2017 CHEVROLET MALIBU Owners Manual

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-10122664) - 2017 - crc - 5/23/16
64 Seats and Restraints
3. Reconnect the rear safety beltmini-latch to the mini-buckle.Do not let it twist.
4. Pull on the safety belt to besure the mini-latch is secure.
5. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 for theother seatback, if necessary.
When the seat is not in use, itshould be kept in the upright, lockedposition.
Rear Seat Armrest
The rear seat has an armrest in thecenter of the seatback. Lower thearmrest to access the twocupholders.
To f o l d , l i f t t h e a r m r e s t u p a n d p u s hit rearward until it is flush with theseatback.
Safety Belts
This section of the manualdescribes how to use safety beltsproperly. It also describes somethings 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.
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
(Continued)

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-10122664) - 2017 - crc - 5/23/16
Seats and Restraints 65
Warning (Continued)
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 areminder to buckle the safety belts.SeeSafety Belt Reminders0120.
Why Safety Belts Work
When riding in a vehicle, you travelas fast as the vehicle does. If thevehicle stops suddenly, you keepgoing until something stops you.It could be the windshield, theinstrument panel, or the safety belts!
When you wear a safety belt, youand the vehicle slow down together.There is more time to stop becauseyou stop over a longer distance and,when worn properly, your strongestbones take the forces from thesafety belts. That is why wearingsafety belts makes such goodsense.
Questions and Answers About
Safety Belts
Q: Will I be trapped in the vehicleafter a crash if I am wearing asafety belt?
A:Yo ucouldbe—whether you arewearing a safety belt or not.Yo u r c h a n c e o f b e i n g c o n s c i o u sduring and after a crash, so youcanunbuckle and get out, ismuchgreater if you are belted.
Q: If my vehicle has airbags, whyshould I have to wear safetybelts?
A:Airbags are supplementalsystems only; so they workwithsafety belts—not instead ofthem. Whether or not an airbagis provided, all occupants stillhave to buckle up to get themost protection.
Also, in nearly all states and inall Canadian provinces, the lawrequires wearing safety belts.
How to Wear Safety Belts
Properly
This section is only for people ofadult size.
There are special things to knowabout safety belts and children, andthere are different rules for smallerchildren and infants. If a child will beriding in the vehicle, seeOlderChildren083orInfants and YoungChildren085.Followthoserulesforeveryone's protection.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-10122664) - 2017 - crc - 5/23/16
66 Seats and Restraints
It is very important for all occupantsto buckle up. Statistics show thatunbelted people are hurt more oftenin crashes than those who arewearing safety belts.
There are important things to knowabout wearing a safety belt properly.
.Sit up straight and always keepyour feet on the floor in frontof you.
.Always use the correct bucklefor your seating position.
.Wear the lap part of the belt lowand snug on the hips, justtouching the thighs. In a crash,this applies force to the strong
pelvic bones and you would beless likely to slide under the lapbelt. If you slid under it, the beltwould apply force on yourabdomen. This could causeserious or even fatal injuries.
.Wear the shoulder belt over theshoulder and across the chest.These parts of the body are bestable to take belt restrainingforces. The shoulder belt locks ifthere is a sudden stop or crash.
{Warning
Yo u c a n b e s e r i o u s l y i n j u r e d ,
or even killed, by not wearing
your safety belt properly.
.Never allow the lap orshoulder belt to becomeloose or twisted.
.Never wear the shoulderbelt under both arms orbehind your back.
.Never route the lap orshoulder belt over anarmrest.
Lap-Shoulder Belt
All seating positions in the vehiclehave a lap-shoulder belt.
If you are using a rear seatingposition with a detachable safetybelt and the safety belt is notattached, seeRear Seats062forinstructions on reconnecting thesafety belt to the mini-buckle.
The following instructions explainhow to wear a lap-shoulder beltproperly.
1. Adjust the seat, if the seat isadjustable, so you can sit upstraight. To see how, see“Seats”in the Index.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-10122664) - 2017 - crc - 5/23/16
Seats and Restraints 67
2. Pick up the latch plate and pullthe belt across you. Do not letit get twisted.
The lap-shoulder belt may lockif you pull the belt across youvery quickly. If this happens, letthe belt go back slightly tounlock it. Then pull the beltacross you more slowly.
If the shoulder portion of apassenger belt is pulled out allthe way, the child restraintlocking feature may beengaged. If this happens, letthe belt go back all the wayand start again.
Engaging the child restraintlocking feature in the frontoutboard seating position mayaffect the passenger sensingsystem. SeePassengerSensing System077.
3. Push the latch plate into thebuckle until it clicks.
If the latch plate will not go fullyinto the buckle, check if thecorrect buckle is being used.
Pull up on the latch plate tomake sure it is secure. If thebelt is not long enough, seeSafety Belt Extender069.
Position the release button onthe buckle so that the safetybelt could be quickly unbuckledif necessary.
4. To make the lap part tight, pullup on the shoulder belt.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-10122664) - 2017 - crc - 5/23/16
68 Seats and Restraints
To u n l a t c h t h e b e l t , p u s h t h e b u t t o non the buckle. The belt shouldreturn to its stowed position.
Always stow the safety belt slowly.If the safety belt webbing returnsquickly to the stowed position, theretractor may lock and cannot bepulled out. If this happens, pull thesafety belt straight out firmly tounlock the webbing, and thenrelease it. If the webbing is stilllocked in the retractor, see yourdealer.
Before a door is closed, be sure thesafety belt is out of the way. If adoor is slammed against a safetybelt, damage can occur to both thesafety belt and the vehicle.
