
GMC Canyon Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10122677) -
2017 - crc - 1/20/17
Seats and Restraints 43
Seats and
Restraints
Head Restraints
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Front Seats
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Power Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . 45
Lumbar Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Heated and Ventilated FrontSeats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Rear Seats
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Safety Belts
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
How to Wear Safety BeltsProperly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Safety Belt Extender . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Safety System Check . . . . . . . . . . 56
Safety Belt Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Replacing Safety Belt System Parts after a Crash . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Airbag System
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Where Are the Airbags? . . . . . . . 59
When Should an AirbagInflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
What Makes an Airbag
Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
How Does an Airbag Restrain? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
What Will You See after an Airbag Inflates? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Passenger Sensing System . . . 63
Servicing the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Adding Equipment to the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle . . . . . 67
Airbag System Check . . . . . . . . . . 68
Replacing Airbag System Parts after a Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Child Restraints
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Infants and Young Children . . . . 70
Child Restraint Systems . . . . . . . 73
Where to Put the Restraint . . . . . 74
Lower Anchors and Tethers forChildren (LATCH System) . . . . 76
Replacing LATCH System Parts After a Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 Securing Child Restraints (With
the Safety Belt in the
Rear Seat) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Securing Child Restraints (With the Safety Belt in the
Front Seat) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

GMC Canyon Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10122677) -
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Seats and Restraints 47
{Warning
If either seatback is not locked, it
could move forward in a sudden
stop or crash. That could cause
injury to the person sitting there.
Always push and pull on the
seatbacks to be sure they are
locked.
To recline the seatback:1. Lift the lever. 2. Move the seatback to the
desired position, and then
release the lever to lock the
seatback in place.
3. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is locked.
To return the seatback to the upright
position: 1. Lift the lever fully without applying pressure to the
seatback.
2. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is locked.
Heated and Ventilated
Front Seats
{Warning
If you cannot feel temperature
change or pain to the skin, the
seat heater may cause burns. To
reduce the risk of burns, people
with such a condition should use
care when using the seat heater,
especially for long periods of
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
time. Do not place anything on
the seat that insulates against
heat, such as a blanket, cushion,
cover, or similar item. This may
cause the seat heater to
overheat. An overheated seat
heater may cause a burn or may
damage the seat.
Uplevel Seat Buttons Shown, SLE/SLT Buttons Similar
If equipped, the buttons are on the
center stack. To operate, the engine
must be running.

GMC Canyon Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10122677) -
2017 - crc - 1/20/17
50 Seats and Restraints
{Warning
If either seatback is not locked, it
could move forward in a sudden
stop or crash. That could cause
injury to the person sitting there.
Always push and pull on the
seatbacks to be sure they are
locked.
3. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is locked in
place.
{Warning
A safety belt that is improperly
routed, not properly attached,
or twisted will not provide the
protection needed in a crash. The
person wearing the belt could be
seriously injured. After raising the
rear seatback, always check to be
sure that the safety belts are
properly routed and attached, and
are not twisted. 4. Reconnect the center safety
belt latch plate to the
mini-buckle. Make sure the
safety belt is not twisted.
5. Push and pull on the latch plate to be sure it is secure.
When the seatback is not in use, it
should be kept in the upright, locked
position.
Safety Belts
This section describes how to use
safety belts properly, and some
things not to do.
{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)

GMC Canyon Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10122677) -
2017 - crc - 1/20/17
Seats and Restraints 51
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 a
reminder to buckle the safety belts.
See Safety Belt Reminders 0115.
Why Safety Belts Work
When riding in a vehicle, you travel
as fast as the vehicle does. If the
vehicle stops suddenly, you keep
going until something stops you.
It could be the windshield, the
instrument panel, or the safety belts!
When you wear a safety belt, you
and the vehicle slow down together.
There is more time to stop because
you stop over a longer distance and,
when worn properly, your strongest
bones take the forces from the
safety belts. That is why wearing
safety belts makes such good
sense.
Questions and Answers About
Safety Belts
Q: Will I be trapped in the vehicle
after a crash if I am wearing a
safety belt?
A: You could be—whether you are
wearing a safety belt or not.
Your chance of being conscious
during and after a crash, so you
can unbuckle and get out, is
much greater if you are belted. Q: If my vehicle has airbags, why
should I have to wear safety
belts?
A: Airbags are supplemental
systems only. They work with
safety belts —not instead of
them. Whether or not an airbag
is provided, all occupants still
have to buckle up to get the
most protection.
Also, in nearly all states and in
all Canadian provinces, the law
requires wearing safety belts.
How to Wear Safety Belts
Properly
This section is only for people of
adult size.
There are special things to know
about safety belts and children, and
there are different rules for smaller
children and infants. If a child will be
riding in the vehicle, see Older
Children 069 orInfants and Young
Children 070. Follow those rules for
everyone's protection.

