
service, it is added security while traveling for you and
your family. Remember, we are only a phone call away.
HUMMER Roadside Assistance: 1-866-HUMMER6
(486-6376), text telephone (TTY) users, call
1-888-889-2438.
HUMMER reserves the right to limit services or
reimbursement to an owner or driver when, in
HUMMER’s judgement, the claims become excessive in
frequency or type of occurrence.
Roadside Assistance is not part of or included in the
coverage provided by the New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
HUMMER reserves the right to make any changes or
discontinue the Roadside Assistance program at
any time without noti cation.
Canadian Roadside Assistance
Vehicles purchased in Canada have an extensive
roadside assistance program accessible from anywhere
in Canada or the United States. Please refer to the
Warranty and Owner Assistance Information book.
Courtesy Transportation
HUMMER has always exempli ed quality and value in
its offering of motor vehicles. To enhance your
ownership experience, we and our participating dealers
are proud to offer Courtesy Transportation, a customer
support program for new vehicles.
The Courtesy Transportation program is offered to retail
purchase/lease customers in conjunction with the
Bumper-to-Bumper coverage provided by the New
Vehicle Limited Warranty. Several transportation options
are available when warranty repairs are required. This will
reduce your inconvenience during warranty repairs.
7-7