Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12163005) - 2019 - crc - 9/17/18
94 Seats and Restraints
1. Insert the head restraint postsinto the holes in the top of the
seatback. The notches on the
posts must face the driver side
of the vehicle.
2. Push the head restraint down.
If necessary, press the height
adjustment release button to
further lower the head restraint.
See Rear Seats 056.
3. Try to move the head restraint to make sure it is locked in
place.
Replacing LATCH System
Parts After a Crash
{Warning
A crash can damage the LATCH
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
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
working properly after a crash,
see your dealer to have the
system inspected and any
necessary replacements made as
soon as possible.
If the vehicle has the LATCH system
and it was being used during a
crash, new LATCH system parts
may be needed.
New parts and repairs may be
necessary even if the LATCH
system was not being used at the
time of the crash.
Securing Child Restraints
(With the Seat Belt in the
Rear Seat)
When securing a child restraint with
the seat belts in a rear seat position,
study the instructions that came with
the child restraint to make sure it is
compatible with this vehicle. If the child restraint has the LATCH
system, see
Lower Anchors and
Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) 087 for how and where to
install the child restraint using
LATCH. If a child restraint is
secured in the vehicle using a seat
belt and it uses a top tether, see
Lower Anchors and Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) 087 for
top tether anchor locations.
Do not secure a child seat in a
position without a top tether anchor
if a national or local law requires
that the top tether be anchored, or if
the instructions that come with the
child restraint say that the top tether
must be anchored.
In Canada, the law requires that
forward-facing child restraints have
a top tether and that the tether be
attached.
If the child restraint or vehicle seat
position does not have the LATCH
system, you will be using the seat
belt to secure the child restraint. Be
sure to follow the instructions that
came with the child restraint.
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Seats and Restraints 95
If more than one child restraint
needs to be installed in the rear
seat, be sure to readWhere to Put
the Restraint 086.
1. Put the child restraint on the seat.
For outboard second row
seating positions, remove the
seat belt from the guide. Do not
secure the child restraint with
the seat belt routed through the
guide.
When installing a rear-facing
child restraint, it may be
necessary to move the front
seat forward to properly install
the child restraint per the child
restraint manufacturer
instructions.
If the head restraint interferes
with the proper installation of
the child restraint, the head
restraint may be removed. See
"Head Restraint Removal and
Reinstallation" under Lower
Anchors and Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) 087. 2. Pick up the latch plate, and run
the lap and shoulder portions
of the vehicle's seat belt
through or around the restraint.
The child restraint instructions
will show you how.
3. Push the latch plate into thebuckle until it clicks.
Position the release button on
the buckle, away from the child
restraint, so that the seat belt
could be quickly unbuckled if
necessary.
4. Pull the shoulder belt all the
way out of the retractor to set
the lock. When the retractor
lock is set, the belt can be
tightened but not pulled out of
the retractor.
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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96 Seats and Restraints
5. To tighten the belt, push downon the child restraint, pull the
shoulder portion of the belt to
tighten the lap portion of the
belt, and feed the shoulder belt
back into the retractor. When
installing a forward-facing child
restraint, it may be helpful to
use your knee to push down on
the child restraint as you
tighten the belt.
Try to pull the belt out of the
retractor to make sure the
retractor is locked. If the
retractor is not locked, repeat
Steps 4 and 5. 6. If the child restraint has a top
tether, follow the child restraint
manufacturer's instructions
regarding the use of the top
tether. See Lower Anchors and
Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) 087.
7. Before placing a child in the child restraint, make sure it is
securely held in place. To
check, grasp the child restraint
at the seat belt path and
attempt to move it side to side
and back and forth. When the
child restraint is properly
installed, there should be no
more than 2.5 cm (1 in) of
movement.
To remove the child restraint,
unbuckle the vehicle seat belt and
let it return to the stowed position.
If the top tether is attached to a top
tether anchor, disconnect it. If the head restraint was removed,
reinstall it before the seating
position is used. See "Head
Restraint Removal and
Reinstallation" under
Lower Anchors
and Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) 087 for additional
information on installing the head
restraint properly.
Securing Child Restraints
(With the Seat Belt in the
Front Seat)
This vehicle has airbags. A rear
seat is a safer place to secure a
forward-facing child restraint. See
Where to Put the Restraint 086.
In addition, the vehicle has a
passenger sensing system which is
designed to turn off the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag
and knee airbag (if equipped) under
certain conditions.
See Passenger Sensing System
0 74 and Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator 0117 for more information,
including important safety
information.
