2017 CHEVROLET SONIC seats

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10122660) -2017 - crc - 5/13/16
Seats and Restraints 75
Warning (Continued)
ride in the front outboard
passenger seat, if the passenger
airbag off indicator is lit.
Additional Factors Affecting
System Operation
Safety belts help keep thepassenger in position on the seatduring vehicle maneuvers andbraking, which helps the passengersensing system maintain thepassenger airbag status. See“Safety Belts”and“Child Restraints”in the Index for additionalinformation about the importance ofproper restraint use.
Athicklayerofadditionalmaterial,such as a blanket or cushion,or aftermarket equipment such asseat covers, seat heaters, and seatmassagers can affect how well thepassenger sensing systemoperates. We recommend that younot use seat covers or otheraftermarket equipment except whenapproved by GM for your specific
vehicle. SeeAdding Equipment tothe Airbag-Equipped Vehicle075for more information aboutmodifications that can affect howthe system operates.
The on indicator may be lit if anobject, such as a briefcase,handbag, grocery bag, laptop,or other electronic device, is put onan unoccupied seat. If this is notdesired, remove the object fromthe seat.
{Warning
Stowing of articles under the
passenger seat or between the
passenger seat cushion and
seatback may interfere with the
proper operation of the passenger
sensing system.
Servicing the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Airbags affect how the vehicleshould be serviced. There are partsof the airbag system in severalplaces around the vehicle. Your
dealer and the service manual haveinformation about servicing thevehicle and the airbag system. Topurchase a service manual, seeService Publications OrderingInformation0316.
{Warning
For up to 10 seconds after the
vehicle is turned off and the
battery is disconnected, an airbag
can still inflate during improper
service. You can be injured if you
are close to an airbag when it
inflates. Avoid yellow connectors.
They are probably part of the
airbag system. Be sure to follow
proper service procedures, and
make sure the person performing
work for you is qualified to do so.
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Adding accessories that change thevehicle's frame, bumper system,height, front end, or side sheetmetal may keep the airbag system

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
Seats and Restraints 77
Replacing Airbag System
Parts after a Crash
{Warning
Acrashcandamagetheairbag
systems in the vehicle.
Adamagedairbagsystemmay
not properly protect you and your
passenger(s) in a crash, resulting
in serious injury or even death. To
help make sure the airbag
systems are working properly
after a crash, have them
inspected and any necessary
replacements made as soon as
possible.
If an airbag inflates, you will need toreplace airbag system parts. Seeyour dealer for service.
If the airbag readiness light stays onafter the vehicle is started or comeson when you are driving, the airbagsystem may not work properly. Havethe vehicle serviced right away. SeeAirbag Readiness Light011 0.
Child Restraints
Older Children
Older children who have outgrownbooster seats should wear thevehicle’ssafetybelts.
The manufacturer instructions thatcome with the booster seat state theweight and height limitations for thatbooster. Use a booster seat with alap-shoulder belt until the childpasses the fit test below:
.Sit all the way back on the seat.Do the knees bend at the seatedge? If yes, continue. If no,return to the booster seat.
.Buckle the lap-shoulder belt.Does the shoulder belt rest onthe shoulder? If yes, continue.If no, try using the rear safetybelt comfort guide, if available.See“Rear Safety Belt ComfortGuides”underLap-Shoulder Belt061.Ifacomfortguideisnotavailable, or if the shoulder beltstill does not rest on theshoulder, then return to thebooster seat.
.Does the lap belt fit low andsnug on the hips, touching thethighs? If yes, continue. If no,return to the booster seat.
.Can proper safety belt fit bemaintained for the length of thetrip? If yes, continue. If no,return to the booster seat.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10122660) -2017 - crc - 5/13/16
78 Seats and Restraints
Q: What is the proper way towear safety belts?
A:An older child should wear alap-shoulder belt and get theadditional restraint a shoulderbelt can provide. The shoulderbelt should not cross the face orneck. The lap belt should fitsnugly below the hips, justtouching the top of the thighs.This applies belt force to thechild's pelvic bones in a crash.It should never be worn over theabdomen, which could causesevere or even fatal internalinjuries in a crash.
Also see“Rear Safety Belt ComfortGuides”underLap-ShoulderBelt061.
According to accident statistics,children are safer when properlyrestrained in a rear seating position.
In a crash, children who are notbuckled up can strike other peoplewho are buckled up, or can bethrown out of the vehicle. Olderchildren need to use safety beltsproperly.
{Warning
Never allow more than one child
to wear the same safety belt. The
safety belt cannot properly spread
the impact forces. In a crash, they
can be crushed together and
seriously injured. A safety belt
must be used by only one person
at a time.
{Warning
Never allow a child to wear the
safety belt with the shoulder belt
behind their back. A child can be
seriously injured by not wearing
the lap-shoulder belt properly. In a
crash, the child would not be
restrained by the shoulder belt.
The child could move too far
forward increasing the chance of
head and neck injury. The child
might also slide under the lap
belt. The belt force would then be
applied right on the abdomen.
That could cause serious or fatal
injuries. The shoulder belt should
go over the shoulder and across
the chest.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10122660) -2017 - crc - 5/13/16
Seats and Restraints 79
Infants and Young
Children
Everyone in a vehicle needsprotection! This includes infants andall other children. Neither thedistance traveled nor the age andsize of the traveler changes theneed, for everyone, to use safetyrestraints. In fact, the law in everystate in the United States and inevery Canadian province sayschildren up to some age must berestrained while in a vehicle.
