GMC Sierra Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Seats and Restraints 55
Seats and
Restraints
Head Restraints
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Front Seats
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Center Seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Power Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . 58
Lumbar Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Memory Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Heated and Ventilated FrontSeats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Rear Seats
Rear Seats (Double Cab FullBench) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Rear Seats (Split Bench) . . . . . . 63
Safety Belts
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Lap Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Safety Belt Extender . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Safety System Check . . . . . . . . . . 71
Safety Belt Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Replacing Safety Belt System
Parts after a Crash . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Airbag System
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Where Are the Airbags? . . . . . . . 74
When Should an Airbag
Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
What Makes an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
How Does an Airbag Restrain? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
What Will You See after an Airbag Inflates? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Airbag On-Off Switch . . . . . . . . . . 78
Passenger Sensing System . . . 80
Servicing the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Adding Equipment to the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle . . . . . 85
Airbag System Check . . . . . . . . . . 86
Replacing Airbag System Parts after a Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Child Restraints
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Infants and Young Children . . . . 88
Child Restraint Systems . . . . . . . 91 Where to Put the Restraint . . . . . 92
Lower Anchors and Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) . . . . 94
Replacing LATCH System Parts After a Crash . . . . . . . . . 104
Securing Child Restraints (Center Front Seat) . . . . . . . . . 105
Securing Child Restraints (Rear Seat) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Securing Child Restraints (Front Passenger Seat) . . . . . 108
GMC Sierra Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Seats and Restraints 57
Rear Seats
The rear seat has adjustable
headrests in the outboard seating
positions.
The height of the headrest can be
adjusted. Pull the headrest up to
raise it. To lower the headrest, push
the headrest down.
If you are installing a child restraint
in the rear seat, see“Securing a
Child Restraint Designed for the
LATCH System” underLower
Anchors and Tethers for Children
(LATCH System) 094.
Front Seats
Seat Adjustment
{Warning
You can lose control of the
vehicle if you try to adjust a driver
seat while the vehicle is moving.
Adjust the driver seat only when
the vehicle is not moving.
To adjust a manual seat:
1. Pull the handle at the front of the seat. 2. Slide the seat to the desired
position and release the
handle.
3. Try to move the seat back and forth to be sure it is locked in
place.
To adjust the seatback, see
Reclining Seatbacks 059.
To adjust the lumbar support, see
Lumbar Adjustment 058.
Center Seat
If equipped, the center front
seatback doubles as an armrest and
cupholder/storage area for the driver
and passenger when the center
front seat is not used. Do not use it
as a seating position when the
seatback is folded down.
GMC Sierra Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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68 Seats and Restraints
3. Push the latch plate into thebuckle until it clicks.
Pull up on the latch plate to
make sure it is secure. If the
belt is not long enough, see
Safety Belt Extender 070.
Position the release button on
the buckle so that the safety
belt could be quickly unbuckled
if necessary.
4. If equipped with a shoulder belt height adjuster, move it to the
height that is right for you. See
“Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster”
later in this section for
instructions on use and
important safety information.
5. To make the lap part tight, pullup on the shoulder belt.
To unlatch the belt, push the button
on the buckle. The belt should
return to its stowed position.
Always stow the safety belt slowly.
If the safety belt webbing returns
quickly to the stowed position, the
retractor may lock and cannot be
pulled out. If this happens, pull the
safety belt straight out firmly to
unlock the webbing, and then
release it. If the webbing is still
locked in the retractor, see your
dealer.
Before a door is closed, be sure the
safety belt is out of the way. If a
door is slammed against a safety
belt, damage can occur to both the
safety belt and the vehicle.
Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster
The vehicle has a shoulder belt
height adjuster for the driver and
front outboard passenger.
Adjust the height so the shoulder
portion of the belt is on the shoulder
and not falling off of it. The belt
should be close to, but not
contacting, the neck. Improper
shoulder belt height adjustment
GMC Sierra Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Seats and Restraints 71
will wear, so the extender will be
long enough for you. To help avoid
personal injury, do not let someone
else use it, and use it only for the
seat it is made to fit. The extender
has been designed for adults. Never
use it for securing child seats. To
wear it, attach it to the regular safety
belt. For more information, see the
instruction sheet that comes with
the extender.
Safety System Check
Now and then, check that the safety
belt reminder light, safety belts,
buckles, latch plates, retractors, and
anchorages are all working properly.
Look for any other loose or
damaged safety belt system parts
that might keep a safety belt system
from doing its job. See your dealer
to have it repaired. Torn or frayed
safety belts may not protect you in a
crash. They can rip apart under
impact forces. If a belt is torn or
frayed, get a new one right away.Make sure the safety belt reminder
light is working. See
Safety Belt
Reminders 0137.
Keep safety belts clean and dry.
See Safety Belt Care 071.
Safety Belt Care
Keep belts clean and dry.
{Warning
Do not bleach or dye safety belt
webbing. It may severely weaken
the webbing. In a crash, they
might not be able to provide
adequate protection. Clean and
rinse safety belt webbing only
with mild soap and lukewarm
water. Allow the webbing to dry.
Replacing Safety Belt
System Parts after a
Crash
{Warning
A crash can damage the safety
belt system in the vehicle.
