
Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9085902) -
2016 - CRC - 5/27/15
78 Seats and Restraints
Warning (Continued)
following the instructions that
came with the child restraint and
the instructions in this manual.
{Warning
To reduce the risk of serious or
fatal injuries during a crash, do
not attach more than one child
restraint to a single anchor.
Attaching more than one child
restraint to a single anchor could
cause the anchor or attachment
to come loose or even break
during a crash. A child or others
could be injured.
{Warning
Children can be seriously injured
or strangled if a shoulder belt is
wrapped around their neck. The
shoulder belt can tighten but
cannot be loosened if it is locked.
The shoulder belt locks when it is
pulled all the way out of the
retractor. It unlocks when the
shoulder belt is allowed to go all
the way back into the retractor,
but it cannot do this if it is
wrapped around a child’s neck.
If the shoulder belt is locked and
tightened around a child’s neck,
the only way to loosen the belt is
to cut it.
Buckle any unused safety belts
behind the child restraint so
children cannot reach them. Pull
the shoulder belt all the way out
of the retractor to set the lock,
and tighten the belt behind the
child restraint after the child
restraint has been installed.
Caution
Do not let the LATCH
attachments rub against the
vehicle’s safety belts. This may
damage these parts. If necessary,
move buckled safety belts to
avoid rubbing the LATCH
attachments.
Do not fold the empty rear seat
with a safety belt buckled. This
could damage the safety belt or
the seat. Unbuckle and return the
safety belt to its stowed position,
before folding the seat.
If you need to secure more than one
child restraint in the rear seat, see
Where to Put the Restraint 073.
This system is designed to make
the installation of child restraints
easier. When using lower anchors,
do not use the vehicle's safety belts.
Instead, use the vehicle's anchors
and child restraint attachments to
secure the restraints. Some
restraints also use another vehicle
anchor to secure a top tether.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9085902) -
2016 - CRC - 5/27/15
80 Seats and Restraints
If the position you are
using has an adjustable
headrest or head restraint
and you are using a single
tether, raise the headrest
or head restraint and route
the tether under the
headrest or head restraint
and in between the
headrest or head restraint
posts.
If the position you are
using has an adjustable
headrest or head restraint
and you are using a dual
tether, raise the headrest
or head restraint and route
the tether under theheadrest or head restraint
and around the headrest
or head restraint posts.
3. Before placing a child in the child restraint, make sure it is
securely held in place. To
check, grasp the child restraint
at the LATCH path and attempt
to move it side to side and
back and forth. There should
be no more than 2.5 cm (1 in) of
movement for proper
installation.
Replacing LATCH System
Parts After a Crash
{Warning
A crash can damage the LATCH
system in the vehicle. A damaged
LATCH system may not properly
secure the child restraint,
resulting in serious injury or even
death in a crash. To help make
sure the LATCH system is
working properly after a crash,
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
see your dealer to have the
system inspected and any
necessary replacements made as
soon as possible.
If the vehicle has the LATCH system
and it was being used during a
crash, new LATCH system parts
may be needed.
New parts and repairs may be
necessary even if the LATCH
system was not being used at the
time of the crash.
Securing Child Restraints
(Rear Seat)
When securing a child restraint in a
rear seating position, study the
instructions that came with the child
restraint to make sure it is
compatible with this vehicle.
If the child restraint has the LATCH
system, see Lower Anchors and
Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) 074 for how and where to

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9085902) -
2016 - CRC - 5/27/15
82 Seats and Restraints
5. To tighten the belt, push downon the child restraint, pull the
shoulder portion of the belt to
tighten the lap portion of the
belt, and feed the shoulder belt
back into the retractor. When
installing a forward-facing child
restraint, it may be helpful to
use your knee to push down on
the child restraint as you
tighten the belt.
Try to pull the belt out of the
retractor to make sure the
retractor is locked. If the
retractor is not locked, repeat
Steps 4 and 5. 6. If the child restraint has a top
tether, follow the child restraint
manufacturer's instructions
regarding the use of the top
tether. See Lower Anchors and
Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) 074 for more
information.
7. Before placing a child in the child restraint, make sure it is
securely held in place. To
check, grasp the child restraint
at the safety belt path and
attempt to move it side to side
and back and forth. When the
child restraint is properly
installed, there should be no
more than 2.5 cm (1 in) of
movement.
To remove the child restraint,
unbuckle the vehicle safety belt and
let it return to the stowed position.
If the top tether is attached to a top
tether anchor, disconnect it.
Securing Child Restraints
(Front Passenger Seat)
This vehicle has airbags. A rear
seat is a safer place to secure a
forward-facing child restraint. See
Where to Put the Restraint 073.
In addition, the vehicle has a
passenger sensing system which is
designed to turn off the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag
and knee airbag under certain
conditions. See Passenger Sensing
System 062 and Passenger Airbag
Status Indicator 099 for more
information on this, including
important safety information.
Never put a rear-facing child seat in
the front. This is because the risk to
the rear-facing child is so great,
if the airbag deploys.
{Warning
A child in a rear-facing child
restraint can be seriously injured
or killed if the front outboard
passenger frontal airbag inflates.
(Continued)

