
Black plate (24,1)Chevrolet TRAX Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 3/6/13
3-24 Seats and Restraints
The light tells you if there is an
electrical problem. SeeAirbag
Readiness Light on page 5‑12.
Airbag System (Mexico)
The vehicle has the following
airbags:
.A frontal airbag for the driver.
.A frontal airbag for the front
outboard passenger.
The vehicle may have the following
airbags:
.A seat-mounted side impact
airbag for the driver.
.A seat-mounted side impact
airbag for the front outboard
passenger.
.A roof-rail airbag for the driver
and the passenger seated
directly behind the driver.
.A roof-rail airbag for the front
outboard passenger and the
passenger seated directly
behind the front outboard
passenger. All vehicle airbags have the word
AIRBAG on the trim or on a label
near the deployment opening.
For frontal airbags, the word
AIRBAG is on the center of the
steering wheel for the driver and on
the instrument panel for the front
outboard passenger.
For seat-mounted side impact
airbags, the word AIRBAG is on the
side of the seatback closest to
the door.
For roof-rail airbags, the word
AIRBAG is on the ceiling or trim.
Airbags are designed to supplement
the protection provided by safety
belts. Even though today's airbags
are also designed to help reduce
the risk of injury from the force of an
inflating bag, all airbags must inflate
very quickly to do their job.
Here are the most important things
to know about the airbag system:
{WARNING
You can be severely injured or
killed in a crash if you are not
wearing your safety belt, even
with airbags. Airbags are
designed to work with safety
belts, not replace them. Also,
airbags are not designed to inflate
in every crash. In some crashes
safety belts are the only restraint.
See
When Should an Airbag
Inflate? on page 3‑28.
Wearing your safety belt during a
crash helps reduce the chance of
hitting things inside the vehicle or
being ejected from it. Airbags are
“supplemental restraints” to the
safety belts. Everyone in the
vehicle should wear a safety belt
properly, whether or not there is
an airbag for that person.

Black plate (25,1)Chevrolet TRAX Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 3/6/13
Seats and Restraints 3-25
{WARNING
Because airbags inflate with great
force and faster than the blink of
an eye, anyone who is up
against, or very close to any
airbag when it inflates can be
seriously injured or killed. Do not
sit unnecessarily close to any
airbag, as you would be if sitting
on the edge of the seat or leaning
forward. Safety belts help keep
you in position before and during
a crash. Always wear a safety
belt, even with airbags. The driver
should sit as far back as possible
while still maintaining control of
the vehicle.
Occupants should not lean on or
sleep against the door or side
windows in seating positions with
seat-mounted side impact airbags
and/or roof-rail airbags.
{WARNING
Children who are up against,
or very close to, any airbag when
it inflates can be seriously injured
or killed. Airbags plus
lap-shoulder belts offer protection
for adults and older children, but
not for young children and infants.
Neither the vehicle's safety belt
system nor its airbag system is
designed for them. Young
children and infants need the
protection that a child restraint
system can provide. Always
secure children properly in the
vehicle. To read how, seeOlder
Children on page 3‑38 orInfants
and Young Children on
page 3‑40.
There is an airbag readiness light
on the instrument panel cluster,
which shows the airbag symbol. The
system checks the airbag electrical
system for malfunctions. The light
tells you if there is an electrical
problem. See Airbag Readiness
Light on page 5‑12.

Black plate (26,1)Chevrolet TRAX Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 3/6/13
3-26 Seats and Restraints
Where Are the Airbags?
(Canada)
The driver frontal airbag is in the
center of the steering wheel.
The front outboard passenger
frontal airbag is in the passenger
side instrument panel.
The driver knee airbag is below the
steering column. The front outboard
passenger knee airbag is below the
glove box.Driver Side Shown, PassengerSide Similar
The seat-mounted side impact
airbags for the driver and front
outboard passenger are in the side
of the seatbacks closest to the door.
The roof-rail airbags for the driver,
right front passenger, and second
row outboard passengers are in the
ceiling above the side windows.

