2017 CHEVROLET SONIC Owners Manual

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10122660) -2017 - crc - 5/13/16
88 Seats and Restraints
Caution
Do not let the LATCH
attachments rub against the
vehicle’ssafetybelts.Thismay
damage these parts. If necessary,
move buckled safety belts to
avoid rubbing the LATCH
attachments.
Do not fold the rear seatback
when the seat is occupied. 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 onechild restraint in the rear seat, seeWhere to Put the Restraint083.
This system is designed to makethe installation of child restraintseasier. When using lower anchors,do not use the vehicle's safety belts.Instead, use the vehicle's anchorsand child restraint attachments to
secure the restraints. Somerestraints also use another vehicleanchor to secure a top tether.
1. Attach and tighten the lowerattachments to the loweranchors. If the child restraintdoes not have lowerattachments or the desiredseating position does not havelower anchors, secure the childrestraint with the top tether andthe safety belts. Refer to yourchild restraint manufacturerinstructions and theinstructions in this manual.
1.1. Find the lower anchorsfor the desired seatingposition.
1.2. Put the child restraint onthe seat.
For rear outboard seatingpositions, if the headrestraint interferes withthe proper installation ofthe child restraint, thehead restraint may beremoved. See“Head
Restraint Removal andReinstallation”at the endof this section.
1.3. Attach and tighten thelower attachments on thechild restraint to the loweranchors.
2. If the child restraintmanufacturer recommends thatthe top tether be attached,attach and tighten the toptether to the top tether anchor,if equipped. Refer to the childrestraint instructions and thefollowing steps:
2.1. Find the top tetheranchor.
2.2. Open the cover,if equipped, to access thetop tether anchors.
2.3. For hatchback models,remove the cargo coverbefore installing the toptether. The cargo covershould remain off whilethe top tether is in use.

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2.4. Route and tighten the toptether according to yourchild restraint instructionsand the followinginstructions:
If the position you areusing does not have aheadrest or head restraintand you are using asingle tether, route thetether over the seatback.
If the position you areusing does not have aheadrest or head restraintand you are using a dualtether, route the tetherover the seatback.
If the position you areusing has an adjustableheadrest or head restraintand you are using asingle tether, raise the
headrest or head restraintand route the tetherunder the headrest orhead restraint and inbetween the headrest orhead restraint posts.
If the position you areusing has an adjustableheadrest or head restraintand you are using a dualtether, raise the headrestor head restraint androute the tether under theheadrest or head restraintand around the headrestor head restraint posts.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10122660) -2017 - crc - 5/24/16
90 Seats and Restraints
3. Before placing a child in thechild restraint, make sure it issecurely held in place. Tocheck, grasp the child restraintat the LATCH path and attemptto move it side to side andback and forth. There shouldbe no more than 2.5 cm (1 in) ofmovement for properinstallation.
Head Restraint Removal and
Reinstallation
The rear outboard head restraintscan be removed if they interfere withthe proper installation of the childrestraint.
To r e m o v e t h e h e a d r e s t r a i n t :
1. Partially fold the seatbackforward. SeeRear Seats057for additional information.
2. Press both buttons on the headrestraint posts at the sametime, and pull up on the headrestraint.
3. Store the head restraint in asecure place.
4. When the child restraint isremoved, reinstall the headrestraint before the seatingposition is used.
{Warning
With head restraints that are not
installed and adjusted properly,
there is a greater chance that
occupants will suffer a neck/
spinal injury in a crash. Do not
drive until the head restraints for
all occupants are installed and
adjusted properly.
To r e i n s t a l l t h e h e a d r e s t r a i n t :

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1. Insert the head restraint postsinto the holes in the top of theseatback. The notches on theposts must face the driver sideof the vehicle.
2. Push the head restraint down.
If necessary, press the heightadjustment release button tofurther lower the head restraint.See Rear Seats.
3. Try to move the head restraintto make sure that it is locked inplace.
Replacing LATCH System
Parts After a Crash
{Warning
AcrashcandamagetheLATCH
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 systemand it was being used during acrash, new LATCH system partsmay be needed.
New parts and repairs may benecessary even if the LATCHsystem was not being used at thetime of the crash.
Securing Child Restraints
(With the Safety Belt in
the Rear Seat)
When securing a child restraint in arear seating position, study theinstructions that came with the childrestraint to make sure it iscompatible with this vehicle.
If the child restraint has the LATCHsystem, seeLower Anchors andTe t h e r s f o r C h i l d r e n ( L AT C H
System)084for how and where toinstall the child restraint usingLATCH. If a child restraint is securedin the vehicle using a safety beltand it uses a top tether, seeLowerAnchors and Tethers for Children(LATCH System)084for top tetheranchor locations.
Do not secure a child seat in aposition without a top tether anchorif a national or local law requiresthat the top tether be anchored, or ifthe instructions that come with thechild restraint say that the top strapmust be anchored.
If the child restraint or vehicle seatposition does not have the LATCHsystem, you will be using the safetybelt to secure the child restraint.Be sure to follow the instructionsthat came with the child restraint.
If more than one child restraintneeds to be installed in the rearseat, be sure to readWhere to Putthe Restraint083.
1. Put the child restraint onthe seat.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10122660) -2017 - crc - 5/13/16
92 Seats and Restraints
2. Pick up the latch plate, and runthe lap and shoulder portionsof the vehicle’ssafetybeltthrough or around the restraint.The child restraint instructionswill show you how.
3. Push the latch plate into thebuckle until it clicks.
Position the release button onthe buckle, away from the childrestraint system, so that thesafety belt could be quicklyunbuckled if necessary.
4. Pull the shoulder belt all theway out of the retractor to setthe lock. When the retractorlock is set, the belt can betightened but not pulled out ofthe retractor.
5. To tighten the belt, push downon the child restraint, pull theshoulder portion of the belt totighten the lap portion of thebelt, and feed the shoulder beltback into the retractor. Wheninstalling a forward-facing childrestraint, it may be helpful touse your knee to push down onthe child restraint as youtighten the belt.
Try to pull the belt out of theretractor to make sure theretractor is locked. If theretractor is not locked, repeatSteps 4 and 5.

