Page 52 of 368

Black plate (6,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 1/8/13
3-6 Seats and Restraints
WARNING (Continued)
The lap 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.
Memory Seats
If available, the MEM,“1,”and “2”
buttons on the outboard side of the
driver seat are used to manually
save and recall the driver seat and
outside mirror positions. These
manually stored positions are
referred to as Button Memory
positions. The vehicle will also automatically
save driver seat and outside mirror
positions to the current driver
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter when the ignition is
placed in OFF. These automatically
stored positions are referred to as
RKE Memory positions. See
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System Operation on page 2-3.
Storing Button Memory Positions
To save positions into Button
Memory:
1. Adjust the driver seat and
outside mirrors to the desired
driving positions.
2. Press and hold MEM (Memory) and “1”at the same time until a
beep sounds.
3. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 for a second driver using “2.”
Page 56 of 368

Black plate (10,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 1/8/13
3-10 Seats and Restraints
3. Lift the lever fully and fold theseatback forward.
If necessary, move the safety
belt out of the way to access the
lever.
4. Continue lowering the seatback until it is completely folded and
locks in place. To raise the seatback:
1. Lift the lever fully to unlock the
seatback. Then, raise the
seatback and push it rearward
until it re-engages.
2. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is locked in place.
{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.
Rear Seats
Folding the Seatback
Either side of the seatback can be
folded down for more cargo space.
Fold a seatback only when the
vehicle is not moving.
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.
Notice: Folding the rear seatback
prior to tilting the seat cushion
forward may damage the rear
seat. Always tilt the rear seat
cushion forward before folding
the seatback.
Page 57 of 368

Black plate (11,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 1/8/13
Seats and Restraints 3-11
To fold a seatback down:
1. Make sure the floor area in frontof the rear seats is clear.
2. Fully lower the head restraint. See Head Restraints on
page 3-2.
3. Slide the front seats forward and place the front seatbacks in the
upright position. See Seat
Adjustment on page 3-3 and
Reclining Seatbacks on
page 3-5.4. Pull the strap on the front edge of the rear seat cushion to
release the cushion. Tilt the seat
cushion forward toward the front
of the vehicle.
The seat cushion must be tilted
forward before the seatback is
folded down. Otherwise, the
seatback will not fold down
properly.
Rear Seat with Retainer Hook on
the Seatback
5. Make sure the safety belt is in the retainer hook on top of the
seatback, if equipped.
Rear Seat with Retainer Hook on
the Seatback
6. Reach under the belt and pull the lever on top of the seatback
to unlock the seatback.
A tab near the seatback lever
raises when the seatback is
unlocked.
Page 58 of 368
Black plate (12,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 1/8/13
3-12 Seats and Restraints
7. Fold the seatback forwardand down.Safety Belt Clip on Side Trim
8. Place the outboard safety belt in the safety belt clip (if equipped)
on the side trim of the vehicle.
9. Repeat Steps 1–8 for the other seatback and seat cushion,
if desired.
Raising the Seatback
{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. 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.
Page 59 of 368

Black plate (13,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 1/8/13
Seats and Restraints 3-13
To return the rear seatback to the
normal seating position:
Safety Belt Clip on Side Trim
1. Remove the outboard safety belt from the safety belt clip (if
equipped) on the side trim of the
vehicle. 2. Lift the seatback and push it
rearward to lock it in place. A tab
near the seatback lever retracts
when the seatback is locked in
place.
Make sure the safety belts are
not pinched by the seatback
locking mechanism.
The center rear safety belt may
lock when you raise the
seatback. If this happens, let the
belt go back all the way and
start again. If the safety belt is
still locked, try again after pulling
the seat cushion out.
3. Push and pull the top of the seatback to be sure it is locked
into position. 4. Return the seat cushion to its
original position and push down
on the front part of the seat
cushion until it latches.
Make sure the safety belts and
safety belt buckles are not
trapped under the seat cushion
and are properly positioned
for use.
5. Repeat Steps 1–4 for the other seatback and seat cushion,
if necessary.
If additional cargo space is not
needed, the seatbacks should be
kept in the upright, locked position.
Page 60 of 368

Black plate (14,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 1/8/13
3-14 Seats and Restraints
Rear Seat Armrest
The rear seat has an armrest in the
center of the seatback. Lower the
armrest to access the cupholders.
To fold, lift the armrest up and push
it rearward until it is flush with the
seatback.
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 5-11.
Page 61 of 368

Black plate (15,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 1/8/13
Seats and Restraints 3-15
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 3-35 orInfants
and Young Children on page 3-37.
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.
There are important things to know
about wearing a safety belt properly.
Page 62 of 368

Black plate (16,1)Buick Encore Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 1/8/13
3-16 Seats and Restraints
.Sit up straight and always keep
your feet on the floor in front
of you.
.Always use the correct buckle
for your seating position.
.Wear the lap part of the belt low
and snug on the hips, just
touching the thighs. In a crash,
this applies force to the strong
pelvic bones and you would be
less likely to slide under the lap
belt. If you slid under it, the belt
would apply force on your
abdomen. This could cause
serious or even fatal injuries.
.Wear the shoulder belt over the
shoulder and across the chest.
These parts of the body are best
able to take belt restraining
forces. The shoulder belt locks if
there is a sudden stop or crash.
{WARNING
You can be seriously injured,
or even killed, by not wearing
your safety belt properly.
.Never allow the lap or
shoulder belt to become
loose or twisted.
.Never wear the shoulder belt
under both arms or behind
your back.
.Never route the lap or
shoulder belt over an
armrest.
Lap-Shoulder Belt
All seating positions in the vehicle
have a lap-shoulder belt.
The following instructions explain
how to wear a lap-shoulder belt
properly.
1. Adjust the seat, if the seat isadjustable, so you can sit up
straight. To see how, see “Seats”
in the Index.