{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’sneck.
If the shoulder belt is locked and
tightened around a child’sneck,
the only way to loosen the belt is
to cut it.
Never leave children unattended
in a vehicle and never allow
children to play with the safety
belts.
Every time infants and youngchildren ride in vehicles, they shouldhave the protection provided byappropriate child restraints. Neither
the vehicle's safety belt system norits airbag system is designedfor them.
Children who are not restrainedproperly can strike other people,or can be thrown out of the vehicle.
{Warning
Never hold an infant or a child
while riding in a vehicle. Due to
crash forces, an infant or a child
will become so heavy it is not
possible to hold it during a crash.
For example, in a crash at only
40 km/h (25 mph), a 5.5 kg (12 lb)
infant will suddenly become a
11 0 k g ( 2 4 0 l b ) f o r c e o n a p e r s o n ' s
arms. An infant or child should be
secured in an appropriate
restraint.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10122660) -2017 - crc - 5/13/16
80 Seats and Restraints
{Warning
Children who are up against,
or very close to, any airbag when
it inflates can be seriously injured
or killed. Never put a rear-facing
child restraint in the front
outboard seat. Secure a
rear-facing child restraint in a rear
seat. It is also better to secure a
forward-facing child restraint in a
rear seat. If you must secure a
forward-facing child restraint in
the front outboard seat, always
move the front passenger seat as
far back as it will go.
Child restraints are devices used torestrain, seat, or position children inthe vehicle and are sometimescalled child seats or car seats.
There are three basic types ofchild restraints:
.Forward-facing child restraints
.Rearward-facing child restraints
.Belt-positioning booster seats
The proper child restraint for yourchild depends on their size, weight,and age, and also on whether thechild restraint is compatible with thevehicle in which it will be used.
For each type of child restraint,there are many different modelsavailable. When purchasing a childrestraint, be sure it is designed to beused in a motor vehicle. If it is, therestraint will have a label saying thatit meets federal motor vehicle safetystandards. The restraintmanufacturer's instructions thatcome with the restraint state theweight and height limitations for aparticular child restraint. In addition,there are many kinds of restraintsavailable for children with specialneeds.
{Warning
To r e d u c e t h e r i s k o f n e c k a n d
head injury in a crash, infants and
toddlers should be secured in a
rear-facing child restraint until age
two, or until they reach the
maximum height and weight limits
of their child restraint.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10122660) -2017 - crc - 5/13/16
Seats and Restraints 81
{Warning
Ayoungchild'shipbonesarestill
so small that the vehicle's regular
safety belt may not remain low on
the hip bones, as it should.
Instead, it may settle up around
the child's abdomen. In a crash,
the belt would apply force on a
body area that is unprotected by
any bony structure. This alone
could cause serious or fatal
injuries. To reduce the risk of
serious or fatal injuries during a
crash, young children should
always be secured in appropriate
child restraints.
Child Restraint Systems
Rear-Facing Infant Seat
Arear-facingchildrestraintprovidesrestraint with the seating surfaceagainst the back of the infant.
The harness system holds the infantin place and, in a crash, acts tokeep the infant positioned in therestraint.
Forward-Facing Child Seat
Aforward-facingchildrestraintprovides restraint for the child'sbody with the harness.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10122660) -2017 - crc - 5/13/16
82 Seats and Restraints
Booster Seats
Abelt-positioningboosterseatisused for children who haveoutgrown their forward-facing childrestraint. Boosters are designed toimprove the fit of the vehicle's safetybelt system until the child is largeenough for the vehicle safety beltsto fit properly without a booster seat.See the safety belt fit test inOlderChildren077.
Securing an Add-On Child
Restraint in the Vehicle
{Warning
Achildcanbeseriouslyinjuredor
killed in a crash if the child
restraint is not properly secured in
the vehicle. Secure the child
restraint properly in the vehicle
using the vehicle’ssafetybeltor
LATCH system, following the
instructions that came with that
child restraint and the instructions
in this manual.
To h e l p r e d u c e t h e c h a n c e o f i n j u r y,the child restraint must be securedin the vehicle. Child restraintsystems must be secured in vehicleseats by lap belts or the lap beltportion of a lap-shoulder belt, or bythe LATCH system. SeeLowerAnchors and Tethers for Children(LATCH System)084for moreinformation. Children can beendangered in a crash if the childrestraint is not properly secured inthe vehicle.
When securing an add-on childrestraint, refer to the instructionsthat come with the restraint whichmay be on the restraint itself or in abooklet, or both, and to this manual.The child restraint instructions areimportant, so if they are notavailable, obtain a replacementcopy from the manufacturer.
Keep in mind that an unsecuredchild restraint can move around in acollision or sudden stop and injurepeople in the vehicle. Be sure toproperly secure any child restraint inthe vehicle—even when no child isin it.
In some areas of the United Statesand Canada, Certified ChildPassenger Safety Technicians(CPSTs) are available to inspectand demonstrate how to correctlyuse and install child restraints. Inthe U.S., refer to the NationalHighway Traffic SafetyAdministration (NHTSA) website tolocate the nearest child safety seatinspection station. For CPSTavailability in Canada, check withTransport Canada or the ProvincialMinistry of Transportation office.