Black plate (27,1)Chevrolet TRAX Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 3/6/13
Seats and Restraints 3-27
Rear Seat Driver Side Shown,Passenger Side Similar
The second row seat-mounted side
impact airbags are in the sides of
the rear seatback closest to
the door.
{WARNING
If something is between an
occupant and an airbag, the
airbag might not inflate properly
or it might force the object into
that person causing severe injury (Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
or even death. The path of an
inflating airbag must be kept
clear. Do not put anything
between an occupant and an
airbag, and do not attach or put
anything on the steering wheel
hub or on or near any other
airbag covering.
Do not use seat accessories that
block the inflation path of a
seat-mounted side impact airbag.
Never secure anything to the roof
of a vehicle with roof-rail airbags
by routing a rope or tie‐down
through any door or window
opening. If you do, the path of an
inflating roof-rail airbag will be
blocked.
Where Are the Airbags?
(Mexico)
The driver frontal airbag is in the
center of the steering wheel.
The front outboard passenger
frontal airbag is in the passenger
side instrument panel.

Black plate (28,1)Chevrolet TRAX Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 3/6/13
3-28 Seats and Restraints
Driver Side Shown, PassengerSide Similar
If the vehicle has seat-mounted side
impact airbags for the driver and
front outboard passenger, they are
in the side of the seatbacks closest
to the door.
If the vehicle has roof-rail airbags
for the driver, right front passenger,
and second row outboard
passengers, they are in the ceiling
above the side windows.
{WARNING
If something is between an
occupant and an airbag, the
airbag might not inflate properly
or it might force the object into
that person causing severe injury
or even death. The path of an
inflating airbag must be kept
clear. Do not put anything
between an occupant and an
airbag, and do not attach or put
anything on the steering wheel
hub or on or near any other
airbag covering.
Do not use seat accessories that
block the inflation path of a
seat-mounted side impact airbag.
Never secure anything to the roof
of a vehicle with roof-rail airbags
by routing a rope or tie‐down
through any door or window
opening. If you do, the path of an
inflating roof-rail airbag will be
blocked.
When Should an Airbag
Inflate?
Frontal airbags are designed to
inflate in moderate to severe frontal
or near frontal crashes to help
reduce the potential for severe
injuries, mainly to the driver's or
front outboard passenger's head
and chest. However, they are only
designed to inflate if the impact
exceeds a predetermined
deployment threshold. Deployment
thresholds are used to predict how
severe a crash is likely to be in time
for the airbags to inflate and help
restrain the occupants.
Whether the frontal airbags will or
should inflate is not based primarily
on how fast the vehicle is traveling.
It depends on what is hit, the
direction of the impact, and how
quickly the vehicle slows down.

Black plate (29,1)Chevrolet TRAX Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 3/6/13
Seats and Restraints 3-29
Frontal airbags may inflate at
different crash speeds depending on
whether the vehicle hits an object
straight on or at an angle, and
whether the object is fixed or
moving, rigid or deformable, narrow
or wide.
Thresholds can also vary with
specific vehicle design.
Frontal airbags are not intended to
inflate during vehicle rollovers, rear
impacts, or in many side impacts.
In addition, the vehicle has
dual-stage frontal airbags.
Dual-stage airbags adjust the
restraint according to crash severity.
Frontal knee airbags, if equipped,
are designed to inflate in moderate
to severe frontal or near frontal
impacts that exceed a
predetermined deployment
threshold.
The vehicle has electronic frontal
sensors, which help the sensing
system distinguish between a
moderate frontal impact and a moresevere frontal impact. For moderate
frontal impacts, dual-stage airbags
inflate at a level less than full
deployment. For more severe frontal
impacts, full deployment occurs.
The vehicle has seat-mounted side
impact airbags for the driver and
front passenger. The vehicle may
have seat-mounted side impact
airbags for the second row outboard
passengers. The vehicle has
roof-rail airbags. See
Airbag System
(Canada) on page 3‑22 orAirbag
System (Mexico) on page 3‑24.
Seat-mounted side impact airbags,
if equipped, and roof-rail airbags are
intended to inflate in moderate to
severe side crashes depending on
the location of the impact. In
addition, these roof-rail airbags are
intended to inflate during a rollover
or in a severe frontal impact.
Seat-mounted side impact airbags,
if equipped, and roof-rail airbags will
inflate if the crash severity is above
the system's designed threshold
level. The threshold level can vary
with specific vehicle design. Roof-rail airbags are not intended to
inflate in rear impacts.
A seat-mounted side impact airbag,
if equipped, is intended to inflate on
the side of the vehicle that is struck.
Both roof-rail airbags will inflate
when either side of the vehicle is
struck or if the sensing system
predicts that the vehicle is about to
roll over on its side, or in a severe
frontal impact.
In any particular crash, no one can
say whether an airbag should have
inflated simply because of the
vehicle damage or repair costs.
What Makes an Airbag
Inflate?
In a deployment event, the sensing
system sends an electrical signal
triggering a release of gas from the
inflator. Gas from the inflator fills the
airbag causing the bag to break out
of the cover. The inflator, the airbag,
and related hardware are all part of
the airbag module.

