2008 SATURN ASTRA Owners Manual

Head Restraints
The vehicle’s front seats have
adjustable head restraints.
{CAUTION
With head restraints that are
not installed and adjusted
properly, there is a greater
chance that occupants will
suffer a neck/spinal injury
in a crash. Do not drive until
the head restraints for all
occupants are installed and
adjusted properly.Adjust the head restraint so that
the top of the restraint is at the
same height as the top of the
occupant’s head.
This position reduces the chance of
a neck injury in a crash.To adjust the head restraint, press
the button located on the side of the
head restraint. Pull up or push down
on the restraint to adjust it.
Try to move the head restraint after
the button is released to make
sure that it is locked in place.
The vehicle’s front seat head
restraints are not designed to
be removed.
Seats and Restraints 1-5
ProCarManuals.com

Active Head Restraint System
The vehicle has an active head
restraint system in the front seating
positions.
These automatically tilt forward to
reduce the risk of neck injury if
the vehicle is hit from behind.
Rear Seat Headrests
The vehicle has headrests in all
seating positions of the rear seats.
The headrests in the rear outboard
positions adjust like the front
seat head restraints.To adjust the headrest in the rear
seat center position, pull up to
raise it.
To lower the headrest, press the
buttons located on the top of
the seatback and push the head
rest down.
The vehicle’s rear seat headrests
are not designed to be removed.
Heated Seats
On vehicles with heated front seats,
the controls for each seat are located
on the center of the instrument panel.
To operate the heated seats the
ignition must be on.
M(Heated Seat):Press this
button to turn on the heated seat.
The light on the button will come on
to indicate that the feature is working.
Press the button to cycle through
the temperature settings of high,
medium, and low and to turn the
heat to the seat off. The number of
indicator lights above the button will
show the level of heat selected: three
for high, two for medium, and one
for low.
1-6 Seats and Restraints
ProCarManuals.com

Rear Seats
Rear Seat Operation
{CAUTION
If the seatback is not locked, it
could move forward in a sudden
stop or crash. That could cause
injury to the person sitting
there. Always push and pull
on the seatback to be sure it
is locked.
{CAUTION
A safety belt that is improperly
routed, not properly attached,
or twisted will not provide the
protection needed in a crash.
The person wearing the belt
could be seriously injured.
(Continued)
CAUTION (Continued)
After raising the rear seatback,
always check to be sure that
the safety belts are properly
routed and attached, and are
not twisted.
Folding 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.
Before folding the seatback down,
the safety belt must be unbuckled
and not in the storage clip. The
front seat must be moved all
the way forward, and not reclined.
The headrest must be completely
lowered.To lower the seatback:
1. Press the button located on the
top of the seatback to release it.
2. Fold the seatback forward.
Seats and Restraints 1-7
ProCarManuals.com

To return the seat to the sitting
position:
1. Make sure the safety belt is
through the storage clip.
2. Lift the seatback and push it
rearward until it is locked in
the sitting position.3. Push and pull on the seatback to
make sure it is locked.
4. Remove the safety belt from the
storage clip.
The seatback must be locked or
you will not be able to pull out
and use the rear center safety
belt. Always push and pull on the
seatback to be sure it is locked.Safety Belts
This section of the manual describes
how to use safety belts properly.
It also describes some things not
to 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 harder or be ejected
from it and 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
passenger(s) are restrained
properly too.
1-8 Seats and Restraints
ProCarManuals.com

{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.
This vehicle has indicators as a
reminder to buckle the safety belts.
SeeSafety Belt Reminders on
page 4-14.In most states and in all Canadian
provinces, the law requires
wearing safety belts. Here is why:
You never know if you will be
in a crash. If you do have a crash,
you do not know if it will be a
serious one.
A few crashes are mild, and some
crashes can be so serious that even
buckled up, a person would not
survive. But most crashes are in
between. In many of them, people
who buckle up can survive and
sometimes walk away. Without
safety belts they could have been
badly hurt or killed.
After more than 40 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 is just a seat on wheels.
Seats and Restraints 1-9
ProCarManuals.com

Put someone on it. Get it up to speed. Then stop the
vehicle. The rider does not stop.The person keeps going until
stopped by something. In a real
vehicle, it could be the windshield...
1-10 Seats and Restraints
ProCarManuals.com

or the instrument panel... or the safety belts!
With safety belts, you slow down as
the vehicle does. You get more time
to stop. You stop over more distance,
and your strongest bones take the
forces. That is why safety belts make
such good sense.
Questions and Answers About
Safety Belts
Q:
Will I be trapped in the vehicle
after a crash if I am wearing a
safety belt?
A:Youcouldbe — whether you are
wearing a safety belt or not. But
your chance of being conscious
during and after an accident, so
youcanunbuckle and get out, is
muchgreater if you are belted.
And you can unbuckle a safety
belt, even if you are upside down.
Q:If my vehicle has airbags, why
should I have to wear safety
belts?
A:Airbags are supplemental
systems only; so they workwith
safety belts — not instead of
them. Whether or not an airbag
is provided, all occupants still
have to buckle up to get the most
protection. That is true not only in
frontal collisions, but especially in
side and other collisions.
Seats and Restraints 1-11
ProCarManuals.com

Q:If I am a good driver, and I
never drive far from home,
why should I wear safety
belts?
A:You may be an excellent driver,
but if you are in a crash — even
one that is not your fault — you
and your passenger(s) can be
hurt. Being a good driver does not
protect you from things beyond
your control, such as bad drivers.
Most accidents occur within
25 miles (40 km) of home.
And the greatest number of
serious injuries and deaths
occur at speeds of less than
40 mph (65 km/h).
Safety belts are for everyone.
How to Wear Safety Belts
Properly
This section is only for people of
adult size.
Be aware that there are special
things to know about safety belts
and children. And there are different
rules for smaller children and infants.
If a child will be riding in the vehicle,
seeOlder Children on page 1-37
orInfants and Young Children on
page 1-38. Follow those rules for
everyone’s protection.
It is very important for all occupants
to buckle up. Statistics show that
unbelted people are hurt more often
in crashes than those who are
wearing safety belts.
Occupants who are not buckled up
can be thrown out of the vehicle
in a crash. And they can strike
others in the vehicle who are
wearing safety belts.First, before you or your
passenger(s) wear a safety belt,
there is important information
you should know.
Sit up straight and always keep
your feet on the oor in front of you.
The lap part of the belt should be
worn low and snug on the hips, just
touching the thighs. In a crash, this
applies force to the strong pelvic
bones and you would be less
likely to slide under the lap belt.
1-12 Seats and Restraints
ProCarManuals.com