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Seats and Restraints 97
Never put a rear-facing child seat in
the front. This is because the risk to
the rear-facing child is so great if the
airbag deploys.
{Warning
A child in a rear-facing child
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(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
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
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
0 74 for additional information.
If the child restraint uses a top
tether, see Lower Anchors and
Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) 087 for top tether anchor
locations.
Do not secure a child seat in a
position without a top tether anchor
if a national or local law requires
that the top tether be anchored, or if the instructions that come with the
child restraint say that the top tether
must be anchored.
In Canada, the law requires that
forward-facing child restraints have
a top tether, and that the tether be
attached.
When using the lap-shoulder belt to
secure the child restraint in this
position, follow the instructions that
came with the child restraint and the
following instructions:
1. Move the seat as far back as it will go before securing the
forward-facing child restraint.
Move the seat upward or the
seatback to an upright position,
if needed, to get a tight
installation of the child
restraint.
When the passenger sensing
system has turned off the front
outboard passenger frontal
airbag and knee airbag (if
equipped), the OFF indicator
on the passenger airbag status
indicator should light and stay
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Seats and Restraints 99
7. Before placing a child in thechild restraint, make sure it is
securely held in place. To
check, grasp the child restraint
at the seat belt path and
attempt to move it side to side
and back and forth. When the
child restraint is properly
installed, there should be no
more than 2.5 cm (1 in) of
movement.
If the airbag or airbags are off, the
OFF indicator in the passenger
airbag status indicator will come on
and stay on when the vehicle is
started.
If a child restraint has been installed
and the ON indicator is lit, see “If
the On Indicator Is Lit for a Child
Restraint” underPassenger Sensing
System 074.
To remove the child restraint,
unbuckle the vehicle seat belt and
let it return to the stowed position.
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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100 Storage
Storage
Storage Compartments
Storage Compartments . . . . . . . 100
Instrument Panel Storage . . . . 100
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Cupholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Underseat Storage . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Center Console Storage . . . . . . 101
Additional Storage Features
Cargo Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Cargo ManagementSystem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Convenience Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Roof Rack System
Roof Rack System . . . . . . . . . . . 103
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
Pull the handle to open.
Pull up on the handle to open.
Glove Box
Lift up on the glove box lever to
open it.
Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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102 Storage
Additional Storage
Features
Cargo Cover
{Warning
An unsecured cargo cover could
strike people in a sudden stop or
turn, or in a crash. Store the
cargo cover securely or remove it
from the vehicle.
{Warning
Do not place objects on the cargo
cover. Sudden stops or turns can
cause objects to be thrown in the
vehicle. You or others could be
injured.
If equipped, use the cargo cover to
cover items in the rear of the
vehicle.
To install, hang the loops on the
liftgate anchors.
Cargo Management
System
This vehicle has a cargo
management system in the rear.
Pull the strap to lift.
Fold the load floor. Place the hook
from the load floor inside the hook
on the side trim.
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Storage 103
Convenience Net
The vehicle may have a
convenience net.
The net is used to store small loads
and should not be used for heavy
loads.
Roof Rack System
{Warning
If something is carried on top of
the vehicle that is longer or wider
than the roof rack—like paneling,
plywood, or a mattress —the
wind can catch it while the vehicle
is being driven. The item being
carried could be violently torn off,
and this could cause a collision
and damage the vehicle. Never
carry something longer or wider
than the roof rack on top of the
vehicle unless using a GM
certified accessory carrier.
For vehicles with a roof rack, the
rack can be used to load items. For
roof racks that do not have
crossrails included, GM Certified
crossrails can be purchased as an
accessory. See your dealer for
additional information.
Caution
Loading cargo on the roof rack
that weighs more than 75 kg
(165 lb) or hangs over the rear or
sides of the vehicle may damage
the vehicle. Load cargo so that it
rests evenly between the
crossrails, making sure to fasten
cargo securely.
To prevent damage or loss of cargo
when driving, check to make sure
crossrails and cargo are securely
fastened. Loading cargo on the roof
rack will make the vehicle’ s center
of gravity higher. Avoid high speeds,
sudden starts, sharp turns, sudden
braking, or abrupt maneuvers;
otherwise it may result in loss of
control. If driving for a long distance,
on rough roads, or at high speeds,
occasionally stop the vehicle to
make sure the cargo remains in its
place. Do not exceed the maximum
vehicle capacity when loading the
vehicle.
See Vehicle Load Limits 0163.