Page 65 of 538

Black plate (11,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012
Seats and Restraints 3-11
3. Lift the lever again to release therear of the seat from the floor.
The seat will tumble forward.
Folding and Tumbling the Seat
from the Third Row Seat
{WARNING
Using the third row seating
position while the second row is
folded, or folded and tumbled,
could cause injury in a sudden
stop or crash. Be sure to return (Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
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.
60/40 Split-Bench Seat Shown,
Bucket Seat Similar
2. Lift the lever, on the bottom rear of the second row seat on the
inboard side, to release the
seatback. The seatback will fold
forward.
3. Lift the same lever again to release the rear of the seat from
the floor. The seat will tumble
forward.
Page 66 of 538

Black plate (12,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012
3-12 Seats and Restraints
Automatic Fold and Tumble
Feature
The transmission must be in
P (Park) for this feature to work.
{WARNING
Automatically 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,
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.
Page 67 of 538

Black plate (13,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012
Seats and Restraints 3-13
Driver Side Rear Panel ButtonShown
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.
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 latchesto the floor. The seatback cannot
be raised if the seat is not
latched to the floor.
{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.
2. Lift the seatback and push it rearward. Push and pull on the
seatback to make sure it is
locked.
{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.
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.
Page 68 of 538

Black plate (14,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012
3-14 Seats and Restraints
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 thecontrols 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 “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.
{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.
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 thecontrols 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.”
Page 69 of 538

Black plate (15,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012
Seats and Restraints 3-15
The seat cannot be unlatched
from the floor unless the
seatback is folded.
4. Unlatch the seat from the floorby 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.
{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.
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 thecontrols 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 70 of 538

Black plate (16,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012
3-16 Seats and Restraints
3. Unlatch the seat from the floorby 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 therear 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.
{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.
6. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is locked.
Page 71 of 538

Black plate (17,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012
Seats and Restraints 3-17
{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.
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.
{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, injuries can be much
worse than if you are wearing
safety belts. You can be seriously
injured or killed by hitting things
inside the vehicle harder or by
being ejected from the vehicle.
In addition, anyone who is not
buckled up can strike other
passengers in the vehicle.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
It is extremely dangerous to
ride in a cargo area, inside or
outside of a vehicle. In a collision,
passengers riding in these areas
are more likely to be seriously
injured or killed. Do not allow
passengers to ride in any area of
the vehicle that is not equipped
with seats and safety belts.
Always wear a safety belt, and
check that all passenger(s) are
restrained properly too.
This vehicle has indicators as a
reminder to buckle the safety belts.
See Safety Belt Reminders on
page 5‑13 for additional information.
Page 72 of 538

Black plate (18,1)Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV Owner Manual - 2012
3-18 Seats and Restraints
Why Safety Belts Work
When riding in a vehicle, you travel
as fast as the vehicle does. If the
vehicle stops suddenly, you keep
going until something stops you.
It could be the windshield, the
instrument panel, or the safety belts!
When you wear a safety belt, you
and the vehicle slow down together.
There is more time to stop because
you stop over a longer distance and,
when worn properly, your strongest
bones take the forces from thesafety belts. That is why wearing
safety belts makes 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.
Your chance of being conscious
during and after a crash, so you
can unbuckle and get out, is
much greater if you are belted.
Q: If my vehicle has airbags, why should I have to wear safety
belts?
A: Airbags are supplemental
systems only; so they work with
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. Also, in nearly all states and in
all Canadian provinces, the law
requires wearing safety belts.
How to Wear Safety Belts
Properly
This section is only for people of
adult size.
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, see
Older
Children on page 3‑43 orInfants
and Young Children on page 3‑45.
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.