GMC Canyon Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10122677) -
2017 - crc - 1/20/17
52 Seats and Restraints
It is very important for all occupants
to buckle up. Statistics show that
unbelted people are hurt more often
in crashes than those who are
wearing safety belts.
There are important things to know
about wearing a safety belt properly.
.Sit up straight and always keep
your feet on the floor in front
of you.
. Always use the correct buckle
for your seating position.
. Wear the lap part of the belt low
and snug on the hips, just
touching the thighs. In a crash,
this applies force to the strong pelvic bones and you would be
less likely to slide under the lap
belt. If you slid under it, the belt
would apply force on your
abdomen. This could cause
serious or even fatal injuries.
. Wear the shoulder belt over the
shoulder and across the chest.
These parts of the body are best
able to take belt restraining
forces. The shoulder belt locks if
there is a sudden stop or crash.
{Warning
You can be seriously injured,
or even killed, by not wearing
your safety belt properly.
. Never allow the lap or
shoulder belt to become
loose or twisted.
. Never wear the shoulder
belt under both arms or
behind your back.
. Never route the lap or
shoulder belt over an
armrest.
Lap-Shoulder Belt
All seating positions in the vehicle
have a lap-shoulder belt.
If you are using a rear seating
position with a detachable safety
belt and the safety belt is not
attached, see Rear Seats048 for
instructions on reconnecting the
safety belt to the mini-buckle.
The following instructions explain
how to wear a lap-shoulder belt
properly.
1. Adjust the seat, if the seat is adjustable, so you can sit up
straight. To see how, see
“Seats” in the Index.

GMC Canyon Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10122677) -
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58 Seats and Restraints
Warning (Continued)
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? 060.
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
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
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
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 069 or
Infants and Young Children 070.
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 0116.

GMC Canyon Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10122677) -
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60 Seats and Restraints
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 057.
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 that 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, the vehicle has
advanced technology frontal
airbags. Advanced technology
frontal airbags adjust the restraint
according to crash severity.
Seat-mounted side impact airbags
are designed to inflate in moderate
to severe side crashes depending
on the location of the impact.
Seat-mounted side impact airbags
are not designed to inflate in frontal
impacts, near frontal impacts,
rollovers, or rear impacts.
A seat-mounted side impact airbag
is designed to inflate on the side of
the vehicle that is struck.
Roof-rail airbags are designed to
inflate in moderate to severe side
crashes depending on the location
of the impact. In addition, these
roof-rail airbags are designed to
inflate during a rollover or in a

GMC Canyon Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10122677) -
2017 - crc - 1/20/17
Seats and Restraints 61
severe frontal impact. Roof-rail
airbags are not designed to inflate in
rear impacts. Both roof-rail airbags
will inflate when either side of the
vehicle is struck, if the sensing
system predicts that the vehicle is
about to roll over on its side, or in a
severe frontal impact.
In any particular crash, no one can
say whether an airbag should have
inflated simply because of the
vehicle damage or repair costs.
What Makes an Airbag
Inflate?
In a deployment event, the sensing
system sends an electrical signal
triggering a release of gas from the
inflator. Gas from the inflator fills the
airbag causing the bag to break out
of the cover. The inflator, the airbag,
and related hardware are all part of
the airbag module.
For airbag locations, seeWhere Are
the Airbags? 059.
How Does an Airbag
Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or
near frontal collisions, even belted
occupants can contact the steering
wheel or the instrument panel. In
moderate to severe side collisions,
even belted occupants can contact
the inside of the vehicle.
Airbags supplement the protection
provided by safety belts by
distributing the force of the impact
more evenly over the
occupant's body.
Rollover capable roof-rail airbags
are designed to help contain the
head and chest of occupants in the
outboard seating positions in the
first and second rows. The rollover
capable roof-rail airbags are
designed to help reduce the risk of
full or partial ejection in rollover
events, although no system can
prevent all such ejections. But airbags would not help in many
types of collisions, primarily
because the occupant's motion is
not toward those airbags. See
When
Should an Airbag Inflate? 060.
Airbags should never be regarded
as anything more than a supplement
to safety belts.
What Will You See after
an Airbag Inflates?
After the frontal airbags and
seat-mounted side impact airbags
inflate, they quickly deflate, so
quickly that some people may not
even realize an airbag inflated.
Roof-rail airbags may still be at least
partially inflated for some time after
they inflate. Some components of
the airbag module may be hot for
several minutes. For location of the
airbags, see Where Are the
Airbags? 059.
The parts of the airbag that come
into contact with you may be warm,
but not too hot to touch. There may
be some smoke and dust coming
from the vents in the deflated
airbags. Airbag inflation does not