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9085902) -
2016 - CRC - 5/27/15
Seats and Restraints 83
Warning (Continued)
This is because the back of the
rear-facing child restraint would
be very close to the inflating
airbag. A child in a forward-facing
child restraint can be seriously
injured or killed if the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag
inflates and the passenger seat is
in a forward position.
Even if the passenger sensing
system has turned off the front
outboard passenger airbag(s), no
system is fail-safe. No one can
guarantee that an airbag will not
inflate under some unusual
circumstance, even though the
airbag(s) are off.
Secure rear-facing child restraints
in a rear seat, even if the
airbag(s) are off. If you secure a
forward-facing child restraint in
the front outboard passenger
seat, always move the seat as far(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
back as it will go. It is better to
secure the child restraint in a
rear seat.
SeePassenger Sensing System
0 62 for additional information.
If the child restraint uses a top
tether, see Lower Anchors and
Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) 074 for top tether anchor
locations.
Do not secure a child seat in a
position without a top tether anchor
if a national or local law requires
that the top tether be anchored, or if
the instructions that come with the
child restraint say that the top strap
must be anchored.
In Canada, the law requires that
forward-facing child restraints have
a top tether, and that the tether be
attached. When using the lap-shoulder belt to
secure the child restraint in this
position, follow the instructions that
came with the child restraint and the
following instructions:
1. Move the seat as far back as it will go before securing the
forward-facing child restraint.
When the passenger sensing
system has turned off the front
outboard passenger frontal
airbag and knee airbag, the off
indicator on the passenger
airbag status indicator should
light and stay lit when you start
the vehicle. See Passenger
Airbag Status Indicator 099.
2. Put the child restraint on the seat.
3. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and shoulder portions
of the vehicle's safety belt
through or around the restraint.
The child restraint instructions
will show you how.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9085902) -
2016 - CRC - 5/27/15
86 Storage
Storage
Storage Compartments
Storage Compartments . . . . . . . . 86
Instrument Panel Storage . . . . . . 86
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Luggage/Load Locations
Load Compartment(Hatchback) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Additional Storage Features
Cargo Cover (Hatchback) . . . . . . 87
Storage
Compartments
{Warning
Do not store heavy or sharp
objects in storage compartments.
In a crash, these objects may
cause the cover to open and
could result in injury.
Instrument Panel Storage
Lift up on the lever to open.
If equipped, the storage area has an
auxiliary input jack and USB port
inside. See USB Port0142 and
Auxiliary Devices 0144.
Glove Box
Lift up on the glove box lever to
open it.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9085902) -
2016 - CRC - 5/27/15
Storage 87
Luggage/Load
Locations
Load Compartment
(Hatchback)
The load compartment cover can be
used to conceal objects under it or
removed and placed on the bottom
of the load compartment to carry
larger loads.
To remove the load compartment
cover:1. Lift up on the load compartment cover and
pull out.
2. Store the load compartment cover on the bottom of the load
compartment. To install the load compartment
cover:
1. Align the front sides of the load compartment cover into the
slots on both sides at the front
of the load compartment.
2. Lower the load compartment cover onto the lip around the
load compartment.
Additional Storage
Features
Cargo Cover (Hatchback)
{Warning
An unsecured cargo cover could
strike people in a sudden stop or
turn, or in a crash. Store the
cargo cover securely or remove it
from the vehicle.
The cargo cover can be used to
cover items in the rear of the
vehicle.
To remove the cargo cover: 1. Remove both of the cords from the hooks at the top of the
liftgate.
2. Push up on the underside of the cargo cover at both pins at
the front sides of the cargo
cover.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9085902) -
2016 - CRC - 5/27/15
Instruments and Controls 89
Instruments and
Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . . 90
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . . 90
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . . 91
Rear Window Wiper/Washer . . . 92
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, andIndicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . . 98
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . . . 99
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Charging System Light . . . . . . . 100 Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(Check Engine Light) . . . . . . . . 100
Service Vehicle Soon Light . . . 102
Owner Manual Indicator . . . . . . 102
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Up-Shift Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Power Steering Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Vehicle Ahead Indicator . . . . . . 104
Traction Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
StabiliTrak®OFF Light . . . . . . . . 105
Traction Control System (TCS)/ StabiliTrak
®Light . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . 106
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . 107
Immobilizer Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Reduced Engine Power Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . 108
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) Indicator Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . . 108
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . 108
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . . 108
Door Ajar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Information Displays
Driver Information
Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Engine Oil Messages . . . . . . . . . 111
Tire Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Trip Computer
Trip Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Vehicle Personalization
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . . 113

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9085902) -
2016 - CRC - 5/27/15
Instruments and Controls 91
Windshield Wiper/Washer
Sedan
Hatchback
The windshield wiper/washer lever
is on the right side of the steering
column.
Move the lever to one of the
following positions:
HI : Use for fast wipes.
LO : Use for slow wipes.
Hatchback Shown, Sedan Similar
INT (Intermittent Wipes) : Move
the lever up to INT for intermittent
wipes, then turn the
xINT band
up for more frequent wipes or down
for less frequent wipes.
OFF : Use to turn the wipers off.
1X (Mist) : For a single wipe, briefly
move the wiper lever down. For
several wipes, hold the wiper
lever down.
Wiper Parking
If the ignition is put in OFF while the
wipers are on LO, HI, or INT, they
will immediately stop.
If the windshield wiper lever is then
moved to OFF before the driver
door is opened or within 10 minutes,
the wipers will restart and move to
the base of the windshield. If the ignition is put in OFF while the
wipers are performing wipes due to
windshield washing, the wipers
continue to run until they reach the
base of the windshield.
n
L(Windshield Washer) : Pull
the windshield wiper lever toward
you to spray windshield washer fluid
and activate the wipers. The wipers
will continue until the lever is
released or the maximum wash time
is reached. When the windshield
wiper lever is released, additional
wipes may occur depending on how
long the windshield washer had
been activated. See Washer Fluid
0 237 for information on filling the
windshield washer fluid reservoir.
{Warning
In freezing weather, do not use
the washer until the windshield is
warmed. Otherwise the washer
fluid can form ice on the
windshield, blocking your vision.