2009 CHEVROLET TAHOE Owners Manual

2. Press the automatic
seat release button
located on the panel
behind the rear doors.
One press of the button automatically folds the
seatback at and tumbles the seat forward. There
will be a slight delay between the folding of the
seatback and the tumbling of the seat.
Third Row Seat
If the vehicle has a third row seat, the seatback(s) can
be folded and the entire seat can be tumbled, or
removed from the vehicle.
Folding the Seatback(s)
To fold the seatback, do the following:
1. Open the liftgate to access the controls for the seat.
2. Remove all items on the seat cushion.
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.
3. Lift the release lever,
located on the bottom
rear of the seatback
on the outboard side
of the seat, and the
seatback will fold forward. Driver’s Side Rear Panel
Button shown
1-27

Unfolding the Seatback(s)
To return the seatback to the upright position, do the
following:
1. Open the liftgate to access the controls for the seat.
2. Pull up on the seatback until it locks into the
upright position.
{CAUTION:
If either 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 seatbacks to be sure they
are locked.
3. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is
locked.
Tumbling the Third Row Seat
The seat can be tumbled forward for additional cargo
space.
To tumble the seat, do the following:
1. Open the liftgate to access the controls for the seat.
2. Make sure the head rests are completely lowered,
there is nothing under, in front of, or on the seat,
and all items are removed from the cupholder
and storage bin, if the seat is a two-passenger seat.
3. Fold the seatbacks forward using the instructions
previously listed under “Folding the Seatbacks”.
You will not be able to unlatch the seat from
the oor unless the seatback is folded down.
4. Unlatch the seat from
the oor by lifting the
lever located next
to the carrying handle
on the rear of the
seat near the bottom.
5. Lift the rear of the seat up from the oor.
1-28

6. Tilt the seat fully forward to lock it into place.
7. Push and pull on the seat to make sure it is locked.
Put the seat in this position only when necessary for
additional cargo space.
Returning the Third Row Seat from a
Tumbled Position
To return the seat to the normal seating position, do the
following:
1. Open the liftgate to access the controls for the seat.
2. Make sure there is nothing that could become
trapped under the seat.
3. Release the seat from the tumbled position by lifting
the lever located next to the carrying handle at the
bottom rear of the seat.
4. Pull the seat down until it latches to the oor. The
seatback cannot be raised if the seat is not latched
to the oor.
5. Pull up on the seatback until it locks into the upright
position.
{CAUTION:
If either 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 seatbacks to be sure they
are locked.
6. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is
locked.
1-29

Removing the Third Row Seat
To remove the seat, do the following:
1. Open the liftgate to access the controls for the seat.
2. Fold the seatback forward using the instructions
listed under “Folding the Seatbacks” previously.
The seat cannot be removed unless the seatback is
folded.
3. Unlatch the seat from
the oor by pulling the
carrying handle,
located at the rear of
the seat, rearward.
4. Roll the seat out of the vehicle. There is a track in
the oor to guide the seat wheels out of the vehicle.
Installing the Third Row Seat
To install the seat, do the following:
1. Open the liftgate to access the rear of the vehicle.
2. Slide the front outboard seat wheels into the
track on the oor and roll the seat forward. The front
latches should lock into place. If the latches do
not lock, try tilting the rear of the seat upward
slightly.
3. Lower the rear of the seat and push down on the
seat to engage the rear oor latches.
{CAUTION:
A seat that is not 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.
4. 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.
5. Pull up on the seatback until it locks into the upright
position.
1-30

{CAUTION:
If either 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 seatbacks to be sure they
are locked.
6. Push and pull on the seatback to make 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. After raising the rear
seatback, always check to be sure that the safety
belts are properly routed and attached, and are
not twisted.
7. Make sure the safety belts are returned to the
original position over the seatbacks.
1-31

Safety Belts
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone
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 a safety belt cannot
be worn properly. In a crash, if you or your
passenger(s) are not wearing safety belts, the
injuries can be much worse. You can hit things
inside the vehicle harder or be ejected from the
vehicle. You and your passenger(s) 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 passenger(s)
are restrained 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.
This vehicle has indicators as a reminder to buckle the
safety belts. SeeSafety Belt Reminders on page 3-36
for additional information.
1-32

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.
1-33

Put someone on it. Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider
does not stop.
1-34