Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10122660) -2017 - crc - 5/13/16
44 Keys, Doors, and Windows
Vehicle Security
This vehicle has theft-deterrentfeatures; however, they do not makethe vehicle impossible to steal.
Vehicle Alarm System
This vehicle has an anti-theft alarmsystem.
The indicator light on the instrumentpanel near the windshield indicatesthe status of the system.
Off :Vehicle is disarmed.
On Solid :Ve h i c l e i s s e c u r e dduring the delay to arm the system.
Fast Flash :Vehicle is unsecured.Adoor,thehood,orthetrunk/liftgate is open.
Slow Flash :Alarm system isarmed.
Arming the Alarm System
1. Close all doors, the trunk/liftgate, and the hood.
2. Lock the vehicle in one oftwo ways:
.Use the RKE transmitter.
.With a door open, press the
insideQ.
3. After 30 seconds the alarmsystem will arm, and theindicator light will begin toslowly flash indicating thealarm system is operating.
PressingQon the RKE
transmitter a second time willbypass the 30-second delayand immediately arm the alarmsystem.
The vehicle alarm system will notarm if the doors are locked withthe key.
If the driver door is opened withoutfirst unlocking with the RKEtransmitter, the horn will chirp and
the lights will flash to indicatepre-alarm. If the vehicle is notstarted, or the door is not unlocked
by pressingKon the RKE
transmitter during the 10-secondpre-alarm, the alarm will beactivated.
If a door, the hood, or the liftgate isopened without first unlocking withthe RKE transmitter, the turn signalswill flash and the horn will sound forabout 30 seconds. The alarmsystem will then re-arm to monitorfor the next unauthorized event.
Disarming the System
To d i s a r m t h e s y s t e m , e i t h e r u n l o c kthe doors using the RKE transmitter,or start the vehicle with arecognized transmitter in thevehicle.
To a v o i d s e t t i n g o f f t h e a l a r m b yaccident:
.PressKon the RKE transmitter.
.Start the vehicle.
Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10122660) -2017 - crc - 5/13/16
Seats and Restraints 59
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)
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 Reminders011 0.
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.
Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10122660) -2017 - crc - 5/13/16
66 Seats and Restraints
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?068.
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.
{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
acrash.Alwayswearasafety
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.
Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10122660) -2017 - crc - 5/13/16
Seats and Restraints 67
{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 Children077or
Infants and Young Children079.
There is an airbag readiness lighton the instrument panel cluster,which shows the airbag symbol. Thesystem checks the airbag electricalsystem for malfunctions. The lighttells you if there is an electricalproblem. SeeAirbag ReadinessLight011 0for more information.
Where Are the Airbags?
The driver frontal airbag is in thecenter of the steering wheel.
The front outboard passengerfrontal airbag is in the passengerside instrument panel.
The driver knee airbag is below thesteering column. The front outboardpassenger knee airbag is below theglove box.
Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10122660) -2017 - crc - 5/13/16
70 Seats and Restraints
How Does an Airbag
Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal ornear frontal collisions, even beltedoccupants can contact the steeringwheel or the instrument panel. Inmoderate to severe side collisions,even belted occupants can contactthe inside of the vehicle.
Airbags supplement the protectionprovided by safety belts bydistributing the force of the impactmore evenly over theoccupant's body.
Rollover capable roof-rail airbagsare designed to help contain thehead and chest of occupants in theoutboard seating positions in thefirst and second rows. The rollovercapable roof-rail airbags aredesigned to help reduce the risk offull or partial ejection in rolloverevents, although no system canprevent all such ejections.
But airbags would not help in manytypes of collisions, primarilybecause the occupant's motion isnot toward those airbags. SeeWhenShould an Airbag Inflate?068.
Airbags should never be regardedas anything more than a supplementto safety belts.
What Will You See after
an Airbag Inflates?
After the frontal, knee, andseat-mounted side impact airbagsinflate, they quickly deflate, soquickly that some people may noteven realize an airbag inflated.Roof-rail airbags may still be at leastpartially inflated for some time afterthey inflate. Some components ofthe airbag module may be hot forseveral minutes. For location of theairbags, seeWhere Are theAirbags?067.
The parts of the airbag that comeinto contact with you may be warm,but not too hot to touch. There maybe some smoke and dust comingfrom the vents in the deflatedairbags. Airbag inflation does not
prevent the driver from seeing out ofthe windshield or being able to steerthe vehicle, nor does it preventpeople 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 a v o i d t h i s , e v e r y o n e i n t h e
vehicle should get out as soon as
it is safe to do so. If you have
breathing problems but cannot
get out of the vehicle after an
airbag inflates, then get fresh air
by opening a window or a door.
