2007 CHEVROLET MALIBU MAXX seats

Rear Seats
Rear Seat Operation
Folding the Seatback
Your vehicle may has a split folding rear seatback.
To fold down the rear seatback on the sedan,
do the following:
1. Open the trunk and pull one or both of the
handles located on the upper part of the
trunk opening. The driver’s side handle will
open the larger side of the seatback.
The passenger’s side handle will open the
smaller side of the seatback.Notice:Folding a rear seat with the safety
belts still fastened may cause damage to the
seat or the safety belts. Always unbuckle
the safety belts and return them to their normal
stowed position before folding a rear seat.
2. Once a handle is pulled, the seatback can be
pushed open through the trunk, or pulled
open from inside the vehicle.
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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:
Do not let anyone ride where he or she
cannot wear a safety belt properly. If you
are in a crash and you are 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.
SeeSafety Belt
Reminder Light on
page 201.
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Driver Position
Lap-Shoulder Belt
The driver has a lap-shoulder belt. Here is how
to wear it properly.
1. Close and lock the door.
2. Adjust the seat so you can sit up straight.
To see how, see “Seats” in the Index.
3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across
you. Do not let it get twisted.The lap-shoulder belt may lock if you pull the
belt across you very quickly. If this happens,
let the belt go back slightly to unlock it.
Then pull the belt across you more slowly.
4. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it
clicks.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is
secure. If the belt is not long enough,
seeSafety Belt Extender on page 41.
Make sure the release button on the buckle is
positioned so you would be able to unbuckle
the safety belt quickly if you ever had to.
5. Move the shoulder belt height adjuster to the
height that is right for you. Improper shoulder
belt height adjustment could reduce the
effectiveness of the safety belt in a crash.
SeeShoulder Belt Height Adjustment on
page 33.
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Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides
Rear shoulder belt comfort guides may provide
added safety belt comfort for older children who
have outgrown booster seats and for some adults.
When installed on a shoulder belt, the comfort
guide positions the belt away from the neck
and head.
Malibu Sedan
There is one guide for each outside passenger
position in the rear seat.Here is how to install a comfort guide to the
safety belt:
1. Pull the elastic cord out from between the
edge of the seatback and the interior body
to remove the guide from its storage clip.
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Safety Belt Pretensioners
Your vehicle has safety belt pretensioners for the
driver and right front passenger. Although you
cannot see them, they are part of the safety belt
assembly. They help tighten the safety belts during
the early stages of a moderate to severe frontal
and near frontal crash if the threshold conditions
for pretensioner activation are met. And, if your
vehicle has side impact airbags, safety belt
pretensioners can help tighten the safety belts
in a side crash.
Pretensioners work only once. If they activate in
a crash, you will need to get new ones, and
probably other new parts for your safety belt
system. SeeReplacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash on page 91.
Safety Belt Extender
If the vehicle’s safety belt will fasten around you,
you should use it.
But if a safety belt is not long enough, your
dealer/retailer will order you an extender. When
you go in to order it, take the heaviest coat you will
wear, so the extender will be long enough for
you. To help avoid personal injury, do not
let someone else use it, and use it only for the
seat it is made to t. The extender has been
designed for adults. Never use it for securing child
seats. To wear it, attach it to the regular safety
belt. For more information, see the instruction
sheet that comes with the extender.
41

Child Restraints
Older Children
Older children who have outgrown booster seats
should wear the vehicle’s safety belts.
Q:What is the proper way to wear safety belts?
A:An older child should wear a lap-shoulder belt
and get the additional restraint a shoulder belt
can provide. The shoulder belt should not
cross the face or neck. The lap belt should t
snugly below the hips, just touching the
top of the thighs. It should never be worn over
the abdomen, which could cause severe or
even fatal internal injuries in a crash.
According to accident statistics, children are safer
when properly restrained in the rear seating
positions than in the front seating positions.
In a crash, children who are not buckled up can
strike other people who are buckled up, or can be
thrown out of the vehicle. Older children need
to use safety belts properly.
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A booster seat (F-G) is a child restraint designed
to improve the t of the vehicle’s safety belt
system. Some booster seats have a shoulder belt
positioner, and some high-back booster seats
have a ve-point harness. A booster seat can
also help a child to see out the window.
Q:How Should I Use a Child Restraint?
A:A child restraint system is any device designed
for use in a motor vehicle to restrain, seat,
or position children. A built-in child restraint
system is a permanent part of the motor
vehicle. An add-on child restraint system
is a portable one, which is purchased by the
vehicle’s owner. To help reduce injuries,
an add-on child restraint must be secured
in the vehicle. With built-in or add-on
child restraints, the child has to be secured
within the child restraint.
When choosing an add-on child restraint,
be sure the child restraint is designed to
be used in a vehicle. If it is, it will have a
label saying that it meets federal motor
vehicle safety standards. Then follow the
instructions for the restraint. You may
nd these instructions on the restraint itself
or in a booklet, or both.
51

Securing an Add-on Child Restraint
in the Vehicle
{CAUTION:
A child can be seriously injured or killed
in a crash if the child restraint is not
properly secured in the vehicle. Make
sure the child restraint is properly
installed in the vehicle using the vehicle’s
safety belt or LATCH system, following
the instructions that came with that
restraint, and also the instructions in
this manual.
To help reduce the chance of injury, the child
restraint must be secured in the vehicle.Child restraint systems must be secured in vehicle
seats by lap belts or the lap belt portion of a
lap-shoulder belt, or by the LATCH system.
SeeLower Anchors and Tethers for Children
(LATCH) on page 56for more information.
A child can be endangered in a crash if the child
restraint is not properly secured in the vehicle.
When securing an add-on child restraint, refer to
the instructions that come with the restraint
which may be on the restraint itself or in a booklet,
or both, and to this manual. The child restraint
instructions are important, so if they are not
available, obtain a replacement copy from the
manufacturer.
Keep in mind that an unsecured child restraint
can move around in a collision or sudden stop
and injure people in the vehicle. Be sure to
properly secure any child restraint in your
vehicle — even when no child is in it.
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