A damaged safety belt system
may not properly protect the
person using it, resulting in
serious injury or even death in a
crash. To help make sure the
safety belt systems are working
properly after a crash, have them
inspected and any necessary
replacements made as soon as
possible.
After a minor crash, replacement of
safety belts may not be necessary.
But the safety belt assemblies that
were used during any crash may
have been stressed or damaged.
See your dealer to have the safety
belt assemblies inspected or
replaced.
GMC Sierra Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Seats and Restraints 73
Warning (Continued)
belts, not replace them. Also,
airbags are not designed to inflate
in every crash. In some crashes
safety belts are the only restraint.
SeeWhen Should an Airbag
Inflate? 075.
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.
{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
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
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. The safety belts and
the front outboard passenger
airbags are most effective when
you are sitting well back and
upright in the seat with both feet
on the floor.
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. Always secure children
properly in the vehicle. To read
how, seeOlder Children 087 or
Infants and Young Children 088.
There is an airbag readiness light
on the instrument 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 0137 for more
information.
GMC Sierra Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Seats and Restraints 75
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.
When Should an Airbag
Inflate?
This vehicle is equipped with
airbags. SeeAirbag System 072.
Airbags are designed to inflate if the
impact exceeds the specific airbag system's 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. The vehicle has
electronic sensors which help the
airbag system determine the
severity of the impact. Deployment
thresholds can vary with specific
vehicle design.
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.
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.
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.
Frontal airbags are not intended to
inflate during vehicle rollovers, in
rear impacts, or in many side
impacts.
In addition, if the GVWR (Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating) is at or
below 3 855 kg (8,500 lb), the
vehicle has advanced technology
frontal airbags. You can find the
GVWR on the Certification/Tire label
on the center pillar of the vehicle.
See
Vehicle Load Limits 0269 for
more information.
Advanced technology frontal airbags
adjust the restraint according to
crash severity. Vehicles with
advanced technology frontal airbags
have a seat position sensor that
enables the sensing system to
monitor the position of the driver
seat. The seat position sensor
provides information that is used to
adjust the deployment of the driver
frontal airbag.
GMC Sierra Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Seats and Restraints 81
have a passenger sensing system.
SeeAirbag On-Off Switch 078 for
more information.
The passenger airbag status
indicator will light on the overhead
console when the vehicle is started.
United States
Canada and Mexico
The words ON and OFF, or the
symbol for on and off, will be visible
during the system check. When the
system check is complete, either the
word ON or OFF, or the symbol for
on or off, will be visible. See
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator 0139. The passenger sensing system
turns off the front outboard
passenger frontal airbag under
certain conditions. No other airbag
is affected by the passenger
sensing system.
The passenger sensing system
works with sensors that are part of
the front outboard passenger seat
and safety belt. The sensors are
designed to detect the presence of
a properly seated occupant and
determine if the front outboard
passenger frontal airbag should be
allowed to inflate or not.
According to accident statistics,
children are safer when properly
secured in a rear seat in the correct
child restraint for their weight
and size.
Whenever possible, children age
12 and under should be secured in
a rear seating position.
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 passenger frontal
airbag inflates. 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
passenger frontal airbag inflates
and the passenger seat is in a
forward position.
Even if the passenger sensing
system has turned off the
passenger frontal airbag, no
system is fail-safe. No one can
guarantee that an airbag will not
deploy under some unusual
circumstance, even though the
airbag is turned off.
Never put a rear-facing child
restraint in the front seat, even if
the airbag is off. If securing a
forward-facing child restraint in
(Continued)
GMC Sierra Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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82 Seats and Restraints
Warning (Continued)
the front outboard passenger
seat, always move the seat as far
back as it will go. It is better to
secure child restraints in the rear
seat. Consider using another
vehicle to transport the child
when a rear seat is not available.
If the vehicle does not have a rear
seat that will accommodate a
rear-facing child restraint, a
rear-facing child restraint should not
be installed in the vehicle, even if
the airbag is off.
The passenger sensing system is
designed to turn off the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag if:
. The front outboard passenger
seat is unoccupied.
. The system determines an infant
is present in a child restraint. .
A front outboard passenger
takes his/her weight off of the
seat for a period of time.
. There is a critical problem with
the airbag system or the
passenger sensing system.
When the passenger sensing
system has turned off the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag,
the off indicator will light and stay lit
as a reminder that the airbag is off.
See Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator 0139.
The passenger sensing system is
designed to turn on the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag
anytime the system senses that a
person of adult size is sitting
properly in the front outboard
passenger seat.
When the passenger sensing
system has allowed the airbag to be
enabled, the on indicator will light
and stay lit as a reminder that the
airbag is active. For some children, including
children in child restraints, and for
very small adults, the passenger
sensing system may or may not turn
off the front outboard passenger
frontal airbag, depending upon the
person's seating posture and body
build. Everyone in the vehicle who
has outgrown child restraints should
wear a safety belt
properly
—whether or not there is
an airbag for that person.
{Warning
If the airbag readiness light ever
comes on and stays on, it means
that something may be wrong
with the airbag system. To help
avoid injury to yourself or others,
have the vehicle serviced right
away. See Airbag Readiness
Light 0137 for more information,
including important safety
information.