If you experience breathing
problems following an airbag
deployment, you should seek
medical attention.
The vehicle has a feature that mayautomatically unlock the doors, turnon the interior lamps and hazardwarning flashers, and shut off thefuel system after the airbags inflate.
Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10122660) -2017 - crc - 5/13/16
Seats and Restraints 71
The feature may also activate,without airbag inflation, after anevent that exceeds a predeterminedthreshold. You can lock the doors,turn off the interior lamps, and turnoff the hazard warning flashers byusing the controls for thosefeatures.
{Warning
Acrashsevereenoughtoinflate
the airbags may have also
damaged important functions in
the vehicle, such as the fuel
system, brake and steering
systems, etc. Even if the vehicle
appears to be drivable after a
moderate crash, there may be
concealed damage that could
make it difficult to safely operate
the vehicle.
Use caution if you should attempt
to restart the engine after a crash
has occurred.
In many crashes severe enough toinflate the airbag, windshields arebroken by vehicle deformation.
Additional windshield breakage mayalso occur from the front outboardpassenger airbag.
.Airbags are designed to inflateonly once. After an airbaginflates, you will need some newparts for the airbag system.If you do not get them, theairbag system will not be thereto help protect you in anothercrash. A new system will includeairbag modules and possiblyother parts. The service manualfor the vehicle covers the needto replace other parts.
.The vehicle has a crash sensingand diagnostic module whichrecords information after acrash. SeeVehicle DataRecording and Privacy0318andEvent DataRecorders0319.
.Let only qualified technicianswork on the airbag systems.Improper service can mean thatan airbag system will not workproperly. See your dealer forservice.
Passenger Sensing
System
The vehicle has a passengersensing system for the frontoutboard passenger position. Thepassenger airbag status indicatorwill light on the instrument panelwhen the vehicle is started.
United States
Canada
The words ON and OFF, or thesymbols for on and off, will bevisible during the system check.When the system check iscomplete, either the word ON or
Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10122660) -2017 - crc - 5/13/16
76 Seats and Restraints
from working properly. Theoperation of the airbag system canalso be affected by changing anyparts of the front seats, safety belts,the airbag sensing and diagnosticmodule, steering wheel, instrumentpanel, any of the airbag modules,ceiling or pillar garnish trim, frontsensors, side impact sensors,or airbag wiring.
Yo u r d e a l e r a n d t h e s e r v i c e m a n u a lhave information about the locationof the airbag sensors, sensing anddiagnostic module, and airbagwiring.
In addition, the vehicle has apassenger sensing system for thefront outboard passenger position,which includes sensors that are partof the passenger seat. Thepassenger sensing system may notoperate properly if the original seattrim is replaced with non-GMcovers, upholstery, or trim; or withGM covers, upholstery, or trimdesigned for a different vehicle. Anyobject, such as an aftermarket seatheater or a comfort-enhancing pador device, installed under or on topof the seat fabric, could also
interfere with the operation of thepassenger sensing system. Thiscould either prevent properdeployment of the passengerairbag(s) or prevent the passengersensing system from properlyturning off the passenger airbag(s).SeePassenger SensingSystem071.
If the vehicle has rollover roof-railairbags, seeDifferent Size Tiresand Wheels0264for additionalimportant information.
If you have to modify your vehiclebecause you have a disability andhave questions about whether themodifications will affect the vehicle'sairbag system, or if you havequestions about whether the airbagsystem will be affected if the vehicleis modified for any other reason, callCustomer Assistance. SeeCustomer Assistance Offices0309.
Airbag System Check
The airbag system does not needregularly scheduled maintenance orreplacement. Make sure the airbagreadiness light is working. SeeAirbag Readiness Light011 0.
Caution
If an airbag covering is damaged,
opened, or broken, the airbag
may not work properly. Do not
open or break the airbag
coverings. If there are any
opened or broken airbag
coverings, have the airbag
covering and/or airbag module
replaced. For the location of the
airbags, seeWhere Are the
Airbags?067.Seeyourdealer
for service.
Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10122660) -2017 - crc - 5/13/16
Storage 97
Storage
Storage Compartments
Storage Compartments . . . . . . . . 97Instrument Panel Storage . . . . . . 97Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Luggage/Load Locations
Load Compartment(Hatchback) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Additional Storage Features
Cargo Cover (Hatchback) . . . . . . 98
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.
Card Holder
Store a card in the slot on theinstrument panel.
Glove Box
Lift up on the glove box lever toopen it.