Page 69 of 548

Black plate (13,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-13Automatic Fold and Tumble
Feature The transmission must be in
P (Park) for this feature to work.
{ WARNINGAutomatically folding and
tumbling the seat when someone
is sitting in the seat, could cause
injury to the person sitting there.
Always make sure there is no one
sitting in the seat before pressing
the automatic seat release button.
Folding and Tumbling the Second
Row Seat from the Third Row Seat
or Outside the Vehicle
{ WARNING
Using the third row seating
position while the second row is
folded, or folded and tumbled,
(Continued) WARNING (Continued) could cause injury in a sudden
stop or crash. Be sure to return
the seat to the passenger seating
position. Push and pull on the
seat to make sure it is locked into
place.
To fold and tumble the seat from the
third row seat, if equipped:
1. Make sure that there is nothing
under, in front of, or on the seat.
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. Driver Side Rear Panel Button
Shown
2. Press the automatic seat release
button on the panel behind the
rear doors.
The seatback automatically
folds flat and the seat tumbles
forward. There will be a slight
delay between the folding of the
seatback and the tumbling of
the seat.
Page 70 of 548

Black plate (14,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
3-14 Seats and Restraints Returning the Seat to the
Sitting Position To return the seat to the sitting
position from the tumbled position:
1. Pull the seat down until it latches
to the floor. The seatback cannot
be raised if the seat is not
latched to the floor.
{ WARNINGIf 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.
2. Lift the seatback and push it
rearward. Push and pull on the
seatback to make sure it is
locked. { WARNINGA 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.
3. For the 60/40 split-bench seat,
make sure the safety belt in the
center seating position is not
caught between the two seats
and is not twisted. Third Row Seats If the vehicle has a third row seat,
the seatback can be folded, and
the entire seat can be tumbled or
removed from the vehicle.
Folding the Seatback To fold the seatback:
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.
Page 71 of 548

Black plate (15,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-15
3. Lift the release lever “ 1, ” on the
bottom rear of the seatback on
the outboard side of the seat,
and the seatback folds forward. Returning the Seatback to the
Upright Position To return the seatback to the upright
position:
1. Open the liftgate to access the
controls for the seat.
2. Raise the seatback to the
upright position.
{ WARNINGIf 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 To tumble the seat:
1. Open the liftgate to access the
controls for the seat.
2. Make sure the headrests are
completely lowered and there is
nothing under, in front of, or on
the seat.
3. Fold the seatbacks forward
using lever “ 1 ” and the
instructions listed previously
under “ Folding the Seatback. ”
The seat cannot be unlatched
from the floor unless the
seatback is folded.
Page 72 of 548

Black plate (16,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
3-16 Seats and Restraints
4. Unlatch the seat from the floor
by lifting lever “ 2 ” next to the
carrying handle on the rear of
the seat, near the bottom.
5. Lift the rear of the seat up from
the floor.
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:
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 lever
“ 2 ” next to the carrying handle at
the bottom rear of the seat.
4. Pull the seat down until it latches
to the floor. The seatback cannot
be raised to the upright position
unless the seat is latched to the
floor.
5. Raise the seatback to the
upright position. { WARNINGIf 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.
Removing the Third Row Seat To remove the seat:
1. Open the liftgate to access the
controls for the seat.
2. Fold the seatbacks forward
using lever “ 1 ” and the
instructions listed previously
under “ Folding the Seatback. ”
The seat cannot be unlatched
from the floor unless the
seatback is folded.
Page 73 of 548

Black plate (17,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-17
3. Unlatch the seat from the floor
by pulling the handle at the rear
of the seat “ 3 Removal Only ”
toward the rear of the vehicle.
4. Roll the seat out of the vehicle.
There is a track in the floor to
guide the seat wheels out of the
vehicle. Installing the Third Row Seat To install the seat:
1. Open the liftgate to access the
rear of the vehicle.
2. Slide the front outboard seat
wheels into the track on the floor
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 floor latches.
{ WARNING
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 latched to the floor.
5. Raise the seatback to the
upright position.
{ WARNINGIf 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.
Page 74 of 548

Black plate (18,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
3-18 Seats and Restraints
{ WARNINGA 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. 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.
{ WARNINGDo 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. { WARNINGIt 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
the vehicle is in a seat and using
a safety belt properly.
This vehicle has indicators as a
reminder to buckle the safety belts.
See Safety Belt Reminders on
page 5 ‑ 15 for additional information.
Page 79 of 548
Black plate (23,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-23Q: What is wrong with this?
A: The shoulder belt is too loose.
It will not give as much
protection this way. { WARNINGYou can be seriously hurt if the
shoulder belt is too loose. In a
crash, you would move forward
too much, which could increase
injury. The shoulder belt should fit
snugly against your body. Q: What is wrong with this?
A: The lap belt is too loose. It will
not give nearly as much
protection this way.
Page 80 of 548
Black plate (24,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2011
3-24 Seats and Restraints
{ WARNINGYou can be seriously hurt if the
lap belt is too loose. In a crash,
you could slide under the lap
belt and apply force on your
abdomen. This could cause
serious or even fatal injuries.
The lap belt should be worn low
and snug on the hips, just
touching the thighs. Q: What is wrong with this?
A: The belt is buckled in the wrong
buckle. { WARNINGYou can be seriously injured if the
belt is buckled in the wrong place
like this. In a crash, the belt would
go up over your abdomen. The
belt forces would be there, not
on the pelvic bones. This could
cause serious internal injuries.
Always buckle the belt into the
buckle nearest you.