Page 54 of 414

Black plate (4,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
3-4 Seats and Restraints
To return the seatback to the upright
position:
1. Lift the lever fully withoutapplying 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.
{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 55 of 414
Black plate (5,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-5
Rear Seats
Removing the Rear Seat
Disconnect the mini-latch plates for
the lap‐shoulder belts on the bench
seat to be removed.
1. To do this, press the tip of a keyinto the release hole of the
safety belt buckle while pulling
up on the safety belt.
2. Locate the pins. On a three-passenger seat there
are two pins on the inboard sides
of the rear seats.
Three-Passenger Seat Shown
The left side pin has a gray cap
with a black “L”marked on it.Three-Passenger Seat Shown
The right side pin has a
black cap with a white “R”
marked on it.
On a four-passenger seat, each
half of the seat has a set of pins.
The left side has a set
marked “L,”and the right side
has a set marked “R”.
If the vehicle has floor mats, the
pins are under a flap that has
been cut into the mat.
Page 56 of 414
Black plate (6,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
3-6 Seats and Restraints
3. Pull the pin handle up todisengage the pin from the
retaining clip, and then pull the
pin out.
4. Repeat this procedure for the other pins.
5. Pull the seat rearward about 5 cm (2 in), and then lift the seat
from the floor rails.
6. Remove the seat from the vehicle.
7. For the second- and third-rowseats, stow the safety belt latch
by attaching the clip on the
safety belt latch to the trim just
inside the side door.For the last row of seats, stow
the safety belt latch plate on the
clip at the window trim. Roll the
mini-latch into the safety belt
webbing and then hook the
safety belt latch plate on the clip.
Page 57 of 414

Black plate (7,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-7
Reinstalling the Rear Seats
{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.
{WARNING
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.
1. Position the seat into the open slots in both rails. Push the seat
forward in the rail, hooking both
seat bases onto the pins inside
of the rails. 2. Locate the hole in the rail to
install the locking pins at the rear
of the seat base. If the vehicle
has floor mats, pull the flap that
has been cut into the mat.
3. Insert the locking pins into the seat base and push the seat to
line up the pins with the base.
On a three-passenger seat,
the pin with the black cap
marked “R”must be installed on
the right side and the pin with
the gray cap marked “L”on the
left side.
On a four-passenger seat, the
pins marked “R”must be
installed on the half of the seat
on the right side. The pins
marked “L”must be installed on
the half of the seat on the
left side.
Page 58 of 414
Black plate (8,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
3-8 Seats and Restraints
Three-Passenger Seat Shown
4. Push the pin(s) marked “R”down
until they are in the
retaining clip.Three-Passenger Seat Shown
5. Push the pin(s) marked “L”down
until they are in the
retaining clip.
6. If the vehicle has a floor mat, put the flap back to its original
position. 7. Repeat this procedure for the
other seat base.
8. Connect the mini-latch plates for the lap-shoulder belts by
inserting the latch plates into the
mini-buckles attached at the
outboard positions of the bench
seat. Do not twist the belt.
9. Check that all locking pins are locked into place before
operating the vehicle.
Page 59 of 414

Black plate (9,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-9
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
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 5‑16 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.
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!
Page 60 of 414
Black plate (10,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
3-10 Seats and Restraints
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.
Put someone on it.Get it up to speed. Then stop the
vehicle. The rider does not stop.
Page 61 of 414
Black plate (11,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-11
The person keeps going until
stopped by something. In a real
vehicle, it could be the windshield...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: You could be—whether you are
wearing a safety belt or not. But
your chance of being conscious
during and after an accident, so
you canunbuckle and get out, is
much greater if you are belted.
And you can unbuckle a safety
belt, even if you are
upside down.