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6. If the child restraint has a toptether, follow the child restraintmanufacturer's instructionsregarding the use of the toptether. SeeLower Anchors andTe t h e r s f o r C h i l d r e n ( L AT C HSystem)084.
7. Before placing a child in thechild restraint, make sure it issecurely held in place. Tocheck, grasp the child restraintat the safety belt path andattempt to move it side to sideand back and forth. When thechild restraint is properlyinstalled, there should be nomore than 2.5 cm (1 in) ofmovement.
To r e m o v e t h e c h i l d r e s t r a i n t ,unbuckle the vehicle safety belt andlet it return to the stowed position.If the top tether is attached to a toptether anchor, disconnect it.
Securing Child Restraints
(With the Safety Belt in
the Front Seat)
This vehicle has airbags. A rearseat is a safer place to secure aforward-facing child restraint. SeeWhere to Put the Restraint083.
In addition, the vehicle has apassenger sensing system which isdesigned to turn off the frontoutboard passenger frontal airbagand knee airbag under certainconditions. SeePassenger SensingSystem071andPassenger AirbagStatus Indicator0111for moreinformation on this, includingimportant safety information.
Never put a rear-facing child seat inthe front. This is because the risk tothe rear-facing child is so great,if the airbag deploys.
{Warning
Achildinarear-facingchild
restraint can be seriously injured
or killed if the front outboard
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 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
deploy 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
(Continued)

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10122660) -2017 - crc - 5/13/16
94 Seats and Restraints
Warning (Continued)
forward-facing child restraint in
the front outboard passenger
seat, always move the seat as far
back as it will go. It is better to
secure the child restraint in a
rear seat.
SeePassenger Sensing System
071for additional information.
If the child restraint uses a toptether, seeLower Anchors andTe t h e r s f o r C h i l d r e n ( L AT C HSystem)084for top tether anchorlocations.
Do not secure a child seat in aposition without a top tether anchorif a national or local law requiresthat the top tether be anchored, or ifthe instructions that come with thechild restraint say that the top strapmust be anchored.
In Canada, the law requires thatforward-facing child restraints haveatoptether,andthatthetetherbeattached.
When using the lap-shoulder belt tosecure the child restraint in thisposition, follow the instructions thatcame with the child restraint and thefollowing instructions:
1. Move the seat as far back as itwill go before securing theforward-facing child restraint.Move the seat upward or theseatback to an upright position,if needed, to get a tightinstallation of the childrestraint.
When the passenger sensingsystem has turned off the frontoutboard passenger frontalairbag and knee airbag, the offindicator on the passengerairbag status indicator shouldlight and stay lit when you startthe vehicle. SeePassengerAirbag Status Indicator0111.
2. Put the child restraint onthe seat.
3. Pick up the latch plate, and runthe lap and shoulder portionsof the vehicle's safety belt
through or around the restraint.The child restraint instructionswill show you how.
Tilt the latch plate to adjust thebelt if needed.

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Seats and Restraints 95
4. Push the latch plate into thebuckle until it clicks.
Position the release button onthe buckle, away from the childrestraint system, so that thesafety belt could be quicklyunbuckled if necessary.
5. Pull the shoulder belt all theway out of the retractor to setthe lock. When the retractorlock is set, the belt can betightened but not pulled out ofthe retractor.
6. To tighten the belt, push downon the child restraint, pull theshoulder portion of the belt totighten the lap portion of thebelt, and feed the shoulder beltback into the retractor. Wheninstalling a forward-facing childrestraint, it may be helpful touse your knee to push down onthe child restraint as youtighten the belt.
Try to pull the belt out of theretractor to make sure theretractor is locked. If theretractor is not locked, repeatSteps 5 and 6.