Safety Belt Pretensioners
This vehicle has safety beltpretensioners for front outboardoccupants. Although the safety beltpretensioners cannot be seen, theyare part of the safety belt assembly.They can help tighten the safetybelts during the early stages of amoderate to severe frontal, nearfrontal, or rear crash if the thresholdconditions for pretensioneractivation are met. Safety beltpretensioners can also help tightenthe safety belts in a side crash or arollover event.
Pretensioners work only once. If thepretensioners activate in a crash,the pretensioners and probablyother parts of the vehicle's safetybelt system will need to be replaced.SeeReplacing Safety Belt SystemParts after a Crash070.
Do not sit on the outboard safetybelt while entering or exiting thevehicle or at any time while sitting inthe seat. Sitting on the safety beltcan damage the webbing andhardware.
Rear Safety Belt Comfort
Guides
Rear safety belt comfort guides mayprovide added safety belt comfortfor older children who haveoutgrown booster seats and forsome adults. When installed on ashoulder belt, the comfort guidepositions the belt away from theneck and head.
Comfort guides are availablethrough your dealer for the rearoutboard seating positions.Instructions are included with theguide.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-10122664) - 2017 - crc - 5/23/16
Seats and Restraints 69
Safety Belt Use During
Pregnancy
Safety belts work for everyone,including pregnant women. Like alloccupants, they are more likely tobe seriously injured if they do notwear safety belts.
Apregnantwomanshouldwearalap-shoulder belt, and the lapportion should be worn as low aspossible, below the rounding,throughout the pregnancy.
The best way to protect the fetus isto protect the mother. When a safetybelt is worn properly, it is more likelythat the fetus will not be hurt in acrash. For pregnant women, as foranyone, the key to making safetybelts effective is wearing themproperly.
Safety Belt Extender
If the vehicle's safety belt will fastenaround you, you should use it.
But if a safety belt is not longenough, your dealer will order youan extender. When you go in toorder it, take the heaviest coat youwill wear, so the extender will belong enough for you. To help avoidpersonal injury, do not let someoneelse use it, and use it only for theseat it is made to fit. The extenderhas been designed for adults. Neveruse it for securing child restraints.To w e a r i t , a t t a c h i t t o t h e r e g u l a rsafety belt. For more information,see the instruction sheet that comeswith the extender.
Safety System Check
Check that the safety belt reminder,safety belts, buckles, latch plates,and retractors, are all workingproperly. Look for any other loose ordamaged safety belt system partsthat might keep a safety belt systemfrom performing properly. See yourdealer to have it repaired. Torn orfrayed safety belts may not protectyou in a crash. They can rip apartunder impact forces. If a belt is tornor frayed, have it replacedimmediately.
Make sure the safety belt reminderlight is working. SeeSafety BeltReminders0120.
Keep safety belts clean and dry.SeeSafety Belt Care069.
Safety Belt Care
Keep belts clean and dry.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-10122664) - 2017 - crc - 5/23/16
70 Seats and Restraints
{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.
Safety belts should be properlycared for and maintained.
Safety belt hardware should be keptdry and free of dust or debris. Asnecessary exterior hard surfacesand safety belt webbing may belightly cleaned with mild soap andwater. Ensure there is not excessivedust or debris in the mechanism.If dust or debris exists in the systemplease see the dealer. Parts mayneed to be replaced to ensureproper functionality of the system.
Replacing Safety Belt
System Parts after a
Crash
{Warning
Acrashcandamagethesafety
belt system in the vehicle.
Adamagedsafetybeltsystem
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 ofsafety belts may not be necessary.But the safety belt assemblies thatwere used during any crash mayhave been stressed or damaged.See your dealer to have the safetybelt assemblies inspected orreplaced.
New parts and repairs may benecessary even if the safety beltsystem was not being used at thetime of the crash.
Have the safety belt pretensionerschecked if the vehicle has been in acrash, or if the airbag readiness lightstays on after you start the vehicleor while you are driving. SeeAirbagReadiness Light0120.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-10122664) - 2017 - crc - 5/23/16
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Airbag System
The vehicle has the followingairbags:
.Afrontalairbagforthedriver.
.Afrontalairbagforthefrontoutboard passenger.
.Akneeairbagforthedriver.
.Akneeairbagforthefrontoutboard passenger.
.Aseat-mountedsideimpactairbag for the driver.
.Aseat-mountedsideimpactairbag for the front outboardpassenger.
.Seat-mounted side impactairbags for the second rowoutboard passengers.
.Aroof-railairbagforthedriverand the passenger seateddirectly behind the driver.
.Aroof-railairbagforthefrontoutboard passenger and thepassenger seated directlybehind the front outboardpassenger.
All vehicle airbags have the wordAIRBAG on the trim or on a labelnear the deployment opening.
For frontal airbags, the wordAIRBAG is on the center of thesteering wheel for the driver and onthe instrument panel for the frontoutboard passenger.
For knee airbags, the word AIRBAGis on the lower part of theinstrument panel.
For seat-mounted side impactairbags, the word AIRBAG is on theside of the seatback closest tothe door.
For roof-rail airbags, the wordAIRBAG is on the ceiling or trim.
Airbags are designed to supplementthe protection provided by safetybelts. Even though today's airbagsare also designed to help reducethe risk of injury from the force of aninflating bag, all airbags must inflatevery quickly to do their job.
Here are the most important thingsto know about the airbag system:
{Warning
Yo u c a n b e s e v e r e l y i n j u r e d o r
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.
SeeWhen Should an Airbag
Inflate?074.
Wearing your safety belt during a
crash helps reduce your 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.