Page 58 of 446

Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
3-2 Seats and Restraints
Head Restraints
The vehicle's front and rear seats
have head restraints in all outboard
seating positions.
{WARNING
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.1. Pull the head restraint up toraise it. To lower the head
restraint, press the release
button, located on the head
restraint post on the top of the
seatback, while you push the
head restraint down.
2. Push down on the head restraint after the button is released to
make sure that it is locked in
place.
The vehicle's rear seat head
restraints are not adjustable.
The head restraints not designed to
be removed.
Page 59 of 446

Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-3
Front Seats
Seat Adjustment
{WARNING
You can lose control of the
vehicle if you try to adjust a
manual driver seat while the
vehicle is moving. The sudden
movement could startle and
confuse you, or make you push a
pedal when you do not want to.
Adjust the driver seat only when
the vehicle is not moving.
To adjust a manual seat:
1. Pull the handle at the front ofthe seat cushion.
2. Move the seat forward or rearward to adjust the
seat position.
3. Release the handle to stop the seat from moving.
4. Try to move the seat back and forth to be sure it is locked
in place.
Power Seat Adjustment
Four‐Way Power Driver Seat
To adjust a power seat, if equipped:
.Move the seat forward or
rearward using the handle under
the front of the seat cushion (A).
See Seat Adjustment on
page 3‑3.
.Raise or lower the entire seat by
moving the control (B) up
or down.
To adjust the seatback, see
Reclining Seatbacks on page 3‑7.
Page 63 of 446
Black plate (7,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-7
Reclining Seatbacks
{WARNING
Sitting in a reclined position when
the vehicle is in motion can be
dangerous. Even when buckled
up, the safety belts cannot do
their job when reclined like this.
The shoulder belt cannot do its
job because it will not be against
your body. Instead, it will be in
front of you. In a crash, you
could go into it, receiving neck or
other injuries.(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
The lap belt cannot do its job
either. In a crash, the belt could
go up over your abdomen. The
belt forces would be there, not at
your pelvic bones. This could
cause serious internal injuries.
For proper protection when the
vehicle is in motion, have the
seatback upright. Then sit well
back in the seat and wear the
safety belt properly.
Do not have a seatback reclined if
the vehicle is moving.
Page 64 of 446

Black plate (8,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
3-8 Seats and Restraints
Manual Reclining Seatbacks
{WARNING
You can lose control of the
vehicle if you try to adjust a
manual driver seat while the
vehicle is moving. The sudden
movement could startle and
confuse you, or make you push a
pedal when you do not want to.
Adjust the driver seat only when
the vehicle is not moving.
{WARNING
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.
To recline a manual seatback:
1. Lift the lever.
2. Move the seatback to thedesired position, and then
release the lever to lock the
seatback in place.
3. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is locked.
To return the seatback to the upright
position:
1. Lift the lever fully without applying pressure to the
seatback, and the seatback will
return to the upright position. 2. Push and pull on the seatback to
make sure it is locked.
Power Reclining Seatbacks
To adjust a power seatback,
if available:
.Tilt the top of the control
rearward to recline.
.Tilt the top of the control forward
to raise.
Page 65 of 446

Black plate (9,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-9
Heated Front Seats
{WARNING
If you cannot feel temperature
change or pain to the skin, the
seat heater may cause burns
even at low temperatures. To
reduce the risk of burns, people
with such a condition should use
care when using the seat heater,
especially for long periods of
time. Do not place anything on
the seat that insulates against
heat, such as a blanket, cushion,
cover or similar item. This may
cause the seat heater to
overheat. An overheated seat
heater may cause a burn or may
damage the seat.
On vehicles with heated front seats,
the buttons are near the climate
controls. To operate, the ignition
must be in ON/RUN.
Press
LorMto heat the driver or
passenger seat cushion and
seatback.
Press the button once for the
highest setting. With each press of
the button, the heated seat will
change to the next lower setting,
and then the off setting. Three lights
indicate the highest setting, and
one light indicates the lowest. The passenger seat may take
longer to heat up.
Remote Start Heated Seats
When it is cold outside, the heated
seats can be programmed to turn on
automatically during a remote
vehicle start. The heated seats will
be canceled when the ignition is
turned on. Press the heated seat
button to use the heated seats after
the vehicle is started.
The heated seat button lights will
not turn on during a remote start.
The temperature of an unoccupied
seat may be reduced.
To program the heated seat feature
to enabled, see
“Remote Start Auto
Heat Seats” underVehicle
Personalization on page 5‑32 for
more information.
Page 66 of 446

Black plate (10,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
3-10 Seats and Restraints
Rear Seats
Split Folding Seatbacks
With this feature, either side of the
rear seatback can be folded down
for more cargo space.
{WARNING
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.
{WARNING
A safety belt that is improperly
routed, not properly attached,
or twisted will not provide the
protection needed in a crash.(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
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.
To fold the seatback down:
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.
1. Unbuckle the rear safety belts
and place the front seatbacks in
the upright position. See
Reclining Seatbacks on
page 3‑7.
2. Lift the lever on the top of theseatback.
3. Fold the seatback forward.
The filler panel behind the seat
will fold with the seatback to
span the gap between the rear
of the seat and the cargo area,
creating a flat load floor.
Do not lift the filler panel.
Keep the seat in the upright, locked
position when not in use.
Page 67 of 446

Black plate (11,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-11
To recline the seatback:
1. Lift and hold the lever on top ofthe seatback.
2. Tilt the seatback rearward, then release the lever when the
seatback is in the desired
position.
To slide the entire seat forward or
rearward:
1. Lift and hold the release bar under the front of the seat
cushion to unlock the seat.
2. Slide the seat to the desired position.
3. Release the bar.
4. Try to move the seat back and forth to ensure the seat is
locked into place.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.
{WARNING
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.
{WARNING
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.
See Safety Belt Reminders on
page 5‑11 for additional information.
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.
Page 72 of 446
Black plate (16,1)Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual - 2011
3-16 Seats and Restraints
Q: What is wrong with this?
A:The shoulder belt is too loose.
It will not give as much
protection this way.
{WARNING
You can be seriously hurt if your
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.