Black plate (30,1)Chevrolet TRAX Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 3/6/13
3-30 Seats and Restraints
For airbag location, seeWhere Are
the Airbags? (Canada) on
page 3‑26 orWhere Are the
Airbags? (Mexico) on page 3‑27.
How Does an Airbag
Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or
near frontal collisions, even belted
occupants can contact the steering
wheel or the instrument panel. In
moderate to severe side collisions,
even belted occupants can contact
the inside of the vehicle.
Airbags supplement the protection
provided by safety belts by
distributing the force of the impact
more evenly over the
occupant's body.
Rollover capable roof-rail airbags
are designed to help contain the
head and chest of occupants in the
outboard seating positions in the
first and second rows. The rollover
capable roof-rail airbags are
designed to help reduce the risk of full or partial ejection in rollover
events, although no system can
prevent all such ejections.
But airbags would not help in many
types of collisions, primarily
because the occupant's motion is
not toward those airbags. See
When
Should an Airbag Inflate? on
page 3‑28.
Airbags should never be regarded
as anything more than a supplement
to safety belts.
What Will You See after
an Airbag Inflates?
After the frontal airbags and
seat-mounted side impact airbags
inflate, they quickly deflate, so
quickly that some people may not
even realize an airbag inflated.
Roof-rail airbags may still be at least
partially inflated for some time after
they inflate. Some components of
the airbag module may be hot for
several minutes. For location of the airbags, see
Where Are the Airbags? (Canada)
on page 3‑26
orWhere Are the
Airbags? (Mexico) on page 3‑27.
The parts of the airbag that come
into contact with you may be warm,
but not too hot to touch. There may
be some smoke and dust coming
from the vents in the deflated
airbags. Airbag inflation does not
prevent the driver from seeing out of
the windshield or being able to steer
the vehicle, nor does it prevent
people from leaving the vehicle.
{WARNING
When an airbag inflates, there
may be dust in the air. This dust
could cause breathing problems
for people with a history of
asthma or other breathing trouble.
To avoid this, everyone in the
vehicle should get out as soon as
it is safe to do so. If you have
breathing problems but cannot
(Continued)

Black plate (36,1)Chevrolet TRAX Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 3/6/13
3-36 Seats and Restraints
If the passenger seat gets wet, dry
the seat immediately. If the airbag
readiness light is lit, do not install a
child restraint or allow anyone to
occupy the seat. SeeAirbag
Readiness Light on page 5‑12 for
important safety information.
{WARNING
Stowing of articles under the
passenger seat or between the
passenger seat cushion and
seatback may interfere with the
proper operation of the passenger
sensing system.
Servicing the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Airbags affect how the vehicle
should be serviced. There are parts
of the airbag system in several
places around the vehicle. Your
dealer and the service manual have
information about servicing the
vehicle and the airbag system. To purchase a service manual, see
Service Publications Ordering
Information on page 13‑15.
{WARNING
For up to 10 seconds after the
vehicle is turned off and the
battery is disconnected, an airbag
can still inflate during improper
service. You can be injured if you
are close to an airbag when it
inflates. Avoid yellow connectors.
They are probably part of the
airbag system. Be sure to follow
proper service procedures, and
make sure the person performing
work for you is qualified to do so.
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Adding accessories that change the
vehicle's frame, bumper system,
height, front end or side sheet
metal, may keep the airbag system
from working properly.The operation of the airbag system
can also be affected by changing or
moving any parts of the front seats,
safety belts, the airbag sensing and
diagnostic module, steering wheel,
instrument panel, roof-rail airbag
modules, ceiling headliner or pillar
garnish trim, overhead console,
front sensors, side impact sensors,
or airbag wiring.
Your dealer and the service manual
have information about the location
of the airbag sensors, sensing and
diagnostic module, and airbag
wiring.
If the vehicle has rollover roof‐rail
airbags, see
Different Size Tires
and Wheels on page 10‑57 for
important information.
If you have to modify your vehicle
because you have a disability and
have questions about whether the
modifications will affect the vehicle's
airbag system, or if you have
questions about whether the airbag
system will be affected if the vehicle
is modified for any other reason,